Fredericksburg Cooking Academy

     Printable Recipe

Recipe By:                   Carol Seminara
Serving Size:               16   

Categories :                  6 Flavors Over Texas

  Amount              Ingredient 

  2                           large  poblano pepper — fresh, roasted,peeled, seeded, and cut into tiny slices
  1                           small  onion — finely chopped
  2                           cloves  garlic — minced
  1                           teaspoon  chicken bouillon
  1                           tablespoon  olive oil
     1/4                    cup  heavy cream
                               freshly ground black pepper — to taste
  2                          ounces  queso fresco — cut in tiny pieces
  1                           pie crust, homemade — or 1 package refrigerated pie crust
     1/4                   cup  all-purpose flour
     1/4                   cup  corn meal
  1                          egg — combined with 1 tsp water for egg wash

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
•  In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the onions in the olive
  oil until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Do not brown.
• Add the minced garlic and chicken bouillon; cook for one minute
  longer. Do not brown the garlic or it will taste bitter.
• Add sliced, roasted poblano peppers and cook, stirring, for a
  couple of minutes or until heated through.
• Slowly pour in the heavy cream and simmer until the peppers and sauce are thick. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
• On a work surface, combine flour and corn meal.  Dust pie crust with flour/corn meal mixture and roll out the pie crust to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Cut rounds of pastry dough with a 3-inch cutter. (One pie crust
  yields 16 pastry rounds.)
• Place 1 teaspoon of pepper/cream mixture in the center of a pastry round. Add one tiny piece of queso fresco. Moisten edge of dough round with water, fold dough over making a pocket and seal edges by pressing with your finger tip.
• Continue until all dough circles are stuffed with the pepper/cream mixture and queso fresco.
• Place the empanadas on parchment lined baking sheet; lightly
  brush each pastry with egg wash.
• Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove baked pastries to a wire rack to cool slightly before
  serving.

Description:
  “Empanadas are stuffed pastries, usually shaped like half moons. Rajas”
                                  

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 103 Calories; 7g Fat (58.8% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 74mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat.

Printable Recipe                    
          

Recipe By:                Carol Seminara
Serving Size:            10    

  Amount                              Ingredient 
  1                                          large  egg white
     1/4                                   cup  granulated sugar
  1                                          teaspoon  Kosher salt
     1/2                                   teaspoon  chili powder
     1/2                                   teaspoon  ground cumin
     1/4                                   teaspoon  ground allspice
  1 3/4                                  teaspoons  cayenne pepper
  2 1/2                                  cups  pecan halves

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• In a small bowl, combine sugar and spices; set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat egg white until foamy and no clear liquid
  remains at the bottom of the bowl.
• Once egg white is foamy and soft, whisk in sugar and spice mixture.
• Stir in pecans until well coated; spread mixture in a single layer
  onto an ungreased baking pan.
• Bake pecans at 300°F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and, with a metal spatula, turn, stir, and separate the nuts.
• Reduce oven heat to 250°F and bake nuts an additional 10 minutes longer, or until medium brown.
• Remove from oven, turn and stir again, then transfer to a wire
  rack to cool, breaking up any nuts that stick together.
• Yield:
    “2 1/2 cups”
                                

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 203 Calories; 18g Fat (76.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 195mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : These can be stored for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

                     
                  Seared Tuna Nicoise Canapes  (France)

Recipe By:              Carol Seminara
Serving Size  :        24   
Categories    :         6 Flavors Over Texas

  Amount                  Ingredient 
     1/2                       pound  tuna — sushi-grade, 1 inch thick
     1/4                       cup  soy sauce
  1                              tablespoon  tapenade — black olive paste
  6                              nicoise olives — pitted and coarsely chopped
  3                              tablespoons  drained capers
     1/4                       cup  mayonnaise — homemade or best quality store-bought
  1                              pound  red potatoes — small, unpeeled
  24                           green beans,thin — or haricot verts
  2                             small  plum tomatoes
                                 olive oil spray

