Sweet Potato and Black Bean Empanadas

Food overload? Yes. But it doesn't stop me from cooking and eating more!

I am not going to lie, with traveling, eating out and turkey day, I ate lots of meat! So I could use a break for a bit.

My goal for the week is to make and eat legit, tasty meals for din din each night instead of the usual, mindless, simple salad. So far, so good.

Last night was lentil burgers topped with tzatziki, tomato and spinach! I'll admit, I made a mess. My sister thoroughly enjoyed watching me shove my face while yogurt covered my hands. and face. I know so appetizing! But really, I was kinda surprised by how good they were.

Tonight we experimented with sweet potatoes and black beans. I suppose you could throw in the leftover turkey if you're struggling for what to do with the extra. Or maybe make them for next year's turkey day party!?

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Empanadas
from Cooking Light
Dough:
9 oz flour (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Filling:
1 chile
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup sweet potato, mashed (I put mine in the microwave for a few minutes)
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon chile powder
pinch of salt
egg white (optional)

mix together water, oil, egg and vinegar. gradually add mixture to flour. knead until smooth. shape the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge.

preheat oven to 400.

cook cumin seeds in skillet until toasted. process in grinder until ground. combine cumin with chile, sweet potato, beans, onions, cilantro, chile powder and salt. mash in a large bowl until smooth.

 

divide dough into 10 portions and roll into small circles (about 5 inches).

spoon mixture into the center (about 3 tablespoons). fold the dough over and seal the edges together using a fork. *you can brush the extra egg on the edge to help create a seal*

place empanadas on a baking sheet. make three small slits in the top to let the steam escape. *you can brush the remaining egg on top to help them brown*

bake at 400 for 16-20 min until golden brown! enjoy!

I attempted empanadas with whole wheat dough, but would not recommend it. Next time I'll stick to traditional white flour or use less wheat flour for the dough. Also, I think I would add a bit more of a kick and remove/use less cumin. Not a fan of cumin. But I really enjoyed the black bean/sweet potato combo and had fun making something new for din din!

empanar: to wrap or coat in bread.

Apple Pear Cranberry Awesomeness!

I like fall. And fruit. And impressing people with little effort.

My apple crisp is pretty legit so I figured adding more fall flavor could only make it better.

Apple Pear Cranberry Crisp
3 apples (I used a mixture of Granny Smiths and Jonagolds)
2 ripe pears
2 cups fresh cranberries
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup oats
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

preheat oven to 375.
wash and chop apples and pears. rinse and sort cranberries, picking out the wrinkly ones. place fruit into a deep baking dish.

cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. mix in flour, cinnamon and oats until even. 

sprinkle mixture on top of fruit. add nuts on top of oats. 

bake at 375 for 30-45 min. until golden brown on top!

you can eat it right out of the oven. or the next morning for breakfast! 

This is a super easy throw together dessert that is mostly fruit. I made it as a healthier option for the turkey feast! But had it in addition to my pie! :)

Apple Cranberry Bolster

Dinner dates with friends make me :) It had been a long time since our last one, but I think it was worth the wait. We quickly planned a delish din din menu:

Edamame. Lightly sea salted.
Mixed Field Greens with fresh Pear, Pomegranate, Goat Cheese, and Pecans.
Steamed Carrots.
Mashed Rosemary Red Bliss Potatoes.
Pork topped with blackberry sauce.

No one mentioned a dessert. If the oven is being turned on, doesn't it make sense to bake? So I got the wheels turning and ditched on helping with din din to make a secret dessert instead!
Apple Cranberry Bolster
idea from butter, sugar, flour, eggs
2 Granny Smith apples

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup almonds
3 sheets Phyllo Dough, thawed
3 tablespoons melted butter

preheat the oven to 375. wash, core and chop the apples. I leave the peel on for added fiber and nutrients. plus, I think it tastes better with the peel! toss with the lemon juice, zest and vanilla.

wash and sort cranberries. add to food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. add in sugar and briefly mix.

finely chop the almonds. or buy them already chopped if you're smart/lazy.

this is mid-chop. they should be smaller than this...

