I will be making empanada for a co-worker birthday party on Tuesday. Making empanada is very simple and once you get the hand of making it you won't be needing any measuring cups or spoons. Before I left the islands I wanted to buy empanadas and freeze them I never got that chance. I made my own empanada shell and the first ones broke into pieces once I dropped them in hot oil now I am getting better and I am ready to share my recipe
Empanada-shell
- 1 5 pound bag masa harina
- 1 1/2 c. salad oil
- 5 cups water
- 1 box corn starch
- achote seeds est. 2 oz more or less more for darker shell
- waxed paper (cut into pieces sized for your shell you need to give room for expansion)
Steps
- Soak achote seeds in water and rub to get a darker color strain and set aside
- Combine dry ingredients (corn starch/masa harina)
- Add achote water to dry ingredients
- Add oil
- Mix again
- Roll out small ball size pieces
- Use wax paper place a small ball in between. Press between a tortilla press roll out evenly with a rolling pin
Set aside. You could refrigerate any leftover or cover with damp cloth.
Empanada filling- 1 box of cream of rice (you can find this in the cereal isle)
- 1/4 t. hot pepper (local hot pepper works best)
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 4 slices bacon (thinly sliced)
- 1/4 c. achote seeds
- 3 c. chicken broth
- 1 c. water
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 T. oil
*you can add the following to the filling to suite your taste - this is optional
- crab meat
- tuna
- shredded meat of choice
- shrimp
- green onion
- garlic
Toast cream of rice in a hot frying pan until turns golden brown. Set aside. Saute bacon in oil & onion. Add achote seeds with water until the water changes to red color strain bring to a slow boil. Add chicken stock. Add toasted rice slowly to water and stir until you get the consistency of oatmeal. Use more or less water. Once thickened remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Take your flatten tortilla
- Add 2-3 T. of filling into center of tortilla
- Close and pinch edges together
- Fry in hot oil approx. 2 min. on each side
- Drain & enjoy
- You can freeze any unused empanada
I read in foodblog that there was a contest for "Pomegranate" and my imagination went wild. This recipe is very simple
Capt. Ben's grilled turkey w/pomegranate sauce:
- Turkey thigh ( I did this experiment with one turkey thigh slice to desired thickness)
- 100% pomegranate juice (approx. 1/2 c. or less)
- salt & pepper (depending on size of turkey)
- liquid smoke (2 t. if you put too much your turkey will turn bitter)
- sesame oil (1 t. )
- fermented soybean paste (misu-this can be found in asian markets)
- chili sauce *optional
I wanted to stick to the main ingredient "pomegranate". You need to slice your turkey thigh thinly not paper thin. Salt & pepper the turkey. Place your turkey in a plastic bag add enough pomegranate juice to cover the meat add liquid smoke. Seal the bag and marinate over night. Grill
- Grill the turkey thigh to a medium rare and set on a cutting board to rest and continue cooking. Depending on how thin you slice your turkey you need to make sure you don't overcook your turkey or it will turn hard
- Slice your turkey meat across the grain and present on a serving platter. If you take a closer look this turkey was grilled to perfection
- Drizzle with reduced pomegranate sauce
*
How to make reduced sauce: Add approx. 1/4 cup to sauce pan and cook on high once boils reduce the heat to low until desired consistency I like to reduce it down enough for the sauce to stick on the back of a spoon somewhat like thin syrup.
My children like this without the sauce I like it with the sauce it is your preference with or without. Be patient when marinating & grilling. I normally use pomegranate in dessert or just eat them plain but I wanted to go outside the box with this recipe which by the way turned out great!
Its Thanksgiving and my birthday so what am I to do but cook...cook....and cook
The menu for today is:
- Turkey with a dry rub & fresh rosemary
- Prime rib with dry rub & fresh thyme
- Prime rib with dry rub & fresh rosemary
- Baked potato -plain baked
- Fresh green bean casserole & mushroom
- Mashed potato with bacon
- Dinner roll
- Dinner roll -Blessed
- White rice
- Pumpkin pie
- Apple pie
- Fresh fruits (bananas & apple)
My turkey, prime rib, potatoes & pies are all baking! I attended church service and brought home blessed breads to be served during dinner.
Blessed bread to be served during dinner
I love the vibrant color of the green beans & mushrooms
I took pictures of my turkey baking but the heat in the oven is making the picture blurry. I shall post more pictures once dinner is ready and table is set. I am so hungry!
Today after work it was too cold for me to go anywhere but home! I had plans to make chili but the weather and my lack of ingredients said otherwise. I looked into my pantry to see what I had and tried to make magic I really had plans on making chili. I had noodles, can corn, cauliflower, carrots. This was as creative as I can get surprisingly it turned out just fine and yummy. The presentation is not award winning but the taste was there!
This morning I forgot to thaw out turkey for dinner luckily there was a small bag left from the previous night. So I put my creativity together and made turkey wrap.
Turkey Wrap
- left over turkey shredded
- 1/2 onion sliced thinly
- 1/2 c. mushroom sliced
- lettuce
- carrots
- bbq sauce
- ranch sauce
- Flour tortilla
Step:
- Shred turkey set aside
- Saute onion & mushroom in butter
- Add turkey mix & turn off heat
- Place flour tortilla on cookie sheet
- Add saute turkey on flour tortilla
- Add cheese of choice
- Bake in 350 degree oven until cheese melts
- Remove from oven and add vegetables
- Add sauce of choice & enjoy!
