Off The Counter: Empanadas

Once a year Alex and I take on the [somewhat] difficult task of preparing empanadas.  It inevitably turns out to be an all day affair, but one well worth the time and effort.    Using a dough recipe found in the book The Useful Pig and a filling from a 1999 issue of Food And Wine we've perfected this Argentine delight and made it our own.  Take a look:

If you're up for trying these yummy meat pies, but would like a short cut, Goya makes Empanada dough shells.  Be sure to prepare a lot, these tasty pockets are great for freezing!

The Useful Pig Sour Cream Dough recipe:

2 cups sifted flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 stick of butter cut into small pieces and 1/2 cup of sour cream.

Combine the flour, salt and butter in a food processor or by hand.  Cut the butter into the flour mix until texture resembles coarse meal, then add the sour cream and mix until the dough is smooth and blended.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to use.

Filling can be found here. 

Buen provecho!

Off The Counter: Pickled Veggies and Bloody Marys

This week's Off The Counter is inspired by a pickled veggie recipe my husband, Alex, found in Food & Wine Magazine.  We purposely prepared this Fall Vegetable Giardiniera to garnish Bloody Marys, but these assorted veggies also complemented cheesy baguettes and  garnished salads throughout the holiday week.  I loved having them available and we're already planning our next pickling extravaganza.  Take a look:

The Fall Vegetable Giardiniera recipe can be found here: 

Alex's Pickled Veggie Bloody Mary Recipe: 

Add the following to a shaker:

Ice, 30z Vodka, splash of giardiniera, ground pepper, pinch of salt, fresh grated horseradish,  sriracha (if you prefer yours on the spicy side) and a little juice of a lemon and a lime.  Top off with Clamato or Beefamato.

Shake and pour into a tall glass with pickled veggies (serves two--or one if you're a lush).  Cheers!!

Off The Counter: Grilled Feta, Tomatoes And Orecchiette

This week's Off The Counter features a recipe that has been in our family's repertoire for quite a while.  With time, it has evolved into one of our 'go to' dishes for guests with children because it's great served deconstructed.  Each person, either adult or child,  can build a bowl of yumminess to their own liking.   Mint and oregano give this pasta dish a fresh and unexpected flavor while the grilled feta creates a subtle creaminess.    Our take on the original recipe from Food & Wine :

Ingredients:

cherry tomatoes, mint, oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil, orecchiette pasta, sausages and feta

Recipe:

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and put into a bowl.  Add mint, oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil.  Let sit for an hour at room temperature.

Prepare the pasta, grill the sausages and feta.

Serve the ingredients separately, so your guests can add as few or as many as they'd like and create their very own tasty pasta dish.