Baked Empanadas

The shells for this main course call for refrigerated pie crust,
two boxes, which are folded into pockets.
If you don't have refrigerated pie crust in your freezer
here is a fast and simple recipe for pie crust which I used today.

**Pie crust recipe**Double recipe**

4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup milk
1 1/3 cup Vegetable oil

Mix and form into ball.


***Empanadas Recipe***

Ingredients:

1 package (5.6 or 6.8 ounces) Spanish rice and pasta mix, fully cooked
1 12.5 oz can of chuck chicken breast, drained.
1 10 oz can of Rotel, drained.
1 15.25 oz can of corn, drained.
2 cups of cheddar cheese

Mix the cooked rice and everything else in bowl.

Roll out dough and cut 6 inch circle out until you run out of dough.

Place about a spoon full of chicken/rice mix in center of each pastry.
Fold over and use fork to close the edges of pastry.

Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Monte Cristo

It might be Snowing outside, the roads may be closed
but tonight I'm bringing one of my restaurant favs home!

Monte Cristo......The Davis way.

Ingredients:

1 pound package of deli sliced roast beef...YES! I said roast beef!
8 slices of American cheese
9 slices of bread....or 3 slices of bread per sandwich.
***Batter***
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup water
1 large egg --beaten
Oil --for deep frying
Powdered sugar
Red raspberry jelly

Directions:

Assemble sandwiches: Bread,cheese, roast beef,cheese, bread, cheese, roast beef,cheese, bread, cut in half diagonally.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together to blend well. Add water to the egg and add to the flour mixture mixing well. Dip each sandwich half into the batter and deep-fry in oil pre-heated to 360 degrees until golden brown.

Remove from oil to paper towels. Sprinkle with the powdered sugar. Serve with warm or room temperature jelly, if desired.

CHEERS to my good friend Brenda for making some AWESOME homemade jellies that go PERFECT with this, well done!

Spanakopita Done My Way

It's a snowy Monday and what could possible be better then a slice
of my homemade Spanakopita and a nice hot cup of coffee!

Spanakopita done my way ;)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of Olive oil
1 cup of Ricotta Cheese
1 1/2 cup of Feta cheese, crumbled
1 Tbsp pepper
1 Tbsp salt or just salt to taste ;)
1 pound of spinach, you can use the frozen bags.
1 box of Filo pastry
1 Tsp of minced garlic
1 Tbsp Dill
1/2 cup a butter melted

Preheat oven to 375º.

Sauté the spinach, garlic, dill in the Olive oil with salt and pepper until becomes limp.
Mix the spinach mixture in a bowl with both cheese.

Lay out a few sheets of filo in the baking dish (it will overlap the sides). Brush with butter as you lay the sheets down.
Once the entire baking dish is covered with Filo place the spinach mixture in baking dish. Cover with the rest of your Filo, bushing the filo with butter as you lay it over, then fold all the side of the filo under and brush again with butter.

Bake for 45 minutes or until filo in golden brown, CHEERS!