Category: unfold your menu

Posted on

Arepas con Queso (Encanto)

Hello, 2023!

This year is off to a magical start as my family counts down to another Disney trip! I’m determined to share more of our Disney day magic with you all. Thank you so much for sticking around as I take my breaks. This blog is such an outlet, but staying consistent isn’t always easy!

Let’s get to it.

Since Encanto came out over a year ago, we have enjoyed many an arepa. I have to admit we hadn’t had them before, but now they are requested for just about any occasion- and they are so easy to make! Am I promising magical healing? No. But you’ll make some hungry littles very happy!

Arepas con Queso

Ingredients:

– 2 Cups P. A.N. or pre-cooked cornmeal

– 1.5 C warm water

– 1/2 C milk

– 1tsp+ of sea salt

– 1 C mozzarella or a soft cheese, shredded

Directions:

– In a large bowl or standing mixer, slowly stir together the P.A.N., warm water, and milk. Slowly add the liquids to help evenly mix the ingredients.

It might seem slightly goopy. Don’t be alarmed. Just make sure it mixes well. If it’s too sticky (doesn’t hold its shape) add P.A.N. in TBSP increments.

– Measure our around 2TBSP of dough. Roll it into a ball, and then use your palms to flatten it to be about .25” thick.

There is always background noise in my house. And this video is being used for a reel, so you need that snap 😂.

– Sprinkle cheese on the formed circle, and then top it with another 2TBSP circle of dough. Pinch the sides.

– Using a pre-heated cast-iron skillet or regular skillet lined with butter or oil, place the patties in the skillet and pan-fry each side around 2-3 minutes.

– The cheese should be melted in the center. I sprinkled some extra salt on top and we ate these with some beans and guacamole!

Posted on

Zero to Hero Chicken Kabobs

It has been a long time, but here we are again! We are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Disney’s Hercules with an inspired Disney Day.

As I posted a sneak-peak reel on Instagram, I thought we’d start with this amazing recipe. It’s also positively perfect for the summer. So let’s get to it.

Zero to Hero Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 lb of chicken breasts, cut into pieces
  • 1/4 C olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice (I use fresh if I have it on hand)
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2.5 tsp dried oregano
  • 1.5 tsp basil
  • 1/2 tsp fresh thyme (or ground)
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 large bell peppers (we used green and yellow, but we have used red and orange before, too), cut into pieces for kabobs
  • 1 large red onion, cut into pieces for kabobs
  • 3 zucchini, cut into pieces for kabobs

Directions:

  • In a bowl, mix together your olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, coriander, and season with salt/pepper to taste. Whisk it all together to create your marinade. Place chicken into marinade in a sealed ziplock bag or sealed bowl. Let sit for 45 minutes to two hours. If you’re using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes.
  • Toss veggies in extra olive oil to prep them for grilling. Once your chicken has marinaded, put everything on your skewers. Use a basting brush to brush the veggies with leftover marinade from your bowl or bag.
  • Preheat your grill over medium-high heat. Once it’s ready, brush grill with olive oil and place skewers on grill. Grill until chicken registers 165 with meat thermometer. This will be about 10-12 minutes. Rotate your kabobs halfway through cooking.

Easy and delicious! Serve these with some yummy tzatziki sauce and homemade pita!

Stay tuned for more fun from our Hercules day!

Posted on

Brave Bridies and a Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone! I have to admit, I’m so happy it’s 2022. I’m not entirely sure why, but it just feels like a wonderful fresh start.

We are starting the new year with a highly underrated film (in my humble opinion): Brave. Not only do I love Merida, but her mom, Eleanor, is one of my favorite Disney moms, ever.

For this film, I wanted to make a meat pie. So I did some research, and found that Bridies is a traditional Scottish dish and it’s exactly what I was looking for! Think shepherd’s pie with a good crust and no potatoes.

I tried this with two different crusts and can’t decide which one I like best (my family was torn as well). So, I’ll give you both options!

Scottish Bridie

Ingredients:

– Two frozen pie crusts OR two rolls of Pillsbury crescents

– 1 TBSP olive or vegetable oil

– 1 lb ground lamb (or beef or Turkey)

– 1/3 C chopped onion

– 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

– 1 tsp dried thyme

– 1/2 tsp nutmeg

– 1/3 C rolled oats

– 1/2 C – 1 C beef stock or gravy *I used water + “better than beef bouillon”*

– salt and pepper

– 1 egg *optional*

Directions:

– Heat your oven to 400°F.

– Pour your oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meat and onion and cook, moving to break up the meat. Cook until the onion is translucent and the meat is completely cooked through.

– Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, nutmeg, oats, and beef stock. Cook for an additional three minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

The oats work as a sort of roux, thickening the gravy and filling. Makes it much more filling!

– Spray a pie dish. If using crescents, roll out each roll so it is one giant sheet of dough. Place one of these into your pie dish. This will work much nicer than my Tetris version:

If using pie crust, place in traditionally.

– Put your filling into your crust. If using traditional pie crust, pinch the sides using a fork and trim extra dough. Cut slits into the top to vent. Brush the top with egg.

If using crescents, use your other rolled out roll as the top. I did not vent it with these, as my Tetris version wasn’t completely sealed.

– Bake for 30-40 minutes. Check to see that your crust, regardless of kind, is looking nice and golden.

Serve warm. This is positively delicious, and even my picky kids who oddly do not like pie crust or crescents, ate this dish!

For a more traditional way of serving, consider making individual pies!