Salsa Verde Experiment

I have been getting produce from a produce co-op.  If you don't know what that is, check out Bountiful Baskets.  The one I participate in isn't unaffiliated with BB, but works in much the same way.

Anyway, I opted for a specialty basket the last time around, and ended up with a bagful of tomatillos.  Having never used them for anything, I immediately googled "tomatillo recipe".

Salsa Verde (green salsa), of course! So I'm making some for dinner tonight.  I'll be testing Tomatillo Salsa Verde from AllRecipes.com.

National Donut Day

On Saturday we celebrated a belated National Donut Day.

I am a huge advocate for homemade baking, but since seeing this old-timey recipe (more like technique) on Pinterest I've had it in the back of my mind.  A couple of weeks ago we were driving through town and the boys were lamenting that the local Krispy Kreme shop closed and is being remodeled into a bank.  They were pretty distraught.

A few days later, one of them asked me when we can have donuts again.  Of course, we love the dreaded donut.  We try to have them very infrequently, but they are a nice treat.  You can't be a cop's family without the occasional donut!  So the next time I went to the store, Pin in mind, I bought a can of Pillsbury Grands (southern style, I think?).  They came 8 to a can, but I think the smaller ones work just as well.

I have never fried anything before, so heating the oil was a bit of trial and error.  The recipes I read said to use medium heat, and that's what I recommend below.  On my glass-top stove, medium heat (5) was just too hot.  The test-donut I made came out brown and not golden like it should be.  So I turned it down to about 3-4 (on the dial) and that seemed to work out fine.  I would suggest you try a something just below medium for a trial run if you haven't done this before.  It's a lot easier to heat oil up than to cool it down.

Overall, though, it's a very simple thing to do.  It's messier than it is hard.  But maybe that's just me. :)

Ingredients

Donut
1 can refrigerated biscuits
canola oil (enough for about 1/2 inch in the pan)

Glaze
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract (or whatever flavor suits your fancy)
2 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar

Tools

Frying pan
Small pot

Whisk (or spoon)
Turner
Cooling rack (with paper town or plate under it to catch drips )

Directions

1. Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, combine milk and extract in small pot over medium-low heat.  Whisk in confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time until well combined.    Turn off burner and set aside. (I left it on the burner and stirred the glaze before each use.)
3. Cut center of each biscuit out with a small cutter.  A medicine measuring cup from your Children's Tylenol or a bottle cap works great.  Improvise as needed.
4. When oil is hot enough, gently drop a donut hole into the pan.  Flip after about a minute.  It should be golden.  Remove after about another minute with tongs.  (If the oil is too hot, the donut hole will be very brown.  If so, reduce heat and try again.)
5. Dip donut hole in warm glaze and place  Repeat with remaining donut holes and donuts.

We found that if you want to add sprinkles, you should do so immediately after glazing the donut.  It is thin and cools quickly.  Once it's cooled, the sprinkles won't stick.

The verdict on this is yummy, but so unhealthy!  We never buy canned dough anymore, so maybe if we ever want donuts again, a from-scratch version will be in order. 

Empanadas

It's been a long time since I've been to Peru.  (Remedying that situation; more on that later.)  Beside my family, what I miss most is the FOOD.  It is SO good.  Before you ask, no, it's not at all like Mexican food.

I know how to make exactly two Peruvian dishes.  One is Arroz con Pollo, which is a name that under-describes this amazing dish.  (Akin to naming your baby "Child".)  The other is Empanadas. 

I set my mind on making empanadas yesterday and so I thought I would share the recipe so anybody who stumbles upon this post hungry and curious might enjoy some tonight.  They are really very simple and don't take long to make.  This is my grandmother's empanada filling recipe.  I never got to meet her but I'd like to think we'd bond over making these.  Most crust recipes that I've found call for lard or shortening,

Let me warn you, oh picky eater.  This is a beef empanada.  It has egg in it.  Woah.  But wait, there's more.  There are raisins in it.  Yes.  I know it sounds weird.  But sweet and savory have gotten really "in" lately so really the Peruvians were just were ahead of their time.

The crust recipe is not authentic.  I have tried a couple of recipes for empanada dough and they were utter failures.  Probably lack of experience on my part with pastry dough.  These days I just use my version of my favorite pie crust recipe (no food processor needed), or you could use store-bought refrigerated pie crust.

Empanadas De Carne  

Makes 12 empanadas

(Crust)

> Original Recipe by Dana on Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into chunks (I cut it in half lengthwise and then into eighths width-wise)
  
• 1/4 cup very cold water

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt. Add in half of the butter chunks, pulse a few times, then add in the rest of the butter.  Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add in half of the water and pulse a few times.  Add in remaining water a little bit at a time, pulsing in between additions until mixture forms a ball.
3. Flatten ball to about 2 inches thick, wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

(Filling)

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lg onion, diced
• 1/2 c raisins
• 3 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 12 greek black olives, diced
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a small bowl stir flour into water. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, saute onions in oil. Add ground beef, olives, cumin, and paprika. Stir and cook until beef is browned.
3. Pour flour/water mixture into beef mixture until well combined. Stir in raisins. Cook until raisins plump. Gently fold in eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste and allow mixture to cool.

  Assembly

1. When filling is ready, roll out pre-made crust dough to 1/8" thick. Cut out 12 circles.  (I used my flour sifter, which is 4.5" in diameter.
2. Work with two circles at a time.  Keep remaining dough in refrigerator while you work.  Roll out each circle a bit flatter.  Place 1/2 cup of filling in each. Fold in half, pressing edges together firmly.  (I fold the edge over in half to make it more secure.) Use fork to crimp the seam.
3. Place on cookie sheet. Optional: For a golden crust whisk an egg and brush it over the crust.  Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until crust is browned.

Traditionally these are dusted with confectioner's sugar when they come out of the oven and served with a lime wedge.


I think these would also freeze well but we've never had any last long enough to be frozen. :)

Homemade Ice Cream

I became the beneficiary of a one-gallon ice cream maker a few months ago. I had never in my life owned one. Only a handful of times had I ever even had homemade ice cream. I finally mustered the courage to give it a whirl for the last birthday party that we hosted.

I used a recipe from the instruction manual, since I wasn't feeling THAT brave. I was really skeptical about FLOUR in the ice cream, but after some mild panic (I didn't give myself enough time) the end product was a really tasty.

Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream

21⁄4 cups sugar
1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
5 cups milk*
4 eggs, beaten
4 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Combine sugar, flour and salt in saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat approximately 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Gradually stir about 1 cup of hot mixture into the beaten eggs. Add egg mixture to
remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute; remove from heat.

Refrigerate 2 hours. Combine whipping cream and vanilla in large bowl; add chilled
mixture, stirring with wire whisk to combine. Freeze as directed.

*I used 1%, what we had in the fridge at the time.

I learned my lesson to be prepared with plenty of ice and had kept the metal bucket in the freezer so I wouldn't have to remember it for later.  :)

The boys have been begging for ice cream for a few days so I'm looking for a new recipe to try.  I tried making a mint-chocolate-chip one.  It turned out just ok.  I need a good one!

What's your favorite flavor?