Strawberry Hand Pies

I made these hand pies last weekend and loved them!  They were delicious!  Since I love rhubarb, I used strawberry-rhubarb jam instead of regular strawberry jam and it was great!  I saw the recipe in Country Living magazine and had to pass it on!  

Strawberry Hand Pies by Patti Davis, featured in Country Living

2 1/3 cup(s) (plus more for dusting) All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt

1 stick(s) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 large Egg Yolks

1 teaspoon(s) Vanilla Extract 

3/4 pound(s) Strawberries cut into 1/2-inch pieces 

1/2 cup(s) Powdered Sugar 

3 tablespoon(s) Strawberry Jam (I used Strawberry-Rhubarb jam!)

1 tablespoon(s) Sanding Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add 1 egg yolk, 1/2 cup chilled water, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and mix until just combined. (If dough is dry or crumbly and doesn’t stay together, add up to 3 tablespoons more chilled water.) Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 2 to 3 times, just until dough comes together. Return dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make filling: In a medium bowl, combine strawberries, confectioners’ sugar, and jam, plus remaining flour, vanilla, and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat remaining yolk and 1 tablespoon water for egg wash; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough into 6 rounds.

Roll 1 round into a 6-inch circle. Spoon a heaping 2 tablespoons filling onto half of circle, leaving 1/2-inch border. Brush the edges with egg wash, then fold dough over filling. Using a fork, crimp the edges to seal hand pie. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking pan. Repeat with remaining dough rounds and filling.

Using a toothpick, poke a few holes in the top of each pie. Brush with remaining egg wash and sprinkle each pie with 1/2 teaspoon sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Read more: Strawberry Hand Pies Recipe - Country Living 

Romulo Yanes

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Beef Empanadas with Tomato-Avocado Salsa

Here is my all-time favorite empanada recipe I received from my cousin's wife who served a mission in Argentina.  I altered it a bit and it's a favorite at our house!  Hope you enjoy it!

EMPANADA DOUGH:
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/2 cups wheat flour (I found using wheat flour made dough even easier to work with)
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold water
2 eggs
1 tsp vinegar
3 TB buter

In a bowl, beat water, eggs and vinegar together.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix together flour and salt.  Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender.  Then make a well in the center and pour the liquid ingredients in.  Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a fork until it becomes stiff.  

Knead on a lightly floured surface until flour is incorporated and dough is smooth.  Wrap dough in plastic and put in fridge for at least 1 hour but not more than 24 hours.  Then take dough out and pull off golf-ball sized pieces and roll out into circles for empanada shells.  

FILLING:
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 to 1 cup green olives, chopped
3-4 boiled eggs, diced

Brown beef with onions and add 1/2 package of taco seasoning.  Add chopped green olives and eggs.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Put large spoonful in half of empanada shell, fold over and seal with fork.  Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour or fry in canola oil.  (Fried empanadas taste the best!)

Top with Tomato Avocado Salsa
http://haleysrecipeswap.blogspot.com/2010/12/tomato-avocado-salsa.html 

Enchiladas Extraordinaire

These are one of my favorite 'go-to' recipes, and they also freeze well!

Enchiladas
2-4 c. shredded chicken
1 c. shredded cheese
4 oz. can chopped green chiles
2 TB cilantro
1 can cream of chicken (11 oz)
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin

8-10 tortillas
Green enchilada sauce

Combine all ingredients (except tortillas) in large bowl.   Scoop 1/3 cup of mixture and wrap in tortilla.  Place tortillas in 9x13 pan. Sprinkle additional cheddar cheese on top and pour enchilada sauce on top.  Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then uncover and cook 5 minutes more to melt cheese.

Serve with my tomato-avocado salsa and enjoy!
http://haleysrecipeswap.blogspot.com/2010/12/tomato-avocado-salsa.html

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

My friend Lindsay K made these when we did a freezer meal exchange and they were delicious!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
abountifulkitchen.com

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1-2 limes)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 pound chicken, cooked* and shredded , about 2-3 large chicken breast halves
8-10 medium flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce (see recipe below)
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup cream


Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken.Place ingredients into a Ziploc bag and let marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably 6-8 hours in refrigerator.
Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a greased 9X13 baking pan.
Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top ofenchiladas.
Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with half and half, cream and leftover marinade.
Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Serves 6


Tips:

* For the chicken, I placed 6 large frozen chicken breast halves in a crock pot on low heat for about 4-5 hours. Salt and pepper generously. Add about 1 cup of water, chicken broth or green chili salsa. Shred when chicken is cooked. It is best to do this early in the day, or the day before you want to use the chicken in a recipe. 

Homemade  Green Enchilada Sauce
A Bountiful Kitchen

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1-16 oz jar Salsa Verde
12 oz tomatillos, chopped (about 1lb before husking)
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1-14 oz  chicken or vegetable broth
Salt to taste

Saute chopped onion in olive oil in medium saucepan. Cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for another two minutes. Remove from heat.
Place all of the remaining ingredients in a blender, or use a hand immersion blender, and blend until smooth.
Use in recipes calling for green enchilada sauce.
Yield about 5-6 cups sauce.

Tips:
-Leftovers may be frozen.

Oven-Baked Brown Rice

Oven-Baked Brown Rice from America's Test Kitchen

1 1/2 C long-, medium-, or short-grain brown rice

2 1/3 C water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1.  Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spread the rice in an 8-inch square glass baking dish.

2.  Bring the water and oil to a boil, covered, in a medium saucepan.  Once the water is boiling, immediately stir in the salt and pour the water over the rice.  Cover the baking dish tightly with a double layer of foil and bake until the rice is tender, about 1 hour.

3.  Remove the baking dish from the oven, uncover, and fluff the rice with a fork.  Cover the dish with a clean kitchen towel and let stand for 5 minutes.  Uncover and let the rice stand for 5 minutes longer before serving.

Try it and you'll be sold!

Cinnamon Chips with Fruit Salsa

My sister-in-law made these fabulous chips and salsa for our Book Club last week!  They were amazing!  This is a must try.  Here is a link!

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/04/sweet-fruit-salsa-with-cinnamon-chips

Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce by Lindsay K

Spring Rolls
rice paper
rice noodles
cilantro
basil
lettuce
cucumber
shrimp 
rotisserie chicken

Peanut Sauce
1 lime peeled and juiced with pulp
3 to 4 Tbsp sugar 
3 to 4 Tbsp peanut butter
1-2 Tbsp hoisin sauce  
2 to 3Tbsp fish sauce
crushed garlic and chili pepper
serracha for spice little red pepper, but I have substituted jalepeno because you have to go to the Asian store for those.  Mix all together.