Good Eats 2009

I'm thinking I might include a recipe once in awhile on the blog. Who doesn't love to try something new? Especially when it comes highly recommended by someone with such great taste as myself.
Ok, I took pictures, and probably shouldn't have, because I'm no fancy photographer and my photos probably will only end up making the food look less appetizing. When I look in a cookbook, I like to see pictures. When I go out to eat, I look at people's faces, and when I see people who are smiling and happy, I look at what's on their plate (or what's left of it), and ask a nearby server what the happy people ordered. (because in my twisted head it MUST be the food that made them smile? Really, I don't know why I use this method for food selection, but I do nearly every time I eat someplace new.) I also like a visual to see if I am making the recipe correctly, because I don't always read the directions thoroughly.

Tonight's Main Dish:
Chicken and Black Bean Empanadas
My friend, Erin, has a GREAT recipe for this, complete with pineapple salsa fresca. Unfortunately, I was missing a few ingredients (like onions and cumin) and added cheese to meet our need to make everything even more fattening. I was also missing the desire and energy to make fresh salsa tonight that only I would eat. Here is the mock up version we ate tonight. Fresh salsa aside, they were pretty fabulous!

1 pkg puff pastry-thaw (it takes about an hour)

Mix together in a frying pan:
1/3 green bell pepper, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp minced garlic (or 2 pressed fresh garlic cloves if that's how you roll)
3 TBS olive oil
salt and pepper
sautee about 4 min

add:
1 1/2 c shredded chicken (I diced a grilled chicken breast leftover from last night)
15 oz can drained and rinsed black beans
2 TBS salsa
heat through

add:
1/4 c fresh cilantro leaves

Roll out puff pastry and use a pizza cutter to cut into 9 squares.
fill each square with 1-2 TBS chicken & black bean filling
top with a pinch of pepper jack
Use a little water on your fingers to fold over into triangles and pinch closed
brush with olive oil

Bake at 375* for 11-13 minutes
I topped them with Pace medium salsa (yep, from a jar), and delicious avocado dip

1 ripe avocado (smash)
1/2 c low fat sour cream
1 TBS Mexican seasoning
dash garlic salt

sO gOoD! The pepper jack was the perfect touch.

Puff pastry comes in a two pack, which I forgot about until I had already let it thaw, so I cut the other sheet into 6 squares and filled them with cherry pie filling and a dollop of cream cheese.
Brush with vegetable oil, sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake 375* for 15 minutes (I think they took longer because they were bigger than the empanadas)
Dust with powdered sugar.
Top with fat free, sugar free, flavor free vanilla ice cream
Tell husband you are (surprised, yet) proud of his decision to purchase "healthy" ice cream this year.
Listen to husband (also surprised) whine and complain for 10 minutes because he is pissed that he accidentally bought fat free, sugar free ice cream..and that this was in no way a "healthy decision" but rather the devastating result of yesterday's late night ice cream run oversight.

Agree that the ice cream is totally disgusting, but at least the cherry turnovers are good.
Resolve to use up the leftover gross ice cream in root beer floats at a football party later in the week.
Hopefully, the "fake" ice cream will not ruin the floats. He did purchase a good, non-diet root beer, so hopefully the two will create a happy, low calorie balance.
While we're (sort of) on the topic (ok, not at all) of "healthy":
"Healthy" ice cream should be kept in an entirely different freezer. That way, the people that DO purchase it don't have to look at all the really good stuff mocking them through the glass doors while they make their lousy low-fat selection. Knowing that you are going home with Creamies and Skinny Cow bars should be a happy time. But once you pass by the Chunky Snicker Chocolate Delight, Chocolate Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie, and Peanut Butter Iditterod Ice Cream Selections...well Skinny Cow just starts looking kind of sad. Sad like maybe he needs some Chocolate Fudge Brownie Swirl to cheer him up.