Latin Empanadas

It's the Holiday time.  Which is also a "busy time" for most of us.  Getting the tree up, baking goodies for all your friends and neighbors, and hosting holiday parties.

You know what I mean.  A busy time.

Today's recipe does double duty.  My Latin Empanadas can be served as a main course dinner.  Made smaller to serve as appetizers for a party.  Or even frozen and baked for a quick weeknight meal.

Gotta love those types of recipes.  And...gotta love the flavor of this empanada!  Typically fried, I baked these to golden brown.  Using my Mom's pastry dough made the recipe special...plus easy.  The dough turns out tender and perfectly easy to work with.

The filling is a combination of chicken, veggies, cheese, and just a kick of flavor to pull it all together.  These are excellent.

I think they are calling me now...!  So if you are hosting a party soon or want a great meal for your family you'll be blown over by this dish!

Enjoy!

Latin Empanadas

Mom's Pastry Dough

      1 cup  flour
      1/2 tsp.Baking Powder
      1/2 tsp salt
      1/4 cup  shortening
      1/4 cup water

Meat Filling

      1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
      1/2 cup onions, small dice
      1/2 cup red bell peppers, small dice
      1/2 chunky salsa (I used a medium spice)
      1 clove garlic, minced
      1 cup  Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheeses
      1 egg beaten with 1 T. water
                                                                                                                     
For the dough:  In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt, mix to combine. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add 1/4 cup water, stirring until mixture forms ball.  Dough may seem dry but try and incorporate it all together.  If too dry add 1 tsp water.  

Knead dough on floured board until smooth and elastic. (About 5 minutes) Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.                

For the filling:  In a large skillet cook chicken, onions and peppers on medium-high heat 8 min. until chicken is done. Add salsa and garlic stirring to combine.  Cool 10 minutes.  Once cool, stir cheese into chicken mixture.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Divide dough into 6 pieces and roll out each piece in to a 7-inch round. (For appetizer use a 3 or 4" round)   Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.  

Place dough on parchment and fill with about 1/2 c of the chicken mix the middle of the round.  Brush edges with beaten egg and pull the  top edge of dough over the filling.  Seal on the bottom with a fork.  Brush tops with remaining egg.wash.  Bake 18-20 minutes.

Quick Taco Soup

Need to have dinner on the table in a hurry but want something hearty?

This is the answer!  This quick taco soup is all that and more.  It has the flavors everyone loves about tacos, but provides the comfort and warmth only a soup can bring.

Fall is in the air and is changing my cravings toward heartier food.  But during the weeknight it's hard to put a full blow meal together in a short time.  So on a Friday night, when it's time to relax and unwind from the week this is the perfect dish.

This soup uses ingredients that you may already have on hand.  Ground sirloin, onion, bell peppers, black beans, corn and canned diced tomatoes are the base.  Pretty much staples in my house.  I always have ground sirloin in the freezer so I can through something together like this.  The seasonings are what provide all the Latin flavor.  They work perfectly in this soup.  If you don't want a kick to the soup make sure to leave out the cayenne pepper.  That will make it kid friendly as well.

This soup can be made in under 30 minutes which is just perfect in my book!  The taste?  Well, MGG thinks it is fantastic, and has requested that I make it again this weekend.  Everyone loves tacos don't they?

Serve up this wonderful soup with a side salad and you have the perfect fall meal.  Enjoy!

Quick Taco Soup

Serves 4

1 lb ground sirloin

1 T canola oil

½ medium onion, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 ½ t garlic, minced

1 ½ t cumin

1 ½ t dried oregano

½ t salt

½ t chili powder

¼ t cayenne pepper

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1 c black beans, drained and rinsed

2 c low sodium beef broth

1 c fresh corn

Garnish:  (optional) shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado slices, chopped tomatoes, tortilla chips

Brown sirloin in a large dutch oven until cooked through.  Remove from pot and drain drippings.  Add oil to pot and heat over medium high heat.  Add onion and bell peppers and cook about 5 minutes.  Stir in cooked sirloin, garlic, cumin oregano, salt, chili powder, and cayenne.  Stir to combine. 

Add tomatoes, beans, broth , and corn.  Bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook 5-10 minutes.  Garnish with favorite taco toppings.

Cilantro Lime Flank Steak with an Avocado Poblano Salsa

How about a little Latin flair on the grill?

MGG and I decided to make something quick and tasty on the grill to go along with my Southern Slaw.

