Shrimp Sliders with Wasabi Lime Mayo

From Canadian Living Appetizer Collection

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes

*Can be prepared up to a day ahead and kept in the fridgeCook time: 4-5 minutes

Makes 6 or 12 sliders depending on the size of the scoop

Ingredients:1/2 cup panko bread crumbs  plus some extra for counter/plate/baking sheet so that the sliders wont stick.
salt & pepper
1 egg

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 green onions
1 lb/450 g raw large shrimp, peeled, deveined

1 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

mini hamburger (slider) buns 
Wasabi sauce:
1/2 cup mayo (I like Hellmann's with Olive Oil)
1-2 tsp wasabi paste
2 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp grated lime zest

Directions:
1.  Whisk together all the ingredients for the wasabi sauce in a small bowl and set aside.Can be made up to 2 days ahead.

2. In a food processor, pulse bread crumbs, egg, garlic, green onions, salt & pepper until the onions are finely chopped.  Add the shrimp and pulse until finely chopped. 

3.  My prep: Line a large rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper. (NOTE: The recipe called for 1/4 cup scoops, but I found them large and only made six sliders.  Next time I'll use my small ice cream scoop to make 12 smaller ones).  Toss some breadcrumbs onto the tray so sliders wont stick.  Scoop & flatten sliders onto the sheet.  Sprinkle a little more breadcrumbs on top of sliders. Can be stored covered in the fridge overnight.  I even refrigerated them for 30 minutes before cooking.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and cook the sliders for 2-3 minutes per side.  Until golden and firm.

Serve with wasabi sauce (which is also great as a dip for raw vegetables, etc.)

Quick Veg Chili Quesadillas

From Healthy Starts Here

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes
Serves 1 Just multiply by hungry faces

Ingredients
1 large trans-fat free 100% whole wheat tortilla (I used Ancient Grains)
½ cup family style vegetarian chili (I heated mine up for a minute in the microwave first)
2 tbsp shredded light Monterey Jack cheese or whatever you prefer
2 tbsp salsa (I used store bought President’s Choice Smokey Chipotle Salsa)
1 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tbsp light sour cream (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Place the tortilla flat in the skillet. Spoon the warm chili over half the tortilla and then sprinkle with the cheese.

2. Fold the tortilla in half over the cheese and press down gently. Cook until the cheese melts and the tortilla is golden on the underside (about 3 minutes).

3. Carefully flip the tortilla and cook the other side until golden (another 3 minutes or so).

4. Remove from skillet and cut in half. (If you are making more than one, keep the cooked ones in a warm oven.

Serve with salsa, cilantro and sour cream (if using).

Asian Chicken Wrap

Asian Chicken Wraps

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 soft tortillas (I like to use whole grain or spinach or, like this photo, tomato basil)
Handful of mixed salad greens
Slathering of wasabi mayo (wasabi paste mixed with your favorite mayo (mine lately is Hellmann’s Olive Oil Mayo) ratio: as much/little heat as you like
Slices of roasted chicken (covering about 1/3 of tortilla, down the center) I like to roast a chicken to have on hand, but store bought rotisserie chicken works too
Slices of Japanese marinated ginger (if you love sushi, you know how delicious this is), patted dry
Small handful of arugula or mixed greens

Directions:
1. Lay tortillas flat and slather a layer of wasabi mayo all over. Add the chicken down the center of the tortilla, starting from the top (which will be left open) to about 2 inches from the bottom. Cover with a thin layer of ginger and greens.

2. Fold bottom up over chicken and then fold in from one side and then the other.

3. Serve and enjoy.

This is great for picnic lunches. Just wrap each one in foil or plastic wrap. Because it’s chicken, it’s wise to either a) keep in a cooler until serving; or b) eat within an hour of preparing.

