2 nights of cooking = 3 nights of meals!!

“...no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.”
― Julia Child, My Life in France

So as brand new mother of two under 2, I find it hard to have the energy to cook something new everyday, but as usual I am using my maternity leave time to come up with new recipes and ideas to help during a busy work week and still put good food on the table for my family.

Here is a recipe for 3 totally different meals but only two real nights worth of cooking, all meals take less than half an hour to make and are easy breeze, plus will give you left overs for lunch.  I hope this inspires and helps moms and even the single ladies to get in the kitchen! 

Day 1: Slow cooker chicken fajitas

Go shopping, here is a list of all that you will need for the next three nights:
1. one large white onion
2. one red, yellow, and green bell pepper
3. ground beef (about 1 pound )
4. boneless chicken (about 1 pound)
5. flour tortillas
6. rice
7. chili powder (1 tsp)
8. cayenne pepper (1 tsp)
9. pepperidge farm puff pastry (1 packet)
10. chicken stock (or 1 chicken bouillon)
11. garlic (at least two cloves)
12. egg (1, optional)
13. beef bouillon (1)
14. sofrito (can be purchased in Latin section of market, brand Goya (red jar)

Cut half the onion (long strips), and the red and green pepper (take out the seeds) into long strips. Place in the slow cooker with the garlic.  Take chicken and cut into long strips (fajita style) and place in slow cooker.  Take half a cup of the chicken stock or half a cup of water with the dissolved chicken bouillon in ti and add  the chili powder and the cayenne pepper, give it a swirl and pour over the chicken.  cook the chicken for 3 hours on high or set in the morning before work on slow and let it cook while you are at work.    heat up so tortillas and serve!!

(note: this fed 2 adults and a child and should render at least half for left over for day 2 recipe)

Day 2: Chicken and Beef Empanadas

Take out your left over chicken and let it come to room temperature.  Take out the puff pastry and let it thaw out until it is a little soft. 

Take a pan and cook the rest of the onion (diced fine) and the yellow pepper (diced fine) and garlic with 3 tbsp of sofrito, for about 2 minutes, then add the ground beef and the beef bouillon.  cook until in browns and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Spread some flour on counter top and cut out circles for the empanadas, take remainder dough and make into a ball and roll  out into a flat dough again until you use all of it. Take each circle and spread a little like you would pizza dough around the edges.  Take a spoon and fill the centers of the empanada circles, half with left over chicken and half with the beef. Don't over fill it bc they will over flow when cooking.  Place each filling in the center and fold over and seal with fingers by pinching the edges.  To really seal before cooking, take a fork and make the edges.

Place empanadas on baking pan spaced out and brush egg wash over each for a nice golden color.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until puffed and gold brown. 

note: this will rendered 10-15 small empanadas, enough for 2 adults and 1 child and left overs for lunch.

Save the left over beef for day 3.

Day 3: White rice and Picadillo

Cook the white rice in rice cooker.  When rice is done, reheat the beef (picadillo) and throw on top of the white rice and serve!!

note: this will also render left overs! delish with sweet plantains, too.

If I can make these recipes with with a 16 month old and a 1 month old, you can too!  Try them and let me know if they worked out for you.  Don't be intimidated by Day 2, you will see how easy it actually is and you can always fill these with any filling once you know how to make them!


Buen Provecho!