Empanadas

The first few times we tried to make empanadas, we found the dough was a lot of work to make, and then baking them instead of frying them took away most of the goodness anyway. But then we discovered that the filling, which is easy and the main flavor anyway, works great just as a topping for noodles or rice. So here's our favorite recipe for the filling (courtesy of those little recipe cards they hand out at Walmart!)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp oil
1 onion, minced
1/2 bell pepper (preferably red), minced
1 Tbsp garlic
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup olives (optional)
1 tsp tomato paste, or 3 tsp diced tomatoes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes, or 1 small jalapeno, minced
2 tsp cumin
2 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper

Directions

• Heat oil in skillet and fry onion until translucent
• Add peppers and garlic, cook until soft
• Add beef and cook until lightly browned
• Add 2 Tbsp water and remaining ingredients except for eggs.
• Cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring often
• Remove from heat and lightly stir in eggs
• Season to taste with salt and pepper
• Serve over brown rice, noodles, or in fried or baked empanada dough
  

Strawberry Pinwheel Cake

We first found this recipe in a magazine while waiting at the doctor's office right after our first child was born. We quickly scribbled it down, tried it at home, and loved it. We've made it many times since. I finally decided to add it to the blog, and within five minutes found the original recipe, along with the original picture, at the website for Taste of Home Magazine. What's that? June 2005 issue? Yep, that's it. Gotta love the Internet.

Ingredients

Cake:
4 egg yolks
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
4-1/2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar

Filling:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons lemon curd (We use lemon juice and strawberry or lemon yogurt)
2 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, eggs and sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in the water, oil and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture. Grease a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan and line with waxed paper; grease and flour the paper. Spread batter into pan.
• Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a large bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form; gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in lemon curd; gradually fold in strawberries.
• Unroll cake; spread filling evenly to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again; dust with confectioners' sugar. Cover and chill for 1 hour before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Cafe Rio Pork Burrito

After a fantastic meal at Kristin's over Christmas, we decided to try some shredded pork burritos a la Cafe Rio (a Mexican restaurant in Utah). It's actually a pretty widespread recipe on the Internet. Here's one of the most complete meals we found, with recipes for the shredded pork, black beans, cilantro lime rice, and the house cilantro-lime ranch dressing.

Favorite Family Recipes: Erica's Complete Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

As usual, we changed it up a little bit. Most of the recipes call for various amounts of brown sugar, salsa or enchilada sauce, and Coke. We did the following for the pork:

Ingredients:
1.5 lb pork tenderloins
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups Wal-mart Peach & Pineapple Chipotle Salsa
1 cup orange-pineapple juice

Directions:

• Put ingredients in Crock Pot and simmer for 5-6 hours
• Shred pork and stir
• Serve in burrito or salad with black beans, rice, lettuce, etc.
  

Brötchen!

Ever since we got married, Annamaria and I would often crave Brötchen and lament how hard it is to find genuine German hard rolls at the grocery store. We fantasized about being able to make real, honest-to-goodness Brötchen, but oddly, we never actually looked for a recipe on the Internet. Until now! Turns out, the only real trick to Brötchen is to add a little egg white to your standard bread dough, brush the rolls with more egg white, and cook them at a fairly high temperature. Adding a pan with water to create steam is the final touch to getting the delicious crackly crust just right. We tried the following recipe tonight, actually following the recipe for once, and it came out just right!

Ingredients:
6 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons yeast
4 eggs
lukewarm water

Directions

• Mix flour, salt, and yeast thoroughly
• Separate 3 egg whites and put in measuring cup
• Add lukewarm water to egg whites to make 3 cups total liquid
• Combine liquid and dry ingredients and stir
• Let rise 2-6 hours, until double in size
• Separate dough into balls the size of a small peach and form into ovals
• Place on greased pan or parchment paper
• Let rise 20-60 minutes, until double in size
• While dough rises, place baking stone (optional) on top shelf of oven and a broiler pan or other old pan (not optional) on bottom shelf, preheat thoroughly to 450
• Separate last egg white and brush on rolls (some recipes mix egg white with a Tablespoon of milk)
• Using a serrated knife (floured if necessary), swiftly cut each oval roll slightly in the lengthwise direction
• Place rolls in oven, either directly on baking stone or with the pan sitting on the stone
• Pour about 1 cup water in the broiler pan under the rolls and quickly close the oven door to keep the steam in
• Bake at 450 for 20-30 minutes, until very brown and crisp
• Serve warm with butter and jam or cold cuts and Munster cheese and peppermint tea

Original recipe courtesy artisanbreadinfive.com

Joy of Baking

We just discovered a new site for everything dessert. We went looking for an apple pie recipe and spent a good 15 minutes drooling over everything else. Check it out!

http://joyofbaking.com/

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

So I got this recipe from allrecipes.com---I had to change it a bit...I added some brown sugar, a bit more pumpkin puree and flour to compensate for the added puree...and instead of cloves I added ginger. Try out the recipe and let me know what you think! My boys and I sure had a great time making them together and drizzling the icing on...and we even had a better time eating them!--Now we're off to go share some with our neighbors. I just love this season, don't you?!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies!

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing

2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk/ or water
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix dry ingredients together first and then add the rest.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet
• Bake for 12 minutes
• Completely cool and drizzle on icing with a fork
• Servings: 24 largeish cookies or 36 smallish cookies
• ENJOY!

Crock Pot Chicken Vindaloo

According to Wikipedia, Vindaloo originates from a Portuguese dish, essentially meaning wine/vinegar and garlic (in which the meat was preserved). Vindaloo keeps the three essential ingredients and adds all our beautiful Indian spices - and lots of them. A true Vindaloo is typically one the hottest dishes in India. Fear not, though: Here's a recipe that is a more reasonable heat level for us Americans, and in a crock pot to boot!

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Vinegar
1 to 2 Tbsp garlic
1 Tbsp ginger
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 to 1 tsp cayenne powder or diced chilies
1 Tbsp mustard seed
2 Tbsp oil
1 to 2 tsp or sticks cinnamon
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 onion, diced
3 breasts chicken (frozen is okay)

Directions

•  Put everything in the pot
• Cook on low until it smells so good you can't wait any longer ( > 4 hours)
• Add a little cilantro or mint and serve with rice or chapatis

Original Recipe