now the fun part! place one sheet of phyllo dough on a greased pan. **if you have not worked with phyllo before, be prepared. make sure that it is fully thawed before using. it dries quickly so once you take it from the fridge, keep it under a towel or work fast. it also tears easily, so be gentle!** lightly butter the sheet. sprinkle the chopped almonds on the top. you can also add some extra sugar...

butter sheet #1

lay another sheet on top of the almonds. lightly butter the top. sprinkle more almonds. lay the final sheet. lightly butter. add the chopped apple and cranberry mixture to the final layer leaving about one inch on the ends.

starting at one end, roll the pastry into a log. lightly butter the top of the log and add the remaining almonds on top. bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

let it cool for 15 minutes. cut carefully into sections and serve with some tea!

Merriam-Webster believes a bolster is:
- a long pillow or cushion
- a structural part designed to eliminate friction or provide support or bearing

I think it's a great fall treat that is not too sweet.

Apple Pie

I'm stubborn. 

It's always an experiment in my kitchen. I rarely follow a recipe exactly. I like to think that I know exactly what I am doing. "This recipe does not need all that butter...Or sugar..."

I'm scared.
Baking is a bit of a double-edged sword. On one side, no matter how you alter the recipe, it still tastes good and people eat it. On the other side, experiment too much, and you'll end up with a rock hard product that breaks your tooth or has some weird, gross me out texture.

I'm a social butterfly.
I met some new people and some friends got together for turkey day celebration #1. Every one brought something and I, of course, did dessert. I wanted to bring something exciting, awesome and delicious. After thinking about millions of possibilities all week long, I finally settled on the classic. I mean, let's be honest, what is more satisfying that a delish, warm, right out of the oven piece of apple pie after all that turkey?

I'm efficient. Or try to be. 
We were getting together after work Friday night, so I formed my two dough balls for the crust, and sliced the apples to soak in the fridge over night. Thinking it would be super easy and quick to come home, change clothes, roll the dough, throw the apples in and run out the door, I attempted just that when I got home.

I'm not super patient.
My dough. Rock hard. Unbelievably solid. I did not understand how a dough so flaky and awesome last night could be such a mess 14 hours later. It is now 6:21. Dinner is being served at 7. I hate being late.

I'm a venter.
Thank God my professional baker (mama bear) was able to knock some sense into me. She knows how worked up I get when things fail. And how I want everything to be perfect, especially when serving others. (I think my sis was afraid that the rock solid dough ball was going to be thrown at her face if she entered the kitchen so she stayed far far away.) After yelling into the phone for a good five minutes, I settled down and realized that I have to figure this out. Like a big girl. What happens to butter when you let it sit in cold temperatures for long periods of time? Well, it gets rock hard.

I'm resourceful.
Every recipe I referenced noted how the dough should be ice cold and not over-worked to keep it nice and flaky. But, I didn't have hours to let the dough warm up in order to roll it out and I was scared to mess with the dough too much because that would make it tough. Since the rolling pin wasn't working for me, I used my hands and start pounding...I managed to be "fashionably late" with a pretty decent looking pie.

Pie Crust
2 ½ cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 sticks butter, cold, cut into chucks
4 tablespoons ice water
2 egg yolks

add flour and sugar into food processor. pulse. add butter. pulse until crumbly. add water and egg yolks. do NOT over process once the liquids have been added. it will make your dough tough instead of flaky. roll dough with hands into a tight forming ball. wrap tight in plastic wrap and set in fridge until ready to roll. you can split into two smaller dough balls if storing overnight.

I know. I used butter. It's pie though.

Apple Filling

6-8 Granny Smith apples

1 teaspoon lemon juice 

1-2 tablespoons cinnamon

2/3 cup brown sugar

can add nutmeg, cloves, and/or ginger if you like additional spice

wash apples and cut into small pieces. add lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and spices. mix together. if preparing the night before, transfer apples to a plastic Ziploc bag to prevent exposure to air.

pre-heat oven to 425. roll dough into a 9 inch circle and transfer to pie dish. crimp the edge of the crust. 

add the apples on top. roll the other dough ball into a 9 inch circle. lay over the top. make sure to slit the top layer of dough to let the air escape during baking. you can make designs like leaves on top!

place the pie in the lower third of the oven. check on the pie after 35-40 minutes to make sure the crust is not too baked. cover with tin foil if the crust is getting too brown.

