Daring Bakers' September 2012 Challenge - Empanada Gallega

Patri of the blog, Asi Son Los Cosas, was our September 2012 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she decided to tempt us with one of her family’s favorite recipes for Empanadas! We were given two dough recipes to choose from and encouraged to fill our Empanadas as creatively as we wished!
 
I was reluctant to participate in this months challenge. I have a couple of picky eaters when it comes to savory food and I thought I might be the only one eating this months challenge.
I kept delayed the start until close to deadline day  thinking that I would pull out of the challenge. Then came one of those lazy afternoons when I had the recipe in front of me and all the ingredients to get the dough started. So I gave it a whirl! And I am very glad I did try this recipe. The dough was very easy and I went the even easier route and made it in the mixer with the dough hook. I did not even clean the bowl, just oiled it and plopped the dough back in. While the dough was rising, I scooted to the grocery store for filling ingredients. I could not decide whether to go with chicken or pork so...I got both. Back at home, I got the filling cooking and noticed a jar of chipotles in adobe sauce in the the pantry. There was the kick I was looking for in the filling.

 I thought the shredded mozzarella with jalapeno might be overkill but it was not overwhelming and added a nice creaminess to the Empanada. I used some in the filling and a little on top. The topping really did nothing and next time (I always yearn for that next time), I will save a little dough as recommended by Petri for decoration.
I think this dish is excellent for football night. Cook it up, slice it and serve on a big platter. If our team makes it to the Super Bowl, I am going to make this for game night. It is very easy to eat. My fork and knife hubby sliced his up while I grabbed the thing like a slice of pizza and chomped away. It holds together really well.

I served this with an avocado and orange salad dressing it with just a squeeze of fresh orange juice and a drizzle of extra special all the way from Paris extra virgin olive oil. I also had a sauce of sour cream, lime juice and chili powder that I made for another dish but I found it not to be necessary or beneficial to the dish. It was fine on its own.
I dream up fillings for this dish daily. It seems so easy for sweet and savory. Thanks Petri for a great challenge!!
Here is the recipe:
 

Empanada Gallega adapted from a recipe by Petri from Asi Son Las Cosas

 

Dough Ingredients:

2 ½ plus 1 tablespoons (640 ml) (375 gm) bread flour

1cups (240 ml) of lukewarm water (about 85°F/30ºC), approximately

1/2 satchel (1/2 tablespoon) (7.5 gm) dry yeast or (1/2 oz.) (15 gm) fresh yeast

1 teaspoons (5ml) (5.5 gm) salt

2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil (you can use oil from the pan where you have cooked the filling)

1 large egg, for egg wash

Before Rising

 

Dough Directions:

Measure out all the ingredients.

 Sift the flour into a big bowl and make a well in the middle. Rub the yeast in with your fingers.

In a small bowl, mix the water and the salt.

Now, using your fingers or a wooden spoon, start adding the water and mixing it with the flour-yeast mixture. Keep on working with your fingers or spoon until you have added enough water and all the flour has been incorporated and you have a messy ball of dough.

On a clean counter top, knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes

 You could do all the above using a stand mixer, in that case mix the ingredients with the paddle attachment until mixed and then switch to a dough hook and knead on low for about 6 minutes.

 Clean and oil the big bowl you used for mixing and place the kneaded dough in it. Cover it with a napkin or piece of linen and keep it in a warm, draft-free place for approximately 40 to 50 minutes.

 

Filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ red onion, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

½ red pepper, chopped finely

1 chipotle pepper in adobe sauce, chopped finely

1 chicken breast, grilled or poached in chicken stock chopped finely

1 pork chop, grilled or sautéed and finely chopped

¼ cup (56.7 grams) canned black beans, drained, rinsed and rough chopped

1 /2 cup (113.4 grams) shredded Mozzarella cheese with jalapeno pepper

Heat oil in medium sauté pan. Add onion and red pepper and cook over medium heat stirring often. Add garlic and chipotle pepper. Cook for about a minute. Add the two meats and stir to combine. Add the black beans. 2.Remove from heat and allow to cool before filling.



 

To Assemble:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured rolling mat or counter top, roll half the dough to about 1/8^th inch thick. Place on parchment covered baking sheet. Sprinkle ½ of the cheese in the center of the pastry leaving about a 2 inch wide margin around the edges. Spoon the cooled filling on top of the cheese.

