Chestnuts roasting in a warm oven

Written by Robin Glowa
Wednesday, 07 December 2011 00:00

One of the many joys of cooking and experimenting with healthy recipes is discovering new ingredients. Imagine my delight when a dear friend recently reintroduced me to roasted chestnuts. “You’ve never tried them?,” he asked in disbelief. “Well, maybe once years ago,” I responded. “I think I remember them being kind of mealy.”

“Try them again, they’re really delicious,” he insisted. Next thing I knew, we were cutting a small cross into each chestnut, placing them flat side down in a sturdy baking pan and sprinkling them with water.

Into the oven they went at 400 degrees, and 35 minutes later I was peeling back the shiny brown shells, revealing warm, golden brown nuggets that tasted not mealy, but creamy textured and completely unique.

Chestnut trees flourished in the United States in the 1800s, but in 1904 a blight descended on chestnut trees at the Bronx Zoo, and the resulting scourge eliminated most of the trees nationwide. The majority of the chestnuts found in our supermarkets today are imported from Italy.

I was thrilled to discover that chestnuts have significant health benefits. Unlike other nuts, chestnuts contain only a trace amount of fat. Chestnuts are the only nut that contain a high vitamin C content.

Chestnuts also offer high fiber, complex carbohydrate and folic acid content and are cholesterol free and gluten free. Their distinctive flavor will enhance soups, stuffings, desserts or vegetable dishes.

At the market choose chestnuts that are plump, glossy and a dark, rich color. Press on the nut, and if there is a solid feeling with no give, you have a nice, fresh nut. Your chestnuts should be stored in the refrigerator as they are perishable and can dry out.

Ring in the holiday season with a healthy handful of chestnuts!

Enjoy this stuffing with roast chicken for an elegant holiday season meal.

Chestnut Stuffing

Serves 6

1/2 pound sweet chicken or pork sausage, crumbled

3 large shallots, chopped

2 celery stalks chopped

1 1/4 cups dried cranberries, cherries or chopped figs

1 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons applejack brandy (optional)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

4 cups fresh breadcrumbs

1 1/2 cups peeled, roasted chestnuts, coarsely chopped

Butter an 8x8x2 glass baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté sausage in a heavy skillet until well browned. Add shallots, celery and sauté for 5-10 minutes until softened. Stir in dried fruit, 1/2 cup chicken broth, brandy if using, thyme and sage, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer until dried fruit is soft and tender.

Mix breadcrumbs, chestnuts and the sausage mixture together in a bowl. Stir in remaining chicken broth. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place stuffing in baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake stuffing for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until top browns, about 10-15 minutes longer.

Robin Glowa, HHC, AADP, is a food and wellness enthusiast who earned her certification in holistic health counseling from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University Teachers College. She specializes in teaching healthy cooking classes for children and adults, as well as cooking presentations and wellness workshops for many local organizations. For more information go to theconsciouscook.net, call 203-393-1037, or http://confessionsofaconsciouscook.blogspot.com/