Chicken Chorizo Empanadas

Recently, good friends hosted our gourmet group and the theme was "Una Noche Española", a Spanish night.  Among other things, we enjoyed a wonderful seafood Paella, and this delicious appetizer, which was our assigned contribution to the meal.  See below for my first experience eating Paella :-)

An empanada is a stuffed pastry filled with a combination of meat, cheese, potatoes and other ingredients, which are either baked or fried.  Served in many parts of Spain and Latin American, the name is derived from the Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap. Hot pockets, Strudel, Knish, Calzone, Pasty, Pierogi, Samosa, Borek, Kibbeh, are just a few other names for similar recipes from various parts of the world. Some of you may know more examples to add to that list.  

Even though the entire recipe was received in our 'menu packet', I did quite a bit of research on dough recipes, empanada fillings and how to made the beautiful fold around the edge of the empanada (you can find a great tutorial here).  I wanted to 'lighten' the recipe just a bit and was able to find chicken chorizo sausage at a specialty poultry store nearby that makes a variety of sausages using fresh, ground chicken.

I had never made empanadas before so this was a delicious learning experience for me!  I made my own dough but you could certainly save a lot of time by buying pre-made empanada discs or refrigerated pie crust and cutting your own circles.

 

The blender avocado sauce that was included with our recipe was really delicious!  There is quite a bit of lime juice in it that so I think you could easily prepare it a day ahead.  It was very creamy and fresh tasting and would taste wonderful in many recipes.

If you feel like spending Una Noche Española, I highly recommend these empanadas!  There are many do-ahead components if you plan ahead.

Although I never had empanadas in Spain, it was where I first ate and fell in love with Paella which was the first dish I learned how to make after a trip to the Costa del Sol a few years before I met my husband. Long ago :)  From top left, the beautiful hillside village of Mijas, the obligatory photo with a flamenco dancer in Torremolenos, overlooking a fountain inside the beautiful Alhambra in Granada, and a horse-drawn carriage outside of La Malaguena in Marbella. 

Chicken Chorizo Empanadas

Printable Recipe

Makes 12 Empanadas, which will serve 4-6 people as an appetizer. 

Dough:

Note: You may also use Goya pre-cut empanada dough or even a box of pre-made refrigerated pie crust purchased from your grocer if you need to save time.

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar or plain vodka

Place sifted flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender (or your fingers) until it resembles coarse the mixture resembles small, pea-size lumps.

With a fork whisk the egg, water, and vinegar or vodka together in a small bowl. Add this to the flour mixture, stirring with the fork just until incorporated.

Turn out dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press together. Gently kneed with heel of your hand two or three times to bring dough together. Flatten dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap or zipper bag. Chill at least 1 hour.

Dough can be made a day ahead.

When ready to made empanadas, roll out dough into an 18-inch rectangle.  Using a 3" round cutter, cut 12 discs from the dough.  Place on a baking sheet in a single layer, using parchment paper to cover and separate discs.

Filling:

1 tablespoon grape seed, corn or other neutral flavored oil
1/2 white onion, finely diced – about 1 cup
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced - about 1/2 cup

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 Bay Leaf

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lb. chicken chorizo, or pork, if preferred
12 ounces of grated Monterrey Jack or Mexican Blend cheese
4 ounces of crumbled queso fresco cheese

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Remove the chorizo from the casings and drop into the pan and separate with a wooden spoon while sauteing until cooked through and crumbled, about 10 minutes.  Remove the cooked chorizo from the pan with a slotted spoon as set aside.  Add the diced onion and red pepper and cook until they are soft, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, bay leaf, oregano and salt and stir to combine.  Add in the cooked chorizo sausage and stir together.  Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended.  Remove from heat and cool then remove bay leaf. 

This mixture can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered, until ready to assemble empanadas.

Mix the grated Monterrey Jack or Mexican Blend cheese with the crumbled queso fresco. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  Can be made a day ahead.

Avocado Sauce:

3 ripe avocados
4 limes, juiced – a little over ½ cup of juice
1 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and white veins removed
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a blender; it helps the blending process if the avocados are in small chunks and the cilantro is lightly chopped. I also recommend crushing the garlic before putting it in the blender to ensure no one gets a surprise large piece of garlic.
Blend until you have a smooth sauce. Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

Can be made a day ahead.

Assembly:

Roll out dough as indicated in dough recipe above.


