Super Bowl Eats

For Christmas, Stephen's parents gifted me a cookbook featuring traditional Latin meals with a healthy twist. I have been wanting to give a bunch of the recipes a try but it is hard to keep up with such a hectic work travel schedule. So I finally found a long Sunday to take my first stab at completely homemade empanadas. Although, they were very time consuming I will definitely be making these again! Both the ceviche and empanadas were a great addition to my night of watching Super Bowl commercials :) 

Shrimp & Avocado Ceviche

 

Ingredients:

1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, chopped

¼ cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons of Mexican crema

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks

¼ cup red onion, diced

1 teaspoon jalapeno, chopped

Fresh cilantro

 

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Drop shrimp in and cook until they just begin to turn pink. Do not overcook! Drain and chill the shrimp down on ice.
2. In a small bowl, combine the orange, lime and lemon juice with the sugar, salt, Mexican crema, and fresh ginger. Mix well and pour over shrimp. Let chill and marinade for about 15 minutes.
3. Before serving, gently toss in the avocado, onion and jalapeno. Top with cilantro and enjoy!

Cuban Citrus-Braised Pork Empanadas

Ingredients:

Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 egg yolks

¼ cup water

6 tablespoons olive oil

 

Directions: In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients together until it forms a firm ball. Transfer to a floured surface and knead until smooth. Form the dough into a ball and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Filling:

2 ½ pounds of bone-in pork shoulder, trimmed of most visible fat

1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin

1 ½ tablespoons ground coriander

1 ½ tablespoons salt

1 ½ tablespoons freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1 ½ cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 gloves garlic, peeled and chopped

½ cup orange juice

¼ cup lime juice

2 dried bay leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh oregano

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1 egg, lightly beaten

Rub the pork with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper mixture. Heat oil in large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown pork on both sides, about 3 minutes each side. Add chicken stock, vinegar, onion, garlic, orange and lime juices, bay leaves, thyme and oregano. Cover the pot and place in the oven to braise for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the meat easily comes off the bone.

Remove pork from the oven and let cool. Remove bay leaves, thyme and oregano. Shred cooled pork into small pieces and let rest for at least 2 hours before adding in the onion and cilantro.

When you are ready to assemble and bake the empanadas preheat the oven to 350 degrees F once again. Roll out dough to about ¼ thickness. Using a 3 ½ inch diameter round biscuit cutter, cut out 12 circles. Top dough with filling.

Whisk an egg in a small bowl and begin forming the empanada by first brushing egg mixture around the circle of the dough. Next, fold the dough in half and close the seal with a fork. Brush the tops with the egg wash and bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.