Saturday, May 18, 2019

My beef, pepperoni and cheese Empanadas

   


ok, straight into it, I'm not going to make you read paragraphs of my hopes, dreams, aspirations or thoughts about my version of empanadas.  There are videos, which are linked, here's the ingredients, quickie method and then you can start making yours.

TRACY'S EMPANADAS

DOUGH (dump in a food processor, you can make it by hand if you don't have one)

2 cups all purpose flour
pinch salt
tsp baking powder
1/3 cup ice water mixed with an egg

Dump it all in the food processor, pulse till it's a dough, divide in two, wrap each half, toss in fridge or freezer till you want them.  DONE :)

FILLING *this time it's beef, pepperoni and cheese but you can fill these with ANYTHING

a little oil for the pan
1 lb of ground beef
1 carrot, onion, celery, large garlic clove, chopped small
tomato paste
salt, pepper
italian season blend or whatever herbs/spiced you love
aleppo pepper if you have any, gives a lovely flavor without too much heat

Throw it all in a frying pan, fry till the meat is brown and the veggies are a little soft and the tomato paste is brown.  Add enough water to make a loose mixture.  Cover and simmer about 20, leave to cool, throw in a bag in the fridge till you want it.  Freezes great!! DONE

*shred some mozzarella cheese or whatever cheese you like, put in a ziplock and keep it in the fridge till you're ready.


THE CREATION

Roll half the pastry on a lightly floured board, this stuff is super easy to deal with.

Cut into 6 inch circles, reroll and cut as you need.  I get 4 from each half of dough with a little waste or I make smaller ones with the leftover pastry and filling.

Fill each round with some cheese and a scoop of the cold meat filling.  I use a 2 inch ice cream scoop.

Fold each round and pinch closed.  Either press with a fork to seal or go fancy and roll the edges.

Egg wash each empanada and bake on a parchment lined pan, Preheated 400 oven for 20 mins or so, until lightly browned and heated through, remember the filling is cooked.

EAT! or cool and freeze for another day if you can hide any from your family, or, preferably, just eat them... all!

Here's the links to the videos:

Empanada dough:

Empanada filling:

Empanada bake and the reveal



/thanks for your support, and enjoy!

I felt like chicken piccata, so I made some, it was pretty easy



I had some chicken breast, some pasta and some capers.  I added some flour, some water (or broth), some lemon and some butter.  I had a pretty killer dinner for one.  This is easy to upsize to feed as many as you want. 

This is one of the drive-by meals, it's a method more than a recipe.  Once you get it, you can alter and swap things out (like salmon for the chicken which is amamamamzing!) or different pastas, you're going to use it all the time. 

Here's the link to the video, it's sort of long but if you slip past my nagging at the beginning, I think you're going to be delighted with this new shortcut :) 



/enjoy! :)

Beef and broccoli in the Instant pot Pressure cooker, you're going to love this



Alright, here it is... I did beef and broccoli in the pressure cooker (the Instant-pot) and it's tender and rich and tasty and amazing, it's pretty quick and super easy. 

The cheap, tough, cuts of meat are the wheelhouse for pressure cookers.  IF you don't have one, get one, if you have one, use it for this sort of cut of meat. 

Here's the link to the video and recipe, enjoy!  Let me know what you think and when you make it. 

Oh and full disclosure, it's absolutely easy to double, you are going to want to

https://youtu.be/nGoOoMRbYbk

/enjoy

Aioli! I have a shorter, better, method... no one has time for one drop at a time


DriveBy recipe, it's a QUICKIE!!!  

I always have a batch of aioli in my fridge.  This is the short and sweet method, you're going to love it, go make it... here's the link to the video and recipe... let me know how you love it!  


/enjoy