Baked Chicken Mini-Empanadas

One of the fun things about cooking is figuring out what to do with various leftovers that at first glance don’t appear to go together at all. Being adventurous with how you mix all those seemingly unrelated ingredients can turn out delectable results...but just as often you might think Wow, I’ll never try that again! On a recent forage into my refrigerator, I happened across some leftover barbecue chicken, brown rice, cheese sticks, and pie crusts. What to do? Previously, I had made these siopao snacks with barbecue chicken, but I didn’t have any biscuits. The pie crust made me think of strudel, but the chicken would have barely filled one. However, the idea of stuffed pie crust led me to think of a childhood favorite - the pasty, pronounced PASS-tee. A hearty filling surrounded by a pastry crust - yum! Then I thought, why not make miniature versions? And then I thought Ooh, maybe I’ll call it an empanada...sounds fancier! The two dishes could actually be considered cousins, as they both are essentially dough or pastry stuffed with a variety of meat, cheese, vegetables, etc., with pasties originating from Cornwall, England, and empanadas originating from Portugal and Spain. Pasties are baked, while empanadas can be baked or fried. Bolstering my resolve to consider these treats as empanadas is the fact that pasties typically contain vegetables - which I did not have. So, “empanada” it was!

Ingredients: (makes ~18 empanadas)

~1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded

~½ cup cooked rice

~¼ cup shredded cheese (I had a Colby-Jack cheese stick, which turned out to be about ¼ cup after it was chopped up to small pieces)

2 9” pie crusts

1 egg

Heat oven to 350°F.

Mix chicken, rice, and cheese together. Roll out pie crusts, and cut them each into thirds both vertically and horizontally.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg. Brush egg along the edges of each piece of pie crust to help seal the empanadas. Place ~1 TBSP of the chicken mixture on each piece, then fold the dough over diagonally and pinch the sides together. Use fork tines to crimp and seal.

Place on a parchment  lined baking sheet and brush tops with egg.

Bake ~20 min until golden brown. Let cool before munching...you might have a hard time stopping with just one!

 

~Karla

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Roasted Tomatillo and Apple Salsa

Tomatillos, often confused with unripe green tomatoes, have a completely unique personality of their own. Both are technically berries, but unlike tomatoes, tomatillos are covered with a thin paper-like husk, and the fruit has a sticky coating underneath the husks. Raw tomatillos can be extremely tart, but cooking them helps mellow the acidity as well as soften the skin, making them perfect for a sauce.

I always like sweetness accompanying any tart flavor, so after some internet research, I decided to use apple as the complementing flavor for tomatillo salsa. This ended up being the perfect amount of sweet, sour, and spicy for me, but feel free to play with the quantities to skew the taste one way or another!

Ingredients: (Makes ~1.5-2 cups)

4 medium tomatillos - remove husks and rinse

1 medium apple (I used the Golden Delicious variety)

4-5 cloves of garlic - minced

1 small onion - roughly chopped (~⅓- ½ cup)

1 small jalapeno pepper - cored and roughly chopped (add more if you prefer a spicier salsa)

1 cup loosely packed cilantro (I used both leaves and stems)

Salt, black pepper to taste

1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet/ baking pan with Aluminum foil.

Chop the tomatillos into quarters. Slice the apple into thick wedges. Place both on the lined baking pan in a single layer and bake in preheated oven for ~20 minutes until slightly browned.

While the tomatillos and apples are baking, prepare remaining ingredients by sauteeing the onions, garlic and jalapeno in olive oil over medium-high heat. Let them cook until you get a good char on the jalapeno and onions.

Add the onion mixture, the cooked tomatillos and apples, cilantro to a food processor and blend to your preferred consistency. Season with salt and pepper. To keep it chunky, you could reserve a couple tablespoons of finely chopped apple.

Store in the refrigerator. Serve with tortilla chips or use in your favorite Mexican recipe!

~Gayatri

Other recipes you might like:

Vegetarian Enchiladas with Sour Cream Tomatillo Sauce

Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

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Pesto Filled Scones

On a lazy Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago, I was in the mood for some baking experimentation - as well as a savory snack to munch on. A fairly quick and easy option was scones, and it had been some time since we tried out any new scone flavors - so I decided to put a new twist on our original savory scone recipe!

