Orange Scented Sweet Potato Gratin With Apple And Pear Food

ORANGE-SCENTED SWEET POTATO GRATIN WITH APPLE AND PEAR

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a 3-quart gratin or baking dish with walnut oil. Toss together the sweet potatoes, apples and pear in a large bowl. Season with salt to taste.
• In a small saucepan or in a microwave at 50 percent power, heat the honey (or agave nectar) and the walnut oil together just until warm. Add to the sweet potato mixture, add the orange zest and toss together well until the fruit and vegetables are well coated. Scrape into the baking dish, making sure to scrape out all of the honey and oil using a rubber spatula. Pour on the orange juice. Set the baking dish on a sheet pan and place in the oven.
• Bake 1 hour, setting the timer so that you remember to stir the mixture at 15-minute intervals. Cover the pan with foil and continue to bake for another 1/2 hour, or until the sweet potatoes are thoroughly tender and the liquid in the pan is syrupy. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes (or longer) before serving.

SWEET & WHITE POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Lighly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Peel and thinly slice potatoes, using a food processor if available. Arrange half of the white and sweet potato slices randomly in the baking dish.
• In a small bowl, combine the cheeses, thyme, salt and pepper. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle evenly with flour.
• Add the remaining potato slices, and sprinkle the remaining cheese mixture on top.
• Pour the chicken broth and cream over the potatoes.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, crush the French-fried onions.
• Remove the baking dish from the oven and uncover. Sprinkle the crushed onions evenly over the top and return to the oven to bake, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 20 minutes before serving.

MAPLE GLAZED APPLE AND SWEET POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350. Let the kids coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter; set aside.
• In a small pan, melt remaining butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until well blended and cooked, about 1 minute. Add maple syrup, salt and brown sugar. Simmer, whisking frequently, until the sugar dissolves and sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove sauce from heat.
• Help kids arrange a row of sweet potato and apple slices, alternating and overlapping them, in the prepared pan. They can continue to make rows until the pan is full. Pour the sauce evenly over potatoes and apples. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake 40 minutes.
• Raise oven temperature to 450. Remove foil from pan and use a spoon to baste the juices over the top. Bake an additional 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and nicely browned, basting juices over the top every 10 minutes. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 oven up to 30 minutes.