Not going to lie, I decided on a lattice design because I had trouble rolling the second ball into a nice cirlce...

it should take about an hour for the apples to cook down. remove from the oven and let sit/cool before cutting and serving.

I'm a learner.
It was my first pie making experience. And I am crazy to think that it would be a picture perfect pie. I am afraid of letting others down. No one spit apple pie across the kitchen, so I take that as a good sign. The dough was pretty flaky, but I should have covered it with foil a bit earlier while it was baking (I was busy stuffing my face with turkey and sweet potatoes).

It's about taking risks. Putting yourself out there. Facing your fears. And learning from your mistakes.

Pumpkin and Pineapple Muffins

There's nothing better than a homemade baked good. Especially if you're not feeling well or if you're needing a pick me up. 

I heard the ingredients to this recipe and thought "Pumpkin and Pineapple? Together?" After much consideration, I remembered, "It's the thought that counts."

Pumpkin and Pineapple Muffins

from mama!

2/3 cups oil

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

16 oz can pumpkin (2 cups)

16 oz can pineapple tidbits

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups white flour

1 ½ whole wheat flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

preheat oven to 400. beat liquid ingredients together with pumpkin and pineapple. add dry ingredients to liquid mixture. make sure to break up all baking powder clumps before adding. mix just to combine. DO NOT over mix. transfer batter to greased or lined muffin tins. sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. 

mixed batter

You could probably add some walnuts for a bit of a crunch. I was making these for other people and get worried about nut allergies. The pumpkin cinnamon combo is pretty awesome and the pineapple adds a nice sweet touch!

I will admit, the combination of pumpkin and pineapple sounds a bit weird. Give it a try though. It's pretty nutritious and delicious! And a great treat to share with friends!

Pomegranate Pancakes!

It finally hit me. This year is going to be the first year I won't be with my parents for turkey day. I guess that's what happens when you grow up and move away...


It wasn't so much the turkey or cranberry relish that made me think of this, but the Pom I peeled this morning got me thinking. In the good ol days, it was Papa Bear who got the glory job of peeling. Then, I didn't have to worry about getting yelled at for the flying red juice that stained the kitchen walls and everything in the vicinity. 

I peeled it all on my own!

Although I stained my comfy white long sleeve tee, I did get some delish pancakes out of the mess. I added the fruit to the batter after cooking each pancake for 1-2 min. This helped the fruit stay in the middle of the cake and not stick to the pan/settle at the bottom. If you're into chocolate, I imagine some mini chips would be a great addition ;)


1 cup milk
1 egg
1 TBSP vanilla
1 TBSP oil
1 TBSP honey
1 cup flour (can use whole wheat/white combo)
1 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP baking soda
1 cup pomegranate


whisk milk, egg, vanilla, oil and honey. combine with dry ingredients. heat griddle or oiled skillet. pour batter onto griddle and let sit for 1-2 min (just until it starts to bubble). use a spoon to add pom to batter on the griddle. let sit for another 2-3 min until golden brown. flip pancakes and cook until other side is nice and brown. 

the lil cakes cooking!

I garnished with some more fresh pom and no pancake should ever be eaten without honey! :) so so good! 

yummo!!

I guess I can adjust to pom peeling. I just won't wear a white shirt.

Baked mac and cheese!

I heart broccoli. And chicken. And baked mac and cheese in the fall is yummo! So I decided to spice up the normal mac and cheese and add a bit of a twist. My bro and sis are cheese fanatics and got some good cheese advice from them.


The hardest part was making the cheese sauce. I used Jarlsberg cheese and it does not melt as well as cheddar so I had to stir it constantly for about 30 min. Other than that, it was a pretty simple and delish dish! Makes the house smell awesome too! 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Chicken

1 lb pasta (elbows work well and can use whole wheat pasta too!)

2 chicken breasts (cut into small pieces)

1/2 onion (diced)

2 crowns broccoli 

2 - 3 cups Jarlsberg cheese (cut into small pieces)

1/2 - 1 cup cheddar cheese (cut into small pieces)

2 1/2 cups milk

3 tablespoons butter (you can use less)

3 tablespoons flour

grated Parmesan cheese (to sprinkle on top)

-cook the pasta about 75% of the way. while the pasta is cooking, sauté the onion and chicken in a separate pan. also, steam the broccoli and cut into bite size pieces. 

