Empanadas

These are delicious, and worth the advance work!  They taste great reheated even a couple of days later.  They also freeze well.  I made enough filling for 2 batches and froze half.  The rest made 12 large empanadas.  For dinner we can eat 1 1/2 each, but 1 is enough for a nice lunch. Serve the sauces alongside.  Better than hot sauce, people!  More flavor!
j

4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbl olive oil

1/2 cup Crisco

1 1/4 cup water

1 1/2 - 2 pounds ground beef, venison and/or sweet Italian sausage

2 Tbl Paprika

1 Tbl Cumin

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbl Adobo

black pepper

1/2 c raisins, soaked in warm orange juice or water

1 cup chopped mushrooms

Shredded Mexican or Pepper Jack Cheese

1 Tbl white vinegar

2 hard cooked eggs or scrambled eggs, chopped

1 Qt oil for frying

Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt.  Cut in Crisco, using a pastry blender, or pinching into small pieces using your fingers, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Use a fork to stir in water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the mixture forms a ball.  Pat into a ball + flatten slightly.  Put in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or overnight.
2) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, and cook until tender.  Crumble in the beef and mushrooms and season with all spices.  Cook, stirring  frequently, until beef is browned.  Drain excess grease and stir in the raisins and vinegar.  Refrigerate until chilled and then stir in the hard cooked eggs.
3) Form the dough into 2 inch balls.  On a floured surface, roll each ball out into a thin circle.  Spoon some of the meat mixture into the center (I used 1/4 - 1/3 cup meat in each) and sprinkle with cheese.  Then fold into half moon shapes.  Seal edges by pressing with your fingers.
4) Heat oil in a deep fat fryer or high sided frying pan to 365 (180).  Place 1 or 2 pies in the oil at a time so it doesn't cool.  Cook about 5 minutes, turning to brown on both sides.  Drain on paper towels and serve hot with Pico de Gallo or Salsa Verde.

Mollie and Mizenkos made these in May 2020 while sheltering at home from Coronavirus.

Traditional Bread
2 Tbl yeast
2 1/4 c warm water (water from boiling potatoes is even better)
1/4 c honey
1 Tbl salt
2 Tbl very soft butter
7 c bread flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c warm water and let rest 5 minutes
Add honey and butter
Add 3 cups flour, one at a time
Add salt
Continue adding flour, a half cup at a time, until dough starts to lose its stickiness
knead 5 - 10 minutes until dough is elastic and blisters appear below the surface
Place in greased bowl, flip and cover with a damp cloth
Let rest 1 hour or until raised.  Press 2 fingers into dough.  If impressions remains, it is risen enough.
Divide in half
Press sides down under to form a loaf and press to seal
Place in 2 loaf pans
Brush lightly with melted butter
Let rise until double, 30-45 minutes
Cut a long slice in a curve along top of bread with razor
Preheat oven to 425
Place loaves in lower half of oven
Throw a cup of water on the bottom of the oven for steam
Bake until deep golden brown and remove from oven
Remove from pans and cool on wire rack

For Rolls, roll halves of dough into rectangles, and cut into 16 pieces.  Brush with butter and place in 9x9 inch pan.  Let rise until doubled.  Bake 15 minutes at 425.

Sour Cream Raisin Pie

This is a classic in the Hilltowns.  You can ask for it at Roast Beef Dinners.  My Grandmothers made it regularly.

1 cup raisins
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tbl cornstarch
pinch of salt
pinch of cloaves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
1 pie shell (9 inches) baked

Meringue
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbl sugar

In  a small saucepan, place raisins and enough water to cover; bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat; set aside.
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, cloves and cinnamon.  Stir in sour cream and milk until smooth.  Cook and stir over medium=high heat until thickened and bubbly.  Reduce heat to low; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer.  Remove from the heat.  Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks.  Return all to the pan, stirring constantly.  Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat.
Drain raisins, reserving 1/2 cup liquid.  Gently stir liquid into filling.  Add raisins, and nuts if desired.  Pour into pie shell.  For meringue, in a small bowl, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Gradually beat in sugar, 1 Tbl at a time, on high until stiff peaks form.  Spread over hot filling, sealing edges to crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Burek

