"Irish" Hot Pockets

When I was trying to come up with a fitting name for this post I had to think twice about including the words "hot pockets". After recent unflattering news about the frozen convenience food was everywhere I looked, I wasn't too sure if this was going to attract my readers attention or turn them away. Good news though, my hot pockets have nothing in common with their grocery store namesake and you can safely cook and enjoy them for your own family. ;-)

 

St. Patrick's Day has been one of those holiday's that my kids, no matter how old they get, always look forward to because of the delicious food. My youngest started asking a couple of weeks ago if I was going to fix my Glazed Corned Beef and Colcannon, while my sixteen year old is all about the Irish Soda Bread. While all of these favorites, along with my St. Patrick's Day Chia Seed Pudding will be making an appearance on St. Patrick's Day, I'm always thinking of some new and interesting recipes to add to my collection for the holiday.

The idea for these Hot Pockets came to me the other day while in the kitchen and I thought they would be a tasty addition to our St. Patrick's Day menu. The filling is a fairly simple combination of fried cabbage and corned beef. The meat can either be bought from the deli counter at your local supermarket or you can use leftover cooked corned beef. The cabbage mixture gets topped with a sprinkle of Dubliner Cheese and then everything gets encased in a flaky puff pastry crust. A quick bake in the oven and you are all set with the tastiest hot pockets you've ever had. 

A homemade thousand island dipping sauce for the baked pastries adds the final touch, but if you prefer, mustard is also wonderful served alongside. The finished pockets are a great addition to any St. Patrick's Day celebration. Make them as appetizers for a party or simply add a salad on the side for a filling meal. If it's any indication, my boys inhaled them in 5 minutes flat and proclaimed they had a new St. Patrick's Day favorite.

"Irish" Hot Pockets
~makes 12 pockets~
(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:
For the filling:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. corned beef, finely cubed (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped (about 4 cups)
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 pinch white sugar
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

For the pockets:
3 sheets puff pastry, thawed (1 1/2 boxes)
Prepared cabbage filling (see above)
3 oz. Dubliner cheese, finely grated
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water for egg-wash
Flour for work surface
Thousand Island Dipping Sauce (Recipe to follow)

Directions:
For the filling: In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the cubed corned beef and saute until slightly crispy and golden brown. 

Add the onions. Cook for 1 minute, then add the cabbage along with water, vinegar, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until cabbage wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set mixture aside to cool.

For the pockets: Pre-heat oven to 375 ° F. Line three baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. 

Flour your work surface. Carefully unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Roll into a 10x12-inch rectangle. Using a ruler, cut the rectangle in half (you should now have two 5x12-inch rectangles), then cut each of those rectangles into 4 equal pieces, leaving you with eight 3x5-inch rectangles.

Place 4 rectangles on one of your prepared baking sheets. Add 2 scant tablespoons of the prepared cabbage filling right down the middle of your rectangles leaving about 1/4 inch all the way around, making sure not to over fill. Top the filling with a pinch of the grated cheese.

Brush all 4 edges of each rectangle with your prepared egg-wash. Place the remaining puff pastry rectangles on top and using a fork seal all the edges by crimping all the way around.

Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator while you work on the second and third sheet of puff pastry in the same manner. Place all the finished  pockets in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before proceeding.

Remove baking sheets one at a time from fridge and brush tops of the pockets with remaining egg wash. With a sharp knife, carefully cut 3 small vents in each pocket. Bake in your pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes (rotating once) or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving them with the Thousand Island Dipping Sauce.

Notes: I asked for a couple of slices of 1/4-inch corned beef at my deli, but leftover cooked corned beef would be equally wonderful.

The filling can be made a day ahead of time. Keep it in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the hot pockets.

I used Dubliner Cheese from Kerrygold. The flavor is reminiscent of cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan. If you can't find it, Swiss, Gruyere or a sharp white cheddar will also work.

The baked pockets are best eaten the same day and taste best right out of the oven (after a quick cooling time so you don't scorch the skin in your mouth. Trust me, I've been there).

The thousand island dipping sauce can also be made a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

 A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe 

Homemade Thousand Island Dipping Sauce
~makes about 3/4 cup~
(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain (2%) Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. Ketchup
2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
1 Tbsp. red onion, finely diced
1 tsp. white vinegar
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2-3 dashes Hot sauce (optional)

Directions:
Add all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld.

Sauce slightly adapted from: Kitchen Treaty

Rustic Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Tart

Valentine's Day is only a few days away and everywhere you look you are being inundated with chocolate desserts. Don't get me wrong, I like chocolate as much as the next person, but over the years my taste buds are definitely changing. These days I find myself gravitating towards fruit based desserts more often than not. There is just something about the combination of sweet and slightly sour or tart that seems to go oh so well together.

As far as desserts go, today's recipe comes together quickly and ranks high in the fruit satisfaction department. Store bought puff pastry sheets, a creamy no-bake cheesecake filling laced with a luscious lemon curd and topped with glorious sweet, red raspberries. Perfection! I made my own lemon curd following my recipe for Meyer Lemon Curd, but store bought is a perfectly fine substitution and will help to streamline the process.

The combination of flaky crust, creamy filling, and fresh fruit makes this dessert irresistible in my book. This is the perfect alternative for all of you non-chocolate lovers (like my husband) and I don't think that the chocolate connoisseurs would even mind a slice of this beautiful tart. 

