Sausage Empanadas with Cilantro Lime Sour Cream

Cilantro Lime Sour Cream:

1 cup sour cream
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, packed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions: In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill.

Sausage Empanadas:

16 ounces spicy hot breakfast sausage
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
½ cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, finely chopped
2 (14-ounce) packages frozen empanada/turnover discs (dough) 5-inches diameter, thawed * See Note Below
1 egg, beaten
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Directions: Over medium heat, crumble sausage into a large heavy skillet. Add onion and cook, breaking up sausage, with back of a wooden spoon, into small pieces. Cook until sausage is brown and onions are soft. Drain fat from pan. Add garlic, tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, pepper flakes, raisins and olives. Cook about 2-3 minutes, continuing to break sausage into small pieces. Cool slightly. Place dough/circle on flat surface; add about 2 tablespoons sausage mixture down center of each circle. Fold dough in half, forming a half circle. Slightly moisten dough edges and tightly seal dough by crimping edges with moist finger tips. (Could be prepared to this point 5 to 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.) Spray shallow baking sheets with nonstick vegetable spray or line with parchment paper. Place empanadas on prepared baking sheets. Prick each empanada top, several times, with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking. Lightly brush tops with beaten egg. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot with Cilantro Lime Cream. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Yield: 16 Empanadas

*I omitted the raisins and olives

Stuffed Shells with Chicken, Arugula and a Creamy Alfredo Sauce

Filling:
2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 TBS olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cups Arugula
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works well)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Sauce:
4 TBS butter
1 clove garlic minced
2 TBS all purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
3 TBS chopped fresh chives
1 cup plus 3 TBS grated parmesan
1 cup grape tomato halved
italian parsley for garnish


large jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni)

Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13" baking dish and set aside

Bring a large pot of water to a boil add the pasta and cook for approximately 9 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse under color water being careful not to break the shells. Set aside.

Meanwhile prepare the filling. In a large bowl mix together the ricotta and Parmesan. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add the garlic and cook one minute, being careful not to brown it. Stir in the arugula until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped chicken and still well. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add chicken mixture to cheese mixture and stir carefully . Stuff each shell with approximately 1/2 cup of the cheese filling and place in prepared baking dish.

For the sauce, heat the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant but not brown. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the cream and milk and whisk until mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Remove from the heat and add the chives, 1 cup parmesan, cherry tomatoes and gently stir. Pour sauce over the shells and sprinkle with remaining 3 TBS of parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes until sauce is bubbling and cheese is golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley.

Thai-Style Chicken with Basil

3 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed - divided
5 medium garlic cloves, peeled
9 green or red thai chiles, stemmed 0r 3 serranos or 1 medium jalapeno (I used 3/4 of a medium jalapeno to decrease spiciness)
3 Tbsp. fish sauce, divided
1 1/2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in to 2" pieces
5 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 1/3 cup)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Red pepper flakes for serving, if desired

1. Process 1 1/2 cups basil leaves, garlic and chiles in food processor until finely chopped, 6-10 one second pulses, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once during processing. Transfer 1 1/2 Tbsp. basil mixture to small bowl and stir in 1 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar and sugar; set aside. Transfer remaining basil mixture to 12-inch heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet. Do not wash food processor bowl.

2. Pulse chicken and 1 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce in food processor until meat is chopped into approximate 1/4-inch pieces, six to eight 1-second pulses. Transfer to medium bowl and refrigerate 15 minutes.

3. Stir shallots and oil into basil mixture in skillet. Heat over medium-low heat (mixture should start to sizzle after about 1 1/2 mins.; if it doesn't, adjust heat accordingly), stirring constantly, until garlic and shallots are golden brown, 5-8 minutes.

4. Add chicken, increase heat to medium, and cook, stirring and breaking up chicken with potato masher or rubber spatula, until only traces of pink remain, 2-4 minutes. Add reserved basil-fish sauce mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly until chicken is no longer pink, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining cup basil leaves and cook, stirring constantly, until basil is wilted, 30-60 seconds. Serve immediately, passing extra fish sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes and vinegar to add as desired.

Serve with steamed rice and vegetables, if desired.

To freeze:

Complete all steps through step #3. Place cooked basil-shallot mixture in freezer bag and add uncooked chicken and freeze. Freeze reserved basil-fish sauce separately.

To cook from frozen:

Cut sauce out of bag prior to thawing. Thaw chicken mixture in refrigerator. Place in warmed non-stick skillet and follow instructions in step #4.