See this video for how to fold classic empanadas.

Preheat oven to 400F.

To assemble the empanadas, hold one disc in your left hand (if you are right-handed). Brush outer edge on the upper half of disc with plain water. Place a spoonful of the cheese mixture in the center of the disc and then top with a spoonful of the chorizo mixture. Fold the top and bottom edge of the gently and seal edges with your fingers. Twist and fold the edges with your fingers or use a fork to press down on the edges as you would a pie crust.

Chill the empanadas for at least an hour to help them prevent leaks.

When ready to bake, brush the empanadas with egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve the empanadas with avocado sauce.

Adapted from Laylita, and Epicurious

Chili Blanco Especial

Chilly and blustery the past two days but the forecast for this Sunday is sunny and 61F again! What an amazing fall it has been but I know the weather will soon return to more seasonal temperatures.

I saved the breast of a rotisserie chicken to make this white chicken chili.  You can top the chili simply with diced avocado, or make it really 'especial' and sprinkle some Cheddar-Jack cheese on top with some freshly chopped parsley or cilantro for color (my parsley is still going strong outdoors).  A squeeze of lime juice, sour cream, chopped black olives, salsa, etc., etc., etc.,  You get the idea!

Don't forget the tortillas! The original recipe calls for lining the soup bowl with a tortilla and adding the hot chili over the top.  I prefer scooping a spoonful of chili onto the tortilla for a delicious bite.  Of course this is totally optional but so delicious. I also added some kale for color.

Chili Blanco Especial

Adapted from Creme de Colorado Cookbook

Printable Recipe

Note:  Beans need to be soaked overnight before preparing recipe. Or, use canned beans.

Serve 8

1 pound dry White Northern beans
5-1/4 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 7-ounce can diced green chilies (or 2 small 4 oz cans)
5 cups diced cooked chicken breast
1-3/4 cups chicken stock or broth (I use less for a thicker chili)

1 cup chopped kale (my addition - optional)

1 tablespoon diced jalapeño pepper (also optional)
8 flour tortillas

Place dried beans in a large bowl.  Add enough water to cover beans by at least two inches and soak overnight. 

The next day, in a large soup pot, combine beans, 5-1/4 cups chicken broth, garlic, onion, white pepper, salt, oregano, cumin and cloves. Simmer covered for about 5 hours, or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in green chilies, diced chicken and 1-3/4 cups chicken broth. Add chopped kale at this time, if using. For a spicier taste, add jalapeño. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. To serve, line each bowl with 1 flour tortilla or serve tortillas on the side. Add hot chili and serve with the suggested condiments for a very special chili.

Flavors are enhanced when this chili is made 1 day ahead.

Serve with any of the following condiments:

Diced Avocado
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Chopped black olives
Chunky salsa or diced tomato
Sour cream
Wedge of lime
Chopped cilantro or parsley

Chipotle Chicken Salad

Every Monday it's our pleasure to take care of our two little grandsons for our daughter who went back to school to get her MBA.  She then stays for dinner with us on those Mondays.  We love that we get to spend extra time with her, and her husband also loves the little break that he gets on Monday nights :)

 

Needless to say, I need to fix meals that are quick and easy after having 3-1/2 year old and 13-month old boys here all day.  I found this recipe for Chipotle Chicken Salad while searching for recipes using rotisserie chicken (Sam's sells biggest rotisserie chickens I've found). With a couple of minor 'tweaks', it turned out to be not only easy but really tasty!  I had the chicken cut, the beans rinsed and drained, the onions chopped and dressing made the night before.

Serve it up with a topping of Mexican blend cheese.  There are not only crushed tortilla chips mixed into the salad but I served the salad with extra chips to garnish with a bite of salad on top.  Have any of you tried the new Xochitl tortilla chips yet?. They are thin, crispy and a wonderful treat!

Happy May and Happy Cinco de Mayo!  

