Caribbean Oxtail with "rice and peas"

It's the dead of winter and you want something delicious and comforting to warm your bones. Why not treat yourself to all that and a taste of the tropics with stewed oxtail? It pairs perfectly with perhaps the most popular West Indian side dish "rice and peas". Oxtail refers to the tail of any cattle. It is bony and loaded with gelatinous connective tissue, making it best suited for soups and stews. With some loving "low-and-slow" cooking methods, you can turn this cheap cut of meat into a flavourful, falling-off-the-bone experience. Oxtail is also a fattier cut of beef which may not appeal to some but it does add a considerable amount of extra flavour (and most of the fat is skimmed off in the end anyway). It is common in the West Indies to see oxtail stewed with broad beans, fava beans or lima beans (excellent source of fiber). Unfortunately I couldn't get my hands on any but I encourage you to use them if you can. Just use about a cup of hydrated beans and add them to the stew for the last 30 minutes of cooking. 

"Rice and peas" is a common sidedish in Caribbean cuisine and is perfect for soaking up flavourful sauces and gravies. Where I live, the most common "pea" ingredient is red kidney beans. This might be confusing to the average Anglo-European/North American person who is not familiar with Caribbean food. We often think of peas as the sweet, fleshy green seeds we extract from the pods and usually see in the frozen section of supermarkets (a different ingredient than what we consider beans). That is because there are a variety of beans that are referred to as "peas" by name such as pigeon peas, cowpeas or black-eyed peas. We call them peas even though they are technically beans. I can't tell you why, but you can use any legume your heart desires. There is so much more to this mainstay than just rice and beans but still very simple to make.

Let's go over the oxtail first, then the rice and peas...


 Ingredients for Oxtail

3 lbs oxtail
1 white onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
4 carrots, peeled & chopped
1 Scotch Bonnet or Habanero pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 tsp freshly ground allspice
3" stick cinnamon
1 bay leaf
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme 
2 tbsp oil for frying
Salt & pepper (to taste)
Water or stock, as required


Begin by patting the pieces of oxtail dry with paper towel. Season liberally with salt, pepper and the ground allspice.

 Heat a Dutch oven to medium-high and add 2 tbsp of oil. Brown the oxtail in batches and sear all sides of the meat. Doing so in batches will prevent crowding which would make the oxtail dull in colour and weaker in flavour. 

Set the browned oxtail aside. Reduce the heat to medium then add the onion, carrot and tomato with a pinch of salt. Cook for about five minutes or until the onions go translucent and the tomato breaks down and begins to form a sauce.

    
Then add the garlic, Scotch Bonnet, scallion, thyme, cinnamon and bay leaf to the mixture. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes (and enjoy the smell of your kitchen).

Nestle the oxtail back in the Dutch oven (along with any juices that may have developed while resting). 

Pour just enough water or the stock of your choice to cover the meat. Bring to a simmer.

Cover with a lid, turn the heat down to low and allow the oxtail to braise undisturbed for 3-4 hours. Just leave it alone to do its thing. The only time you should be removing the lid before it's done would be to add any legumes for the last 30 minutes if you so desire.

Remove the lid. A lot of fat will have extracted out of the oxtail so don't be alarmed if your stew does not look appetizing at this stage. Carefully remove the oxtail from the liquid (as it will be fragile) and set aside. Strain out any solids (such as vegetables, thyme, cinnamon stick and bay leaf) and discard, leaving only the liquid. Turn your heat up to a low boil and allow the liquid to reduce. Skim off any fat, foam or impurities as it reduces. This will thicken the gravy and intensify the flavour. Once it has reached its desired thickness, adjust seasoning and serve. If you'd rather not wait for the saucer to reduce completely, you can reduce it halfway and then add a slurry of a tbsp of corn starch and a tbsp of cold water. If you add the corn starch directly to the hot gravy it will clump and leave lumps throughout your sauce. The slurry will thicken up the gravy smoothly. As always (no matter what you're cooking) taste for seasoning and adjust before serving.

Ingredients for Rice & Peas

3 cups long grain white rice
3 cups water (or 1:1 ratio of water and stock)
1 can red kidney beans (or the legume of your choice)
1 can coconut milk
5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3" piece ginger, peeled & chopped
1 whole Scotch Bonnet or Habanero pepper
3 whole scallions, white parts slightly crushed
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt & pepper, to taste

In a pot with a tight fitting lid, add all of the ingredients except the rice and beans and bring to a boil. It is so important that you leave the Scotch Bonnet whole! You just want it to infuse a little flavour to the dish. If you cut it it will expose too much capsciacin and your rice will be unbearably spicy. 