This is a meat pie we bought from the bakeries all over Central Europe.  It made a quick and easy meal, and we ordered it often.  Lots of their pastries used the filo dough.  I found this recipe on TheSpruceEats.com

Ingredients

• 1 pound grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces cottage cheese (undrained, not farmer's cheese)
• 1 large egg (beaten)
• 1 pound filo dough (thawed)
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) butter

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Place oven rack in the middle position and heat to 350 F. Lightly coat a 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, toss grated Jack cheese with flour. Add undrained cottage cheese and beaten egg and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
4. Separate filo dough into two piles (about 14 sheets each) and keep covered. Half will go on the bottom of the pan and half will go on top of the filling.
5. Place 2 sheets of filo dough in prepared pan and brush lightly with melted butter. Add 2 more sheets of filo dough and brush with butter. Continue in this fashion until you've used one pile of filo sheets.
6. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the filo and to the ends. Begin covering the cheese with the remaining filo, again using 2 sheets at a time and brushing with butter.
7. Tuck any overhanging filo dough down the sides of the pan and brush entire top with butter. Cut burek into 24 squares and generously brush the entire top with remaining butter.
8. Bake in the heated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. If the top starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil and continue to bake. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes.
9. Serve and enjoy!
   
   Second Recipe, this one with meat and homemade pastry
   

   Savory fillings baked in a thin pastry dough are popular throughout southeastern Europe, a legacy of the Ottoman Empire. They go by a variety of names — börek, bourek, böreği, bouréki. The Bosnian version, burek, is an easy ground beef meat pie rolled up into a snail-like form.

   4 to 6 servings

   Ingredients

   Pastry

   • Flour -- 2 cups
   • Warm water -- 1/2 cup
   • Melted butter or olive oil -- 1/4 cup
   • Egg, beaten -- 1
   • Salt -- 1 teaspoon

   Meat Filling

   • Ground beef -- 1 1/2 pounds
   • Onions, minced -- 3
   • Eggs, beaten -- 2
   • Paprika -- 2 tablespoons
   • Salt and pepper -- to season
   • Melted butter or olive oil -- 1/2 cup

   Method

   1. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix together the flour, warm water, melted butter or olive oil, egg and salt until it comes together in a doughy mass. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, as needed to bring the ingredients together.
   2. Remove the dough to a floured work surface and knead until smooth and pliable. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes.
   3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together the ground beef, onions, eggs, paprika, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth and set aside.
   4. Remove the rested dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a large rectangle. Place floured fists underneath the dough and gently pull sections of the dough out to form a very thin rectangle about 2 feet by 3 feet (60 cm x 90 cm). Take care not to tear holes in the dough. If you do, pinch them together. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes or so to dry out a little.
   5. Brush the pastry dough all over with melted butter or olive oil. Place a row of the meat filling along the longer edge of the rolled out pastry dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Bring the bottom of the pastry up over the meat filling and roll it up into a long sausage-shaped roll.
   6. Lay one end of the roll onto the middle of a greased baking pan. Carefully wrap the remainder of the pastry roll around itself to form a snail-shaped pie in the middle of the baking pan. Brush the top of the pastry with melted butter or olive oil.
   7. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until cooked through and golden-brown. Cut into wedges and serve with a large dollop of good yogurt.

   Bosanski Burek Variations

   • You can use commercially produced filo dough if you are intimidated by making your own. Use single sheets to make single servings.
   • Substitute 1/2 pound ground veal or 1/2 pound grated potatoes for 1/2 pound of the ground beef.
   • Sirnica (Cheese burek): Pronounced "SEER-nit-sah." For the filling, use a mixture of feta (1 pound) and ricotta (1/2 pound) cheese, 2 eggs and pepper.
   • Zeljanica (Spinach and cheese burek): Pronounced "zel-YAH-nit-sah." For the filling use 2 pounds of frozen spinach, 1/2 pound feta cheese, 2 eggs, salt and pepper. Thaw the spinach and squeeze it dry before mixing with the remaining ingredients. Or try using chopped sorrel in place of some of the spinach.
   • A few tablespoons of chopped dill or parsley can add nice flavor to your burek.

