Roast Chicken with Tunisian Potato Turnovers and Curried Lentil Soup

We had some friends over for dinner last night. One of my go-to dinner party entrees (okay, who am I kidding, it's one of my most frequently prepared entrees) is roast chicken. Unless you're a vegetarian, it's bound to be satisfying in the most innocuous way, and it's a great complement to almost any type of cuisine - Italian, Mexican, Indian, or in this case, Tunisian(ish). I prepared some potato turnovers and Mike made one of our other favorites - curried lentil soup - as sides.

Tunisian Potato Turnovers
(from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites)

2 cups of potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups of sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 garlic cloves (or 5, or 6)
3 tbsp of plain nonfat yogurt
2 tsp ground caraway seed
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne
salt to taste
3 tbsp scallions, chopped
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 package Fillo dough
3-5 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the potatoes, sweet potatoes and garlic in water to cover until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and thoroughly mash them by hand with the yogurt, scallions, caraway, coriander, cumin, cayenne, lemon juice and salt until very smooth. Add more salt to taste.

Prepare a baking sheet with a light coating of cooking spray. Set aside near your work area.

Place the filling, filo, oil, a pastry brush and a clean damp towel on the counter top within easy reach. Unfold the stack of filo and in one smooth motion, remove a sheet and place it flat on the counter top with one of the short sides nearest you. Brush it lightly with olive oil. Working quickly, add a second and then a third sheet, oiling each lightly. Cover the remaining stack of filo with the damp towel as you work to prevent it from drying out and becoming brittle.

Cut lengthwise through the three oiled sheets to make three strips. Place two rounded tablespoons of filling on each strip, one near the bottom and one about a third of the way up. With a table knife or the back of a spoon, spread the filling to thinly cover the bottom half of each strip. Fold the lower left corner up and over diagonally so that the bottom edge is aligned with the right side. Fold straight up and then to the left. Continue to fold as you would a flag to make a small triangular pastry. Place each triangle on the baking sheet.

Repeat three more times until all of the filo and filling has been used and you have 16 turnovers. Brush the tops with any remaining oil.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve immediately.

Jeremy and Kendra both seemed to enjoy the meal and did mildly rave about the lentil soup. After dinner we started watching Gone With the Wind, but only made it through the first act. We'll be heading over to their place later this week to let them cater us a meal and to finish the epic movie.