Low Fat Chicken Bastillas Recipe
Ingredients
| 1 cup thickly sliced onion | ||
| Garlic | 2 Clove (5gm), minced | |
| Minced ginger | 1 1/2 Tablespoon | |
| Turmeric | 1 1/2 Teaspoon | |
| Ground coriander | 1 Teaspoon | |
| Powdered saffron | 1/8 Teaspoon | |
| 1/4 teaspoon hot chili flakes | ||
| Ground cinnamon | 1 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| 3 cups fat-skimmed unsalted or reduced-sodium chicken broth | ||
| 1 pound boned, skinned chicken breasts, cut into 1/3 by 2-inch slices | ||
| Egg whites | 4 Large | |
| Cilantro | 1/4 Cup (16 tbs), chopped | |
| Salt | To Taste | |
| Almonds | 1/3 Cup (16 tbs), finely chopped | |
| Powdered sugar | 1 1/2 Tablespoon | |
| 6 sheets (12 by 1.7 in.) filo dough | ||
| Cooking oil spray | ||
| 2 tablespoons red jalapeno jelly | ||
| Cornstarch | 1 Tablespoon | |
Directions
1. In a 3- to 4-quart pan over high heat, bring onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, saffron, chili flakes, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and broth to a rolling boil. Add chicken, cover, remove from heat, and let stand until chicken is no longer pink in center (cut to test), about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer chicken, but not onion, to a bowl. Save the cooking broth.
2. Whisk 1/4 cup of the cooking broth with egg whites just to blend. Place an 8-to 10-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into pan and stir just until softly set, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. With a flexible spatula, gently combine egg mixture and cilantro with chicken. Season to taste with salt.
4. In another bowl, combine almonds, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
5. Working quickly so filo dough doesn't dry out, lightly spray each filo sheet with oil and make 3 stacks of 2 sheets each. From a 17-inch edge, cut each stack of filo dough into 3 equal parts; you'll have 9 stacks. Lay 1 stack of 2 strips at right angles across another. With 6 more stacks, make 3 more crosses; reserve remaining stack for other uses.
6. Using a slotted spoon, mound 1/4 of the chicken mixture (add any accumulated liquid to the reserved cooking broth) onto center of each cross. Sprinkle mounds equally with almond mixture. For each bundle, gather filo strips up over filling and gently squeeze and twist to enclose. Set filo bundles well apart on an oiled 12- by 15-inch baking sheet.
7. Pull back tips of filo strips on each bundle to make "petals." Lightly spray bundles with oil.
8. Bake bastilla pastries in a 400° oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes (10 to 12 minutes in a convection oven).
9- Meanwhile, boil reserved broth mixture over high heat until reduced to 2 cups, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl; discard residue. Rinse pan and return broth to it. Add jelly. Mix cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and add to pan. Set pan over high heat and stir with a whisk until boiling.
10. With a wide spatula, transfer bastillas to plates. Dust with powdered sugar and accompany with sauce.
2. Whisk 1/4 cup of the cooking broth with egg whites just to blend. Place an 8-to 10-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into pan and stir just until softly set, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. With a flexible spatula, gently combine egg mixture and cilantro with chicken. Season to taste with salt.
4. In another bowl, combine almonds, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
5. Working quickly so filo dough doesn't dry out, lightly spray each filo sheet with oil and make 3 stacks of 2 sheets each. From a 17-inch edge, cut each stack of filo dough into 3 equal parts; you'll have 9 stacks. Lay 1 stack of 2 strips at right angles across another. With 6 more stacks, make 3 more crosses; reserve remaining stack for other uses.
6. Using a slotted spoon, mound 1/4 of the chicken mixture (add any accumulated liquid to the reserved cooking broth) onto center of each cross. Sprinkle mounds equally with almond mixture. For each bundle, gather filo strips up over filling and gently squeeze and twist to enclose. Set filo bundles well apart on an oiled 12- by 15-inch baking sheet.
7. Pull back tips of filo strips on each bundle to make "petals." Lightly spray bundles with oil.
8. Bake bastilla pastries in a 400° oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes (10 to 12 minutes in a convection oven).
9- Meanwhile, boil reserved broth mixture over high heat until reduced to 2 cups, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl; discard residue. Rinse pan and return broth to it. Add jelly. Mix cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and add to pan. Set pan over high heat and stir with a whisk until boiling.
10. With a wide spatula, transfer bastillas to plates. Dust with powdered sugar and accompany with sauce.
Chef
