Easy Empanads, Ole'!!

There isn't much that I don't love about an easy way to make something that appears to be either complicated or calorie laden!  So WOW! was I happy to come across an easy recipe to make Empanadas. Y'know those delectible little Latin hand-pies that are usually fried and stuffed with savory goodness!  These were so easy and NOT fried, that my mind was racing around thinking of all the variations I could make with these babies while I was still in the throws of assembling my filling, The other fabulous thing about these little morsels is that most people have the ingredients on hand or some variation and pie dough is the easiest thing to throw together if you don't have pre-made dough on hand!

I served these up with some Turkey Chili, yellow rice and all the fixin's. Let me say I impressed myself!

I had a rotisserie chicken hanging out in my refrigerator-shout out to something I read on Pinterest, that a rotisserie chicken is cheaper than buying raw chicken you have to cook yourself and costs about the same as a frozen pizza.  So now, rotisserie chicken is permanently on my shopping list.  I remove the skin and the dog gets the left overs! Win-win! So I shredded and chopped one half of the chicken(skin removed) into a large bowl. I added 3/4c. of garlic-lime salsa (you can use any kind you like), 1 small can of green chilis and about 1c. of finely shredded Mexican Cheese blend.

 While I had all this going on, a little salsa music in the background, I also had 2 boxes of pre-made pie dough coming to room temperature on the counter.  I mixed the chicken and condiments in the bowl and then got out a 3" wide glass (my only round cookie cutter was scalloped).  I floured the counter top and rolled the pie dough out to about 1/8" thickness and began cutting my circles.  Then I put a scant t. of the chicken mixture on each one.  I used an empanada maker, but you could just fold the circles in half and crimp with a fork (If the dough is too dry, wet the edges with a drop of water on your fingertip to make them seal closed).  Place the empanadas on a dry, non-stick cookie sheet.  Prick the top of each one with the tines of the fork and bake at 400* for about 12 minutes. They will be golden brown and the inside will be full of melty, savory chicken goodness. Nom, nom,nom....munchy good and gone in a flash!

So now you're probably thinking, "Hey she said something about chili"...and you're tight, I did. Everyone has a favorite chili recipe; some people like it with beans, some without, some like it 5 alarm and some prefer it more like a meat sauce!  I'll share my recipe for turkey chili with you but here's the secret...ssssshhhhh.....Toast the spices.  Yep, that is the secret to a really good chili no matter how you make it.

You will need:
2 generous T. of Chili Powder (3 if you don't like any heat at all)
1 generous T. of Chipotle Chili powder
1T. Cumin
1 generous t. Oregano
1 medium onion minced
5 cloves of garlic, minced OR 1 heaping T. of minced garlic from a jar
1/28oz. can of petite diced tomatoes w/juice
1 small can of tomato paste
2T. oil
approximately 2lbs of ground Turkey

Measure all your spices into a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.  Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil.  Then add the onions, stirring so they don't burn. Cook until just soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes.  Now add the spices to the onion and garlic in the pan.  Stir and cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant but don't let it burn. Once the spices start to turn a little dark, add the ground turkey and continue to stir and break up until it is all browned.

Do not drain the turkey. Add the can of tomatoes with the juice and stir to distribute.  Next add the tomato paste, stirring until it is completely incorporated.  Simmer the chili for about an hour or 2 turning to low if necessary so it doesn't burn.

Serve with diced onions, cheddar cheese, red beans and hot sauce on the side.

Happy Fall! Caramel Apple Bread Pudding!!


I'm baaaack! Yes I know I have been gone for over a year but that does not mean that I haven't been cooking, baking and collecting new recipes!  I have had some interesting changes since my last post but it has all been good!

So let's get this party started!  It's fall!  Happy Day!  Warm afternoons and cool evenings, apples, pumpkins and cranberries!  Believe me I have recipes for it all!  As soon as October comes along, I start thinking about comfort foods and what I can make in my crock pot. I'm also looking to use up anything I have around the house that might be on it's last few days because I hate to waste anything.

Since we were talking about Thanksgiving that morning, I began to think about how I make my stuffing/dressing in the crock pot in order to reduce the fat and calories (more about that later).  Then I realized I had a few apples that had been hanging around the fruit bowl a little too long, a loaf of day old Italian bread and some eggs that had taken up residence in my garage refrigerator.  Oh yeah and I also some fat-free caramel apple dip in those little cups you pack in the lunch bags, that no one ever wanted in their lunch bag.  Ta-dah!  Caramel apple bread pudding!  Why not?  If it didn't work out, it would all get tossed anyway so using a little ingenuity, here's how it went down.

I got out a large bowl, peeled, sliced and diced the apples and tossed them with a little Fruit Fresh to keep them from turning brown. (I used a combination of 2 Granny Smiths, 1Golden Delicious and about 3 small Gala apples).  Then I sliced the bread into 1" slices, tore them up and tossed it in the bowl with the apples. I used a pair of tongs to really mix the bread and apples together, then I set it aside. 

I shamelessly have to recommend a product here. I own a Pampered Chef Batter Bowl. This thing is fabulous because, not only can you mix in it, it doubles as a measuring cup, has a pour spout and a lid! You can make a big batch of pancake mix and them store it in the fridge for quick breakfast during the week. I love it!   OK, so now I cracked eggs into the batter bowl, added 2 cans of evaporated milk, 1c. 2% milk, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Nutmeg, Ginger, Granulated Sugar and Brown sugar.  I mixed it really well with a wire whisk and then poured it over the bread and apples. Now I'm sure you're wondering, where's the fat? Where's the butter? There is none!!  Save those calories for later!

I use crock pot liners in my crock (best invention, ever!) and sprayed it with a little non-stick cooking spray.  I poured the whole wet, eggy bread mixture into the crock, covered it and let it bake for 3 hours on low.

At the end of the cooking time, I took 3 of those caramel cups and pulled their lids off.  I took a large tablespoon and made a few slits in the fabulous smelling bread pudding. I then scooped the caramel out and dropped it/drizzled it over the top of the hot pudding.  I left it on warm for about 10 minutes and put the lid back on, letting the caramel soak in.

It was delicious!  I served up scoops of the pudding with whipped cream on top.  There was enough to feed about 10 people from the one loaf of bread. My kids heated some up the next morning and ate it with butter and syrup.  Happy Eating!!

Recipe:

•  loaf Italian or French bread or white country bread, cut into cubes
• 1-1 ½  cup apples, peeled, cored and small diced (about 5-6)
• 4-6 eggs or egg substitute
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups milk (evaporated milk + 2% is fine!)*
• Caramel sauce
• Vanilla ice cream

Preparation

Spray slow-cooker with non-stick cooking spray or  use a greased pot-liner.
In a large bowl, combine bread and apples. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, vanilla and milk until well combined. Pour mixture over bread. Transfer to slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 3 hours.
When pudding is done but still hot, poke holes in it with a spoon and drizzle caramel sauce over the top, letting it soak in. Spoon up with a dollop of whipped cream on top or serve in individual serving bowls and top with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

* You may need an additional egg and some milk depending on the amount of bread and its density.  The mixture should be very wet and eggy.