 

Add the rice and beans, give the mixture a stir and give it a minute to come back to a boil. Then place the lid, reduce the heat to low and let it cook undisturbed for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to finish absorbing the liquid.

Remove the lid as well as any solid aromatics leaving only the rice and beans in the pot. Fluff with a fork until steam has escaped and mixture is fully incorporated. 

Boom! You're all done, Plate your oxtail with rice and peas however you wish and be sure to add a generous amount of the gravy to both. I recommend serving with a coleslaw or fresh salad to help brighten up the dish, add some colour and help with digestion, but that's just me.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I enjoyed cooking and eating this dish! West Indians are big on flavour and this dish reflects just that. I hope you will give it a try. Bones (which are used to make stock) are full of flavour so stewed oxtail is such a delicious treat. You do not want to miss out on this home cooked meal. It takes a little patience but not a lot of skill. Anybody can make this and make it well.

A huge thank you to my readers and be sure to stay tuned for more MasterChef Canada developments in the near future, The next episode airs tomorrow night, January 27 on CTV.

B

Birthday Dinner at The Sultan's Tent, Toronto

I am very fond of Moroccan cuisine and I had been meaning to go to this place for years. I figured my 28th birthday was just as good a time as any. I was joined by my best friend, Michelle. The Sultan's Tent & Café Moroc is located at 49 Front St East in downtown Toronto. It is near Toronto's St Lawrence Market, which is a foodie paradise and one of my favourite places in the world. The decor of the restaurant is beautifully exotic. There are tapestries, hardwood floors, lanterns, veiled tents, tassels and beaded curtains all accompanied with ambient Arabic music.

   

Dinner consists of four courses: soup or salad, an appetizer, a main course and a dessert. All meals are finished off with complimentary sweet mint tea, a Moroccan custom. The dishes range from traditional Moroccan fare to slightly more modern. Rice, for example, is available in Morocco but not widely consumed. Moroccans tend to prefer bread or couscous as their starch. Although there are dishes at the Sultan's Tent & Café Moroc that feature rice pilaf. There are several choices for the app, main course and dessert to choose from. some are included in the prix fixe, others require additional charges. Depending on what you order, dinner there can be pricey but if you can it's never a bad idea to indulge on a special occasion now and then. 

  

The restaurant also has nightly belly dancing shows which are very entertaining and add an undeniable charm to the experience. If you get the chance to dine there, you can check their web-site for the scheduled belly dancing shows so that you do not miss them. I seldom get to have dining experiences like this so it was a real treat for me.

When I auditioned for an apron on MasterChef Canada I prepared a classic Moroccan dish. I made a beef tagine with sweetened prunes, couscous and fried almonds. Be sure to check the blog next week to hear all about how the audition went!

For the first course, you are given the option of soup or salad. Since there were two of us, we decided to order 1 of each and share. Michelle got the garden greens with a pomegranate vinaigrette. 

I got the soup, which was harira. Harira is a tomato based soup with beans, lentils and spices. It was delicious. 

For the second course we got to choose from a list of appetizers. Michelle ordered the crab cakes infused with Moroccan spices.

I ordered the chicken bastilla starter. I have always wanted to try bastilla. There are different fillings you can make but a common variety is a filling of chicken, almonds, onion, garlic and aromatic spices wrapped in crispy phyllo dough and dusted with ground cinnamon and powdered sugar. I had always been so intrigued but skeptical of the icing sugar and chicken combination. It was actually pretty tasty. Moroccan cuisine has an interesting way of marrying deep earthy flavours with subtle sweetness. This dish was no exception.

  

We both ordered tagines for our main courses. Michelle ordered the Keskesu Casablanca: an assortment of braised vegetables arranged on a bed of couscous with a tomato based sauce and preserved butter. It was a beautiful and colourful dish.

I ordered the Couscous Royale which was a feast unto itself. It is a beef kebab, a merguez sausage and a leg of "Chicken Marrakech" (chicken tagine with preserved lemon and spices) on a bed of couscous with brussel sprouts, chickpeas, carrot and parsnip with a tomato based sauce. It was as fantastic as it was filling.