Here are a few other Mexican and Southwestern recipes you might like for your Cinco de Mayo feast:

Simple Chicken Fajitas  
Gazpacho Filled Avocados
Shrimp, Mango and Jicama Salad
Chipotle Pork Cheeseburgers
Chili Blanco Especial 

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Chipotle Chicken Salad

Adapted from Epicurious

Printable Recipe

Yield: Makes 4 servings

1 large rotisserie-cooked chicken at room temperature (I used only the breast meat in this salad)

1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro sprigs (I forgot to buy cilantro so substituted 1 tsp. dried)
1 rounded tablespoon canned chipotles in adobo, or to taste

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/3 cup olive oil
Fresh lime juice (about 2 limes worth)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

4-5 green onions, chopped
1 (15- to 19-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 firm-ripe California avocados, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 firm tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3 oz tortilla chips, gently crushed into small but not tiny pieces (1 1/2 cups)
1 large head of romaine, rinsed and chopped

Shredded Mexican blend cheese - optional

Sliced black olives - optional

Remove chicken breast from bone and cut into large chunks and reserve. 

Purée cilantro, chipotles, sour cream, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a small chopper/blender, then slowly whisk in olive oil. Adjust to taste with either more adobo sauce, sour cream or lime juice.

Place romaine, chicken pieces, chopped onion, black beans, cubed avocado, tomato and crushed tortilla chips into a large salad bowl. 

Add enough dressing to coat and toss gently. 

Serve with additional tortilla chips for garnish and to scoop the salad. 

Note: The original recipe does not call for sour cream but I find it's a nice, cool counterpart to the chipotles in adobo. The salad can also be served on whole romaine leaves rather than mixed with chopped romaine.

PS:  Did you know that you chipotle peppers in adobo can be frozen?  I put one pepper and a little adobo sauce on a piece of plastic wrap and twist the ends together.  Do this with all of the peppers left in the can and then place them in a zipper freezer bag.

Simple and Delicious Chicken Fajitas

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I couldn't let the day pass without sharing one of my favorite Tex-Mex dishes to prepare at home. Although, from what I've read, Cinco de Mayo is likely celebrated more widely here in the states than in Mexico - sort of like St. Patrick's Day being more popular here than in Ireland! Nonetheless, it's a wonderful way to recognize the food and culture of Mexico.

I'm sure my recipe is far from authentic but it does rival the chicken fajitas that we order at our favorite local Mexican restaurant. Perhaps theirs aren't authentic either!

This recipe came to me by way of a very good friend years ago. Hot chicken fajitas on a warm tortilla with a dab of guacamole and sour cream - oh my!

When I first requested and received the recipe from my friend, I couldn't believe it included soy sauce. Soy sauce in a Tex-Mex dish - you've got to be kidding? But it works!

Cubed, uncooked chicken breast is tossed with equal parts soy sauce, your favorite chunky salsa and canola oil.  The mixture is then spread onto a baking pan and cooked in a high heat oven for about 20 minutes. Caramelized onions and sauteed red and green peppers are given the same soy/salsa/oil treatment and, when the chicken is cooked, they are all tossed together. Voila! Or rather, aquí lo tienes!

When I make quacomole as a condiment for fajitas, I keep it simple.  Fresh Hass avocados mashed with fresh lime juice and a dash of garlic salt.

Barbara's Chicken Fajitas
Printable Recipe

Serves 2-4, depending on appetite

4 large, boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup salsa
1 clove minced garlic

1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1-2 onions, sliced
1 clove mined garlic
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup salsa

1 lime

Preheat oven to 450 (convection setting, if possible)

Toss cubed chicken breast with 1/4 cup soy sauce, canola oil, salsa and minced garlic and place on a large, rimmed baking pan and place in pre-heated oven. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Meanwhile cook the onions and peppers in a large sauté pan until done (use a very large pan that will accommodate the chicken when it is done). Note - I prefer to caramelize the onions separately from the peppers since I like the onions nicely browned and the peppers crisp/tender. When the vegetables are done, combine them with the additional 1/4 cup of soy, salsa, canola oil and garlic and allow the mixture to simmer for just a few minutes to blend the flavors. Add the cooked chicken to the vegetables in the saucepan, then add the juice of a fresh lime and toss.

Serve on warm tortillas with sour cream, avocado and salsa.

This can easily be made earlier in the day and reheated before serving.

Chipotle Pork Cheeseburgers

It's funny how recipes come your way sometimes.  Last week I was working with a friend and he was telling me that his daughter was home for a couple of weeks from school and doing some cooking for he and his wife.  He was raving about the pork and Muenster cheeseburgers that she had made the night before and how the pork was mixed with chipotle, grilled with melted Muenster cheese and served with avocado and tomatillo slices.  Pork cheeseburgers???

But, due to his exuberance about the recipe, I assumed my husband would also like them and immediately got on the computer and did a quick search for the recipe and made them this week.

