May Appetizer #2

Apparently watching Julie & Julia way too many times, made me over achiever.  I just made another ground chicken recipe from the May issue of Cooking Light.  It was delicious!  Just be careful handling the habanero pepper!  It's a little labor-intensive, but worth it. - Mom

Haitian Chicken Pate Puffs  

Rather than a more traditional pâté, a chicken picadillo is first made and then whirred up for a filling in these little first-course puff-pastry packets. The filling is then sealed in the dough and baked. It's highly spiced for sure, but also very aromatic, a nice start to any meal.

Ingredients

• 1  habanero pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/4  cup  chopped yellow onion
• 2  teaspoons  minced garlic
• 1/2  pound  ground chicken breast
• 1/4  cup  shredded carrot
• 2  teaspoons  no-salt-added tomato paste
• 2  teaspoons  fresh lime juice
• 1  teaspoon  cider vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  chopped green onions
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh parsley
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground cloves
• 1/8  teaspoon  grated whole nutmeg
• 1  (14-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1  large egg
• 1  tablespoon  water

Preparation

1. Cut habanero in half. Seed one half of pepper, and leave seeds in other half. Mince both pepper halves. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add minced habanero, onion, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add carrot; cook 2 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add lime juice and vinegar, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add green onions and next 6 ingredients (through nutmeg); stir well. Remove from heat; cool mixture to room temperature.

2. Place cooled chicken mixture in a food processor; process until almost smooth (mixture will begin to clump).

3. Preheat oven to 400°.

4. Roll puff pastry into a 15 x 12–inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Cut puff pastry into 20 (3-inch) squares. Combine egg and water, stirring with a whisk. Brush egg mixture along edges of pastry squares; spoon about 1 scant tablespoon filling in center of each pastry square. Fold each pastry square in half; press edges closed with tines of a fork. Brush top with egg wash; arrange 1 inch apart on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.