A little more than a month ago I told you about the boatload of oregano I dried… well now I’m using it up! This makes me happy for so many reasons. Happy to not have to go to the grocery store and pay outrageous prices for dried herbs. Happy with the taste and quality my oregano straight from my own little garden. And happy to just recently learn that the name oregano is derived from the Greek, meaning “mountain of joy”.  There you go, no wonder I’m happy and joyful about my fantastic oregano bounty. Oregano is an indispensable ingredient in Greek cuisine so here we have a salad were the joyful herb is a star and lights up the dish.

Greek Salad with Oregano-Lemon Chicken

Chicken
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
2 hearts romaine lettuce
1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded, then cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 large tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 small red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Marinate Chicken: In a 1-gallon zip-lock bag, combine the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix together.  Add the chicken breasts to the bag and rub both sides in the mixture.  Zip bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 50 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Vinaigrette: Combine all the ingredients in a jar, cover and shake vigorously.  Tear off a piece of lettuce and dip into the jar to taste. Then season with salt and pepper, shake, taste again and season until it is to your liking. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Salad: Slice the lettuce into 1-inch strips and place in a large salad bowl.  Scatter cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and olives over lettuce.

Cook Chicken:  Heat a grill pan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the chicken breasts. Cook, turning once, until well browned, about 5 to 8 minutes on each side or until cooked through.  Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 3 minutes before slicing it into thin strips.

Place the chicken strips and feta cheese on top of the salad.  Shake the vinaigrette in the jar one last time to combine and drizzle over salad.  Serve immediately.

Serves 8

Lemon Chicken Satay Skewers

I love the flavor of coconut. It doesn’t matter if it’s fresh, sweetened flaked or shredded, coconut milk, or cream of coconut, I love it all. And I recently discovered that the male Pig-tailed Macaque like coconuts too.

In Thailand and Malaysia they are trained in special schools to harvest coconuts and competitions are held annuals to find the fastest harvester. That’s pretty cool! This coconut chicken is a cool and refreshing dish, makes me think of a beautiful cool day in the tropics sitting on the beach, drinking a Pina Colada and watching the little primates work away….

Coconut Crusted Chicken

Sauce
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1  teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup peeled and finely minced shallots
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/3 cup chopped dry-roasted cashews
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce

Chicken
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1  1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce: In a small bowl whisk together coconut milk, sugar, curry paste, and cornstarch until well combined.  Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, ginger, and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Add coconut milk mixture to saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cook 1 minute or just until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat; stir in cashews, lime juice, and fish sauce, set aside and gently reheat before serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Chicken: Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt.  Combine cornstarch and red pepper in a 1-gallon zip-lock plastic bag.

Combine panko and flaked coconut in a shallow dish.

Place egg whites in another shallow dish.

Add chicken to bag; seal and shake well to coat.  Remove from bag; discard cornstarch mixture. Dip 1 chicken breast in egg white; dredge in panko-coconut mixture.  Repeat procedure with remaining chicken breasts, egg whites, and panko-coconut mixture.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. Place the skillet in preheated oven.

Bake for 10 minutes or until done.  Slice each breast on the diagonal and serve with sauce.

Serves 6

Cheater’s Chicken Enchiladas

Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Crust
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from Focaccia or French bread
1/4 cup drained and finely minced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Salt and finely ground black pepper

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water in a shallow bowl

Stuffing
1 cup marinated artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1/2 cup drained and coarsely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray foil with Pam.

On a dinner or pie plate mix together the breadcrumbs, tomatoes, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.

Mix artichokes, cheese, tomatoes, and basil in medium bowl. Using small sharp knife and working with one chicken breast at a time, cut a deep and 2 to 3-inch-long slit horizontally into 1 side of chicken breast. Move knife back and forth in slit to form pocket. Divide the cheese mixture among chicken pockets. Press edges of chicken together to seal.

Dip each chicken breast into the egg wash, then coat with the crust mixture on all sides.

Place stuffed and breaded chicken breasts on prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and change the oven temperature to a high broil.  Lightly spray the top of the chicken with Pam and return to oven for 1 or 2 minutes to lightly brown the top of the chicken, watch carefully taking care not to burn the top crust.

Allow chicken to rest 3 to 5 minutes before thickly slicing each breast on a diagonal.