My friend was absolutely right - they are wonderful!  A great change from the usual beef burgers on the grill with a surprising smokey-spicy flavor.  The mayo and avocado add just enough creaminess to balance the heat of the chipotles and the sliced tomatillo added a wonderful, cool crunch. I didn't add the cilantro garnish - just a personal preference. I added more chipotles than the original recipe called for and even added a little adobo sauce to the mayonnaise.

Chipotle-Cheese Pork Burgers

Adapted from Gourmet

Photo Credit Gourmet.com

Printable Recipe

Serves 2-4 depending on the size you make the burgers and the appetites of those your are serving. I prefer 1/3 pound per person.

1 pound regular ground pork (not extra lean)
3 teaspoons minced chipotle pepper in adobo* plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (this is more than the original recipe calls for)
2 garlic cloves, forced through a garlic press
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-4 slices Muenster cheese
2-4 hamburger buns, toasted

Garnish:

1/4 cup mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon adobe sauce added
1 large tomatillo (1/4 pound), husked and rinsed, then sliced thin
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preheat a outdoor grill or grill pan on the stovetop to medium heat. In a medium bowl, add the ground pork, diced chipotles and adobe sauce, minced garlic, and salt and gently mix together just until combined. Form into patties.

Oil grill rack or pan and grill patties, covered, 4-5 minutes. Flip patties over and grill another 4-5 minutes. Top with a slice of cheese and grill just until cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes more and remove to a plate.

Spread buns with mayonnaise and assemble burgers with tomatillo, avocado, and cilantro (optional).

Chipotles in Adobo sauce can be found in the Hispanic aisle of your grocery store near the other chili peppers. They have a wonderful, smoky-tangy flavor.

Gazpacho filled Avocados

I love avocados and practically all Mexican food and I found this recipe for an appetizer that I thought would make a perfect luncheon salad for me today...Avocados filled with Gazpacho:

I served it in a dish that I bought in Puerto Vallarta almost 10 years ago.

...with blue corn tortillas on the side - it was scrumptious :)

Here is the recipe:

Gazpacho in Avocado Boats
~adapted from Creme de Colorado cookbook
Serves 1-2
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup tomato, cut into small dice
3 tablespoons seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into small dice
3 tablespoons green bell pepper, cut into small dice
1 teaspoon pickled jalapeno pepper, finely minced
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 avocado, peeled, halved, pitted and rubbed with lime juice to prevent browning

lettuce leaves, washed and dried
tortilla chips

Combine sliced onion, diced tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper and lime juice to make gazpacho. Rub avocado with additional lime juice. Line a bowl or plate with lettuce leaves. Top with avocado halves and fill each half with gazpacho. Serve with tortilla chips on the side.

Here is some interesting information on Cinco de Mayo.

Chili Blanco Especial

 
A fiesta in a bowl! This delicious recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks - Creme de Colorado. This is by no means a new cookbook - I've owned it since the early '90s when we used to travel to Colorado on family ski trips with our daughters. Some of the recipes in this cookbook are still some of my favorites.

I like to include this recipe at least once in my winter soup and stew rotation. My husband says it has just the right amount of 'bite'.  I like to add lots of avocado to my bowl!

Chili Blanco Especial

Serve 8

1 pound dry White Northern beans
5-1/4 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 7-ounce can diced green chilies
5 cups diced cooked chicken breast
1-3/4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon diced jalapeño pepper (optional)
8 flour tortillas

My Notes: I like to use chicken stock for an even more full-bodied flavor. I also prefer fire-roasted green chilies for a nice, smokey taste. I usually use the 'quick soak' method on the package of beans rather than soaking them overnight.

Soak beans in water to cover for 24 hours; drain.

In crock pot or large kettle, combine beans, 5-1/4 cups chicken broth, garlic, onion, white pepper, salt, oregano, cumin and cloves. Simmer covered for at least 5 hours until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in green chilies, diced chicken and 1-3/4 cups chicken broth. For hotter taste, add jalapeño. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. To serve, line each bowl with 1 flour tortilla. Spoon in chili and serve with all condiments for a very special chili.

Flavors are enhanced when this chili is made 1 day ahead.

Serve with any of the following condiments:

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sliced black olives
Chunky salsa or diced tomato
Sour cream
Diced avocado
Wedge of lime
Chopped cilantro