Food Around the World: Jamaican Been Patties

I made these with my mom, Michelle from Something new is cooking. She cooked the filling and I did the pastry, we both filled. They where yummy. was pretty easy as well. We all know how I like those easy recipes. I have always wanted to make beef patties. This was the perfect time to do them for the blog Food Around The World. Every month they choose a new country to make recipes from. Awesome idea, fun too. 

PASTRY 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon turmeric powder 
1/2 teaspoon curry powder 
1 dash salt 
1/4 cup margarine 
1/4 cup shortening 
1/3 cup water 

FILLING 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
4 -6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
1 large onion, finely chopped 
1 lb lean lean ground beef 
1 tablespoon curry powder 
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder or 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs 
1/2 cup chicken stock 
2 green onions, finely chopped 

FILLING:. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally until soft and translucent.  Add garlic, cook 2 minutes. Add beef, curry, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook until browned stirring constantly. Stir in stock and breadcrumbs. Simmer until liquid is absorbed. (aprox.10 minutes) Texture should be soft and moist. Add green onions. 
PASTRY:. In a large bowl, combine flour, turmeric, curry, and salt. Cut in 1/4 cup margarine and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Shape dough into a log, and cut into 10 equal sections. Roll each section into a six inch circle (approximately 1/8 inch thick). Cover with damp towel. Spoon equal amounts of filling into each pastry circle. Fold over making a half circle and press edges together. Use a fork to press edges, and brush the top of each patty with beaten egg. Cook at 350 degrees for 25- 30 minutes.

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplins

This was another amazing dish. Had none left over. My husband kept saying oh my this is great. It was very simple too. I felt like I was eating at the Cracker Barrel. I got this recipe out of the first Top Secret Restaurant Recipes. Love that book, need to get the second one.


Chicken and Broth
3 quarts water
1 3-4 pound whole chicken, cut up
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 small onion, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf
4-6 whole parsley leaves
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice

Dumplins
2 cups all- purpose flour
1 tbsp backing powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp milk


Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the chicken, 1 tsp salt, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and parsley to the pot. Reduce heat to simmer and cook chicken, uncovered, for 2 hours. The liquid will reduce.
When the chicken is done, remove it from the pot and set it aside. Strain the stock to remove all the vegetables (I left in because I like the veggies in mine). You want the stock and the chicken, so toss everything else out.
Pour 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) of the stock back into the pot (can keep rest of the stock for other recipes, can be frozen). Add black pepper, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and the lemon juice, then reheat the stock over medium heat while preparing the dumplings.
For the dumplins, combine the flour, backing powder, 1 1/4 tap salt and the milk in a medium bowl. Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to about a 1/2 inch thickness.
Cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares and drop each square into the simmering stock. Use all the dough. The dumplins will first swell and then slowly shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the stock into a white gravy. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until thick. Stir often.
While the stock is thickening, the chicken will have become cool enough to handle. Tear all the meat from the bones and remove the skin. Cut the chicken into bite-size or a little bigger than bite-size. Drop them into the pot. Discard the skin and bones. Continue to simmer the chicken and dumplins for another 5-10 minutes, but don't stir too vigorously or the chicken will shred. You want big chunks in the end.
When the gravy had reached the desired consistency, ladle four portions onto plates and serve hot. Serve with your choice of steamed vegetables, if desired (I roasted some)...

Food Around the World: Jamaican Style Chicken

I made this for last weeks Food Around the World post, but forgot to post. Oops. I found this recipe at food.com. This is my other favorite recipe site. Lots of good stuff on there. I was trying to find a Jamaican recipe, came across this one, I had almost everything for it. So I made it. And it was AMAZING. Best chicken I have had in awhile. Would be good on top of a salad or over rice as well. I got thumbs up from everyone..

6 pieces chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1 tbsp onions, finely chopped
3 tbsp light brown sugar
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp orange juice, frozen concentrate, undiluted
2 tsp thyme
3 tsp rosemary
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tbsp jalapeno, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients, except chicken in a bag. Mix well. Add in chicken, rub it all together. Lay flat and refrigerate for atleast 4 hours or over night. Turn bag over every few hours if possible.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9x13 pan. Place chicken in a single layer, pouring remaining sauce over the chicken, bake uncovered 30 to 45 minutes or until done.

Slow cooker Carnitas

I am on this whole using my slow cooker kick. Love using it. I found this one at a blog site called A Year of Slow Cooking. These carnitas where so simple and delicious. Even my kids ate some. This will be something I will make again.


2 pounds pork shoulder
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 large orange)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 large lime)
7 cloves of garlic (whole)
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 cup beef broth
Corn tortillas (I used flour since I already had them)
Sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado (optional)

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the salt and cumin. Rub all over the pork, then plop into the slow cooker. Add whole garlic cloves. Squeeze on the citrus and pour the beef broth evenly over the top.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the pork shreds easily with a fork. If your meat is still fully intact after 8 hours, remove and cut into chunks, then return to the crock pot and flip to high for about an hour or 2.
Shred meat fully and serve on warmed corn tortillas with desired toppings.

Slow cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

What a crazy few weeks it has been. School shopping, doctor appointments, bed bugs, new bed shopping, exterminators, wedding, school starting, taken grandpa car shopping, Tropical storm Isaac, furniture delivery. woo. Busy. Things have finally started to settle down and I can finally post some of the new recipes we have tried. 

I found this recipe at all recipes. It is one of my favorite sites to look for new stuff to try. I saw this one, and thought hmm, mt husband and brother would love it and its a slow cooker, can't go wrong with a slow cooker. Love using mine in the summer. You would thing by how much sauce was used it would be spicy. But it had just the right amount of kick that it didn't knock you off your seat and where able to enjoy it. I added provolone cheese.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 (17.5 oz) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided- I used Franks.
1/2 package dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 tbsp butter
6 hoagie rolls, split length wise

Place chicken into the slow cooker and pour in 3/4 of the sauce and ranch mix. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
Once the chicken is cooked, add the butter and shred the meat finely with two forks. Pile the meat onto the hoagie roll and splash with remaining sauce and serve.