4th of July leftovers

Chef Mimi J's Smoked Brisket Empanadas and Chicken Fried Rice

EMPANADA DOUGH
Ingredients
 3 cups all-purpose flour
 ¼ to 1/2 teaspoon salt
 6 oz unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
 1 egg
 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water or milk, adjust as needed to obtain a soft and smooth dough

Instructions
1 Making homemade empanada dough:
2 Mix the flour and salt in a food processor.
3 Add the butter and pulse
4 Add the egg and the water or milk (in small increments) and continue pulsing
until a clumpy dough forms.
5 Split the dough into 2 large ball, flatten slightly into the shape of disks.
6 Roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut out round disc shapes for
empanadas (use round molds or a small plate). You can also make small individual balls with the dough and roll out each individual ball to a round shape.

LEFTOVER BRISKET EMPANADAS
INGREDIENTS
For the Empanadas:
 ½ cup red onion, diced
 ½ cup sweet bell peppers, a mix of green, red and yellow, diced
 1 cup leftover brisket, roughly chopped
 2 clove garlic, diced
 1 tablespoon jalapeño, diced
 2 tablespoon BBQ sauce
 ½ teaspoon cayenne
 2 tablespoons parsley
 empanada dough (or you store bought dough)

For the Crème Fraîche BBQ Dipping Sauce:
 3 tablespoons crème fraîche
 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
 1 teaspoon hot sauce (try garlic chalula )
 ¼ teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1 Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

For the Empanadas:
1 In a medium sized skillet add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and add onions and
peppers and cook about 5 minutes, until starting to soften.
2 Add the brisket, garlic, and jalapeño, and 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce, and cook
an additional 5 minutes.
3 Place the mixture in the food processor, add the cayenne powder and
parsley, and pulse a few times (just enough to mix everything together, but not so much that your filling looks like a paste). Taste and adjust seasonings.
If it's too dry, add an additional tablespoon of BBQ sauce and pulse again.
4 Roll out dough into 12 squares approximately 3" by 3". If you are using store bought dough roll it out a little thinner than the way it comes from the box.
5 Brush the edges with egg wash, and place 1-1 ½ tablespoons of the filling in the center. Fold one edge to meet the opposite edge and seal edges together by pinching and folding.
6 Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7 Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is golden.

LEFTOVER CHICKEN FRIED RICE
Ingredients
2 cups leftover cooked jasmine rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
1 cup diced bell pepper, red and green
1/2 cup carrots cubed (frozen optional)
1/2 cup fresh peas (frozen optional)
1 tablespoon finely minced, peeled ginger root
3 tablespoons water
2 leftover, chicken breasts, remove bone and skin and cut into cubes
2 eggs, beaten
2-3 tablespoons lite soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions
Refrigerate leftover rice works so much better than fresh cooked rice for this recipe.
To fry the rice: Add olive oil to a large nonstick skillet or wok. Over medium onions, bell pepper,
peas, carrots and ginger and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add chicken and garlic and allow to cook for 3 more minutes. Add
cooked rice and water and increase heat to medium-high.
Push rice to one side and add beaten eggs to the other side, scramble quickly then toss in with the rice mixture. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil.
Remove from the heat and toss in the cilantro and top with scallions. 

For more information about Chef Mimi J, click here.