Saturday, December 10, 2011

Crock Pot Empanada Recipe

Crock Pot Empanada Recipe (Baked or Fried)

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Check it out here Amazon Cookbook Link



Baked Empanadas

Every culture has their version of the "Meat Pie;" Empanadas, Pasties, Paztizzi... you could go on and on. These are great as an on the go meal and they are fantastic for parties and gatherings. They can even be made ahead of time and frozen before cooking.

Below is my version of an Empanada Meat Pie. Don't let the long post intimidate you, I just wanted to make sure I covered everything. You really are just doing 3 steps; cooking a roast in a crock pot, shredding the roast and adding a few extra items and then filling premade empanada dough.

This recipe makes about 30 empanadas (more if you add diced cooked potato to your meat mix).

Ingredients for Crock Pot Roast:
3-4 pound sirloin roast
1 yellow onion, quartered
3 cloves of chopped garlic OR 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 1/2 cups of carrots chopped
1 cup of celery chopped
1/2 tablespoon of pepper
1 ½ cups red wine (any Merlot, Cabernet etc. will do)
1/2 tablespoon salt

Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for one hour and them move to low for 6 additional hours; for about 7 hours of total cook time or until the meat is cooked and fork tender.

Remove the meat and let it cool. Strain the juices leftover in the crock pot and discard the solids, but save the drained liquids / beef broth.. You will need approximately 1 cup of the beef broth for the empanada filling. The rest of the beef broth you can use / freeze for other recipes or use it as a starter for soup.

Shred the meat once it has cooled.

Ingredients for Empanada Filling
Shredded Meat
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tablespoon salt
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cups beef broth
Optional: you can stretch this recipe by adding a few cups of diced boiled potato and/or peas to your empanada filling as well.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the oil, onions, garlic and salt. Cook them until they are soft, but not browned. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Simmer over low heat until the broth is reduced and the mixture is thickened (about 10 minutes). Add additional broth, if needed. The filling should be slightly moist, but not overly wet. Remove from heat and let cool at least an hour before making the empanadas. You can refrigerate this and make them the next day if you like.


Preparing the Empanadas
You will need you meat filling, 30 premade Goya Empanada Discs (check your grocer's freezer), a small bowl of water, a fork (and eggs, vegetable oil, a cookie sheet and Silpat or parchment paper for baking).














(1) Using clean hands, dip your fingers in your water bowl


 and wet the outer 1/2 inch of the disc.

(2) Add about 2 tablespoons of the beef mix to the center of each dough disc.
(3) Fold into a half moon shape. Using a fork, crimp the edges of the dough together.

At this point you can freeze any empanadas you do not want to immediately bake so you can cook them at a later date **(see below)**

Once you empanadas are assembled you can pan fry, deep dry or bake them.

Baking Empanadas
(1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
(2) Place the empanadas on a cookie sheet lined with a
Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Baking Liner, 11 5/8-Inch by 16 1/2-Inch
or Parchment Paper.
(3) Brush the empanadas with a beaten egg. I prefer to use a
OXO Good Grips Silicone Pastry Brush.
(4) Bake at 350 for 15 minutes
(5) Quickly remove the empanadas and brush them with vegetable oil and a small dash of salt, Return the empanadas to the 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve alone or with seasoned sour cream. These are also great cold the next day.


Creamy Sausage and Potatoes Crock Pot

Creamy Sausage and Potatoes

3 lbs. small red potatoes peeled and quartered
1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into 1/4th slices
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
cream of celery soup
1 envelope dry ranch salad dressing mix

Place potatoes in slow cooker and then add the sausage. In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, soup and salad dressing mix until smooth and pour over potatoes and sausage. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or until potatoes are tender

Chicken Noodle Soup for the Soul Crock Pot

  • 4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 1 teaspoon salt to taste (or not)
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper (maybe a little more)
  • 1 leek or small onion chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 ounces noodles

Chicken Noodle Soup for the Soul

We cook this with fresh chicken breasts. You can follow the recipe or dice up the chicken before hand and cook it w/o shredding the chicken. It’s up to you! Own it.

  1. Place all of the ingredients, except the noodles into the pot.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
  3. Remove the chicken and the bay leaf.
  4. We shred the chicken into little bite sized morsels and return it all to the pot.
  5. Add the noodles.

Cook another 1/2 hour on high or you can cook the noodles separately and add them just before serving. We have used broken up fettucini or egg noodles with this. Give it a good stir before serving. A big bowl of this with bread and butter is good for the Soul. Serves 8-10.


Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

Marzetti Ingredients
1 (12oz.) pkg. Reames® Homestyle Flat Dumplings
Other Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (8oz.) pkg. mushrooms
3 cups prepared Alfredo sauce
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast meat
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
8 oz. bacon, cooked crumbled
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a ceramic baking dish.

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large saucepan. Add Reames Homestyle Flat Dumplings allow water to return to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain.In sauté pan, heat oil and cook onions for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms are golden. Remove from heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and toss gently to cover all with sauce. Spoon into prepared dish and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until casserole is heated thoroughly. Serve.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Old Fashion Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage and Black Pepper Gravy

Old Fashion Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage and Black Pepper Gravy

◦3 cups all-purpose flour
◦2 tablespoons sugar
◦2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
◦1/2 teaspoon baking soda
◦1/2 teaspoon salt
◦Pinch of cayenne pepper
◦1/2 cup vegetable shortening
◦1 1/4 cups buttermilk
◦1/4 cup butter, melted and divided

Sausage Gravy:
◦1 pound Breakfast Sausage (either hot or mild)
◦3/4 cup flour
◦4 1/2 cups milk
◦1 tablespoon Louisiana Style hot sauce
◦1/2 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
◦Salt to taste
◦2 tablespoons butter

Steps
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cayenne pepper. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly. Gradually add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Dough should be sticky. Do not overwork dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness with a floured rolling pin. Cut 12 biscuits with a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter. Place biscuits in a cast iron skillet or hoecake pan that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray and brush tops with half of melted butter. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Brush with remaining melted butter before serving.

While biscuits are baking, start gravy. In in large saute pan or cast iron skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until browned and crumbly. Reduce heat to medium and add flour to sausage; mix thoroughly. Cook until flour browns, about 4 minutes stirring constantly. Add milk slowly and increase heat to medium-high. Continue to stir. Add hot sauce, pepper and salt. As the gravy comes to a boil, it will thicken. If too thick, add additional milk. After boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and add butter.

To serve place two of the buttermilk biscuits on each plate and top with sausage gravy and garnish with freshly cracked pepper

Maple Candied Yams

MAPLE CANDIED YAMS

1 stick butter
4 or 5 large fresh yams or sweet potatoes
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon OR 1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger root
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 to 2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Peel yams or sweet potatoes (either may be used). Cut into 1 inch cubes or wedges.

Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish generously.

Arrange yams in baking dish.

In a saucepan, melt butter, and stir sugar until dissolved over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup water and spices.

Bring to a boil, add maple syrup; reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Pour butter mixture over the yams, turning them over to coat well. Cover the yams tightly with aluminum foil and bake on center rack in oven, basting the potatoes with the butter syrup once or twice during the baking for about 45 minutes or until fork tender.

Cooks Note: If adding mini-marshmallows, spread them evenly over the top of the potatoes at this time, and broil for 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned, otherwise proceed with next step.

When the potatoes are done, remove foil. Bake on the upper third of the oven at 475°F until the syrup has thickened and the potatoes are just beginning to caramelize (about 20 minutes - but watch carefully and do not allow them to burn; if they are browning too quickly reduce oven temperature).

Baste with additional butter before serving.

Variation: Use honey or Karo syrup instead of the maple syrup; add 1/4 cup frozen orange concentrate. Omit cinnamon; use vanilla

Cornbread Sausage Stuffing

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. Prepared sweet cornbread
1/2 lb. Sage Pork Sausage
1/4 lb. ground veal
1 C. chopped onion
1 C. chopped celery
1 C. diced fresh mushrooms
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley
1/8 cup sage
1/8 cup thyme
1 C. chicken broth
1 egg
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Break cornbread into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces
Saute meat until cooked and remove from skillet with a slotted spoon
Saute the chopped veggies in the fat from the meat until softened
Add seasonings and salt and pepper
Add one beaten egg
Gently toss to combine, but DO NOT OVER TOSS

Bake in a buttered baking dish covered with aluminum foil at 375 degrees until heated through and golden on top; 30-40 minutes. Remove the foil the last 5-10 minutes of cooking to crisp the top.

*if you have trouble finding ground veal, you can use 3/4 lb sage pork sausage as your meat for the recipe. I've made it that way before and it was still very good, however, I prefer it as written with the veal