These scones might look like any other savory scone at first glance, but there is a surprise center that oozes with basil pesto deliciousness once you bite into it! If you’d like to make it more indulgent, add a small ball of Mozzarella cheese along with the pesto filling. I topped them off with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese, and these tasty tidbits definitely hit the spot!

Base ingredients: (makes ~20 small scones)

Click here for our base ingredients

Add-ins

~½ cup pesto sauce (I used our spinach walnut variety)
~3 TBSP freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Follow the same steps as the spinach feta scones (link) to prepare the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about ½ inch thick, then cut into approximately 2 inch squares.

Place about 1-2 tsp of pesto on each piece of dough, slightly off-center. Fold the dough over and pinch shut, sealing with some water if necessary.

Place on a baking sheet, leaving about one inch of space between the scones. Brush the tops with buttermilk, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 12-15 minutes until the tops turn golden brown. Let the scones cool before storing in an airtight container. They can be enjoyed at room temperature, or slightly warmed up.

These scones make a great anytime snack!

~Karla

    
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Baked Spinach Artichoke Chicken Dip

One of my husband’s favorite appetizers is spinach artichoke dip - two healthy greens turned into somewhat of an indulgence with warm, gooey, garlicky melty cheese. Sometimes, if we are not particularly hungry, we’ll split an order of spinach artichoke dip for a meal, and we always run out of dip before we’ve used up the chips that come with it! I had never really thought about trying to make my own spinach artichoke dip. While I usually have frozen spinach on standby in the freezer, artichoke almost never makes it to my weekly shopping list. I had tried using fresh artichoke once before, many years ago, and it was pretty disastrous. Recently, however, I started experimenting with soufflés and have regularly gotten canned artichokes - much easier to work with! With both spinach and artichoke on hand, I decided it was time to give this favorite appetizer a try. For additional substance, I tossed in some shredded chicken breast to make it a little more meal-worthy.

Ingredients:

1 can artichoke hearts (about 8-10 hearts), coarsely chopped

~10oz chopped spinach (I used frozen, thawed & drained)

~1.5 cups chicken breast, cooked and shredded

8oz cream cheese (I used reduced fat)

~6oz plain Greek yogurt (I used fat-free)

~½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

~1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

Heat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until cream cheese and yogurt are incorporated, but no need to make it a homogenous mixture - pockets of melty cheese are wonderful when eating!

 

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese at the edges begins to brown. Allow sufficient cooling time to prevent burned tongues, top with more parmesan, then dig in with crackers or chips!

 

~Karla

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Spinach Pie Roll-Ups

Several months ago, Gayatri and I cooked up one of our elaborate multi-course dinners. This one had a Mediterranean flair, with eggplant fanned and stuffed with a savory tomato-feta sauce, and baklava ice cream for dessert. For an appetizer, we put our own spin on the traditional spanakopita and served these delightful mini-spinach pies. Using pre-made dough, prep and assembly were super easy - and eating them was even easier! This is a delicious, appropriately hued dish to accompany any shamrock-related shenanigans today - happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Ingredients: (makes 16 mini pies)

~1 cup chopped spinach (fresh, or frozen that has been thawed and drained)

~1 cup ricotta cheese

~¼ cup feta cheese

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 TBSP chopped onion (fresh or dried)

ground pepper, paprika to taste

2 cans crescent rolls

salt to taste (optional)

cooking oil

Heat oven to 375°F.

In a pan over medium heat, sauté spinach, garlic, and onion in a little oil until the onions are soft. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the ricotta and feta cheeses, stirring to break down any lumps until the mixture is smooth. Season with ground black pepper and paprika to taste. Remove from heat and let it cool 5-10 minutes.

While the spinach-cheese mixture is cooling, roll out the crescent roll dough and separate each wedge. Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of spinach mixture onto the wide end of each wedge, then roll it up starting with the wide edge and pinch the end shut.

 

Arrange on a baking sheet, leaving at least an inch of space (they will puff up a little bit). Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes until the edges have a nice golden-brown color. Serve warm and enjoy!