 

Roll 3/4‘s of the rest of the dough (it should be slightly smaller the first piece. Lay on top of the dough and then roll up the bottom piece of dough over the top piece pinching as you move around the perimeter to seal the dough. Prick a hole in the top center or use a fork to prick several holes on top for steam to escape.Mix together 1 egg with 1tablespoon (15ml) water and to make an egg wash. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg wash.

Using the rest of the dough, make an attractive decoration such as leaves to decorate the top. (I did not do this step but I think you should!)

Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until bottom crusts looks lightly browned and crispy. Remove from oven, cut into slices with a sharp knife. Serve warm.

 

Yield 4 to 6 servings.

 

Back of the Box Blog - Corn Flake Chicken

Corn Flake Chicken is a weekly staple at our house these days. The dish is really easy and quick to prepare. On a busy week night, I can get the chicken and fixings on the table in less than an hour.
Corn flake chicken is glorified fried chicken but it reminds me of Wiener schnitzel, a dreamy dish I had long ago at a wine cellar in Vienna. I think of that adventure every time I make the dish so there is another reason to have it on the table once a week.

I start by pounding the chicken breasts thinly with my meat tenderizer. I soak the chicken in buttermilk instead of the milk listed from the back of the box in deference to my southern roots where it is tradition to soak chicken in buttermilk before frying it. I find that the soaking makes a tender chicken. I use Kellogg's Corn Flake Crumbs although I will crush up a box of Corn Flakes if I cannot find the crumbs at the store. I have tampered with the original recipe as is my prerogative so you may want to tamper with my version.   I feel like I can serve this dish with anything although the lemon wedges for squeezing over the chicken at the last minute is a wine cellar trick that I love and continue. I usually get the chicken soaking and then see what is hiding in the fridge.  My favorite is as it is seen here with a refreshing salad of mixed lettuces (dressed up this time with hazelnut crusted goat cheese and tender little green beans) tossed with a garlicky vinaigrette and what you don't see here, a freshly opened bottle of Pinot Noir. A to Z Pinot from Oregon is my current favorite to sip.

Corn Crisped Chicken  adapted from the back of the Kellogg's Corn Flake Crumb box
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 cups Kellogg's Corn Flake Crumbs
1/4 cup  olive oil
Lemon wedges for garnish
Pound the chicken breasts evenly to 1/4 inch thickness for best results.To pound meat thin you may want to place the cutlet between sheets of wax paper for easier washing up. Use a heavy, flat-surface pan to pound if you don’t have a meat mallet.  Pour the buttermilk into a medium bowl. Add the seasoned salt and the lemon pepper if using. Soak the chicken breasts in the buttermilk for up to an hour...I usually give it about 20 minutes.
Put the corn flake crumbs in a shallow dish. I use a pie pan. Drain the chicken breasts and coat each one in the crumbs, turning and pressing the crumbs into the breasts lightly.
Set a large heavy saute pan over medium high heat and add the coated chicken breasts. Shake the pan gently to make sure the chicken is not sticking to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook about 4 minutes each side. Drain briefly on paper towels before plating.
Serve with lemon wedges.
Serves 4.

Mieng Kam Moo/Gai

I blogged recently about dinner friends made for us at their house- Thai Dinner Delight. My friend shared her recipe with me and has graciously given permission to share with you. It is a lovely "hands on" way to start a meal.

Thanks Amy!!!

Mieng Kam Moo/Gai (Pork/Chicken)


Ingredients:

1 lb. ground pork or chicken

2 tomatoes

1 onion
2 carrots
1 clove of garlic
2 or 3 hot chilies
Olive oil
Fish sauce
Oyster sauce
Ground pepper
Cilantro
Lettuce

Method:

Boil the water for cooking the carrots. Chop the carrots like small dices. Put the chopped carrots into the boiling water and boil them for 8 minutes or until they are cooked. While waiting for the carrots to be cooked marinate ground pork or chicken with fish sauce and pepper and leave it for 8-10 minutes. Mince the tomatoes and onion. Mince the garlic and the chilies. Put the olive oil in a pan and heat it until it is hot. Put the minced garlic and chilies in the hot pan and stir for 30 seconds. Put the marinated ground pork or chicken and stir until it is cooked. Put the minced tomatoes, onion, and carrots in the pan and stir everything all together. Put oyster sauce and fish sauce and taste it. You can add more fish sauce and taste it until you like it.