Serves 4

I developed this recipe about a dozen years ago. It’s been featured in two cookbooks, FamilyFun Cooking with Kids and Reflections Under the Sun, and I will be making it on Channel 12 NBC Valley Dish with Tram Mai next month (4:30 PM, Wednesday, June 3rd). The thing I love about it is how quickly it comes together and how, with just a itty bitty bit of planning, you can get it on the table in about 10 minutes. How is that possible? Make the marinate in the morning before you head out the door, (it literally takes less then 5 minutes to do) throw in the chicken, cover and refrigerate. When you come home, get the water for the pasta boiling while you drain the peppers and sun-dried tomatoes and stem/string the peas (or purchase them already stringed in the bagged lettuce area of your supermarket), steam or blanch the peas in the “pasta water” – before you add the pasta to it. Once you throw the pasta in the salted water, you get busy browning the chicken – and by the time you’re done reducing the sauce and heating it all through, the pasta will be ready – hopefully you’ve gotten one of the kids to set the table, because dinner is ready!

Penne Pasta with Maple Mustard Chicken

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
3 or 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, pounded thin
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups fresh or jarred roasted red or yellow bell peppers, drained
1/2 cup jarred sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 pound snow peas, stemmed and lightly steamed or blanched
1 pound penne pasta, cooked according to package directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds.  Add rosemary, chives, and vinegar; cook 30 seconds.  Pour into a large bowl; cool.  Whisk in maple syrup and mustard.  Add chicken to bowl; turn to coat.  Cover;  chill at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat.  Remove chicken from bowl, reserving marinade.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Add to skillet and sauté 2 minutes per side.  Reduce heat to medium.  Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through and browned, about 2 more minutes per side.  Transfer to cutting board.

Add wine to pan to deglaze and reduce wine by half.  Add chicken stock and the reserved marinate to pan, bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to a thick sauce, about 3 or 4 minutes.  Meanwhile, slice chicken breast on a diagonal, cut larger slices in half.  Add chicken, roasted peppers, tomatoes, and snow peas to reduced sauce and heat through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a large serving bowl, toss chicken mixture with pasta and serve immediately.

Serves 4

(Disclaimer: So I’ve already had a few people (whom I dearly love!) call or email to advise that I do not know how to spell all right... I do indeed know how to spell it correctly, but I’m going with the thought I had when I wrote the title for this post -which was Elton John’s hit, “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” … and if Elton spells it that way – it’s just fine and more than alright with me!)

After a long day of company picnicking, errands, and cleaning – a quick dinner was in order for Saturday night. I’ve used pomegranate molasses several times before, so just click on that ingredient and it will take you to the easy recipe. Pom molasses is a valuable ingredient to have on hand. It gives a great big punch to everything from chicken, lamb, beef and fish to your run of the mill – ho hum vegetable dishes.

Chicken, Onions, and Peppers with Pom-Mustard Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless chicken thighs
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large white onion, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 small shallots, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 large red or yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
1 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Freshly cooked brown rice or quinoa

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and chicken thighs and cook for about 10 minutes per side or until it’s well browned. Add breasts to thighs in pan and cook for about 5 minutes per side. Remove all chicken pieces from the skillet and keep it warm.

Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, shallots, garlic, bell peppers and cook for 3 minutes. Add the pomegranate molasses, water, rosemary, thyme and mustard and heat to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium, add chicken back to pan and simmer for 8 minutes or until the juice mixture is slightly thickened.

Once again, remove the chicken and bring to a boil for 5 minutes, reducing the liquid to about 1 cup.

Serve chicken with the hot rice or quinoa, spooning juices over the top.

Serves 4

Just like yesterday, today we have dish that was inspired for our Easter menu by a dish we enjoyed at the new FnB restaurant in Scottsdale (here is the link). The night we went, Dave had the most amazing chicken dish. Mind you, chicken is not something either of us generally order at a restaurant, but I’d read rave reviews about Chef Char’s chicken with spaetzle. Those reviews were right on the mark – fabulous!

Spaetzle are tiny dumpling-like noodle nubbins from Germany and Austria that are made with flour, eggs, milk, salt and nutmeg. The spaetzle dough can be firm enough to be rolled and cut into slivers or soft enough to be forced through a sieve, colander, or spaetzle-maker directly into boiling salted water. They rise to the top then are drained and sautéed in butter or mixed with a sauce. Spaetzle literally translates from German as “little sparrow”. In Germany, spaetzle is served as a side dish much like potatoes or rice, and is often accompanied by a sauce or gravy.

