So the first challenge that cooking in a strangers kitchen presents is that you don't know what's available to you.
Another of my babysitting friends is charged by her 'Parents' to do the grocery shopping for their child, therefore she is able to build her own menu. I have not been given such a resource as my own grocery list, so often I improvise.
Picky children also present a further obstacle in their hatred of new flavors and textures. There was a time where I just cooked things right out of the freezer; potstickers, burritos, taquitos, burgers, and of course plain spaghetti in red sauce. I made the mistake of giving them options and not taking charge of their meals. One night their parents observed this 'bullying' as the children complained about having to eat their veggies or something and told me not to take it anymore.
"You make it, and they have to eat it."
No more choices. I was the culinary overlord and if the children complained, that was too bad for them. So I started to venture out. I got excited one day and decided to try and make my version of empanadas, something I hadn't made since college. Of course the older one, the pre-teen monster of the two children I watch, declared they had already had empanadas before and he didn't like them. I asked if he could describe an empanada to me and as I predicted he couldn't.
How did I know? Because both he and his brother have problems connecting the right words to the right images whether it's and object, a story, or themselves. For example I once made an apple pie and 'Pre-Teen' described the filling as a 'custard'. I corrected him, something which he hates.
Slaving in the kitchen, I presented the little pies to the boys who were a bit suspicious, especially when I told them there were cranberries in there. However their parents arriving home, scolded them about how lucky they were to have someone make food from scratch for them and not to be ungrateful. It turned out the boys liked them plently, though Pre-Teen still picked out his cranberries.
Bastard Empanadas
-One pie crust from Smitten Kitchens All Butter Pie Crust recipe or some store bought crust. Personally I can't stand store bought crusts but they're easy and to each their own
For the filling:
-About 3 quarters of a pound of chicken breast
-2 or 3 tbsp of Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning, or your favorite taco seasoning packet
-Half a medium onion, whatever color, diced
-Half a medium bell pepper, whatever color, diced
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-A few tablespoons of tomato sauce
-1/4 cup of raisins. I only had cranberries on hand which were fine with me.
-1 1/2 tbsp butter
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 egg, whisked, for egg wash, or a little milk
-1 1/2 cups of defrosted veggie mix, I like the Organic Foursome from Trader Joe's, but I didn't have any on hand so instead I used:
-2 small to medium carrots, diced and blanced
-1/2 cup of defrosted corn
If you're using homemade pie crust, do so, roll out about 8-10 dough balls, depending on how large you want your empanadas, then let it get cold in the fridge. Set your oven to 375 degrees. While it heats, sprinkle at least a tablespoon of the taco seasoning on the chicken breast and rub it in. Heat some oil in a pan and cook the chicken breast through, about 3 or four minutes on the first side and 3 min on the second. This will of course vary depending on the thickness of the meat. When cooked through, set aside to cool.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and saute the onions and bell pepper until very soft, then add in veggies and a tablespoon more of the taco seasoning. After the veggies get a bit soft and take on color, take pan off the heat and go shred your chicken.
Add the shredded chicken back into your pan, no heat needed, tossing it with the veggies, then add the dried fruit and tomato sauce. The sauce just gives the whole thing a nice bit of color and flavor, and adds a bit of moisture without making the filling too wet. Make sure to let the filling cool to room temp, otherwise your dough will become a mess.
By now your crust dough should be cold again. Roll each ball into a round disk onto a well floured surface, about 1/8-1/4 of an inch thick. In the center add a few tablespoons of filling. Fold over till the edges about match and crimp with a fork. Remember to poke or cut a few vents into your little meat pies. Set the empanadas on few cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Moving the empanadas might require a wide spatula. Brush the pies with the egg wash or milk and bake for about 35-45 min, until the crust is a nice golden brown.