How to eat:

You need to use your both hands, so make sure that your hands are clean. Put the cooked ground pork or chicken on a lettuce leaf and add a one or leaf of cilantro, and then wrap it and munch away.

The Columbia's 1905 Salad

The Columbia Restaurant in Sarasota, Florida is one of my favorite restaurants for nostalgic reasons. I have family in Sarasota and attended college not far away in St. Petersburg. The restaurant is formal service in a casual atmosphere and they pull it off beautifully. The table side preparation of the 1905 salad is always a treat to watch and eat. I had the opportunity to dine there recently and was not disappointed. It was a lovely day with just a hint of cool to the air. We sat at one of the outdoor tables where the conversation is almost communal given the distance between tables. In such a tourist area, there were a lot of locals sharing a meal near us. I got the Black Bean Soup with a side 1905 salad. I like the soup  but don't love it and usually wish I had just gotten the salad alone. But that day, the chunkiness of the soup and flavor balanced well with the salad.

The salad is a favorite in my family. Each of us has taken the basic recipe and changed it to make it our own, adding our favorite salad veggies and meat. We usually agree on the cheese addition only varying in the amount  to add. I am not usually a fan in iceberg lettuce but this salad needs a hearty,crunchy lettuce. I am adding the original recipe here. You may find the history about The Columbia interesting as well.  There are far more locations now than the original in Tampa and the outpost in Sarasota when I was a younger me. But thinking you may not be close to one, I am posting my version of the recipe. The pictures following the recipe are the Evelyn version.Please vary the salad to make it your own. It is a great light dinner and perfect with a vegetable based soup like Black Bean or Lentil.

Buen Provecho!

Family Salad

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, broken into bite size chunks

1  tomato, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, cut into julienne strips
1/2 cup ham, or turkey or shrimp cut into julienne strips
2 sticks celery, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup pimento stuffed green olives, sliced
1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated
Salad Dressing Ingredients

1/8 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon marjoram

1/2 lemon, juiced

1. Toss all salad ingredients together, except Romano cheese.
2. Mix garlic, marjoram, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Beat until smooth with a whisk. Add olive oil gradually beating to form an emulsion. Stir in vinegar and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

3. Add dressing to salad and toss well. Add Romano cheese and toss one more time.

                                                                                                                                      

Thai Dinner Delight

When a close friend of ours married a Thai girl several years ago, we were delighted to welcome his smart and beautiful wife into our clan. Little did we know that the two would make beautiful food together as well.

We were lucky to be treated to dinner recently at their house and it was a memorable meal.

We had Mieng Kam Gai to start the meal. It was spicy, very moist with plenty of veggies to give it color and taste. We were instructed to spoon a bit onto a lettuce leaf, top with a sprig of cilantro, roll it into a little parcel and munch away. The lettuce made a nifty pouch and I loved crunching into the little wrap. These were addictive and I had to tell myself to stop as I watched our friend add the gorgeous shrimp to our next course.



This next dish, Tam Yum Goong, was what I envision Thai comfort food to be like. The aroma of kaffir leaves and lemon grass was intoxicating. The soup was served with a side dish of rice.
The shrimp and mushrooms in the soup absorbed the heady flavors of the broth. We also spooned a bit of the broth onto the rice and ate it along with the soup.






It was very filling...or maybe the Mieng Kam Gai was catching up to me. I managed to finish the whole bowl but I was too full for the Egg Custard with Shredded Coconut. I had a few bites...I am not sure what happened to my camera so no pictures I am sad to say.

Recipes? Well, I asked but I think they made the dishes without a recipe. If they should write one down, I will edit the post. In the meantime, I did a bit of research. I found a nice recipe for the Tam Yum Goong if you will follow this link: http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/recipes/Tom_Yum_Goong.htm
As to the Mieng Kam Gai, I did not find a specific recipe but several versions of minced chicken wrapped in lettuce. It seems to be a dish open to interpretation so choosing one with favorite ingredients may be the order to follow.

I am looking forward to making both these dishes this winter. I can almost smell the lemon grass now!





UPDATE!!!

My friends shared their recipe. You can find it here Mieng Kam Gai