Wild Salmon with Mustard Glaze

For the Salmon:
6 pieces of salmon fillets with skin on (6-8 ounces)
1 TBS olive oil or melted butter
coarse salt and pepper

For the Glaze:

4 tsps toasted yellow mustard seeds
3/4 cup mayo (I used a bit less)
1/3 cup grainy mustard
1 TBS chopped fresh dill
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
Coarse sea salt and black pepper

Run your fingers over the meat side of the salmon and pull out any bones you feel. Rinse the salmon under cold running water and then blot dry with paper towels. Brush the skin side of the fish with oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Prepare the glaze in a non reactive mixing bowl whisking together all ingredients. Spoon the glaze evenly over the salmon and wrap in foil. At this point I double wrapped in foil and froze.

To Cook from Frozen: Do not thaw. Pull out of freezer and remove one layer of foil. Pierce the other foil a few times with a fork on both sides. Grill on medium hot for around 15 minutes turning one time. Center should be opaque when done.

If you were doing this recipe with out freezing you would now set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium heat. When ready to cook brush and oil the grill grate. Spoon glaze over evenly. Cover and grill about 12 to 15 minutes, the skin will become crisp.

Cajun Cool Cheeseburgers

From Cooking Light

4 1/2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
4 1/2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup + 1/8 cup dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoons paprika
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoons ground red pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground round
1/2 pound ground turkey
6 whole wheat hamburger buns
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup green onion tops, cut into 2-inch julienned strips

Prepare grill.

Combine cheeses; set aside.

Combine breadcrumbs and next 5 ingredients. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions; shape into a 1/2-inch thick patty. Remove the center of each patty and stuff with cheese mixture; replace meat removed until it hides the cheese.

Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Place buns, cut side down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 1/4 cup lettuce, 3 tablespoons onions, and top half of bun.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

Calories: 463 (33% from fat); Fat 17g (sat 7g, mono 5.6g, poly 2.6g); Protein 33.1g, Carb 43.1g; Fiber 2.1g; Chol 82mg; Iron 5.2mg; Sodium 956mg; Calc 194mg

*NOTE: The original recipe called for the cheese to be placed on top of the burgers while grilling. Instead, I used a generous tablespoon of both feta and blue cheese (2 tablespoons total) to stuff the burgers. If you wanted an extra-cheesy treat, you could stuff the burgers with 2 tablespoons of the cheese and use the remaining cheese to top the burgers while grilling.

Tangerine Teriyaki Pork Chops

6 pork chops
3 strips tangerine strips
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup tangerine juice
1/4 cup Asian sesame oil
2 Cloves garlic minced
2 slices fresh ginger (1/4 inch thick), crushed with the side of a knife
2 whole star anise
1/2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp water
1 TBS lightly toasted sesame seeds for garnish
2 scallions, green part only, finely chopped for garnish


Combine the soy sauce, sugar, tangerine juice, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and star anise in a non reactive mixing bowl and whisk. Pour the marinade over the chops and let marinate refrigerated for 1-2 hours. (or if freezing in a bag). Preheat your grill for high. Strain the marinade into a saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil over high heat. Briskly simmer, uncovered until syrupy about 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in dissolved cornstarch and boil until thickened, about 30 seconds.
When ready to cook, brush and oil the grate well. Grill about 6 minutes a side. Baste the pork chops with the glaze as it cooks. Transfer to plates and spoon the remaining glaze over the chops. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green scallions. Serve asap. (I poured some of the basting liquid into a separate bowl for the grill master and saved the rest to glaze the chops).

Pesto-Stuffed Pork Chops

5 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
3 Tbsp. prepared basil pesto (I made my own version)
1 1/2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
6 pork loin chops or boneless pork loin chops, cut 1 1/4 inches thick

rub:
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/3 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/3 tsp. dried thyme, crushed

1 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1. For filling, stir together cheese, pesto and nuts. Set aside. Trim fat from meat. Make a pocket in each chop by cutting horizontally from the fat side almost to the bone or the opposite side. Divide filling among pockets in chops. If necessary, secure opening with wooden toothpick.

2. For rub, in a small bowl combine black pepper, salt, oregano, garlic, red pepper and thyme. Rub evenly onto all sides of meat. Place chops on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until done (160 degrees) and juices run clear. Brush vinegar onto chops during last 5 minutes of baking. Before serving, discard toothpicks.

If desired, you may also grill.

Frozen directions:

Stuff pork chops as described in recipe. Wrap and freeze individually.

Lay flat on to thaw in refrigerator 24-48 hrs. Once thawed, apply rub and cook as described, brushing on balsamic vinegar during last 5 minutes.