RECIPES:

Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Quinoa Chili, from the Roasted Root.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: serves 6 to 8 people

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large sweet potato or yam, chopped into ½" cubes (about 4 cups worth)
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry quinoa
1 cup dry black turtle beans
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt, to taste

For Serving:
Sour Cream (or plain yogurt)
Cheese
Cilantro
Green onion
Avocado

Instructions
1. Pour one cup of dry beans in a large bowl or container and fill with water so that beans are
completely covered. Allow beans to soak overnight. Drain water from the beans and set aside
until ready to use.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil to medium.
3. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently until onion begins to sweat, 5 minutes.
4. Add the sweet potato and cook another 5 minutes.
5. Add the garlic, quinoa, and beans and continue cooking another 2 minutes, stirring everything
together.
6. Pour in the remaining ingredients and stir well. Bring chili to a full boil, cover the pot, and
reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow chili to bubble gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until quinoa
and sweet potato is cooked.
7. Remove pot from heat and allow it to sit covered for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. The
longer the chili sits, the thicker it will be.
8. Serve with sour cream, cilantro, and your favorite chili toppings.
http://www.theroastedroot.net/sweet-potato-black-bean-quinoa-chili/

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"Lobster tails" --- Super sized sfogliatelle filled with a mixture of half whipped cream, half custard, topped with a chocolate-dipped strawberry.

Here's a recipe from Mangiabenepasta.com, for tradional sfogliatelle, which you can alter to make these.

From St. Rocco's bakery in Glen Clove, shared by Denise Flaim

Pronounced SVOY-lee-ah-tell-eh or SFEE-la-tell Sfogliatelle Sfogliatelle means many leaves or layers and this crisp pastry's texture resembles leaves stacked on each other. Sfogliatelle look like seashells when baked. Some people also call them 'lobster tails' for their resemblance to the same. The characteristic ridges form as the layers of dough separate during baking. The pastries are filled with a sweetened ricotta cream, semolina, and cinnamon mixture. Lemon zest or candied orange bits are also sometimes added.

Here's a recipe for sfogliatelle pastry dough but you can substitute purchased puff pastry dough. Making sfogliatelle is a time-consuming process. If you are up for a challenge this is the recipe to try.

Ingredients:

Pastry for Sfogliatelle

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup semolina flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup margarine, melted (NOTE THAT THERE ARE LOWER TRANS FAT MARGERINE BRANDS, like Fleischmann's Light, Promise, Parkay, but maybe this would work with butter)

Note: You may wish to substitute 1 (1 pound package of frozen puff pastry dough, thawed, for the above pastry recipe

Sfogliatelle Filling

1 cup milk

1/4 cup semolina flour

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon candied orange bits or grated orange zest

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:

To make the dough:
In a large bowl, combine both flours, sugar and salt.
Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture.
Gradually add the water until a soft dough forms.
Form the dough into a disk, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

To make the filling:
Put the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil.
Slowly add the semolina flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
Simmer the mixture 3-4 minutes, until thick and smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool about 5 minutes.
Press the ricotta cheese through a sieve to remove any lumps.
Add the ricotta, egg, sugar, candied fruit, and cinnamon to the semolina mixture. Beat well to blend and set aside.

Making the sfogliatelle:
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into 2 equal pieces.
If you are using puff pastry, use 1 of the 2 pieces from the package.
On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece into a 16 x 22-inch rectangle.
The dough will be very, very thin. Starting at a short end, brush the first 1/3 of
dough with some of the melted margerine. Begin rolling the pastry up like a jellyroll.
Brush the second 1/3 of dough with more margerine, and continue rolling.
Finally, brush the last 1/3 with margerine, and roll up completely.
Cut the roll into 1-inch pieces, which will resemble narrow rolls of ribbon.

Forming the sfogliatelle:
Place one of the slices in the palm of your hand. Press the thumb of your other
hand in the center of the pastry and push it down to form a small ribbed cup.
You do not want the ribs to separate. Now you will begin to stretch the dough.
Carefully work around the cup, pushing down with your thumbs and pulling up
with your fingers. Think of it an opening a collapsible travel cup. Form each
piece into a cone, shaped 3 to 4 inches across the mouth and 1-inch at the tip.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Lightly grease or line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Fill each pastry cone with 2 tablespoons of the filling. Gently press the open
edges together to seal the pastry. Pull out the top ends to form a seashell shape.
Place the sfogliatelle 1-inch apart on the baking sheets.

Repeat the procedure with the second piece of pastry dough.

Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Allow the pastry to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
Transfer the pastry to wire racks to cool completely.

To serve:
Sprinkle the sfogliatelle with confectioners' sugar and serve.
Makes about 32 pastries

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