~Karla

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Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here's a gratifyingly green snack to kick off your festivities!http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2016/03/spinach-pie-roll-ups.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Thursday, March 17, 2016

Dill and Honey Mustard Baby Potatoes

Potatoes seem to be universally liked. Hence, if you’re entertaining guests, a potato side dish is generally a safe bet - they are easily available, cook fairly quickly, and are extremely versatile. Go with baby potatoes, and even the presentation will be a win!

 

This recipe makes flavorful baby potatoes that are tender yet crispy. The honey mustard adds a subtle tang to the dish, while dill helps brighten it up.

Ingredients:

~½ lb baby potatoes (could use regular potatoes cut up in cubes)

2 tsp honey mustard

1 tsp chopped dill (I used dried dill)

1 tsp olive oil

Salt & black pepper to taste

 

Wash and parboil the potatoes until tender but not mushy. Drain, and cut them in half lengthwise.

Mix the mustard, oil, dill, salt and pepper in a small bowl and add it to the potatoes. Toss to coat the potatoes evenly.

In a nonstick pan over medium heat, cook the potatoes for ~8-10 min until they are cooked through and have a golden brown crust. It’s best to leave them alone for a minute or two at a time before stirring. Serve warm as a side topped with a dollop of sour cream.

 

~Gayatri

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Dill and Honey Mustard Baby Potatoes - an easy side dish. http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2016/03/dill-and-honey-mustard-baby-potatoes.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Friday, March 11, 2016

Goat Cheese Marinara Dip

Cold days call for warm comforting snacks. A hot cup of soup, colorful warm spinach salad, delicious roasted potatoes are just a few of the many quick and simple options. Another tasty snack is warm toasted garlic bread with marinara sauce for dipping. If you’re feeling especially chef-y, here’s a way to kick it up a notch with some melty delicious soft goat cheese in every bite!

Ingredients:

Your favorite Marinara sauce (See note below for a quick & easy recipe)

Soft goat cheese (I used herb goat cheese)

Quantities to be adjusted as per your liking - if you’d like to make the dip reallllly cheesy, use a shallow baking dish so you can add a lot of goat cheese slices on top to get a better goat cheese-to-marinara ratio.

Pour marinara sauce in an oven proof bowl/dish. Slice the goat cheese about ¼ inch thick, and place the slices on the sauce. Broil on low in the oven until sauce is bubbly and cheese is golden brown on top. This only takes a few minutes, so watch closely! Serve hot with some crusty toasted bread (garlic bread for more deliciousness!) to scoop up the delectable goat cheese and marinara sauce.

~Gayatri

Note:

Quick homemade marinara sauce - Heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add ¼ cup chopped onion and 2-4 minced garlic cloves. Saute until onions are translucent, then add 1 can of crushed tomatoes. Season with salt, black pepper, red chili flakes (optional), and add about 1 tsp each of dried basil and oregano (or use chopped fresh herbs). Let it come to a boil and take off the heat.

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Goat Cheese Marinara Dip - cheesy deliciousness of goat cheese added to bubbly hot marinara sauce!http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2016/03/goat-cheese-marinara-dip.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Oil Free French "Fries"

There are several recipes out there for baked French fries that need only a little bit of oil to coat the potatoes. But recently I came across this interesting recipe that is completely oil free and uses egg whites to crisp up the potatoes. I was a little worried that it might smell like eggs, but I was pleasantly surprised that there was absolutely no hint of eggs once baked!

Ingredients:

1-2 large potatoes (I used Russet)

1 egg white - beaten

Paprika (optional)

Salt to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Fresh parsley - finely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Wash and peel the potatoes and slice them about ¾- 1cm thick. Toss the potatoes with the egg whites and coat evenly.

Lay down the potatoes on the prepared pan in a single layer. Sprinkle some paprika and bake for ~15 minutes. Flip them over and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through (test one of the fries). If you’d like them to be golden brown, broil on high for a minute or so.

Remove from oven, sprinkle some salt and toss around to coat. For an even more delicious flair, toss in some fresh grated Parmesan cheese and parsley.

~Gayatri

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A healthier version of crispy French "fries" - completely oil free!http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2016/02/oil-free-french-fries.html
Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Tuesday, February 16, 2016