1069395_477114579039854_1942993978_nSwap out for your favorite brisket recipe if you have differing preferences… but family is on a burrito/taco kick lately. This works very well.
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968794_475325755885403_2047499966_nA very tasty treat – think of it as little fried meat pies.
INGREDIENTS:
Filling:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1/2 cup sofrito (garlic, cilantro, sweet peppers)
  • 1 red bell pepper, minced
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons adobo (salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Dominican oregano)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Empanada Dough:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 4 ounces butter
  • 2 ounces white vinegar
  • 2 ounces water
  • 1 egg

Guava Sauce:

  • 1 pound guava paste
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 8 ounces water
  • 1/4 cup rum
  • Olive oil or neutral tasting oil, for frying

Step 1 – For the filling: Add the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, sofrito, and peppers, stirring occasionally until soft. Add the tomato paste, adobo, and cilantro, stirring occasionally until combined. Add the ground beef, season, and stir until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, strain, and allow the mixture to cool.
Step 2 – For the empanada dough: Sift the flour, sugar, and salt onto parchment paper. Place the sifted dry ingredients into a food processor. Add the remainder of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the dough looks like a ball. Remove the ball from the food processor and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 3 – Transfer the pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll out until it is 1/16-inch thick. Cut into segments with a 4-inch dough cutter. Each cut will create a dough round. Put 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the upper half of each round, and then fold the bottom pastry up into a half-moon shape. Crimp the edges closed with your finger to fold the upper and bottom halves together. Repeat this step until all the edges are closed.
Step 4 – For the guava sauce: Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until the mixture is silky and smooth. Pour the sauce in a separate dish or bowl for dipping.
Step 5 – Put about 2 inches of oil into a heavy, deep skillet over medium heat and heat to 350 degrees F. Add the empanadas, a few at a time, and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.
Serve with guava sauce.

1012765_474073102677335_1079859297_nYes, we are all familiar with tomato salsa.
Despite what your next door neighbor might say, tomatoes are fruits. Salsa can be made from any kind of fruit with similar textures.
My oldest absolutely loves cantaloupes, so this was something that ended up a favorite. The firm fruit can be replaced with other similar texture fruits like mango, etc.
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1044115_473610346056944_947301865_nYes – it’s the same treat we’re used to seeing in a popular chain restaurant in the US (Outback). I found this clone recipe a long time ago, jotted it down, and has been in my favorites ever since…
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1052137_469817996436179_849075978_oThis recipe includes both a cincinnati and a more traditional tex-mex variety.  Both varieties of this Chili are very popular (I’ve been known to call the chili-crazed folks vultures as they circle while the smell permeates the kitchen during the cooking process).  Believe it or not, even the kids will eat it.  Well….ok, maybe if you add the optional habanero chilis or go a little crazy with some of the “optional” stuff the kids might be traumatized for life, but otherwise if you stick pretty close to the recipe, most folks should really enjoy it.
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8561_469327179818594_827311129_nThis is a recipe my wife loves, and my kids (who aren’t fans of broccoli) sometimes struggle with. Clearly the vegetable can be replaced with anything else, and same goes with the protein. The recipe could be called PROTEIN & VEGETABLE stir fry – but somehow it doesn’t quite sound as good.
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