• Cut the tuna against the grain into 1/2-inch thick strips. Cut
  each strip into 1-inch long pieces; you should have 24 pieces of
  tuna. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce and olive paste. Add
  tuna and gently stir to coat. Cover and let marinate in the
  refrigerator for a least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
• Drain tuna slices and pat dry with a paper towel; set aside.
• Over a medium-high flame, heat a large skillet and spray
  generously with olive oil. Sear each tuna slice, turning once, until well-browned, about 15 seconds per side. Transfer cooked tuna to paper towels to drain. Let cool, the cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
• Chop olives with 1 tablespoon of capers to form a chunky paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the mayonnaise.
• Cut potatoes crosswise into 24 slices, each about 1/4-inch thick. Place rounds in a medium saucepan of cold, salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium and cook the potatoes until tender, about 7 - 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked potato slices to paper towels to drain.
• Bring the salted water back up to a boil and add the haricot
  verts. Boil over moderately high heat until tender, about 1 minute. Drain the green beans, rinse with cold water to stop their cooking and transfer them to paper towels to drain. Cut 1-inch from both tips of each green bean and reserve for garnish.
• To assemble, spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the olive mayonnaise onto a potato slice. Set a piece of tuna on top and garnish each with 1/2 teaspoon of diced tomatoes, a few capers, and 2 haricot verts tips.                                    

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 48 Calories; 2g Fat (45.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 190mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

NOTES : The tuna, olive mayonnaise, haricots verts and boiled potatoes
can all be prepared and refrigerated the day before. The assembled
canapes may be refrigerated for up to 8 hours.

Printable Recipe 

Recipe By:               Carol Seminara
Serving Size  :         12   

Categories    : 6 Flavors Over Texas

  Amount                Ingredient

  2                            bottles  dry red wine — traditionally red Rioja wine,
                                such as Tempranillo or Grenache
  2                            tablespoons  granulated sugar — or more if needed
  2                            large  oranges — thinly sliced into rounds
  2                            large  lemons — thinly sliced into rounds
  2                            medium  peaches — peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
  2                            cups  club soda
  2                            large  juice of oranges
  2                            large  juice of lemons
                                ice — for serving

Combine the red wine, sugar, juices, and sliced fruits in a large
serving pitcher, mixing well. Refrigerate for several hours,
preferably overnight.

Immediately before serving, mix in the club soda.

Pour over ice to serve.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 31 Calories; trace Fat (1.8% calories from fat); trace Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 12mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Sangria is a red wine punch that originated in the Rioja region of
Spain. This simple recipe is delicious as is, but it also makes a
good basis for creating your own unique version. Cognac or rum can be
added for extra zip.

Printable Recipe             
                  

Recipe By     :Carol Seminara
Serving Size  : 12   
  Amount                 Ingredient 
  1                             pound  ground beef round steak — (85/15)
     3/4                     teaspoon  Kosher salt
     1/4                     teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
     1/2                     teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce
     1/2                     teaspoon  dry mustard
     1/2                     teaspoon  garlic powder
     1/2                     teaspoon  pimenton — smoked paprika
  5                            slices  American cheese
  4                            tablespoons  mayonnaise
  12                          biscuits — or small dinner rolls

• Prepare biscuits or rolls in advance as directed on the package.
• In a bowl, mix all ingredients until well blended. Hand form walnut-sized balls of the meat mixture.
• Drop into hot skillet and press into patty shape about 1 1/2 to 2
  inches in diameter. Cook about 3 minutes on the first side, turn and cook on second side. Add 1/4 of a slice of American cheese to each patty and allow to melt as second side browns.
• Slice rolls (or biscuts) in half horizontally. Spread with mayonnaise and assemble burgers.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 402 Calories; 26g Fat (57.1% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 48mg Cholesterol; 1363mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
 

Printable Recipe                     
                    Recipe By     :Carol Seminara
Serving Size  : 12   

  Amount                            Ingredient 

  1                                        dozen  corn tortillas
     1/2                                 pound  Monterey jack cheese — sliced
     1/4                                 pound  cheddar cheese — sliced
  1                                        fresh jalapeno pepper
                                            vegetable oil — for frying, canola or peanut preferred

Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Using a 4-inch round cutter, cut tortillas and Monterey Jack
  cheese into rounds.
• Cut cheddar cheese into 1 1/2-inch rounds.
• Slice jalapenos into thin rounds.
• In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat and
  fry tortilla rounds until crisp.
• In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat and
  fry tortilla rounds until crisp.
• Place cooked, drained tortilla rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Top each tortilla round with one slice of Monterey Jack cheese,
  then center a jalapeno slice on the Monterey Jack and cover the
  jalapeno slice with a round of cheddar cheese.
• Bake at 350°F until cheese is melted.
•                         

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 164 Calories; 9g Fat (51.2% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 27mg Cholesterol; 200mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat.

NOTES : Note: Small corn tortillas, usually labeled for taquitos, may be
available in your grocery. These measure 4 1/2 inches and work well
without having to be cut.