Turkey Empañadas

My sister gave me,among other things, a 5" empañada maker for Christmas. I decided tonight's dinner would be the perfect time to try it out. It works a treat! Cut out the crust with the bottom, put crust on top, add filling (and egg wash the edge) then fold it over and press to crimp the edges. I can't wait to try other fillings now.

Turkey Empañadas

6 SP each

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₂ large uncooked onion(s), diced
• 8 oz uncooked 99% fat-free ground turkey breast
• 1 cup(s) cooked frozen yellow corn
• 1 cup(s) frozen baby peas
• Salt
• Pepper
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Ground chipotle pepper
• 2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts
• Egg wash

Directions

1.     Spray Pam in sauté pan and sauté onions until soft. Add turkey meat, breaking up while browning it. Add frozen vegetables and season to taste.

2.     Roll out one pie crust just a bit. (If  you don’t roll it enough, you can’t get 6 5” circles.)

3.     Cut out 6 5” circles (or use a 5” empanada maker). Put ¼ cup of filling into center of circle, brush egg wash around edges. Fold circle in half and crimp edges well.

4.     Repeat with second crust. Place pies on parchment lined cookie sheet and brush tops with egg wash.

5.     Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

6.     Alternatively, flash freeze and pack into airtight container to bake later. To bake frozen pies, increase baking time to 40-45 minutes.

Pickle brined chicken??

Yes, indeed -- brined in pickle juice! Instead of tossing all that yummy juice, save it for this dish, inspired by one from skinnytaste.com (https://www.skinnytaste.com/pickle-brined-baked-chicken-tenders)

Instead of baking the tenders, I cooked them on my cast iron skillet with a misting of cooking oil spray. The dipping sauce is 1.5 Tbsp light mayo, 0.5 Tbsp Dijon mustard, a squeeze of lime juice and freshly ground pepper. A whopping total of 3 SP for a very satisfying lunch. Next time, I will try baking them in a bigger batch for a dinner.

To brine the chicken, just toss 2-3 tenders into the jar after the pickles are gone. Leave for at least 8 hours; these were brined overnight. Remove from the brine, pat VERY dry, dredge in beaten egg and again in Panko breadcrumbs. I cooked them, on medium high for 5 minutes, sprayed the tops, then flipped them over and cooked, covered, on medium low for another 5 minutes. 

Since the brine will tenderize the meat, I would imagine even slices of chicken breast would come out fork tender this way.

A decadent lunch today

Since re-starting my Weight Watchers journey, I have been trying to cook more of my meals from scratch. Eating "cleaner" seems to help with weight loss. I discovered Skinny Taste and its creator/author Gina Homolka and feel like I have a new BFF!

Today, for lunch, I made her Waffled Crab Cakes* for 2 Smart Points each. The only problem  is that they are SO good, I ate all 4 (for 8 SP). But, I had a very low point breakfast and  I'll just make sure to have a low point dinner and its all good. 

Later today I will be making her Easy Bagels** (3 SP each) for tomorrow's special breakfast. 

*https://www.skinnytaste.com/waffled-crab-cakes

**https://www.skinnytaste.com/easy-bagel-recipe