Chicken Empanada

Dough Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1 cup ice water
• 2 egg yolks

Directions:

• Sift together flour, salt & sugar
• Blend butter and shortening into flour mixture with a pastry cutter, until well blended
• Whisk egg yolks with water.
• Stir water/egg mixture into flour mixture, a little a time, knead until a smooth dough is formed.
• Wrap dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

 Filling Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup raisins, soak in hot water, drain
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas, microwave for 2 minutes w/ 1 tbsp water
• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat oil and add onions, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt & pepper.  Cook over low heat for 20 minutes until onions are soft.
2. Remove from heat and add chicken, peas & raisins.  Cool at room temperature and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.
3. Stir chopped boiled eggs into filling mixture.
4. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into smooth balls.  Let rest for 5 minutes.
5. Preheat oven  to 425 F.
6. Roll each dough into rounds 6 inches in diameter.
7. Spoon 2 tbsp of filling in the middle. Fold and press edges together firmly to seal. Crimp and pinch edges to make a braid like effect or just use fork to crimp the edges.
8. Mix egg yolk with water and brush mixture lightly and evenly over empanada.
9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Orange Cranberry Muffin

Most muffins recipes have butter, but we usually spread butter on our muffins anyway.  So, I tried this recipe I found from KAF, using vegetable oil instead of  butter. My other reason was to use ingredients in my pantry, before its expiration date. However,  my baking powder has already reached its expiration date, so I substituted the baking powder by combining 1 tsp Cream of Tartar, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp cornstarch.  It actually worked.  The result was quite amazing.  The muffins were crunchy outside, moist inside and very easy to make. The picture above has 11 muffins instead of 12.  Guess what happened.  Yum!!!!
I will try to substitute cranberries with golden raisins or add chocolate chips next time.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
• 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

Topping: Combine 1/4 cup coarsely ground walnuts or pecan, 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon.  Set aside.

Directions:

1. Dry Ingredients:  In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, then toss cranberries and stir to coat.
2. Wet Ingredients:  In a large measuring cup, whisk together the egg, oil, milk, orange juice and orange peel.
3. Gently and thoroughly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4. Using a cookie scoop or a 1/4 cup measure, pour batter into 12 slightly greased muffin pan, about 3/4 full.
5. Sprinkle a scant 1 tbsp topping over batter in each muffin cup.
6. Bake muffins in a preheated 400F oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Run a knife around each muffin and transfer them to a rack to cool completely or serve immediately while still warm.

Tortilla Soup

While house sitting for Vangie when they were cruising the Mexican Riviera, I was inspired to make some Tortilla Soup and Beef Fajitas for a welcome home dinner.

Tortilla Soup Ingredients:
2 ears of Corn
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 large onion
2 tbsp corn or vegetable oil
2 corn tortillas (cut into 1" squares)
2 large diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2-3 tsp ground cumin
2 quarts chicken soup
Kosher salt & pepper to taste


Directions:
1)  With a sharp knife scrape kernels from corn cob, set aside, and reseved corn cobs.
2)  Coarsely chop corn kernels, garlic, onion and jalopeno pepper(optional)
3)  Heat oil, add corn tortilla on low until crisp (maybe substituted with corn tortilla chips)
4)  Stir chopped vegetables, except tomatoes, and simmer for 10 minutes.
5)  Add tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for another 10 minutes.
6)  Slowly pour chicken stock, add corn cobs, cook on low heat until soup is reduced by 1/3.
7)  Discard corn cobbs and puree until smooth.
8)  Return to pot,  add cumin,  season with salt & pepper to taste.
9)  Ladle to individual soup bowls and garnish when ready to serve.

Garnish:  diced chicken,  diced avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro, lime slices.  (May use chicken breast from store bought rotisserie chicken.)

Beef Fajita Marinade:
1 clove minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
Juice of 1 lime

Marinate overnight: 1 1/2 lbs beef skirt steak(cut into strips across the grain) Other beef cuts maybe used.
Stir fry or grill.  Add sliced onion, green onions, green, red or yellow peppers and cook until just tender.
Serve on flour tortilla with your favorite salsa.

25 ways to clean with vinegar on Shine

25 ways to clean with vinegar on Shine