Apricot And Pine Nut Stuffing Recipes

APRICOT & HAZELNUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Fry onions in the butter. Stir in nuts; fry until golden. Remove from the heat, add apricots, breadcrumbs, parsley and lemon zest. Mix in the egg and season. Use half to stuff the neck end of the turkey; shape the rest into balls.
• Put the balls in a buttered baking dish, then drizzle with oil. Bake for 30 mins until golden, or roast them around the turkey.

APRICOT AND PINENUT CHICKEN STUFFING

Steps:

• In a medium sized bowl combine breadcrumbs, apricots, pinenuts, prunes and lemon zest.
• In a small fry pan melt butter and saute onion over a medium heat until soft and transparent but not brown. Stir in rosemary.
• Add onion to the breadcrumb mixture and combine. Add egg and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Stuff the chicken and bake as per chicken size. This quantity was ample for a size 26 Tegel chicken.

APRICOT ALMOND STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place torn croissant pieces, chopped onion, sliced almonds, tarragon, thyme, parsley, quartered apricot bits, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl.
• In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, apricot preserves (or jam), and half of the chicken broth; stir until blended. Pour the broth mixture over the stuffing mixture.
• Use a large spatula or wooden spoon to toss the stuffing mixture until all the ingredients are well blended. Use as much of the remaining broth--adding a little at a time--as is needed to get the stuffing thoroughly moist (but not saturated or "soupy"). I usually use nearly all of the 2 cups of broth, with maybe 1/8 cup or so not used (I've never really measured the unused portion).
• Place stuffing in a 10x10-inch baking dish, cover, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
• NOTE - I don't usually grease my pyrex casserole dish for this stuffing, and I have never had a problem with the stuffing sticking to the edges or bottom, and the clean-up is very easy (no crusty pieces stuck to the dish). But, depending on what type of dish you use to roast the stuffing, you might want to first lightly butter your baking dish or lightly coat it with a no-stick cooking spray.
• TIP - Take advantage of sales, and buy day-old croissants at a reduced price when you plan to make this dish. They will be well moistened with the buttery broth, so it won't matter if they are a bit dry.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS & PINE NUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Put couscous in a large heatproof bowl, pour over stock, then cover with cling film for 5 mins until liquid is absorbed. Melt half the butter in a pan, then gently cook onion and garlic for 5-8 mins until soft. Set aside. Dry-fry pine nuts for a few mins until golden. Combine onions, pine nuts, apricots and herbs with couscous. Add a good squeeze of lemon juice, season, then stir in egg. Leave to cool.
• Using the back of a knife, stretch rashers to 1½ times their original length. Lay, slightly overlapping, on a large sheet of foil to form a rectangle. Make a few slashes in the thickest part of each chicken breast and lay between 2 sheets of cling film. Use the base of a heavy pan to bash the chicken until about 1cm thick. Arrange chicken over the bacon, fitting so there are no gaps, but leave a border on longer sides. (This helps to roll up the chicken.)
• Spoon stuffing over chicken in a strip along one of the longest sides. Using tin foil to help, roll bacon and chicken around stuffing like a log. Wrap tightly in foil, twisting the ends to secure, then chill for 2 hrs or up to 1 day.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Place chicken, join-side down, in a roasting tray. Cook for 30 mins, then unwrap foil and brush roast with remaining butter. Cook, uncovered, for 20-30 mins more until cooked through, and the stuffing is hot (a metal skewer inserted into the chicken's centre should come out hot). Cool and wrap in fresh foil to transport.

PINE NUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat the broth, black pepper, celery and onion in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the stuffing and pine nuts. Mix lightly.
• Put into deep baking dish and top with butter. Bake in oven at 375°F until browned and slightly crispy on top.

DRIED APRICOT PINE NUT PILAF

Steps:

• In a saucepan cook the onion in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened, add the rice, and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the salt, the water, and the broth, bring the liquid to a boil, and cook the mixture, covered, over low heat for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Add the apricots, fluff the rice with a fork, and let the mixture stand, covered, off the heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts, the parsley, and pepper to taste. Serve the pilaf with pot roast, lamb, or poultry.