Empanadas, Pinto Beans, and Tomato Lime Soup

Today we're making something a little Mexican/Caribbean.

We're making empanada filled with what we call, "El Pollo Chicken". Yes, I know, El Pollo means "The Chicken". However, that what it ended up being called over time in the house I grew up in. My mother makes this out of real chicken. We, out of Quorn. It is inspired by the chicken they serve at El Pollo Loco, however, not exactly the same, being more Caribbeanesque with the pineapple juice.


Marinade For "Meat":
1/3 cup Lemon juice
1/3 cup Pineapple Juice
1/3 cup Lime juice
1/2 cup Oil
1 teaspoon Ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper


With it we're serving spicy beans in cumin, stock and love:

Canned Pinto Beans (Rinsed Extremely Well)
Cumin (1.5 tbsp per can of beans)
Jalapeno Peppers (1 per can of beans, sliced into rings)
Can of Veggie Stock (1 per 3 cans of beans)

And a soup from the Sundays At Moosewood Resturant Cookbook called Sopa de Lima. It is a tomato based soup with limes, garlic and chiles, we well as some monterey jack and cilantro.

In addition we are serving a delicious rum punch from that same cookbook. I must share the mix with you:
1 oz Pomegrante Syrup (Aka Grenedine)
1 oz Lime Juice
8 oz Orange Juice
8 oz Pineapple Juice
6 oz Rum (The Darker The Better)

It reminds me quite a bit of the drink served on the way back from our snorkeling expedition on St Thomas during our honeymoon. At the time of writing this post, I've tasted several glasses full of our Pitcher, and will need to make more.

--Michael