Just Add Margaritas

December 5, 2006 at 7:26 pm · 4 Comments · Print This Post

In an effort to be adventurous in the kitchen my love affair with all things Dave Lieberman continues. I have yet to make a recipe from Dave’s collection that I didn’t find thoroughly delicious, and these Chicken and Black Bean Empanadas were no exception. The chicken mixture is spicy, smoky, and surprisingly hearty, and I’ve said it before but it definitely bares repeating — I honestly believe that puff pastry is the world’s perfect food! The twist on this dish is the great Tomato and Pineapple Salsa Fresca that is served on the side. I loved the tanginess of the pineapple, jalapeño, tomato, and scallion mixture. I actually was extremely shocked that these flavors worked so well together. I even ate the leftover salsa the next day at lunch. Obviously that held up much better on day two than the empanadas, which I definitely do not recommend as a leftover meal. Freshly baked is definitely best in this case as they became quite soggy overnight.

Everything Starts With Onions	Let’s Add Some Heat
Add the Chicken & Beans	Cool the Filling
Stir in Chopped Cilantro	Dice, Slice, and Mix Up the Salsa
Roll Out the Pastry Dough	Divide Into Equal Parts
Layer With Chicken & Bean Mixture	Dampen the Edges, Fold Over, and Seal
Brush With Oil and Bake Until Golden	Now Where’s My Margarita?

Categories: Dinner
Tags: black beans, chicken, cilantro, cumin, dave lieberman, empanadas, jalapeno, lime, puff pastry, tomatoes

4 Comments Leave a Comment

melissa

December 6, 2006

When I make empanadas I use a basic flour dough and deep fry them… Can you fry puff pastry dough? I’ve never worked with it before.
kristen

December 6, 2006

you make everything look so easy so that I think “i could make that!” but i probably can’t. how did you get the chicken like that? did you have to cook a whole chicken and then tear it up? see? i can’t even cook anything!

(although i did make some delicious martha stewart truffles last night that were a bit hit at the knitting group!)

we’re so freaking domestic it’s unbelievable.
Erin

December 6, 2006

Melissa:

I actually don’t think that you can deep fry puff pastry. I believe it’s generally used as an alternative to frying since it bakes up very flaky and golden brown.

Kristen:

You’ll love this Kristen. The whole premise behind this particular episode was that Dave had leftover rotisserie chicken to use up. I bought one of those Boston Market chickens from Stop-N-Shop. It was deeelicious.
Melly

December 10, 2006

Wow those look yummy. (Especially the salsa!) I