Michelle requested a crème brûlée topped with chopped pistachios. she was generous enough to let me try some. It was gorgeous! 

 

I ordered a "chocolate oasis" which was a rich flourless dark chocolate cake that melted in your mouth. Since it was my birthday, they served it to me with a lit candle. lol.

We ate every bite and left with very full bellies, but not before tea. It is Moroccan custom to finish a feast off with hot mint tea sweetened with honey and sometimes a modest splash of orange blossom water. Drinking tea after any meal is remarkably good for your digestion. I am a fan of mint tea too. It was a beautiful flavour. Tea served in traditional Moroccan style does not come in cups of ceramic, china or clay but intricately hand painted tinted glass.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant. The service, food and ambiance all delivered positive experiences. It may not be your most inexpensive dinner option in downtown Toronto but you can choose options that stay within the prix fixe. They also participate in Summer and Winterlicious which is a highly anticipated event that many restaurants in Toronto take part in. Each restaurant creates a special three to four course menu which stays within a price range of $15 to $45 (for a couple of weeks semi-annually) that patrons can enjoy and allows more people to experience great food no matter who they are. I love my city!

Well, that's it. If you get a chance to eat here, be sure that you do. You can call them to book a reservation at 416-961-0601. If you've eaten there I'd love to hear what you thought by posting a comment below. 

It was a great dinner and an even greater birthday! A big thank you to the Sultan's Tent and to Michelle for making it possible.

Take care and stay tuned for many more exciting posts in the very near future!

B

MasterChef Canada Season One Premiere! (Contains Spoilers)

Hi everyone! 

MasterChef Canada finally premiered on CTV this passed Monday. My apologies for not getting around to this post sooner. There has been so much excitement over the last few days (I also celebrated my 28th birthday on Tuesday). It was so surreal to see myself on TV. The show raked in 1.4 million viewers (and that doesn't count those who recorded it to watch it later or watched it online). Not bad! Unfortunately they didn't show my audition in this episode. They will be showing just a few more auditions on the second episode next Monday so my fingers are crossed that I will be featured. Not everyone in the top 50 will be shown, so I will be lucky if they do. Until it airs I won't be able to discuss how it went but you can expect a blog post next week for sure.

Although my audition didn't get covered, there were a few glimpses of me here and there (maybe 3-4 seconds total). I counted 5 times where you could see my face and took a few screengrabs so you can see for yourselves!

 

lol! How cool is that? I still can't believe that I was able to have this experience. I'm just so grateful. I have received an enormous amount of support and praise from my friends and family all over the world. I simply can't find the words to properly express my appreciation.

The episode opened with Tammara Behl from Calgary auditioning with her vegetarian samosas (they looked so good!). Tammara was such a blast to hang out with on set. I am really looking forward to the next time I can see her. It is a shame that we live so far away. Her samosas earned her a coveted white apron! Congratulations to her. Before the enormous gates opened to reveal the three judges: Michael Bonacini, Alvin Leung and Claudio Aprile, Tammara excitedly pushed her trolley with her sparkly ice cream cone high heels and squealed, "Oh my GOODNESS!". I let out such a laugh! Maybe you'd have to know her but it was so charming. 

Another contestant, Dale Kuda of Toronto (originally USA), was featured near the end of the episode. Dale and I were paired together as roommates at the hotel that we stayed at at the beginning of production. For his audition he put together a pan fried fillet of pickerel with a fennel and citrus salad. His dish also earned him an apron. Big congrats to him as well! This isn't Dale's first mention on the blog. I recently hung out with Dale and a few other contestants not long ago. Dale is a very sharp-whitted character. If you are following the show you will get to know exactly what I mean. lol

21-year-old graduate in engineering, Eric Chong of Oakville, ON, served a pan seared duck breast with a red Thai chili sauce, steamed rice, spring rolls and a pureed plum reduction. He had a memorable audition after unintentionally upsetting "Demon Chef" Alvin Leung. Eric tried to recover from a comment that the duck was slightly burnt by promising it would taste fine. Although Alvin ominously responded with, "I don't like it when people tell me I'm wrong" Eric managed to earn an apron and come out victorious.    

