Author Archives for Shannon

Smoky, Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Empanadas with Chimichurri Dipping Sauce

I was in Buenos Aires for work last week and was either working, eating, drinking, or sleeping and didn’t have time for blogging or much else. In Argentina, people don’t eat dinner until sometime after 9pm. One night, we didn’t even finish eating until after 12:30am! I was worried about finding something to eat in Buenos Aires since I’d heard that they eat a lot of meat down there, primarily beef and pork, both of which I don’t eat. But luckily, they had plenty of grilled chicken, plenty of fried cheese, and tasty cheese empanadas. The empanada options there were typically either cheese or pork so I decided to come home and make my own with some chicken and spinach. The result were these Smoky, Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Empanadas with Chimichurri Dipping Sauce.

Precooked chicken, cheese, spinach, onion and pimientos are combined with a creamy mixture of cream cheese and smoked paprika before being folded into empanada dough and baked until golden brown. A quick chimichurri sauce of parsley, oregano, onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and red pepper flake adds a bold, fresh flavor which would also be a great addition to any beef, chicken or pasta dish. These empanadas are full of flavor and are perfect for a small meal on the go.

Tip: I found the empanada dough discs in the freezer section of my market, near the international and vegetarian frozen meals. To quickly thaw the dough, remove the discs from the packaging, separate them by the paper between each one and sit at room temperature while you make the filling.

Smoky, Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Empanadas with Chimichurri Dipping Sauce (makes 10 empanadas)

For the empanadas:

1/2 pound rotisserie or leftover chicken, shredded
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped pimientos
2 tablespoons minced onion
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 ounces 1/3-less fat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce package frozen empanada discs, thawed (such as Goya Empanada Discs)
1 egg

For the chimichurri sauce:

2 cups flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup fresh oregano
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
salt and red pepper flake to taste

To prepare the empanadas, cook spinach according to package directions. Drain and cool slightly. In a bowl, mix chicken, spinach, mozzarella cheese, pimientos, onion, and pepper.

In a small saucepan, mix broth with cornstarch. Add cream cheese and smoked paprika. Whisk over high heat until mixture is boiling, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape over chicken mixture and combine well, adding salt to taste.

Place thawed empanada discs on a flat service. Stretch each disc carefully to expand dough slightly. On each disc, spoon heaping 2 tablespoons of chicken mixtures.

Fold dough over filling to form a semi-circle, then fold edges together and pinch to seal, using a fork. Gently place empanadas, slightly apart, on baking sheet.

In a small bowl, beat egg to blend and brush generously over each pastry.

Bake in a 375°F oven until empanadas are golden browned, 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool at least 10 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

To prepare the chimichurri sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until desired consistency.

Spoon into a bowl and serve with empanadas.

Fudgy Oatmeal Bars

After talking the other day about how I haven’t been eating so good lately and need to eat more salads, well this is part of the reason why. I can’t help but bake. I love it. If I could bring you guys a cookie, brownie or cake recipe every single day, I would. In fact, I think I’ve only ever made one cake for this blog and it was around Thanksgiving when I was having my family for dinner. Otherwise, how am I going to eat a whole cake? Or a whole batch of cookies? Or a whole tray of brownies? Well don’t tempt me because it can be done! But here is the great thing about these Fudgy Oatmeal Bars: they freeze perfectly so even if you only want one brownie, freeze the rest and forget about them. They’ll always be there when you get that chocolate craving.

Creamy brownie batter is poured over a toasted, light oatmeal crust and topped with even more sprinkles of oatmeal goodness. The result is a cookie-ish brownie that is rich and chewy and begs for a glass of ice cold milk. A little addition of espresso powder melts into the background making the bittersweet chocolate really shine. For a low-calorie brownie, this is mighty tasty. So pour yourself a glass of milk and dig in. Brownies are meant to be enjoyed, not regretted.

Preheat oven to 350°F. To prepare crust, weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add canola oil and butter; toss with a fork until crumbly. Remove 3/4 cup of oat mixture; set aside.

Press remaining oat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with baking spray. Bake at 350°F for 13 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly.

To prepare filling, weigh or lightly spoon 3.4 ounces flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl.

Combine milk and espresso granules in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until espresso dissolves. Add 3 tablespoons canola oil, 3 tablespoons butter, vanilla, and eggs to milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring to combine. Fold in chocolate.

Spread batter over prepared crust in pan. Sprinkle with reserved 3/4 cup oat mixture.

Bake at 350°F for 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on a rack.

Cut into 28 bars.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Apple Salad with Mustard Dressing

I’m not typically someone who craves salad but with all of the traveling I’ve been doing lately, I could stand to eat a salad or two. Even when I’m home, I try to eat healthy but every once in a while I’ll grab a Hershey kiss or ten. Part of the reason I don’t crave salads that much is because my general encounters with salads are the big restaurant kind with a million ingredients that have just as many (or more) calories than a burger. I’ve come to realize the simpler the salad, the more likely I am to eat it. This Apple Salad with Mustard Dressing is only made up of two salad items and has a lively dressing. So simple. So perfect.

Mixed spring greens and slices of apple make up this salad which is dressed with a balanced yet vibrant mixture of olive oil, cider vinegar, shallot, whole-grain Dijon, and honey. The Dijon is tangy while the honey is sweet and the fresh shallot gives the whole salad a mild little bite. Fresh, thin slices of apple add a sweet crunch. Sure you can add more to this salad if you want – chicken, nuts, carrots, peppers. But the simplicity in this apple salad is the best part about it. Now that’s what I call a salad.