Double Inspired Empanadas

The other day, going through the different blogs I read, I came across
this wonderfully fun recipe called Cheeseburger Ebelskivers and Tomato Sauce on the Cleanliness is Next to Godliness blog.

The Ebelskivers name piqued my interest because I had never heard of
that before. I am glad I looked into the blog more deeply, because I
learned a lot. The first thing I learned is that edbelskivers are little round pancakes stuffed with jelly and such. I also found out that there is such a thing as an ebelskiver pan. Who knew? The featured recipe looked fun to make and tasty. Of course they were inspired by Chef Dennis of More Than A Mount Full blog. After reading about these wonderful ebelskivers, I set out to make something similar. Without the luxury of an ebelskiver pan, which, if you’re curious, can be found here: William Sonoma, I came to the next closest thing, empanadas.

Empanadas are biscuit filled with delights. Just like ebelskivers, you
can fill them with anything you choose, from the sweet (jellies, jams,
chocolate) to the savory (meats, cheeses, and veggies). Inspired by the above blogs, I set out to make cheeseburger empanadas, and this is how they turned out:

Cheeseburger Empanadas
Double Inspired Empanadas

Ingredients

Empanada
1 Cup Flour
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Cream of Tarter
½ Cup Milk
2½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Cup Shortening

Directions
1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Cut in shortening.
3. Stir in milk.
4. Knead, pat, or roll to 1/2-inch thickness.
5. Cut, using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter.

Filling
½ Pound Ground Beef
½ White Onion
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1½ Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1½ Tablespoon Dry Italian Seasoning
½ Tomato, chopped
1 Egg, beaten
Shredded Cheese, to taste (half cup is what we used)

Directions
1. In a frying pan, brown ground beef(7 to 10 minutes), drain well.
2. Add onions and cook until opaque.
3. Add Dijon, Worcestershire, Italian seasoning, tomato, and cheese.
4. Stir well and slowly simmer.

To make the Stuffed Empanadas

Directions
1. Take one biscuit and roll flat until approximately double in circumference and about ¼-inch thick.
2. Beat egg in a bowl and set aside.
3. Fill flat biscuit with 1 tablespoon of filling
4. Dip a fork into the beaten egg and score one side of
the biscuit (half the circle).
5. Fold biscuit in half making a half moon shape cover the
filling use your fork again to seal the empanada by tamping down the edges.
6. Repeat for the rest of the biscuits.
7. Place filled biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
8. Use any leftover filling to garnish your empanadas. Enjoy!

Cook’s Note: These can also be quickly flash-fried for 4 minutes in 350-degree oil.

Here is another simple recipe that will help you get your kids to eat
their veggies. Well. . . green beans at least. As child and young
adult, I was not a big vegetable eater. I grew up on meat and
potatoes. Even then I was picky. Once I started cooking for more people than myself, I knew I had to branch out and explore vegetables. Although they are still not my favorite thing, I am beginning to appreciate them more and more. I am finding ways to take ordinary fresh or frozen veggies and transform them in to something anyone can enjoy. Although I admit that doing that sometimes takes a healthy vegetable and turns it into an unhealthy snack. I have played with recipes a few times and finally found the combination that works the best. Try these with your next hamburger.

Green Bean French Fries

Ingredients

1 Quart Vegetable Oil, for frying
1 Pound Fresh Green Beans
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs

Directions

1. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175
degrees C). Whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder,
onion powder; set aside. Pour eggs, flour, and Panko breadcrumbs into individual shallow dishes (pie pans work great).

2. Cut and trim grean beans (keep the length of a typical French fry
in mind) about 2 ½ inches. Dip the green bean into the flour mixture.
Shake off any excess flour.

3. Dip the flour covered green beans into the egg wash and shake off
excess.
4. Finally, dip the green beans into the Panko bread crumbs (this is
the really messy part).
5. Fry in batches in the hot oil until the bread crumbs turn golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, and serve hot.

You can eat these with a fork or dip them in any sauce you like. I
have also done these in a tempura batter as well but I like the texture of the Panko a lot better. Let me know what you think!