Trinidadian twin sisters Narida & Marida Mohammed were featured at the same time. They both prepared Caribbean dishes. Marida put together a beautiful plate of red snapper with fried bake and chutney. Narida made a clever play on Trini breakfast with fresh roti, avocado, roasted eggplant and an heirloom tomato choka. The final result was bittersweet as Marida was given an apron and Narida was sent home. They are both such amazing women and I wish them all the best in their endeavours and lives.

Misfortune fell on some other talented cooks (and now friends of mine) who were sent home without aprons. To name a few, Fabian Suckoo of Calgary (originally Jamaica) and his traditional Jamaican dish, ackee and saltfish. Maryam Chashnidel of Toronto (originally Persia) who in reality was the very first contestant to audition for an apron, was sent home after serving baklava. BillieJo Picco of Mount Pearl, NF just missed the mark with a cheesecake and rum caramel sauce. Radio personality, Andrew Lawton of London, ON was sent home over his wild mushroom latte with garlic biscotti. There were many others too.

The most heartwarming audition shown in the episode for me was that of Vancouver's Carly Tennant. Have you ever met somebody for the first time and instantly clicked with them almost as if you've known them for years? That was Carly and I on set. I can't say enough great things about her. She is just the right amount of positive energy, generosity, sass and spice. lol! We were most definitely a mischievous pair. She prepared cajun turkey meatballs with a parsnip purée, balsamic reduction and crispy kale chips. Carly's personality shone right through the screen, totally true to herself and completely endearing. Along with the appearance of her teary-eyed mother who flew out from Vancouver to cheer her on, I am happy and proud to announce that Carly also received an apron. I will never forget that moment. Of the 50 conestants, Carly was the third person to present a dish to the judges and the very first out of all of us to earn an apron. We all went crazy when she came out of the judging room with her mom and her apron. In fact, the camera did a quick pan of the crowd reacting and for a moment you can see me in the background cooking my dish at one of the stations and raising my one available arm up in celebration. Carly, I know you're reading this. So proud of you, Babe! She is Canada's sweetheart. 

-------------------------------------------------------

Brooke Feldman, who is another of MasterChef Canada's Top 50, managed to put together a viewing party for the premiere of the show at a modern restaurant/bar in downtown Toronto. Of the attendees were herself, Kelly Rothschild, Danny Raposo, Geoff Johnson, Dale Kuda and myself. We invited some of our friends and family to join us for food, drinks and of course to watch the show. We rented the entire upper level and had a tremendous time. It was the perfect way to end my 27th year! Here are a few photos of myself and the other contestants from that night. I feel like a prize fool, because I didn't end up with any photos of Kelly! In the group shot of us I believe she is directly behind Danny. My sincere apologies, Kelly! I hope to have you make an appearance on the blog sooner or later.

Geoff Johnson and Me

 

Brooke Feldman and Me

  

             

Geoff Johnson, Danny Raposo & Me

Myself & Dale Kuda

From Left: Brooke Feldman, Danny Raposo, Dale Kuda, Yours Truly & Geoff Johnson

Well guys, I certainly hope you enjoyed this post! If you can, be sure to keep watching MasterChef Canada on Monday nights on CTV. Stay tuned, on the next blog post I'm going to share some photos of my birthday dinner with my best friend Michelle at one of Toronto's most reputable Moroccan restaurants. You won't want to miss it! Also, after the second episode of MasterChef Canada airs I can tell you all about my audition experience and whether or not I won an apron and continued on in the competition. 

In the meantime, be healthy, happy and positive!

B  

PS: Sorry to the amazing contestants on the show who didn't get mentioned individually in this post. There are so many of us and only so much time in my schedule. Don't worry. There will be plenty more MasterChef Canada on the blog. :)

Healthy Turkey Chili Verde

Chili verde literally means "green chili". Traditionally it is a pork stewed in tomatillos,  green chili peppers and cilantro. It is really quite delicious. Perhaps one day I'll share the traditional version on the blog. This version is a very non-traditional but very healthy and surprisingly scrumptious. The green colour comes instead from spinach and baby kale blended with a little chicken stock to form a smooth sauce. Spinach and kale are superfood greens that we could all benefit from eating more of. This is an incredible way to do just that.

A friend of mine was on a blood type based diet and there was a recipe for this in a book she had purchased. She made it for me and I couldn't believe how tasty it was. I adapted it a bit to make my own version but as you can see by the list of ingredients it is still quite nutritious. The original recipe calls for 5 cups of spinach and no kale (which you can certainly do) but I found some great great baby kale at the market so I used  them. It doesn't feel like you're eating diet food at all. The flavours are rich, complex and comforting just like a good winter chili should be. Please give this a try. You've gotta eat it to believe it! 