-melt the butter in a sauce pan on low-med heat. add the flour and stir for another minute. slowly add in the milk and continue to stir until it is thick enough to coat the spoon. add in the Jarlsberg and cheddar stirring until smooth. 

-evenly mix the pasta with the broccoli and chicken and place into baking dish. pour the cheese sauce over the top. place in the oven at 400 degrees. bake for about 20-25 minutes. 

-add Parmesan cheese on the top and bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown.

Pumpkin Time!

Pumpkin is def growing on me. I've never liked pumpkin pie, but realized it's more because of the texture, not so much the taste. This week I got to pumpkin carve with some sweet peeps! It was a great din din date and fun fall night! Now I have more pumpkin than I know what to do with and tasty, roasted seeds to enjoy!

me with mine. sis with Duke chapel. Jon with batman. Michelle with her elephant!

I cooked down the pumpkin insides after we got done carving and just substituted my pumpkin for puree in recipes. The pumpkin was a bit more watery than canned puree, but I altered the recipes a bit as I was baking to account for the extra liquid. The bread is a bit more (ok maybe way more) healthy than the cinn rolls, but both made my house smell awesome and my belly happy!!

Cranberry Pumpkin Flaxseed Bread

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1 cup ground flaxseed

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

4 large eggs

2 cups pumpkin (1 large can)

1/2 cup oil

1 cup applesauce

1/2 cup juice (apple or orange)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups cranberries (1 bag of fresh add an awesome flavor, but dried work fine if fresh are not available)

1 cup walnuts (optional)

mix dry ingredients into wet. bake at 350 for 30 if using muffin pans. about 45-50 minutes if doing a bigger loaf.

my little mini muffins. some with cranberries. some without!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

For the dough:
1 cup milk
2.5 tsp yeast (2 envelopes)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup pureed pumpkin
2 eggs
4-1/4 cups flour (can use half whole wheat, half white)


Filling:
1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

-heat milk in a microwave for 30 seconds. Add the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Stir and allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes. Combine the pumpkin puree with the remaining granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs. Add 2 cups of flour and beat until combined. Beat in the milk mixture and slowly work in the remaining flour. Let the flour rise until double in size (about an hour or so).

-split the dough into four balls and roll out into rectangle shape. you can transfer the rolled dough to a cookie sheet and place it in the freezer or fridge until you are ready to use it. combine the 1/2 stick butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. spread into a thin layer on top of rolled out dough. starting from the long edge, roll the dough up into a log. cut the dough log into about 12 slices (1-inch thick). place in a non-stick baking dish (can butter your dish or use Pam spray to help) leaving some room in between the rolls. cover the rolls and let it rise a bit before baking.

-bake at 350 for about 30 min.

Optional Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz low-fat cream cheese

1/4 stick butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 drop of vanilla extract

splash milk

combine the cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla extract. you can thin it out with some milk.

pumpkin cinnamon rolls!

I have some awesome pumpkin beer to enjoy this week to get me fully prepared for Halloween this weekend!

A Birthday Celebration!

I know I have been MIA for quite a while, but excuse me as I was celebrating the big birthday...I had a great time exploring the big city with the besties and enjoyed a bake off with friends in town! Peanut butter, apples, and pretzels were the theme for the birthday potluck/bake off. I got lots of great snacks and it was hard for me to chose the winner, but an apple, Brie and prosciutto panini got the cake for the "real food" category and a peanut butter, pretzel amazingness ball got the baked good prize. I did enjoy baked apples, fresh ground PB, PB cookies, chicken with PB sauce, salad...lots of tasty things involving three of my fav things in life! :)

I also was spoiled with a peanut butter crumble cupcake and apple cake on my actual birthday! SO TASTY!! Went great with milk! :) My friends came over and joined in on the homemade pretzel and caramel apple making festivities! We had fun experimenting with chocolate infused pretzels and chocolate dripped caramel apples! Made some pretty nice designs! HA. I'll get better in the future. We did try to boil to the apples for a few minutes before coating them in the caramel to help it stick to the apple. While it did help the caramel stick, I would not do it again because it changed the texture of the apple and I was not a fan. Maybe we boiled them too long...not sure?! But be careful if you do boil them to watch and not do it for more than 1-2 minutes!