There are spaetzle-makers that consist of a hopper to hold the dough as it slides across a metal plate with holes, others that look like ricers, and a third style that is a food mill with a handle and a paddle to force the dough through the holes of a special speatzle blade (which is what I have).

I served the wild mushroom spaetzle with my Pomegranate Molasses Lamb Chops which you can find on this previous post.

Brandied Wild Mushroom Spaetzle

Mushrooms
3 cups wild mushrooms (fresh or reconstituted dried)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/4 cup brandy
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup soft goat cheese
Spaetzle
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk

Mushrooms: If using dried wild mushrooms, first reconstitute in hot water until soft. Coarsely chop mushrooms. Melt butter in a large skillet, add mushrooms and garlic and sauté until mushrooms release their liquids and just begin to brown. Stir in the brandy and fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper, cook for 2 minutes.  Set aside while making the spaetzle.

Spaetzle: In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg-milk mixture. Gradually draw in the flour from the sides and combine well; the dough/batter should be smooth and thick. Let the rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot, then reduce to a simmer. To form the spaetzle, hold a spaetzle-maker or a large holed colander over the simmering water and process with maker or push the dough through the holes of the colander with a spatula or spoon. Do this in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the spaetzle floats to the surface, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Lift out the spaetzle with a slotted spoon and into a colander and give it a quick rinse with cool water.

Reheat the mushroom and stir in the cream and goat cheese. Add the cooked spaetzle and sauté mixture for 3 or 4 minutes to combine and heat through.

Serves 8

I was inspired to make chilaquiles for Easter brunch after learning about them at FnB, a fabulous new restaurant in downtown Scottsdale, (click here for link) where Chef Charleen Badman traditionally makes them on weekends for the late-night crowd.

Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican dish. Typically, corn tortillas cut in quarters and lightly fried are the basis of the dish. Red or green sauce is poured over the tortilla triangles, called “totopos.” Scrambled eggs and/or shredded chicken are sometimes added. The dish is topped with queso fresco and crèma.  Usually, chilaquiles are eaten at breakfast or brunch. This makes them a popular recipe to use leftover or stale tortillas.

I’ll be using two of my favorite “convenience” items – 3 garlic cubes (purchased at Trader Joe’s) and 4 chipotle cubes(homemade using empty garlic cube trays – see this previous post on how to do so).  You can too, or just follow the recipe for the “traditional” method of peeling and mincing.

Chilaquiles

Vegetable oil
1 dozen corn tortillas, cut into quarters
1 large white or red onion, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 chipotle peppers, finely minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
10 large eggs
1/4 cup half and half
2 cups grated queso fresco or Mexican blend cheese
1/3 cup crèma or sour cream

In a skillet heat 1/2 inch of the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking, in it fry the tortillas in batches for 10 to 20 seconds, or until they are pale golden and almost crisp, and transfer them as they are fried with a slotted spatula to paper towels to drain.
Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil and add the onion to the pan, sauté until soft and translucent, then add the garlic, chipotle, cumin, and oregano. Stir for 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook until sauce is thick and reduced over medium heat, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, lighty beat the eggs and half and half together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in another skillet over low heat.  Add the eggs and cook, stirring gently with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon just until the eggs become set but are still creamy, about 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Once the sauce is thick, transfer all but about 1/4 cup of the sauce to a bowl.  Spread the remaining sauce thinly on the bottom of the large skillet it was cooking in. Place a single layer of the tortillas atop the sauce. Top with half of the shredded chicken and then with 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, then the rest of the chicken and another 1/3 of the sauce.

Top with the remaining tortillas, then all of the scrambled eggs. Spread with the last 1/3 of the sauce and sprinkle the cheese on top.

Cover the skillet with foil and bake the chilaquiles in the middle of the preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Drizzle the crèma or spoon sour cream over the chilaquiles and serve.