   
   

Breakfast Tacos
1/4 c finely chopped onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Tbls Canola Oil
2 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
4 large eggs
Adobo and Pepper
1/2 cup crumbled queso or shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped seeded tomato
6 flour tortillas, warmed
Optional: Refried beans, cooked rice, sliced avocado, minced fresh cilantro, sour cream

In a large skillet, saute onion and jalapeno in oil until tender.  Add the tortilla strips; cook 3 minutes longer.  In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and seasonings.  Add to skillet; cook and stir until almost set.  Stir in cheese and tomato.  Serve in warm flour tortillas with toppings.

Moo Shu Pork with Mandarin Pancakes #mooshu

2 Tbl soy sauce
2 Tbl rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 lb boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into 1 1/4 inch strips
10 dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced (1 inch) green onions
3 Tbl minced garlic (about 12 cloves)
2 Tbl minced or grated peeled fresh ginger
1/3 cup dried wood ear mushrooms (about 1/4 ounce)
3 Tbl rice wine
3 Tbl soy sauce
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbl peanut oil, divided
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups thinly sliced Chinese cabbage stalks(napa)
4 cups thinly sliced Chinese cabbage leaves
2 Tbl rice wine
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 Tbl soy sauce
16 Mandarin Pancakes

Step 1:
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a zip top plastic bag.  Add pork; seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.  Remove pork from bag; discard marinade.

Step 2:
Combine boiling water and dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl.  Cover and let stand 20 minutes.
Drain.  Discard mushroom stems and thinly slice mushroom caps.  Combine sliced mushroom caps, green onions, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Step 3:
Combine boiling water and wood ear mushrooms in a bowl.  Cover and let stand 20 minutes.  Drain; cut mushrooms into thin slices.  Set aside.

Step 4:
Combine 3 Tbl rice wine and next 4 ingredients (3 Tbl rice wine through black pepper) in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk.  Set aside.

Step 5:
Heat 1 1/2 tsp peanut oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add pork, and stir fry 3 minutes.  Remove pork from pan . Add 1 1/2 tsp peanut oil to pan,.  Add eggs; stir fry 30 seconds or until soft scrambled.  Add shiitake mushroom mixture; stir fry 1 1/2 minutes.  Add cabbage stalks; stir fry 30 seconds.  Add the wood ear mushrooms, cabbage leaves, and 2 Tbl rice wine; stir fry 1 minute.  Add pork and cornstarch mixture; stir fry 2 minutes or until sauce is thick.  Place pork mixture on a platter.

Step 6:
Combine hoisin sauce and 1 Tbl soy sauce.  Spread about 1 1/2 tsp hoisin sauce mixture on uncooked surface of each Mandarin Pancake.  Top each pancake with 1/2 cup pork mixgture.  Roll up.

Mandarin Pancakes:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tsp dark sesame oil

Step 1:
Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour and water in a large bowl.  Stir until a soft dough forms.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead until smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes.  Shape the dough into a 1 1/2 inch thick log.  Divide the dough into 16 equal portions.  Roll each dough portion into a 6 inch circle on a lightly floured surface.  Brush 8 pancakes evenly with sesame oil.  Top each with one of the remaining pancakes, gently pressing together.
Step 2:
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Place 1 pancake in pan and cook 1 minute on each side or until slightly puffed.  Remove from pan and cool.  Peel pancakes apart.

Chicken Enchiladas

This is a great dinner for any night - easy to make, quick to cook.  Make enough for 2 nights, and freeze half.  If you are doing weekend prep, cook up the chicken breast and save the broth.  Then keep it in the fridge or freeze the meat for a fast dinner later on.  I wouldn't necessarily bother freezing the broth, especially if you don't have a big freezer.

