Chorizo Empanadas

 

Sorry to have been such a blog tease at first, but I'm back and ready explore the world of food again! RB and I have had a few small life changes over the past year! We now have a darling, adorable, bouncing baby boy! I'm not sure that the world needed another Robert Bruce Grisham, but it got one!Robert Bruce Grisham, III is the light of my life and the cutest baby you will ever meet (OK, I might be SLIGHTLY biased).  Needless to say, my time is not my own anymore!

Along with growing our family, I have also become more accustomed to living in this small town. While I still get frustrated at not being able to find Kale or Smoked Sea Salt at the grocery store (Walmart), I am so blessed to make some really great, sweet friends and join an incredible gym with people who think like me.

I am a big of New Year's Resolutions. It is a time to start fresh, right wrongs, and do better- not to mention celebrate it all with the biggest party of the year. I always have about 20 resolutions and hope that at least one or two will stick. This year I have vowed  to make at least 2-3 recipes a week from the pages that I have pulled out from my growing pile of cooking magazines and to eat even cleaner than we have been. Now that Robert is in the picture, I want to teach him healthy habits of delicious food. So I decided it's time to dust off this old blog and start chronicling my adventures in cooking. I hope to teach all of you something you don't know and in turn I hope I will learn a thing or two.

The past few months, a group of girls and I have formed a pot-luck book club. We meet once a month, drink wine, and yes, actually discuss the book. It's something I have really started to look forward to! This month, our book didn't really lend itself to a theme so we decided to do Mexican food.One of the sweet aforementioned friends got me The Homesick Texan cookbook for Christmas. I can't wait to try everything in it, and book club was a great start! Most people have almost everything in this recipe already in their kitchen, so there shouldn't be too much added cost. I also had leftover filling that I will be turning into breakfast tacos! I also think you could make them earlier in the day, refrigerate and then pop them in the oven right before your event.  I served these Empanadas with a tomatillo salsa, although RB swears they would be great with Queso. Either way they would be perfect for a Super Bowl party!

Chorizo Empanadas
Adapted from The Home Sick Texan
Makes about 18

For the Crust:
8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1 Stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 t. Salt

For the Filling:
1 t. Vegetable Oil
1 lb. Mexican Chorizo, casing removed
3/4 c. Monterrey Jack Cheese, grated
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 Jalapeno, seeded and diced finely
3 T. Cilantro, chopped
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. garlic powder

For Outside the Empanada
1 large Egg, beaten
2 T. Milk

Using the paddle attachment of the mixer, mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add the flour and salt and mix until combined and dough is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a cookie sheet. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet (or pan if you don't have one) over medium heat. Add the Chorizo, crumble and cook until done (7-10 minutes). Drain the Chorizo on a paper towel and then mix in a bowl with the remaining ingredients.

Roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a large circle cookie cutter, cut circles in the dough. Use the scraps to roll out again and continue to cut circles until the dough is all used up. Place two teaspoons of the filling on one side of the circle and fold the other side over. Using a fork, crimp the two sides to seal together.

In a small bowl, mix the egg and milk together and lightly brush the top of the empanadas. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.