Serves 10 to 12

I recently learned of a great new convenience item available in the frozen food section of the local supermarket. OK, maybe it’s not new to the supermarket or even new to you, but it is new to me. Frozen chopped green chiles and chopped red chiles can be found in plastic containers, similar to a sour cream container, in the freezer section. Locally, I’ve found them at Safeway, Fry’s, and Food City. Supposedly they come in hot and mild, but I was only able find the hot, so I’m combining them with mild canned green chiles for this recipe. Feel free to roast, seed, and peel your own mild long green chiles, if you prefer.  Pictured below: Frozen chile container (do not worry if you don’t find the same brand, any brand will do) and a side by side comparison of mild canned diced chiles on the left and hot frozen diced chiles on the right.

It’s been in the mid to high 80’s the last few days here in AZ, but we’re expecting rain and a cooling trend for the rest of the week.  It may be our last chance to really enjoy a nice steaming bowl of chili for many months to come. Marissa requested this recipe so she could make “roomie” dinner tomorrow for her four beautiful roommates; Kaley, Petra, Kelsey and Paige.

Girls, I hope you enjoy it, ‘cause summer and 100+ degree temps are just around the corner!

Chili Blanco

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1/4 cup frozen hot chopped green chiles, thawed
4-ounce can fired roasted mild green chiles, drained and diced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1  1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Two 15 to 16-ounce cans white beans (such as Great Northern or Cannellini), drained
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup grated Queso Fresco or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnishes
Chopped fresh cilantro
Diced tomatoes
Minced green onions
Additional grated cheese and sour cream

Heat a heavy large pot over medium heat.  Add oil and onions and sauté until tender and translucent, about 12 minutes. Add the garlic, both types of green chiles, cumin, oregano, and hot pepper sauce and continue to cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the white beans and 4 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and simmer gently to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.

Just before serving, add the shredded chicken, grated cheese, and sour cream to chili; stir just until chili is heated through and cheese melts (do not allow to boil). Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.  Allow guests to garnish with cilantro, tomatoes, green onions, cheese and sour cream as they wish.

Serves 8

Exactly two weeks ago I made Preserved Lemons and encouraged you to do the same, hopefully you did, because today is the day to crack those babies open and begin to enjoy their amazing flavor.

I’ll be serving my Moroccan chicken with a little couscous made with chicken broth and seasoned with cumin, cinnamon and a few currants… enough already! No more time to blog…time to eat!

Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons, Olives, and Goat Cheese

3 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon fresh minced oregano
1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme
Pinch of dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons minced green pitted olives
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 whole cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 pieces preserved lemon pieces
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
16 pitted green olives, halved
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

In a small bowl mix together the goat cheese, garlic, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes and minced olives.

Pat chicken dry, then season with salt and pepper. On the thickest side of each breast, cut a deep and long pocket. Using your fingers, stuff the goat cheese mixture into each pocket. Close by pressing the flesh together.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm, covered.

Add remaining tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter to skillet and reduce heat to moderate. Cook onions and garlic, stirring frequently, until softened and caramelized, 15 to 18 minutes. Add cinnamon sticks, saffron, cumin, ginger, and pepper and cook, stirring, 3 minutes.

Scrape and discard pulp from preserved lemon. Cut rind into thin strips and add to onions with broth, wine, and olives.

Return chicken, with any juices accumulated on plate, to skillet. Braise, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks and serve sprinkled with fresh cilantro.

Serves 4

So, before we get to today’s recipe – how about that picture above? Those are just 3 of about a dozen cool cocktail napkins I have which have fun riddles for parties to work out. When using them, it is best to have guests try and solve them before too many beverages are consumed –  just a helpful little FYI.  Study them and leave me a comment if you figure out all three! (And just in case the top one isn’t completely visible – it reads, “52 C in a D +2 J’s”). Plus if you are a fan of the Les Petites Gourmettes Fan page on facebook, you already know something special, so put on your thinking caps and comment as soon as possible!