Ingredients:
10 - 8 inch flour tortillas
1 small onion, chopped
2 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl olive oil
1 pound cooked chicken, shredded (see note on broth below)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbl Adobo
15 ounce can chicken broth, or 2 cups water with 2 chicken bouillon cubes or if you are cooking your chicken breast, save 2 cups of the water, and cook some herbs and veggies in to make it tastier.
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 can diced green chiles, or 4 ounces chopped pepper, or 1/2 cup chopped pickled banana peppers

Insrructions:

Cook chicken in a pan with oil, onion and garlic.  Shred chicken.  Mix chicken with 1 cup shredded cheese. Fill 10 flour tortillas with chicken mix.  Line 2 8x8 pans with aluminum foil, and put 5 tortillas in each.
In a sauce pan, melt butter, add flour and Adobo and cook 3-4 minutes.  Slowly add chicken broth and cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat.  Add sour cream or yogurt, and chiles or peppers.
Pour sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
Preheat oven to 350.
Bake 25 minutes, until golden brown.
Eat one pan and freeze the other, once it is cooled.  Once it is frozen, take it out of the pan and put it in a ziplock bag along with the aluminum foil. To eat, take it out of the ziplock and put it back in a pan.  Heat it at 350 until hot.

Canned Pickled Banana Peppers

We love these, and put them on our homemade pizza, in quiche, in chili and spaghetti, etc.  We also put aluminum foil on a baking sheet, sprinkle tortilla chips on top, cover with grated Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, and banana pepper rings and broil (watch this carefully!!).I even grow the banana peppers in my garden so we can make this.

#BananaPeppers

2 pounds Banana Peppers

6 cloves garlic, slice in half lengthwise

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups white vinegar

4 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Wash the peppers, cut off the tops and remove as many of the seeds as you can.

2. Cut the peppers into rings of whatever thickness you prefer.

3. Put the pepper rings and garlic pieces into a glass jar that has an air tight seal when closed.  

4. In a medium size saucepan add the water, vinegar and salt  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  

5. Remove from heat and pour over the top of the peppers and garlic.

6. Use a knife to move peppers around to remove air bubbles and get the peppers and garlic submerged in the liquid. 

7.  Seal the jar and set aside overnight. 

8. Refrigerate for up to 6 months. 

#canning #homemade #recipe

Apple Spice Slow Cooker Cake

This is a recipe I found online.  I want to try cutting it in half, and bring it with us to Fran and Henry's one night this week.  We are going to watch some old Carol Burnett DVD shows with them.

1 box Spice Cake Mix
2 - 20 ounce cans Apple Pie Filling
8 ounces butter

Put pie filling into slow cooker and top with spice cake mix and butter.  Cook on high 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

In this photo the recipe was made using 1 can of peach pie filling and one pint jar of home canned peaches. R were

Herb Bread

Herb Bread
This is based on another recipe, but it had herbs I don't like, so I redid it.  This can be used for sandwiches, because when you slice it, it stays together well, even in the toaster. 
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 Tbl sugar
1 Tbl yeast
1 egg
2 Tbl Crisco


Combine milk, sugar and yeast.  Let rest 3-5 minutes, until yeast is active.  add egg and Crisco and mix to combine. 

3 - 3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbl mixed herbs.   
         I used 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's.  You can use more or less to taste.  This wasn't too overpowering, so when I served it with a spicy meal, you couldn't tell the herbs were in there.  But when toasted and buttered on its own, you could taste the spice. 

Add 1 cup flour, salt and herbs to wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Add remaining flour until consistency is good for kneading. 
Knead about 5 minutes.
Place in a clean bowl, oil surface of dough, cover bowl with a cloth, and let rest until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough, but not too much.  You don't want all the air to go out.  Shape and place in greased (Crisco) loaf pan.  Cover with cloth and let raise again, about 45 minutes, until well risen.  Don't let it go too long at this stage or it will sink back down. 
Heat oven to 375 and bake about 45 minutes, or until golden brown and sounding hollow when tapped with knuckles.