Empanadas

Let me show Ground Beef some love today.....Let's talk about

Empanadas

Perfectly seasoned beef on the inside. Golden, flaky (store-bought) crust on the outside.

Beef Empanadas in particular..

Certain situations call for sophisticated finger foods. Like cocktail parties or bridal showers or midnight snack runs. And what could be more satisfying in those situations than savory beef empanadas? We fill pieces of store-bought pie dough with seasoned beef and bake them until the crust is flaky and golden. These little turnovers can be frozen for up to three months, so I recommend making a few batches to have at the ready.

Check out the recipe-

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

1 pound ground beef

3 tablespoons taco seasoning

One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 packages prepared pie dough (2 crusts total)

1 egg

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño, and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute more.

3. Add the ground beef and cook until well browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the taco seasoning and tomatoes, then bring to a simmer, mixing to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cool slightly.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to flatten any creases. Using a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass (about 3 inches in diameter), cut circles from the dough. You may need to flour the cookie cutter or glass between cuts. (Note: You can reroll the scraps of pie dough once to cut more circles.)

5. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of a dough circle. Brush one side of the dough with water, then fold the dough over the filling, pressing gently to seal. Use the tines of a fork to fully seal the edge of the dough. Repeat with the remaining dough circles and filling. (The empanadas can be made up to this point and frozen in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before moving on to step 6.)

6. Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheets. If the dough feels sticky, refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.

7. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water to combine. Brush the egg wash onto each empanada.

8. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.


A nice little treat for early spring ,wouldn't you say?  Something to much on while watching the NBA playoffs ,which are coming up soon..

Enjoy!  Eat well my friends!

Pulled Pork Sliders

I was showing somebody this blog and going through some of my recipes and I realized that I have an over abundance of chicken recipes on here lately....Today..I decided to go with that other white meat...Pork...Pulled Pork...

Tangy barbecue sauce spiked with your favorite hot sauce, sweet pineapple, and tender pulled pork is the perfect balance of flavors for a slider you will crave again and again this spring and summer.

 INGREDIENTS:

(For The Pork)

• 3 Pounds pork butt/pork shoulder
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 Cup water
• 1/4 Cup cider vinegar
• 2 Teaspoons hot sauce, such as TABASCO® brand original red sauce

(For The Barbecue Sauce)

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoons minced fresh garlic
• 4 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 Cup cider vinegar
• 2 Cups ketchup
• 4 Tablespoons hot sauce, such as TABASCO® brand original red sauce
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 Teaspoon ground black pepper

(For The Pickled Pineapple)

• 1 whole pineapple
• 2 Tablespoons hot sauce, such as TABASCO® brand original red sauce
• 2 Tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 Cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 Cup water
• Slider buns, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

For the pulled pork:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Season pork generously with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan just large enough to fit pork butt or pork shoulder and cook uncovered for 2 hours, flipping half way through.
Remove from oven. Add water and cider vinegar over pork and cover with foil. Return to oven and continue to cook for 1 additional hour.
When pork is easily pierced with a fork, drain fat and juice from pan in a separate container. Skim the fat from the top and discard. Reserve the liquid for later use.
With two forks shred the pulled pork and add the reserved cooking liquid, TABASCO sauce and salt to taste. Mix well.

For the barbecue sauce:

In a thick bottom large saucepan, heat oil over medium-low heat.
Add garlic and ginger and sweat for two minutes until translucent being careful not to burn the garlic. Deglaze by adding cider vinegar to the pan and stirring the bottom with a wooden spoon.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

For the pickled pineapple:

Peel, core, and chop pineapple into small to medium pieces and place in a glass bowl.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine TABASCO sauce, sugar, rice wine vinegar, and water and bring to a simmer.
Immediately pour mixture over pineapple and place in a refrigerator until chilled.
To assemble, place 3 ounces of pulled pork mixture onto bottom of slider bun and add 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce and 1 tablespoon of drained pickled pineapple.

ENJOY! Eat well my good friends!

National Grill Cheese Day

I am told that today is National Grilled Cheese Day! Really? Who makes this stuff up?

I'm not about to tell you howto make a Grill Cheese Sandwich...Not the Traditional one anyway...

I just want to tell you about the French Onion Brisket Grill Cheese that they serve at Di Bruno Brothers here in Philadelphia..

This family company has been in business since 1939, and its flagship location in Rittenhouse Square offers five grilled cheese sandwiches, all under $9.

There are other examples of chefs layering caramelized onions and juicy brisket with semi-hard, nutty cheeses to make an epic sandwich, but sherry vinegar and sesame-seed bread bring layers of complexity to a dish that isn't used to such treatment.

 Other Di Bruno grilled cheeses, such as the Spicy Italian and Cheddar & Chutney with smoked gouda, make the case for return trips.

Can Can Chicken

I got this recipe from Taste of Home...And believe it or not...One of the ingredients in this Recipe is Beer...

Yes ,that's right...Beer...Check it out!


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 broiler/fryer chicken (3-1/2 to 4 pounds)
• 1 can (12 ounces) beer

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, mix the first seven ingredients. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from chicken; rub seasoning mixture under and over skin. Tuck wings under chicken. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour.
2. Completely cover all sides of an 8- or 9-in. baking pan with foil. Place a beer-can chicken rack securely in pan. Remove half of the beer from can. Using a can opener, make additional large holes in top of can; place can in rack.
3. Stand chicken vertically on rack; place on grill rack. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°.
4. Carefully remove pan from grill; tent chicken with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving.Yield: 6 servings. 

What do you think Huh? Interesting huh?

Enjoy...Eat well my friends!

Baked Chicken Parmesan with Homemade Tomato Sauce

First one of the new month.....

Baking the chicken breasts rather than pan-frying results in a crisp, golden crust without any added fat.
To save time, look for thin sliced or filleted chicken breasts at your supermarket, which are the perfect thickness for this recipe. You can make the tomato sauce up to 2 days ahead, but jarred marinara (look for brands with less sodium) works just as well.

Check it out-

INGREDIENTS: 

For the sauce:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 small rib celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 cans (14 ounces each) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 dried bay leaf
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

For the chicken:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1⁄2 cup)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), pounded 1/4" to 1/2" thick
1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 2 ounces)

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Prepare the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme, and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 25 minutes. Add the vinegar and basil and simmer until the flavors blend, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf. Working in batches, transfer the sauce to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until smooth (be careful when blending hot liquids). Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and set aside.
2. Prepare the chicken: Heat the oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place 3 shallow bowls in front of you. Add the flour to the first bowl. Crack the eggs into the second bowl, beat, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Combine the bread crumbs, oregano, and three-quarters of the Parmesan in the third bowl. Dip the chicken breasts in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in the egg, then press into the bread crumbs so the mixture adheres to the chicken. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, turning once about halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Switch the oven to broil.
3. Reheat the sauce over low heat if necessary. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the sauce inside a 21⁄2- to 3-quart baking dish. Add the chicken in a single layer, overlapping slightly if necessary. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce over each chicken breast (you may have some leftover). Top evenly with the mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan. Transfer to the center rack of the oven and broil until the cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve with an arugula salad, if desired.

I suggest a nice Red wine to go with this-

 Enjoy!

Drink and Eat Well My Friends!