New challenge, the Deep Freeze Summer Challenge gave me an opportunity to take stock of my freezer. This is what I found, chopped spinach, puff pastry, walnuts, chopped onions and cooked chicken. I also had some frozen sliced cheese and did not know what it was but looked white, maybe Jack.I did cheat a bit and used some basil but it was from my herb garden, I didn't go to the store.
So, this is what I cooked up from the freezer. Chicken and Spinach Empanadas with Toasted Walnut and Basil Pesto.
I sauteed the onion in olive oil then chopped the chicken quite fine and added that to the skillet. Mean while I toasted some walnuts and made a pesto without the cheese and this I added to the chicken. I then added a few handfuls of the spinach and cooked it all for a few minutes. In goes the cheese, oh look, it's Swiss, didn't matter now. Salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
The puff pastry was defrosted so I floured my board and just rolled them out a bit. Filled half of the square and folded into a triangle.
On to a cookie sheet and brushed with olive oil and into a hot 400 oven for about ten minutes. Puffed, and lightly browned. The squares were large so I cut the empanadas in half. Quite tasty was my beloved's assessment and I have to admit it was fun to experiment especially when it turned out so good.
Here is a bonus. I had two left over pastry squares so I rolled them out into a rectangle, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled some parmesan cheese. I then cut each into about four long pieces and gave each one a few twists then onto a cookie sheet and into the same hot oven.
