Quick Feijoada Empanadas

     Empanadas are a Spanish or Latin American pastry turnover filled with a variety of savory ingredients which can be baked or fried. They originate in Spain but many countries, including some in Asia and Africa, have their own twist on this dish. They can be different shapes and sizes and can also have different fillings in them. Some countries make them as deserts or as salty appetizers. I personally like Colombian empanadas the best because they are filled with huge pieces of chicken and potatoes, and it is served with a sauce or dressing that goes inside. The empanadas that I will be talking about today are Brazilian. They are filled with ground sausage, collard greens and beans. This filling is called feijoada which is Portuguese for beans. Beans are a staple food in Brazil and are eaten with almost every meal. The author, Denise Browning, refers to these as party starters, snacks, or even finger food for football games. These empanadas are sure to satisfy your hungry stomach after school!

Quick Feijoada Empanadas (Pastel de Feijoada)

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

Quick Feijoada Empanadas consist of small, fried empanadas filled with canned, smashed black beans, sausage, and collard greens. Great as a snack, a party starter, or finger food for sports games!

Author: Denise Browning

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Brazilian (Inspired)

Serves: 15

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, plus as much as necessary to deep-fry empanadas
• 4 oz (115 g) paio sausage or Kielbasa smoked pork sausage, ground
• ½ cup fresh or thawed chopped collard greens
• ⅓ can of BUSH’S Cocina Latina™ Frijoles Negros Machacados
• 30 wonton wraps

Instructions

1. In a medium non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-hight heat and cook ground sausage for about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring now and then. Add chopped collard greens and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add beans and stir. Place mixture into a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Place about 15 wonton wraps on preparation surface. Fill center of each with about 1 Tablespoon of the bean mixture and brush water around the edges. Place another wonton wrap on top. Seal all edges together, pressing well with your fingers and then crimping around the edges with a fork.
3. Heat oil at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). If you don't have a thermometer to measure the temperature, dip a small piece of a wonton wrap into the heated oil. If you hear a sizzling sound, the oil is ready. Fry feijoada empanadas, a few at a time, turning them while frying so that they brown evenly on both sides. It will take about 2 minutes to fry each batch. They should be lightly golden and crispy. They will darken further while draining on paper towels. Serve hot either by themselves, or accompanied with an orange vinaigrette sauce or ketchup. Beer or guaraná soda are great drinks to accompany them.

Notes

For 15 feijoada empanadas, triple the amount of the orange vinaigrette (see link for recipe). Or, as an alternative dipping sauce, mix together ⅓ cup store-bought orange marmalade, 2 Tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and a few drops of hot sauce.

Works Cited

"Quick Feijoada Empanadas (Pastel De Feijoada) - From Brazil To You." From Brazil To You. 16 Dec. 2014. Web. 29 Dec. 2014. <http://www.frombraziltoyou.org/quick-feijoada-empanadas/>.

The Science Behind Baking Your Ideal Chocolate Chip Cookie

Have you ever wanted the perfect cookie? Well, now you can! The classic chocolate chip cookie has multiple ways of being customized- just by using a bit of science. Many people do not know the role of each ingredient in the shape and texture of cookies. The author has received help from Kendra Nyberg, a co-teacher a science and food class at the University of California, and Tessa Arias, a chef and cookbook author who writes about cookie science on her website called Handle the Heat. Relying on a few experts and the Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe, you get “your perfect cookie,” (Miller, 2014). I was particularly interested in this article because when I make cookies something always goes wrong, so this information really helped me in creating my favorite type of cookie- ooey-gooey and soft- and hopefully yours too. Below are some ways to customize your chocolate chip cookie:

Ooey-gooey: add 2 cups more flour

A nice tan: Set the oven higher than 350 degrees Fahrenheit (maybe 360). Caramelization, which gives cookies their nice brown tops, occurs above 356 degrees.

Crispy with a soft center: Use 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

Chewy: Substitute bread flour for all-purpose flour.

Just like store-bought: Trade the butter for shortening. Arias notes that this ups the texture but reduces some flavor; her suggestion is to use half butter and half shortening.

Thick (and less crispy): Freeze the batter for 30 to 60 minutes before baking. This solidifies the butter, which will spread less while baking.

Cakey: Use more baking soda because, according to Nyberg, it "releases carbon dioxide when heated, which makes cookies puff up."

Butterscotch flavored: Use 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (instead of the same amount of combined granulated sugar and light brown sugar).

Uniformity: If looks count, add one ounce corn syrup and one ounce granulated sugar.

More flavor: Chilling the dough for at least 24 hours before baking deepens all the flavors, Arias found.

Works Cited

"The Science Behind Baking Your Ideal Chocolate Chip Cookie." NPR. NPR. Web. 06 Dec. 2014. 

<http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/09/04/345530660/the-science-behind-baking-your-ideal-chocolate-chip-cookie>.