Last night I had two of my very best friends, Peggy and Anne, over for a little happy hour to celebrate Peggy’s upcoming birthday, which is actually on February 26th. Happy Birthday, Peggy-Sue! Now that all of our kids are teenagers (and beyond, in Marissa’s case!) – we just don’t get together as often as we used to or anywhere near as often as we would like. So when we do – men and children, be forewarned -watch out! As the aforementioned kids know, all too well, we love to be together! I made these spicy little empanadas, crab cakes (that recipe to be posted tomorrow), and grapefruit-cranberry martinis … love you girls! (and even with all the love I have for you both – you may not comment on the riddles – although I would still love to get a comment of any other sort!) xoxo

Mini Chorizo-Chipotle Chicken Empanadas

Dough
2  1/4 cups flour
1  1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder (optional)
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Filling
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup Spanish chorizo
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh minced oregano
1 cup finely minced cooked chicken
1 finely minced chipotle pepper with adobo sauce
Egg wash made with 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Dough: Place flour, salt, and chile powder into the bowl of a food processor and blend with a few pulses. Add in small butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (pea-size) butter lumps. (as pictured below)

Add the egg and vinegar and pulse of couple times. With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube and pulse until the mixture almost begins to come together, but do not allow it to form a ball. Test to see that dough will hold together by grabbing a handful and squeeze. You can see the piece I tested on the right below.

Empty out dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Use the wrap to bring dough together and form dough into a flat rectangle and chill, enclosed in the plastic wrap, at least 1 hour. (Although you will be rolling out little circles, by forming the dough into a rectangle, it is easier to divide into 24 equally pieces than it would be if you formed it into the usual flat disk)

While dough is chilling, make filling: Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 12 minutes. Add garlic, bell peppers, salt, and oregano; cook, stirring frequently, until peppers are very soft, about 8 minutes. Add chorizo and stir to break up, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, blend together minced chicken and chipotle. Add to skillet and stir to blend. Cool filling to room temperature.

Position oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a pastry scraper or knife to divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Working with 4 pieces at a time, form each into a small flat disk, rounding out the corners by squeezing them in. Keep the remaining pieces covered in the plastic wrap to prevent drying. Roll out the 4 disks on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into 3 1/2-inch rounds.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling onto center of each round and fold dough in half, enclosing filling. Press edges together to seal, then crimp with the tines of a fork. Transfer empanadas to a baking sheet. Make 20 more empanadas in same manner, arranging on 2 baking sheets.

Lightly brush empanadas with egg wash. (may be made ahead at this point and either refrigerated for up to one day or frozen on baking sheets, then transferred to freezer zip-lock bags for up to 1 month.)

Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer empanadas to a rack to cool at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24

There are a multitude of things I like about this soup; #1 It is super green – one of my favorite colors, #2 It is super healthy – no roux or cream to thicken, and #3 It is super versatile.

It is just right for St. Patrick’s Day thanks to it’s super greenness (only about 23 day away – yes I do count it down- I can’t help it – I’m 100% Irish !) It is already plenty healthy as is, but even more so when prepared vegetarian style using vegetable broth and tofu instead of chicken broth and chicken. And it is perfect for Lent, just replace the chicken with cooked and diced shrimp and you’re all set for a Friday night meal.

Spinach and Bell Pepper Soup with Chicken

2 yellow bell peppers
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 large shallot, peeled and finely diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound fresh baby spinach, divided
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 cups shredded cooked chicken, warmed
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup diced seeded tomato
6 lime slices

Cut off the ends of the bell peppers, slit open each pepper and use knife to remove the membranes and seeds. Cut 1 whole pepper and three-quarters of the second pepper into a coarse dice. Finely diced the remaining one-quarter portion and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large soup pot, add the diced shallot and the coarse dice bell peppers, sauté for about 5 minutes until shallots and peppers are soft, season with salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic, cilantro and cumin; cook over low heat for 2 minutes.

Add all but 1 packed cup of the spinach to the pot, set the 1 cup spinach aside with the reserved finely diced bell pepper. Stir and continue to cook until spinach is wilted, add the chicken broth, increase heat to medium high and simmer for 10 minutes. Add lime juice and taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.

While soup simmers, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and add remaining tablespoon olive oil; sauté red onion and the reserved finely diced bell pepper until soft, add the diced tomato and heat 2 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.

Make stacks with the reserved 1 cup packed spinach leaves, roll the stacks and thinly slice the leaves; this style of cut is called a chiffonade, set aside.

Using a slotted spoon, lift out the solids out of the soup pot and place in a blender. Using a ladle, add a couple ladlefuls of the liquid and blend until smooth, return to soup pot and stir to blend. Heat soup and taste again for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Evenly divide the shredded chicken and the spinach chiffonade between 6 soup bowls. Gently pour or ladle the soup over and top each bowl with the sautéed onion-pepper-tomato mixture. Garnish each soup with a lime slice.

Serves 6