My contribution to the bday potluck was a rosemary, garlic, apple and chicken crock pot dish. We served it on top of couscous. It was super tasty and moist and def loved the flavors together! Made the house smell like fall! :)

2 chicken breasts (whole)
2 apples (sliced)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 small onions (diced)
2 TBSP fresh rosemary (chopped)
1 pint apple cider
1 pint water
pepper (salt if you must)

add all the ingredients and put the liquid on top to cover the food. let it cook on med heat for 6 hours. feel free to experiment with different types of apples...

Recently, I made almond and chickpea (garbanzo bean) burgers. I got the idea from my Women's Health magazine. Super easy and quick to make. Def a good change up from traditional burger. I did not add spices or anything to them, but it needs a bit more flavor. Instead of frying it in the pan with extra oil, I baked it for about 10-15 minutes (until golden brown) to make it a bit healthier/less fatty. There was a chipotle mayo that was supposed to go with it, but I despise mayo and all things related...I served mine with fresh avocado, spinach and tomato!! delish!!

1 can chickpeas
1/2 cup almonds
1 egg
fresh parsley
pepper
add whatever spices you enjoy maybe coriander, cumin, paprika....

grind beans and almonds in food processor. do not over grind the nuts (stop before it becomes a powder) you want it kind of chunky. add the egg, parsley and the ground mixture into a bowl. mix with hands until you can form into a patty. place on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Being in NY did put me in the fall mood. I had a GREAT pumpkin beer and enjoyed the fall leaves!! Cannot wait to make some pumpkin treats along with other fall tasties! :)

My First Attempt

So I've decided to start documenting the things I make, maybe to motivate me to change it up a bit or maybe to work on my presentation skills. My friend told me I have to include "normal" foods as well as baked goods, so we will see how this goes. My mom is the one that inspired me to bake. I can remember her in the kitchen baking tasty treats for our family as a kid and I look forward to my favorite home-cooked meals when I go home. I guess moving out and being on my own, I realized I have to work on my domestication skills. I kinda got hooked on baking...Now, I call Mom and ask her to share her secret recipes and figure out what ingredients she uses. Little did I know that most of what she does is on the fly and she RARELY follows a recipe. At times, it is hard for me to duplicate what she makes, but it made me realize that baking is an art and you gotta figure it out for yourself. Hence, I have started reading, experimenting, and learning on my own.

I'm not a big cake eater (literally or figuratively), but I do bake cakes for friends' birthday celebrations. My sister is helping me come up with 5 flavors for them to chose from. This week, I did a yellow layered cake with strawberries and a buttercream frosting. Although I did not use as much sugar as the recipe called for, I got some feedback that it was a bit too sweet. I think it was the combo of strawberry preserves in between the layers, fresh strawberries, and rich frosting. Now I know...

In addition to the cake, I made my big bro some cranberry pistachio granola. Made with oats, flax seed, honey, maple syrup, dried cranberries and roasted pistachios. He's not a big nut fan, so it was hard for me to come up with something that doesn't have nuts (or that I could resist adding nuts to). He does like pistachios however. I like this recipe because the granola is salty, crunchy and a little sweet. Once again, I did not add the extra sugar. The honey and maple syrup combo is plenty.

I also experimented with a peanut butter banana bread and apple cake. I HEART PEANUT BUTTER. and APPLES! Bananas...welp let's just say the texture and smell sound be hidden at ALL TIMES. Got these ideas from a Cooking Light mag and altered them just a bit to make it a little more figure friendly: less butter and sugar, whole wheat flower, oats and flax seed. Cakes are difficult to mess with and still get a decent texture, but I managed to sneak in a few changes. Caramelizing the apples was a task and def need to get better at doing that...it was a first time making a sugar syrup and hopefully next time it will look a bit better/more caramel colored. Still tasted good (I think)

Off to plan next week's treats! :)