Rustic Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Tart
~makes 1 tart~
(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but still cold
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/3 cup lemon curd, homemade or store-bought
1 pint raspberries
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, warmed
Powdered sugar

Directions:
For the tart: Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Unfold the thawed out puff pastry on a lightly flour dusted area and gently roll into a 10x11 inch rectangle. Carefully transfer to your baking sheet.

Brush edges with a little bit of water and fold over all 4 sides to create a lip. Using a fork, poke holes all over the center of your tart. Gently brush the entire tart with an egg wash and sprinkle about 2 tsp. of sugar over the center. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully with the back of a spoon press the center back down if it has puffed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For the filling: In a bowl combine softened cream cheese and sugar. Mix with a hand-mixer or by hand until smooth and the sugar is well incorporated. Add the heavy cream and mix for about 1 minute. Fold in the lemon curd. 

To assemble the tart: Carefully spread your lemon cheesecake mixture over the center of your cooled tart crust. Arrange berries decoratively over the curd and drizzle with the warmed jam. Dust the tart with powdered sugar.

Notes: This tart is best made and eaten on the same day. You can prepare the tart along with the cheesecake filling ahead of time. Refrigerate the filling and assemble the tart right before eating.

Other berries would be lovely as well. I bet blueberries, strawberries, blackberries or a combination would also be great!

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

 

....And the Halloween Food continues

 

The Halloween fun continues today on Susi's Kochen und Backen with a couple more ghoulish treats. Earlier this week I featured fun drinks like "Swamp Juice" and appetizers like "Eye of Newt" and today is no different with a couple more fun party foods like "Vampire Blood Shots" and "Puff Pastry Intestines". Now, who wouldn't want to come to THAT party?

When trying to come up with a themed party my planning always starts with the food. A good mix of finger food is easiest to serve, since it allows your guests to walk around and be social. I like to have a good mix of cold and warm appetizers, some that contain meat and some for all the vegetarians . If in doubt, a vegetable platter, cheese tray or fruit platters are always a hit and they can round out your buffet.  One of my big requirements for "fun" food is that it has to be appealing to the eye as well as the taste buds.

Kicking it off today are the "Vampire Blood Shots". Now, I need you all to humor me and pretend that I'm serving these fun shooters in Test Tubes rather than shot glasses. I had ordered a test tube set to display them in, but of course, I'm still waiting for them to be delivered. Plan B to the rescue. While not quite as cool looking as test tubes, serving the "Blood" in shot glasses works just as well. The blood happens to be a very quickly cooked, but incredibly tasty tomato soup that can easily be made a day ahead. Since tomatoes aren't at their prime anymore, I went with a couple of cans of whole tomatoes which are always flavorful and at their best taste. A smooth soup is key when you are serving it  "drink-style" and with that I relied on my food mill to get the right texture. A fine mesh strainer will do the job as well though.

Second up are the "Puff Pastry Intestines". I found them on The Knead for Speed who had adapted it from canarygirl.com and the second I laid I eyes on this fun treat I was hooked. My boys coming home from school, seeing them on the counter and exclaiming "most awesome guts EVER!" confirmed my excitement. They are pretty simple to make, all you need is a bit of time. Puff Pastry is cut into strips, filled with a meat filling, then pinched together to form one long continuous roll before being placed in a 9 x 13 inch pan (here is a great tutorial). Red food coloring adds a bit of gore. The puff pastry sheets were pretty easy to work with in the beginning, only towards the end it became difficult and started to fall apart on me when transferring to my baking dish. Not a big deal though since intestines aren't all that neat anyway. This recipe can also be made ahead and refrigerated until ready for baking. They are great fresh out of the oven but still tasty at room temperature.

I hope you all enjoyed the recipes featured this week on my blog. I figured with so much candy around and more treats and sweets to come in the next couple of months, it would be fun to show a different food side of Halloween.

Since I'm trying to get ready for this weekend, I'm wishing you all a Happy Halloween at this point! Enjoy yourselves, whether you are hosting a party, going to a party, or simply getting into the fun by handing out candy to all the little ghosts and goblins out there. See you next week!

Vampire Blood Shots

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes

2 vegetable bouillon cubes

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pinch of sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions:

In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add the whole tomatoes and crush with a potato masher. Add the bouillon cubes, salt, pepper, sugar, basil, oregano and cook covered for about 15 minutes.

Pour mixture through a food mill, discard solids or alternatively pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer, making sure to press all the liquid out of the mixture.

Return strained soup to the pot. Check for additional seasoning. Add the heavy cream and balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use and re-heat.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

Puff Pastry Intestines

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 (17.3 ounce) package frozen puff pastry

Meat filling (recipe to follow)

1 egg, beaten

red food coloring

small paintbrush

Directions:

Thaw puff pastry according to package directions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Cut each puff pastry sheet lengthwise into 6 strips. Lightly flour a big work area, table, or kitchen island and lay each strip next to one another. (I did 4 strips at a time) Press and seal the seams between the strips.

Spread the filling down the entire length of the dough, leaving a bit of space on each side to pinch closed.

Pinch the entire length of the dough closed, stretching the dough slightly around the filling as you go.

Carefully lift intestine into your baking dish, seam-side down, and form an "intestine-like" pattern.

Brush puff pastry with beaten egg. Dip small paintbrush into red food coloring and draw "blood" in the creases.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Meat Filling for "Puff Pastry Intestines"

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey

1/4 medium onion, finely diced

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon ketchup

Directions:

Brown meat in a pan until no longer pink. Add onions, corn, taco seasoning, water and ketchup. Cook for about 5 minutes or until water is dissolved. Let cool before filling the puff pastry. 

Adapted from: The Knead for Speed and canarygirl.com