Ingredients

1 lb lean, ground turkey
3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
2 cups baby kale, roughly chopped
1 can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1 yellow onion, finely minced
1 green pepper, finely minced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
fresh cilantro (for garnish)
Your favourite hot sauce, to taste (optional)

Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a heavy bottom saucepan and warm at medium-high heat. Add the onions and green pepper with a pinch of salt. Sautée for about 3 minutes while the onions go translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 3ish minutes.

Remove the cooked veg and set aside. In the same pan, add the ground turkey. Break apart into little pieces and allow to brown completely. Once browned, use a wad of paper towel and a pair of tongs to soak up any excess fat from the turkey. 

In a food processor or blender, add the spinach and baby kale to the chicken stock and blend into a smooth, puréed green sauce. If using a blender, you may have to add the greens in two batches so everything will fit. 

Reintroduce the cooked onion, green pepper and garlic to the turkey. Add the paprika, cumin, cinnamon, bay leaf, green sauce, artichokes, and beans. Bring to a simmer.

Allow the chili to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. The sauce will start out intensely green but will mellow out as it stews. The chili will reduce a bit so you may have to add a bit of chicken stock as needed. Remember to stir from time to time to prevent anything from burning. 

Once finished, remove the bay leaf and taste for seasoning. Adjust if necessary. If you plan to add hot sauce, now is the time. This will serve 4-5 people so if not everbody you're cooking for likes spicy food, leave it out and allow your guests to add as much hot sauce to their own helping as they like. 

That's it! Not only is this recipe very healthy but it was probably designed for people who don't like to cook. I only say that because this was beginner level easy. Anybody can pull this off. This chili is great as is. I ate mine with a little yogurt (in place of the fattier sour cream) and some fresh cilantro. This can be eaten just like that, with rice, with bread or wrapped up in a tortilla as a tasty burrito. 

This recipe is perfect for a simple weeknight meal or a post workout feast. It covers all bases in terms of vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. Even if you're not a health nut, this tastes awesome and you can do whatever you like to it to make it your own. Because it's a stew it is yet another recipe that will taste even better the longer it sits and it freezes beautifully if you want to save a batch for another time.

I really hope you enjoyed this. Just a reminder, MasterChef Canada premieres tomorrow night on CTV at 8:00 PM EST. Be sure to tune in to see if I earn a coveted white apron and move on to the next stage of the competition. Big tings a gwan as my West Indian friends would say. lol.

B

MasterChef Canada Reunion Potluck

From left: Me (Bram Llewellyn), Danny Raposo, Mylene Facchini, Dale Kuda, Christina Menchenton and Narida Mohammed.

This weekend I got to catch up with some of my fellow contestants from MasterChef Canada who live in and around the Toronto area. We had a potluck dinner and drinks Friday night. I made my chorizo, sweet potato and black bean empanadas. Danny didn't bring anything (lol). Not that he meant to come empty handed but we all get busy in our lives sometimes. Mylene made a few things. She made a spaghettini dish with shrimps cooked in white wine, warm caramelized onion and brie crostinis and a Queen Elizabeth Cake. It was a moist, spiced cake with dates and walnuts. Then she poured dulce de leche all over it and topped it with mulled apples and blueberries. It was to die for. I have a picture of the cake before we sliced into it:

 

Dale brought a delicious penne bake with sausage and fennel in a Mornay sauce.

Christina brought two desserts. She made sumptuous red velvet cupcakes as one.

 The other was a Turtle cheesecake spread with chocolate and graham crackers. 

Narida made fresh roti and a spicy tomato choka to go with it. 

Narida was born in Trinidad. She also has a twin sister, Marida, who is another contestant on the show. I have a personal affinity with Trinidadian food. If you haven't, please check out the food highlights post of my trip to Trinidad & Tobago last year.

Everything was delicious. It is a real honour to be considered within the same group of such great Canadian cooks. If you live in Canada you have to check us out on the show. The show premieres on CTV, Monday January 20th @ 8:00PM EST.

The next day I met up with Mylene and Dale again in downtown Toronto for a sushi lunch. We were joined by two other contestants, Brooke Feldman and Andrew Lawton. 

