Maple-Orange Glazed Chicken and Sweet Potatoes in a Bread Bowl
- Ready In:
- 50mins
- Ingredients:
- 23
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 4 loaves bread, small round (country-style or sourdough)
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 cups fresh orange juice
- 4 tablespoons orange zest
- 1⁄2 cup maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 1⁄2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 large shallots, finely sliced
- 1⁄2 cup red onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1⁄2 cup dried cranberries
- 1⁄4 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1⁄2 cup chopped scallion
- crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
directions
- Make a 1/2-inch deep cut horizontally across the top of the bread loaves. Using a sharp knife, hollow to form a large bowl. Set aside. (BE CAREFUL TO NOT BREAK THROUGH THE SIDES OR THE BOTTOM CRUST). Cut the scooped out bread into crouton sized cubes and bake in 425°F oven until brown; set aside.
- Place sweet potatoes in a large pot; add enough water to cover. Cook over a high flame and bring to a boil, lower flame to medium-high and cook until tender (about 3 - 5 minutes); drain and set aside.
- Make the glaze by whisking together the orange juice, orange zest, maple syrup, brown sugar, cloves, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large-wide skillet over a medium-high flame. Season the chicken cubes with salt, pepper, onion powder, rosemary, and ginger. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the center is no longer pink. Remove the chicken and keep warm.
- Heat HALF of the maple-orange glaze in a sauce pan until thick and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
- Add remaining oil to the skillet. Sauté shallots and red onion over a medium-high flame until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the onion and cook it just long enough to coat with oil. To the skillet, add the chicken, sweet potatoes and the remaining glaze mixture; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 10 minutes - glaze should be thick and bubbly.
- In small bowl, mix together cranberries, walnuts, scallions and red pepper. In large mixing bowl, gently toss the glazed chicken and sweet potatoes, the cranberry mixture, and the baked croutons - If desired, drizzle additional glaze to thoroughly coat the chicken and sweet potato mixture.
- Divide and transfer to the hollowed bread loaves; sprinkle with parsley to garnish. Place the "bread bowls" on a plate or in a deep soup bowl. Serve with extra maple-orange glaze on the side.
- DON'T FORGET -- YOU CAN EAT THE BOWL!
Questions & Replies
Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
Have any thoughts about this recipe?
Share it with the community!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<img src="http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j166/ZaarNicksMom/PACsticker-Adopted.jpg">
<img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/IWasAdoptedfall08.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
It was at my Italian grandmother's apron strings, in the "Patterson, New Jersey region" of Italy, that I learned the secrets of creating real home style Italian dishes, and where my passion for food and my culture were nurtured.
Always kept neat as a pin, grandma's kitchen was the centerpiece of our social settings and the focal point of our lives together as a family. Yes, it was the heart of her home. There, friends and family exchanged news, grandchildren stood on stools over the counter and grated chunks of Romano and Parmesan cheese to be served with dinner, and under the watchful eye of grandma the women (young and old) planned and prepared mouthwatering menus that reflected the marvelous flavors and textures of Italian cooking.
On any given day tantalizing aromas would build and escape through her kitchen window, dance about the balcony and drift down onto the street; where men chatting on the corner of Putnum Street would stop in their tracks to inhale the mouth-watering fragrance. So many sumptuous meals were prepared in that modest, yet functional, kitchen.
If I close my eyes and think of Grandma's cooking, I can vividly recall some of those fragrant food memories: tomato sauce with meatballs and sausages simmering on the stove top; onions, peppers and garlic roasting in a fragrant pool of olive oil, Neapolitan pizza with vine-ripened tomatoes (from grandpa's garden), fresh garlic, basil, Parmesan and anchovies bubbling in the oven; Italian bread smothered with creamy butter, minced garlic, and fresh parsley toasting under the broiler ... "Yummmmm - Heaven in your mouth!"
Among the many recipes that I've collected over the years, are those that I hold especially near and dear. They are tattered, faded pieces of paper that provide a glimpse into my past -- Family recipes passed down from mother to daughter, granddaughter to great-granddaughter. Generations of my family's heritage are captured in grandma's recipes for flavorful soups (Minestrone, Pea, Ruccola); hearty meat, poultry and fish dishes (braciole, pot roast, chicken casseroles, seafood stews); fresh vegetable entrees and salads, and those baked goodies that bring a happy ending to every meal (Ricotta pies, Struffoli, Cenci, Pine Nut cookies). Whenever I am 'hungry' for "the good old days" or I want to soothe my soul after a tiring day, these are the comfort-recipes to which I turn.
I once heard it said: "What distinguishes great cooks from good cooks is that great cooks love to cook. Every meal is an opportunity to express that love." A credo that I am certain grandma lived by -- I believe that she prepared her meals to fill her family and friends with love. I am proud of grandma's spirit of "abbondanza" (an abundant table). Indeed, no one ever left grandma's table hungry.
I'd like to share with you some of the foods from my beloved grandmother's kitchen. Enjoy and make these Italian classic favorites in your own family's kitchen.
Buon appetito!