Beef Empanadas

• YIELD36 empanadas
• TIME1 1/2 hours
  INGREDIENTS

  FOR THE DOUGH

  • 4 ounces lard or butter, plus more for brushing tops
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 750 grams all-purpose flour, about 6 cups, more as needed

  FOR THE FILLING

  • 1 pound beef chuck, in 1/8-inch dice (or very coarsely ground)
  •  Salt and pepper
  •  Lard or olive oil, or a combination, for sautéing
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 ounces diced chorizo
  • ½ pound potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste
  • 2 teaspoons chopped thyme
  • 2 teaspoons chopped marjoram or 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon pimentón dulce or paprika
  •  Large pinch cayenne
  •  Beef or chicken broth, as necessary, or use water
  • ½ cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
  • ¼ cup chopped pitted green olives
  • 2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

  PREPARATION

  Make the dough: Put 2 cups boiling water, 4 ounces lard and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large mixing bowl. Stir to melt lard and dissolve salt. Cool to room temperature.

  1. Gradually stir in flour with a wooden spoon until dough comes together. Knead for a minute or two on a floured board, until firm and smooth. Add more flour if sticky. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  2. Make the filling: Season chopped beef generously with salt and pepper and set aside for 10 minutes. Melt 3 tablespoons lard in a wide heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and fry until nicely browned, stirring throughout to keep pieces separate, about 5 minutes.
  3. Turn heat down to medium and add onion and chorizo. Keep turning mixture with a spatula, as if cooking hash, until onion is softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, garlic, thyme and marjoram and stir well to incorporate. (Add a little more fat to pan if mixture seems dry.) Season again with salt and pepper and let mixture fry for 2 more minutes. Stir in tomato paste, pimentón and cayenne, then a cup of broth or water. Turn heat to simmer, stirring well to incorporate any caramelized bits.
  4. Cook for about 10 more minutes, until both meat and potatoes are tender and the sauce just coats them — juicy but not saucy is what you want. Taste and adjust seasoning for full flavor (intensity will diminish upon cooling). Stir in scallions and cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 
  5. Divide chilled dough into 1-ounce pieces and form into 2-inch diameter balls. Roll each piece into a 4 1/2-inch circle. Lay circles on a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour.
  6. Moisten outer edge of each round with water. Put about 2 tablespoons filling in the center of each round, adding a little chopped green olive and some hard-cooked egg to each. Wrap dough around filling to form empanada, pressing edges together. Fold edge back and finish by pinching little pleats or crimping with a fork. 
  7. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place empanadas on parchment-lined or oiled baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Brush tops lightly with lard or butter and bake on top shelf of oven until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Chicken & Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; add to pan. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken; place pan in oven. Bake at 450° for 9 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup broth and cider; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 4 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in mustard, 1 tablespoon butter, and parsley.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup broth to pan; cover and cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Serve sprouts with chicken and sauce.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 chicken breast half + 2/3 cup Brussels sprouts + 2 tablespoons sauce

Per serving: Calories: 350; Total Fat: 15g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7g; Cholesterol: 114mg; Sodium: 604mg; Carbohydrate: 11g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 2g; Protein: 42g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 780mg; Iron: 14%; Vitamin A: 19%; Vitamin C: 126%; Calcium: 6%

High Fiber Chicken Black Bean Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon (5ml) olive oil
• 1/2 small (35g) yellow or white onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (4-ounce or 115g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 3/4 teaspoon (3.75ml) ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25ml) salt
• 1 cup (240ml) low-sodium canned black beans, rinsed and drained (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/2 cup (120ml) fresh or frozen and thawed yellow corn
• 1/4 cup (60ml) plus 1 tablespoon (5 ml) chopped cilantro, divided
• 3/4 cup (180ml) prepared tomatillo salsa or salsa verde, divided (certified gluten-free if necessary
• 8 (6-inch or 25g each) corn tortillas 
• 1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in over medium in a large nonstick skillet. Add the onion, garlic, chicken, cumin and salt. Cook, stirring often, for 3–5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in the black beans and corn; cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 cup cilantro and 3 tablespoons of the salsa.

Stack tortillas on a plate; cover with damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 15 to 30 seconds until hot and pliable.

Lightly coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon a heaping 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture in center of a tortilla. Roll up, and arrange in baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Spoon the remaining salsa over the enchiladas.

Sprinkle evenly with cheese, then bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Before serving, garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon of  cilantro.

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 2 enchiladas

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 309; Total Fat: 7g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 69mg; Sodium: 337mg; Carbohydrate: 34g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugar: 7g; Protein: 27g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 403mg; Iron: 16%; Vitamin A: 9%; Vitamin C: 10%; Calcium: 18% 

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Time: 10-12 minutes

Yield: About 2 dozen cookies

Oven temperature: 350 degrees

INGREDIENTS

Nonstick cooking oil spray

1 very ripe medium banana

1/3 cup canola oil

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal or rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips (vegan, if desired)

Mexican Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-rounds
8 ounces green beans, tipped and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
6 cups of chicken stock

12 oz frozen corn
2 teaspoons chilpotle chilies, minced
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
cilantro leaves, for garnish
6 wedges lime

Serves 6.