We are all so excited for the show to air. Just a little over a week left of waiting.

Be sure to check out the MasterChef Canada Facebook page to see all of the other contestants who made the top 50 home cooks in Canada. I hope you will all tune in to cheer us on.

More to come so keep checking in!

B 

Chorizo, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Empanadas

Not long ago on the blog, I made Jamaican beef patties. This is a similar Latin/South American favourite called empanadas. Empanadas are usually savoury fillings wrapped in pastry then baked or fried. You can be as creative as you want with your choice of fillings but common ingredients are meat, cheese and/or vegetables. I made empanadas with chorizo, sweet potato, black bean, onion, garlic, Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro, cumin and hot chili flakes. They were so good. I made these for a potluck I attended this weekend with a few of my other MasterChef Canada contestants from in and around the Toronto area. It was awesome to see them all and I will be sharing photos later of us and what they cooked. That has been one of the best things I have taken from this MasterChef Canada experience, I have a group of new foodie friends!

For a perfectly flaky pastry, all you need to make is a pâte brisée. Because this is a savoury dish, there is no need for sugar in  the pastry. Only flour, butter, salt, and a little ice water. I made about 15 empanadas so I had to triple the pastry recipe. I used a small saucer to cut out the individual circular shapes. Any excess pastry dough can be rolled up into a new ball, left to rest in the fridge for 10-15 minutes then rolled out again to make more circles. 


Ingredients

1 cup cured chorizo, diced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1-2 tbsps fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 cup of chicken broth (you may not need all of it)
1 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
Salt & pepper
1 egg

Try to dice your chorizo and sweet potato roughly the same size as the beans. In a heavy bottomed pan or skillet, heat oil over medium. Add the diced chorizo. Sautée to slightly crispen the chorizo and allow it to release its juices into the pan.

   

Add the onion and sweet potato. Season with salt and pepper and sautée for a few minutes or until the onions caramelize.

 Add the garlic, chili flakes and cumin seeds. Sautée for an additional 3-4 minutes.

  
At this point everything in the pan should be cooked, but the sweet potato still needs more time. Add the black beans and 1/4 cup of chicken broth. The liquid still stop the frying process and continue cooking the sweet potato with flavourful steam. The broth will evaporate as it cooks. Keep adding the broth 1/4 cup at a time, allowing it to evaporate almost completely before each application (almost like you're making risotto). Do this until the sweet potato is tender throughout and the beans are warmed through.

   

When you're done, the filling should look something like this. The starch from the potato will have also helped to thicken the consistency. 

 

Remove from the heat and let it cool down for 2-3 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Then add the Monterey Jack cheese and stir until it is melted entirely and incorporated throughout. Then add the cilantro and stir that in as well.

 

I love chunky fillings for empanadas like this. There is a variety of texture and you taste something different with every bite, but the aroma of cumin, cilantro, chicken broth and the heat from the chili is apparent throughout. A cheap, store bought empanada will likely be filled with pureed meat that's been fried off. It's nowhere near as exciting as something like this. Cooking at home gives you the opportunity to experience these rewarding, creative moments in your life. This is just something I threw together. Adapt your empanada to be exactly how you want it to be.  

Identical to our Jamaican patty recipe, take your circular rounds of pastry dough and add a generous tbsp of filling to one side leaving a space around the edge. Lightly wet the exposed area of the pastry around the filling with your finger and a little water. Then fold the pastry over to envelop the filling. The wet edges will act as a sealant to keep the empanada in place. Crimp the edges of the empanadas with a fork. 

     

Line the empanadas over parchment paper. Before cooking them, beat a tsp of water into an egg and brush it lightly over the pastry. This is called an "egg wash" and will ensure that it turns a beautiful golden colour which will be your indicator for when to take them out. 

Place the empanadas in a preheated 375 F/190 C oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool off for 5-10 minutes before you dig in.

 

These are great on their own but I made a sauce for mine. The empanadas are hot, crispy and a little spicy so I wanted to pair them with a cool, creamy sauce. I puréed a little peeled and seeded cucumber with mango and cilantro. Then added the juice of half a lime, 2 tbsp of Greek yogurt with a little sugar and salt.

These were a big hit at the potluck and were a lot of fun to make.

Stay tuned because my next post will have more photos from the potluck and you'll get a look at some of the other contestants from the show. 

Until then,

B