One of our favorite meals here is smothered pork chops. I know that I
sometimes feature rather less-than-healthy meals that we occasionally
love to cook, and this is one that probably ranks right up there
toward the top of that list. However, for a special occasion, or just a slight deviation from your regular (hopefully) healthful diet, this is a delicious way to stray. While not a quick-fix recipe, it is still somewhat easy to prepare.
Here we go!

Smothered Pork Chops

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 1-inch Boneless Pork Chops
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
¼ Teaspoon Chili Powder
¼ Teaspoon Onion Powder
¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
4 Slices of Thick-Cut Bacon
4 Large Button Mushrooms
½ Sweet White Onion
2 Slices Provolone Cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. In a non-stick, oven-safe skillet, add olive oil and turn to medium-high heat.
3. In a small bowl, or mortar & pestle mix together chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

4. Using half the spice mixture, cover 1 side of both pork chops and
place season side down into preheated skillet. Once chops are in
skillet, sprinkle remaining spice mixture on unseasoned side.

5. Sear chops for 3 minutes on each side.

6. Place pan and all in the oven and let slow cook for 2 hours. 7. With 20 minutes left to cook on your chops, you can begin making the toppings.
8. In another non-stick skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and
turn to medium-high heat.
9. Cook bacon until crisp (4½ minutes in a microwave on a bacon
dish works well), set aside and allow to cool to the touch.
10. Slice onions and mushrooms and add to pan (with bacon drippings) and begin to sauté until onions are opaque’ (about 10 minutes).

11. Remove pork chops from oven and turn the broiler to high heat.
12. With chops still in the pan, add 2 slices of bacon to each and top with a spoonful of sautéed mushrooms and onions.

13. Cover each chop with 1 slice of provolone cheese.
14. Place pan under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese
melts over all the ingredients.

15. Serve with a light vegetable, such as green beans or asparagus
and enjoy… Of course we served it with deep fried green beans and smothered garlic toast both recipes coming soon!

This is definitely for a hefty appetite, but you won’t be
disappointed.

Life is a funny thing. We find ourselves doing mundane things day in day out, same ole routine. Ever notice how you leave the house at the same time every day or go to bed at the same time. You feed the dogs or cats at the same time, and they come to know this routine and will let you know if you’re so much as one minute late. But all the clichés are true; you really should stop and smell the roses. Change it up a bit and do something different. Simple changes can make for a great recipe of life. If your spouse does all the cooking, surprise him or her with a personalized, home-cooked meal from you. If you’re new to cooking, check out StartCooking.com This site instructs you, step by step, through the cooking process. If you travel the same way to work every day, go a different route. Better yet, take the alternate road on the way home so you’re not late for work. When we fall into a set routine, we tend to forget that life is meant to be enjoyed and lived. Start today and give life a twist. Do something spontaneous and unexpected. Treat yourself to something new. Remember, life is not about a job, a career, or what bills you need to pay. Life is about the stories you get to tell later.

Philly Taco with Salsa Twist

(Taste like a Philly cheese steak with salsa in a tortilla)

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Package Carne Picada 1 to 2 pounds (Carne Picada is a shredded beef you can find in the meat section)
1 Packet Taco Seasoning
1/2 Orange Bell Pepper Cut into Strips
1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper Cut into Strips
1/2 Red Bell Pepper Cut into Strips
1 Onion Cut into Strips
Soft Flour Tortillas
1 Cup Shredded Cheese (Fiesta Style)
Salsa

Directions:

1. Mix Taco Seasoning and Carne Picada
2. In a 10 inch skillet add 2 tablespoons of oil and cook Carne Picada. It cooks just like ground beef.
3. While Carne Picada is browning dice peppers and onions and add to separate skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil and cook until onions become transparent about 10 minutes
4. Warm tortillas in microwave or in a pan
5. Take one tortilla add a couple spoonfuls of Carne Picada.
6. Cover with pepper onion mixture, cheese, salsa to taste and enjoy
7. Enjoy