Something Different

So I'm always trying to come up with different foods to serve the family. I am guilty of falling into the same cooking rut from time to time. In order to not lose my zest for food, I tend to turn to international cuisine to snap me back to my passion. This weekend, I decided to try my hand at empanadas and Mexican style rice. Whenever hubby and I venture to our local Fresh Market, he is usually tantalized by their empanadas. I, on the other hand, have never had an empanada. What a better time to try them then now. The weather is just starting to get warm but the nights are still cool. Empanadas & rice just sounded like a comforting meal for a crisp spring evening. I started my filling with ground chuck and then added layers of flavor with red onion, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and a pinch of cinnamon, corn and black beans. It was a hearty filling that left a lot of leftovers (check back tomorrow for how I handle those). I used a refrigerator pie dough to package the filling and topped it with a little pepper jack cheese. Served with a side of the Mexican style rice, and you have the perfect Mexican comfort food meal.

Empanada
1 pound ground chuck
1 9" refrigerator pie dough
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 can black beans
1/4 can yellow corn
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt & pepper
1/4 cup pepper jack cheese
a squeeze fresh lime juice
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground beef over medium heat. Drain meat. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil in the pan and add red onions. Cook about 2-3 minutes making sure onions do not brown. Add all the seasonings and then add the tomato paste. If needed, thin out mixture with a little water. Add meat to the onion mixture along with the beans and corn. Squeeze a little fresh lime juice over mixture. The mixture will look something like this.

Cut dough into 4 triangles. Put about 2 tablespoons of filling onto each of the triangles of dough and sprinkle each with cheese. Pull dough over to make a little pocket. Crimp edges with fork and brush pocket with egg wash. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes or until empanadas are golden brown.

Mexican Style Rice adapted from All Recipes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, chopped
1 1/3 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2/3 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup frozen peas

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté onions, garlic and carrot until softened.

Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and golden. Add the garlic powder, salt, cumin, and tomato sauce. Stir until all the rice is coated.

Add the chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and add frozen corn and peas. Fold in and cover for 3 minutes until warmed through. Fluff with a fork before serving.