Pear & Bacon Empanadas with Gorgonzola Cream

From Kristi’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 recipe “Turnover Pastry Dough” (see earlier blog post)

I recipe Gorgonzola Cream (see below)

1 tbsp. chopped green onion

¼ c. chopped pecans

½ of an organic Bartlett pear, diced

3 slices nitrate-free turkey bacon, cooked & crumbled

Directions:

-Make dough and set in refrigerator to rest

-Whip Gorgonzola Cream and set aside

-Combine remaining ingredients into cream

-Roll out pastry dough and cut 2” circles

-Place filling by the teaspoonful in the center of the round

-Fold over and crimp closed

- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake according to “Turnover Pastry Dough” recipe directions (see previous post)

Gorgonzola Cream

Ingredients:

1 ½ tbsp.  crumbled  gorgonzola

2 oz. organic cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp. organic half-n-half

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. sea salt 

Pinch of cayenne

Directions:

-Combine all ingredients and spread on your favorite cracker or dip it up with your favorite dipper…sesame almond crackers would be fabulous or organic celery would be delicious!

Chicken Pizza Pie

From Kristi’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 recipe Turnover Dough recipe (see earlier post)

1 recipe “Pizza Gazpacho” (see earlier post)

1 ¼ c. cooked shredded chicken, seasoned to taste with sea salt and dried basil

Fresh mozzarella –enough for 7 pies

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees

-Make dough according to recipe

-Cut dough into 4 chunks

-Roll each chunk to ¼ in thick –using martini glass cut out a dough round

-Roll round to 1/8 in thick oval

- Combine Chicken and enough “Pizza Gazpacho” to loosely coat

-Place a tbsp. of chicken mixture and a chunk of mozzarella on each dough round, seal and prick with fork

-Brush with butter and sprinkle each pie with garlic powder

-Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes –until golden brown

Makes 7 individual pies

Curried Chicken Salad Empanadas

From Kristi’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

*2 recipes “Turnover Pastry Dough” (see previous blog post)

2c. organic cooked and pulled chicken

6 tbsp. organic whole fat greek yogurt

1 tbsp. raw unheated honey

3 ¼ tsp. curry powder

4 green onions, diced

¼ c. dried cherries, diced

¾ tsp. sea salt

Directions:

-Make dough according to recipe directions and set in refrigerator to chill

-Mix all remaining ingredients in a bowl and set aside

-Roll and cut dough according to directions

-Fill with a ½ tsp. of salad mixture and bake according to Pastry Dough Recipe directions

Makes 44 mini empanadas

Turnover Pastry Dough

From Kristi’s Kitchen

(inspired by my MeMe’s recipe)

Ingredients:

1c. whole wheat pastry flour

4oz. organic cream cheese

1 stick organic unsalted butter

½ tsp. sea salt

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees

-Combine flour and salt in large bowl

-Cut cold butter into flour with pastry cutter

-Using clean hands fold softened cream cheese into flour and butter mixture until well combined

-Form into a dough disc –wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest

-Divide dough into 2 equal pieces

-Roll each piece to 1/8 “ thickness

-Using a 2” biscuit cutter –cut out a total of 22 rounds

-Roll each round to 1/16” thickness and place 1 tsp. of desired filling on the round

-Fold each round in half, crimp the open sides with a fork and lightly prick each pastry top

-Place assembled turnovers on a parchment lined baking sheet

-Egg-wash the top of each turnover

-Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes

-Remove from baking sheet onto a wired rack to cool

Turnover Fillings:

Cherry

1 1/3 c. frozen cherries

8 dates, diced

4 tsp. coconut palm crystals

¼ c. filtered water

1 tsp. almond extract

-Combine all ingredients in a sauce pot over MED heat.

-Simmer until fruit is broken down and mixture is thickened

Apple

2 medium apple, peeled & cored

4 dates, diced

2 tbsp. organic unsalted butter

¼ tsp. cinnamon

5 tsp. coconut palm crystals

-Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over MED heat

-Simmer until fruit is soft and tender

Turtle

1 Beyond Organic Chocolate Bar

11 pecan halves, cut in half

1 small recipe of "Coconut Nectar Caramel Sauce" (see blog post)

-Break apart the Chocolate Bar into tiny squares

-Place 2 squares of chocolate on pastry round

-Add a piece of pecan and a drizzle of caramel before sealing

* For plain chocolate just place the chocolate and seal

These are so yummy -you can be sure there will be more filling recipes to follow -I've already got a few savory options rolling around in my head! This dough was so easy to work with and tasty -I am dreaming of 100 more ways to use it...more to come on this- I promise!

Happy Eating!