Slaw goes with everything right?  So why not pair it with some wonderful flank steak and some homemade salsa!

I found this dish browsing on the internet and it sounded so simple, with straightforward flavors that would pack a punch.  So I promptly printed out the recipe and checked my kitchen for the ingredients. With the exception of the poblano pepper I had everything else on hand, including the flank steak in the freezer.

Latin dishes are very prevalent in LA and they became part of our family's routine meals when we ate out.  I love the flavors so much that I often cook dishes with Latin flavor to satisfy my cravings (cravings that are strong and often!).  MGG just said to me "You sure do like Mexican food, don't you."  He didn't grow up here so he doesn't understand the cravings...

However, he loves the flavors.  So much so that he just bragged over this dish.  He was "Mmmnning" through most of the meal.  That always make you feel good don't you think?

The end result of this wonderful dish?  This is a keeper!  Such a great recipe that is easy to put together.  This will be one of your new go to grill recipes.

Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Flank Steak

serves 4 

1 pound beef flank steak
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lime juice
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder or chili powder

Score both sides of steak in a diamond pattern by making shallow diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals. Place steak in a resealable plastic bag

In a small bowl, stir together the water, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, oregano, and chipotle chile powder. Pour marinade over steak in bag. Seal bag; turn to coat steak. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Remove steak from the marinade. Place steak on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat. Grill for 17 to 21 minutes or until medium doneness (160 degrees F).

Thinly slice beef across the grain. Top with Avocado Poblano Salsa. 



Avocado Poblano Salsa

1 poblano pepper
1 yellow, red, or green sweet pepper
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/3 c finely chopped red onion
2 T cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 t lime zest
1 T lime juice
salt & pepper to taste
1 small avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped

In a medium bowl, combine peppers, tomato, red onion, cilantro, lime peel, lime juice, salt and pepper; gently toss to combine. Stir in the avocado.Serve over grilled steak.


recipes adapted from Better Homes and Garden

Baked Tacos

Baked Tacos are everywhere on the Internet!

Perfect timing for Cinco De Mayo, don't you think?  Since I keep seeing them all over the place I decided to try them out.  Just to test out the method of making crispy taco shells in the oven.  I usually make (by that I mean fry) my own taco shells.  Something my Mom taught me many, many, many years ago...so I've always done it that way, but I'm open to something new, maybe a tad bit healthier also.

 
It's an easy method really, using your oven and the rack to shape the taco shells.  One this though, (and I know from experience) is that you need to watch these puppies, or your will end up with crispy breaking shells.  One minute too long could make all the difference.

I used my favorite taco filling for these.  You can find that recipe here.  The end result of making the shells was good.  They were crispy (except the 1st batch!) but and went well with filling and baking them in the oven.  I'm not convinced that this saves time, cause you add extra time on for the baking.  But it does allow you to make a ton of tacos all at once and have them done at the same time!  Isn't that nice?

Part two is filling the shells with a meat mixture and then adding cheese.  Placing them in a 9x13 pan and baking them.  This gives you a more moist taco with oozy melty cheese on top.  Ole!




Baked Tacos

12 corn tortillas
cooking spray
1 lb ground beef 
2 T taco seasoning
shredded cheese
shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, taco sauce, olives as garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Working with 6 tortillas at a time, wrap in a barely damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on High until steamed, about 30 seconds. Lay the tortillas on a clean work surface and coat both sides with cooking spray. Then carefully drape each tortilla over two bars of the oven rack. Bake at 375 degrees until crispy, 4 -5 minutes.

Prepare taco meat in a skillet using taco seasoning.  Stir meat breaking into small crumbles.

Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, standing up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell.

Place into the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through. Remove from the oven and top with any optional condiments for serving.

Cinco De Mayo Roundup

It's time to get your fiesta on!

Cinco De Mayo lands on Sunday this year.  What a perfect day for a celebration!  The weather is warming up, so it's fitting to take it easy, have some delicious Latin inspired food with some beer or margaritas!  How fun is that?

And that's just what we are going to do.  I think that Tacos and beer are in order.  So for my menu I'll be making one of my most popular dishes, Chicken Verde Tacos.  YUM!  The flavor of these tacos wins over the crowds every time.  

To inspire you further I'm bringing you some of my most popular posts that are Latin inspired.  Some items for your to choose your celebratory menu from.  Ole!  Have a wonderful Cinco De Mayo, and don't forget to tell me what you are planning for your day!