Empanadas de Pino

Empanadas de Pino
Recipe from my daughter Sharron's Chilean friend taken from a google search

Note: Chile has much higher elevation than Toronto, so cooking is different; the person who made them used a recipe taken from a Google Search, so timings might be off; a lot of conversation and taking notes, meant some key elements might be missing...like exactly how many are in a batch, and what temperature/time it takes to make them.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: (Filling - 15-20 minutes; empanadas - 30-60 minutes)
Makes more than 1 dozen, less than 2 dozen

Ingredients:
Filling:
4 large eggs, hardboiled
1 large onion, diced
2 large packages ground beef (maybe 2lb/1 kilo total)
2 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in 350 ml hot water
paprika, chili flakes, oregano and salt to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced

Dough:
4 heaping tbsp’s Crisco (actually she used soup spoons)
2+ cups hot milk (really she used a teacup)
1 large tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
pinch or two paprika
8 cups + white flour
2 egg yolks

1 more egg yolk to mix with water for basting the empanadas before baking

Instructions
For the filling:
(Don’t start the dough until the filling is totally done.)
Fry the onion in olive oil on med-hi heat until golden. Add some chili flakes to the onions as they cook. When the onions are soft and translucent, add the beef, break it up and turn heat down to med-low. Add the garlic, a bunch of salt, lots of dried oregano and the beef broth, stir and let it cook, covered, until the beef is cooked through. Add 3 or 4 heaping tbsp’s white flour and stir it in to thicken the sauce. Remove from heat and allow to cool (actually by the time you've kneaded the dough, the filling is cool enough).

Start the dough:
1. Melt the Crisco in a small pot over med heat. Put the 8 cups flour on a flat working area, mix in the baking powder, salt and paprika and form a bowl shape in the middle of the mound.

2. Heat one cup of milk and pour it along with the melted Crisco into the mound of flour and mush it around with your hands. Add 2 egg yolks and another cup of hot milk.

3. When it’s solid enough, start kneading, adding more milk and flour as needed. When it’s nice and firm (this could take a while), break off manageable pieces at a time and start rolling it out quite thin (3mm? maybe thinner). Keep what you’re not rolling wrapped in plastic wrap to keep it moist.

Baking the empanadas:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C degrees. (Maybe try 400F/200C. Cony’s recipe was 350 for 30-40 minutes and they were nowhere near ready. We turned the heat up and baked them an extra half hour.)

2. Use a small plate to cut out rounds of dough. Peel the boiled eggs and cut them into quarters. Take one round, roll it out a tiny bit. Put one quarter egg, one whole olive (with pit), and a big spoonful of the meat mixture. Keep a cup of warm water nearby to moisten the edges with your fingers. Fold it over and press the edges to seal them, pinch, fold over and pinch again.

3. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Keep going with the rest of the filling and dough rounds. Baste with milk and egg yolk mixture.
Bake until golden (30-60 minutes?)

Serve with Pebre (a delicious, spicy condiment)

Pebre also excellent on grilled meat, chicken & fish

Ingredients
2 peeled tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 tbsp chopped cilantro, chopped fine
1 jalapeno chopped finely
½ tbsp salt
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp oil

Directions:
Mix it all up and serve it as a condiment for empanadas

Grilled Tomato, Goat Cheese and Pesto Sandwiches

Grilled Tomato, Goat Cheese & Pesto Sandwiches

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 slices of your favorite bread (we used multigrain)
Pesto (we used some from a jar) to spread on the bread
Goat cheese spread thickly on one slice (about 4 oz/140 gm)
½ tomato, sliced
2-3 basil leaves, chiffonade (also called shredded – roll the leaves and thinly slice across)
Margarine or soft butter to butter the outsides of the slices
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Spread pesto, then cheese on 2 slices of bread. Top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with basil and freshly ground pepper. Add top slice and butter.

2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the sandwiches butter side down. Butter the top slices. Press down and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the bottom turns golden. Flip the sandwiches, press and continue to cook until the bottom is golden as well. By now the cheese will be melty and ready to eat.

Or use a panini grill, no flipping required.