Hi Everyone!

Hope this weeks Wine Wednesday finds you well and happy.  It seems to me as if 2020 is racing to it’s final days and for many of us we will be glad to see the back of it.  However, having said that the one thing that has kept me sane through all the Covid dilemma is being able to thumb through recipes and go to my happy place in the kitchen and experiment.  Although I have been off the air for a few weeks due to some technical issues, I’ve still been cooking up some great dishes for the family to try.

I’m sure you have all noticed that food has become more and more expensive due to the conditions Covid has placed on everyone across the board, especially our farmers.  So this recipe for empanadas is really going to help the budget.  Beau Ryan has emerged as a fantastic everyday, family oriented cook.  His recipes are easy to follow and have all round appeal.  The ingredients he uses are easily accessible which allows for hassle free cooking.

I thought it might be too sweet but it certainly wasn’t.  The flavour is light and definitely not overly rich either.  This easily feeds 8 people and is a do ahead recipe set to delight your guests. A winner at 10/10.

Until next week,

From my table to yours with love X

Cuban Beef Empanadas

Budget-friendly and full of flavour, these empanadas start with a filling of beef mince, cured chorizo and red capsicum, spiced with cumin and smoked paprika. Currants and diced tomatoes add a gentle sweetness, and the mixture is simmered until most of the liquid has evaporated so the pastry stays crisp rather than soggy. Rounds of shortcrust pastry are folded over the filling, sealed with a fork, brushed with egg and sprinkled with polenta before baking until golden. Served with sriracha and lime wedges, they make a generous, economical meal, and 500 grams of mince stretches a very long way.

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 cured chorizo sausage around 170g finely chopped
• 1 large red capsicum finely chopped
• 500 g beef mince
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 c currants
• 400 g can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 c water
• 9 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry
• 1 egg beaten lightly
• 2 tbsp polenta
• sriracha and lime wedges to serve

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two large oven trays with baking paper.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Add onion; cook for 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, chorizo and capsicum; cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until capsicum is softened.
3. Add beef to pan; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any clumps, for 10 minutes or until browned.
4. Stir in cumin and paprika; cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add currants, tomatoes, tomato paste and the water. Bring to the boil; cook for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated and the mixture is thickened. Leave to cool.
5. Cut an 18cm round from each pastry sheet. Place an eighth of the beef filling in the centre of each pastry round. Brush a little egg around edge of pastry. Fold each pastry round in half to enclose filling. Use a fork to press around edges to seal (alternatively, pleat into a neat pattern). Place on lined trays; brush top with egg, then sprinkle with polenta.
6. Bake empanadas for 30 minutes or until golden; check underneath to ensure pastry is golden
7. Serve empanadas with sriracha and line wedges.
8. Tip: If you have any leftover empanadas, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, then warm in a preheated 180°C oven; or wrap individually in plastic wrap, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Notes

Source: Beau's Kitchen

Strawberry Cannoli Tart

A make-ahead dessert with all the flavour of cannoli in tart form. The base is a pistachio shortcrust, blind-baked in a fluted tart tin until golden and left to cool completely. The filling folds whipped cream through ricotta and mascarpone with vanilla, a pinch of cinnamon and mini choc chips, giving a texture that stays light rather than overly rich or sweet. Halved strawberries finish the top. It chills while you get on with the rest of the meal, easily feeds eight, and makes an impressive dessert for guests with very little last-minute work.

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 c plain four
• 125 g unsalted butter chilled, chopped
• 3/4 c caster sugar
• 1/4 c pistachio kernels
• 1 free range egg
• 1 c thickened cream
• 150 g ricotta you don't want very smooth ricotta
• 250 g mascarpone
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp mini choc chips
• 250 g strawberries hulled, halved

Method

 

1. Grease a 25cm (3.5cm deep) round loose-based fluted tart pan.
2. Place flour, butter, ¼ cup sugar and pistachio in a food processor and process until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk egg and 1 tbsp cold water in a small bowl. While motor is running, slowly add egg mixture to flour mixture. Process until mixture starts to come together. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Shape dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest.
3. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, whisk cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until needed. Using an electric mixer, whisk ricotta, mascarpone, remaining sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until combined. Using a spatula, gently fold the cream mixture and choc chips into ricotta mixture. Refrigerate until needed.
4. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced. Meanwhile, roll pastry out between 2 sheets of baking paper to a 30cm circle. Line pan with pastry, trimming any excess. Prick base several times with a fork, then refrigerate for 15 mins to rest. Remove pan from fridge and line with baking paper, fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice then bake for 10 minutes. Remove weights or rice and baking paper, then bake for a further 12 minutes or until base is golden. Allow to cool completely in pan.
5. Spoon ricotta mixture into tart case and spread out evenly with back of a spoon. Refrigerate for 30 mins. Arrange strawberries on tart. Serve

Notes

Source: Woolworths Fresh Magazine - September 2020