Appetizers

Salsa Roja


Black Bean Salsa



Salads

Crunchy Baja Salad


Chicken Guacamole Salad



Side Dishes

Jazzed Up Refried Beans


Easy Mexican Rice


 

Main Dishes

Chili marinated Pork Tenderloin 


Chicken Milanesa






Beef Enchiladas

  
Beth's Favorite Chicken Enchiladas
 

Desserts

Mexican Chocolate Pudding



Strawberry Banana Parfait

Chicken Tortilla Verde Soup

I've got a soup to spice up your weekend.

Loving Latin flavors this soup is right up my alley.  If you love them too, you'll just die over this soup.  It's not your typical tortilla soup.  This one, inspired by Paula Deen , is white in color.  Yes, white.  It also has several types of green chilies.  Yum for green chilies.  A mild tart flavor that just calls me.  I think it started in the 80's with Enchiladas Suizas...but I digress.

Oh, and another important 'green' item is tomatillos.  Have you cooked with them yet?  They have the most fabulous flavor!  This is a good way to experiment with them.  The canned variety is used here for ease or making the soup.

Her method is interesting.  She actually poaches the chicken in the soup and then removes it it shred and replaces it back to finish it off.  I was eager to try this, and we were both glad I did.  The end result was a wonderful warming spicy (with flavor, not heat) soup with excellent flavor!  You've gotta try this one.  

Thanks to Paula for the creativeness of this soup!

Chicken Tortilla Verde Soup

adapted from Cooking with Paul Deen January/February 2013

Serves 4 - 6

2 T canola oil, divided
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 c chopped yellow onion
1 c chopped poblano pepper
4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 c chicken broth
1 28 oz can of tomatillos, drained and chopped
1 T cumin
2 t dried thyme
3/4 c sour cream
1/2 c cilantro, chopped
Garnish: fried tortilla strips

In a large stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil.  Add add chicken, and brown both sides, about 6 minutes.  Remove chicken.  Add remaining tablespoon of oil, heat over medium-high heat.  Add onion, poblano, and garlic.  Cook about 7 minutes or until onion has softened.  

Add a couple of tablespoons of the broth and scrape up any browned bits.  Add remaining broth and cumin and thyme.  Add chicken and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until chicken has cooked through.  

Remove chicken from the pot and cool slightly.  Shred meat and return to the pot.  Stir in sour cream and cilantro.  Serve topped with tortilla chips. 

Mexican Chocolate Pudding

One way to entertain myself and to keep my mind stimulated is to take cooking classes.

How many of you take cooking classes?  I think they are great!  The tips they give...teaching you new tricks and techniques.  Plus it is a great opportunity to taste new flavors and learn about new food products.  Who doesn't love that?

Recently I took a dinner class.  It's a private class in an intimate setting with 3 other people and the chef.  They focus on a theme and a cookbook, cooking courses from the book.  Then you are served a full 4 course dinner on special beautiful dinnerware and crystal.  Share the food and talking over the lessons with the chef is invaluable, and the personal attention you get is invaluable.  You gift to take with you is a copy of the cookbook.

The cookbook we previewed was Healthy in a Hurry by Karen Ansel, MS, RD & Charity Ferreira.  It is a great book with very simple, straightforward recipes, that are easy to prepare and healthy to eat.

Today's recipe showcases the dessert we had, Mexican Chocolate Pudding.  This pudding was so creamy, with a hint of spice, and a hint of heat.  I loved it.  It was the first thing I made after the class....of course!  I slightly adapted it to use just a little less cayenne pepper...I'm a wuss.

Some step by step pics...

 

 

Voila, the finish product!  YUM!

Mexican Chocolate Pudding
adapted from Healthy in a Hurry

serves 6

1/4 c light brown sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/2 t. cinnamon
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/8 t salt
2 c 2% low fat milk
2 egg yolks
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 t vanilla

In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and salt.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk and egg yolks.  Add brown sugar mixture, and mix well.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, until sugar  is dissolved and mixture begins to bubble around the edges of the pot, about 5 minutes.  Cook gently, stirring constantly for 1 minute longer, then remove from heat.  Stir in chocolate until melted and smooth, followed by vanilla.  

Spoon pudding into 6 ramekins or dessert glasses, dividing evenly, and smooth tops.  Place a piece of waxed paper directly on surface of each serving to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.  Serve cold.