Crab And Goat Cheese Empanadas Food

EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. Saute beef and pork until cooked. Strain the meat from the fat and reserve. In the same pan, saute the onions until soft, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cooked meat to the onions, and saute 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, cilantro, and spinach and saute for 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the stove and mix in the goat cheese until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and cool to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lay out the chilled cut dough on a cutting board. Spoon a small amount of the stuffing into the center of the dough. Fold the top over the bottom and crimp all the way around with a fork. Lay the empanadas on a sheet pan. See Chef's Note. Bake for 15 minutes or until dough appears crispy.
• Chef's Note: At this point the empanadas can be refrozen for future use.

CHEESESTEAK EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it starts to shimmer, add the beef, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on the edges and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the beef to a medium bowl and set aside. Add the garlic, onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
• Add the vegetables to the bowl with the beef and toss to combine. Allow to cool slightly. Fold in the provolone cubes. Lightly beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and set aside.
• Unfold 1 puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a 12-inch square. Cut out 9 rounds with a 4-inch round cookie cutter. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the meat filling just off center on each round. Brush the edge of each round with the egg wash and fold the puff pastry over the filling, slightly stretching if necessary. Press the edges together and crimp with a fork to seal.
• Transfer the empanadas one of the prepared baking sheets and brush each with more egg wash. Repeat this process with the remaining pastry sheet, filling and egg wash. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the cheese sauce, pepperoncini and juice in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir. Repeat until hot.
• Serve the empanadas with the cheese sauce for dipping.

DRUNKEN GOAT CHEESE CRAB DIP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once foaming, add the shallots and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the half-and-half and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the cream cheese in increments. Once incorporated and smooth, add all but 1/4 cup of the goat cheese in handfuls and whisk until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the crabmeat and 2 tablespoons of the chopped parsley. Pour into a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish.
• Mix together the panko, remaining 1/4 cup grated cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and the paprika in a small bowl. Sprinkle the top of the dip with the mixture. Bake until bubbly and hot, 20 minutes. Serve with whole wheat pita chips.

CRAB AND GOAT CHEESE STRUDEL

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl combine the goat cheese with the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and basil; mix together well and set aside. Cut the phyllo pastry in half lengthwise so that you have 2 (5 1/2-inch) wide pieces of dough. Keeping the piles of dough covered with a damp tea towel, lay one sheet of phyllo out on a lightly floured surface, brush it with a little melted butter, and place another sheet on top of it, staggered bu 1/2-inch to the left. Repeat until you have 4 layers of phyllo, staggering each by 1/2-inch, and then repeat the process to make a second identical pile. Spread half the goat cheese mixture in a line 1/2-inch in from one long inner edge of each phyllo pile. Next to the strip on the inside, make a long line of half the shredded crab meat. Distribute half the grilled onions and asparagus next to the crab, brush the long edge and the 2 short edges of the phyllo with meted butter and roll up the strudels tightly from left to right, squeezing the edges to seal them. Place the 2 strudels seam-side down on a baking sheet and brush the outside of each strudel with more melted butter. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and, if desired, refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
• Roast the bell peppers over a gas flame, or on a tray under a hot broiler, turning so that the skin is evenly charred without burning and drying out the flesh. transfer the charred peppers to a plastic bag, tie the top closed and let steam until cool to the touch, about 15 minutes. The easiest way to peel them is to pull off the charred skin by hand and then dip the peppers briefly in water to remove any blackened bits. Do not peel them under running water since that will wash away flavorful juices. Once peeled, cut away stems, seeds, and veins. In a blender, process the flesh to a smooth puree. You should have about 1 cup of puree.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine red pepper puree with the lime juice, sour cream, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Blend together well and refrigerate, covered, until needed.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bring the sauce to room temperature. Bake the strudels in the hot oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are crisp and golden. Remove them to a cutting board, rest for 5 minutes, and slice off and discard or eat the very ends of the strudels. Slice each strudel into 3 equal lengths and slice each length into 3 spirals. Make a little pool of the red pepper sauce on each of 6 plates and place 3 spirals, cut side up, on the sauce. Garnish with a leaf of lettuce and serve immediately.

CHEESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Mixing by hand, combine 2 cups warm water, the shortening and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly add the flour, mixing quickly to avoid lumps. Knead until the ingredients are evenly combined. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then shape into small balls (about 3 ounces each).
• Using a hand tortilla press, place a piece of waxed paper on the bottom, center a dough ball on top and cover with another piece of waxed paper. Gently press down to flatten the ball into a thin circle (not too thin or it will crack). Alternatively, you can use a wooden board or large plate to press the dough.
• Remove the top paper and add 1 tablespoon of the cheese to the middle of the pressed dough. Carefully fold one edge of the circle over the cheese to the other edge, and press the edges together to close the empanada. Using a small bowl, place it over the empanada close to the edge and press down slightly to cut the edge and evenly seal it. Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese. Set the empanadas on a large platter and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, add enough vegetable oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. Gently remove the wax paper from each empanada and fry two to four at a time (depending on the pan size) until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

CRAB EMPANADAS WITH GARLIC-LIME AIOLI

Steps:

• For the empanadas: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add olive oil to lightly coat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook until just translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the corn, cilantro and crab and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and crushed red pepper. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly until cool enough to handle.
• Meanwhile, roll out each dough into 11-inch rounds, using flour as needed to avoid sticking. Cut the dough using a cookie cutter or lip of a glass into desired size, anywhere from 4 to 6 inches. Use all of the dough, putting scraps together and rolling out again. Divide filling equally among all of the dough, placing the filling in the center. Brush the sides of the dough lightly with the egg wash and fold to form a half moon. Press the edges together with a fork to seal. Place on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and brush with the remaining egg wash. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the top of each empanada to allow steam to escape while baking. Bake until the dough is golden brown and flaky, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with the aioli.
• For the aioli: Add the garlic, vinegar, lime zest and juice and egg yolks to the bowl of a food processor. Turn the machine on. While the machine is running, begin adding the oil, drop by drop, until you see the mixture thicken. When the mixture begins to look like a smooth homogeneous mixture, the oil can be added in a slow thin stream. If the mixture is too thick, add a few drops of water to thin it down. Season with salt and taste to make sure it is delicious.

CRAB AND GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• In food processor, combine goat cheese, garlic, rosemary, chives and pepper. Stir in crab and peppers.
• Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes, until lightly toasted.
• Spread crab over bread slices and return to oven for 5 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted. Top with chives.

CRAB AND GOAT CHEESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Dough: Combine flour, salt, and butter in food processor, run until it becomes a coarse meal. Add all the water and pulse until it forms a dough. Allow to rest for 1/2 hour. Filling: In a saute pan on medium, heat olive oil and saute onion, garlic, and habanero. In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, making a rough circle about 1/8-inch thick. With a 3-inch diameter cookie cutter, cut circles. Place about 2 teaspoons of the filling into the center of each circle. Moisten the exposed dough with a finger dipped in water. Fold the empanada in half, press the firmly together, sealing with a fork around the edge. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve with Mango Chutney. Mango Chutney: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook on low for 30 minutes. Add cornstarch if desired to thicken.