Sweet baked Potatoes & Orange Puree with Watercress Salad

I thought I could post something quick to serve on Thanksgiving table. A combination of an appetizer-salad or combined side. I reviewed quite a few recipes of potato purees I can try this one because it's quick and simple and can be pretty much used with fish or meat. I really liked the flavor of the sweet potatoes baked for few minutes inside the orange shells. Hope you like it too.

For the Potato Puree: (4 servings)
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cooked in boiled water until soft and ready
2 oranges cut in half and emptied (I juiced them, then scraped off the rest
2 tablespoon of orange juice (from those oranges I suggest)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Some chopped chives
Few drops of hot sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil or 1 tablespoon of butter
Some salt, black pepper, garlic powder

For the salad:
Fresh watercress, some chopped onions, some tomato slices or wedges, some toasted pine nuts. Balsamic vinegar and olive oil for the dressing.

After the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and mash them. Add butter or olive oil, the spices, garlic powder, orange juice, hot sauce. Mix them all together then fill the orange halves with the puree and bake for about 12 minutes in a 375 oven. I baked them in the muffin tin because it hold the oranges pretty well. Put the salad together. Now serve the baked orange potato puree by sprinkling the chopped chives on top and some black pepper. Serve it on the side of the salad or in the middle.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Bulgur & Chickpeas Pilaf: Burghul Bedfeen (برغل بدفين)

Bulgur Bedfeen is a healthy healthy recipe, can be made with chicken, stew meat or simply vegetarian substituting the chicken or meat stock with vegetable stock or water. The one I chose today is with chicken. I used a couple of chicken breasts but you can use half a chicken or even a whole chicken depending on the amount of servings.

Ingredients: (About 4-5 Servings)
2 big Chicken breasts cooked, by covering them with water and adding 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, small carrot, black pepper, small onion, 2 cardamoms (I saved the broth for the rest of the recipe).
2 cups of Bulgur no.2 (not the fine one we use for tabbouli)
2 cups of cooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans
4 cups of broth
1 medium onion diced
2 tablespoons of tomato sauce
Olive oil (you can substitute with butter)
Salt, pepper, allspice to taste

After you cook the chicken, shred and set aside.
In the cooking pot, add onions, olive oil, spices. cook for a couple of minutes then add the washed and drained bulgur, mix and cook for a couple of minutes then add the chickpeas, tomato paste and broth. Bring to a boil then let simmer just like rice.
Serve with chicken on top. This meal is served with green salad or plain yogurt.