Several weeks ago, I got to meet Cami, an exchange student from Chile. I was so excited. I know nothing about Chilean food except sea bass. So between my rough ability to speak, and her "English is a second language", we had a nice long conversation about what I am blogging about and my desire to learn "If there was ONE CHILEAN MEAL that I need to include on my top 100 - what should it be. Clearly, empanadas were at the top. She talked about how she had brought a recipe with her.
HOLY GRAIL OF PUREED FOOD
Little did I know that empanadas are the Holy Gail of pureed meals. She explained to me that her "grandma's recipe" takes hours to make. It sounded to me, no different than when Americans gather in the kitchen to make a holiday feast. She then explained that we she and I were lucky, because just up the street is an empanada restaurant called Del Sur. BONUS!!!!!!!!!!
Last night, was Cami's birthday celebration, and my daughter and I were invited and I got to test my first empanada. Let me put it this way - IT IS THE BEST FOOD FOR A PUREED MEAL - EVER!!!! With options of beef, chicken, or vegetables - the variety is perfect. Most importantly they are the perfect size for portion control.
A typical empanada is about 4"-6". Pureeing takes about one cup of water - then you add a little sauce, like salsa verde. This gives you about a cup and a half of puree. The perfect American mug size for one meal.
My dream is that empanadas become the next food craze to sweep the nation. They are the perfect food to eat on the go. They have a familiar look of a Hot Pocket, for Americans will not be afraid.
WATER TEMPERATURE
Instead of microwaving an empanada to warm it up, I suggest using warm/hot water so you can better gage what the final temperature will be. This goes back to the rule that patients going through cancer treatment already are looking for reasons not to eat, and temperature of the food is one of the easiest to fix.
FOOTBALL SEASON
One of the guests at the birthday party suggested that empanadas are the perfect snack for a a group watching a football game - couldn't agree more. New England Patriot's game isn't until 8PM tonight, so you will have time to pick some up.
SAMOSAS
When I brought an empanada home for my wife to see, I lifted the cover of the box, and the first thing she said was- "Is that a samosa?" Now I have often gone to the supermarket to buy frozen samosas for after-school snacks for my children, so I know samosas puree well. They tend to have a little more starch in the filling, so they need a little more water.
COMMENTS
Please add your comments and suggestions to my blog. Nice to see people from around the globe reading my blog. Please follow you want the latest recipes.
I have created a companion page on Facebook called: 100 Meals Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors. Sometimes it is easier to share a FB page than send a blog address.
Pictures from Del Sur Natural
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