174. Recently Food Network chose a new Food Network Star, Aarti Sequeira. I was hooked each week, happy when certain contestants went home but disappointed when others continued in the competition. Aarti was one of my favorites from the beginning. And the final three were my picks from show one.
The other day I caught "Aarti Party", Aarti's new show on Food Network of Indian Cooking. She was making yummy Baked Samosas, check out the recipe here. Aarti uses store bought puff pastry dough and her recipe looked so delicious! It inspired me, so I sent my honey to the store for puff pastry dough and what came home was phyllo dough instead...when you end up with lemons...make lemonade.
I brushed the phyllo with oil and stacked three sheets for each Spicy Meat Pocket.
I used the filling for a typical taco...pound of ground meat with taco mix but I added about a cup of shredded cheese. (If you don't have taco mix then to the browned and drained meat, add small chopped onion, 1 clove crushed garlic, pinch of cumin, 1 tsp of chili powder, dash of oregano, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup finely chopped pepper. Add about 1/2 cup water or beef stock. Cook the meat till liquid has evaporated and the meat is tender). Then, just dolloped a tablespoon of meat on one corner...
then began to fold the top corner down to begin a triangular shape. I made sure to keep the dough brushed with oil.
I baked them at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. The meat filling stayed in tact and they baked beautifully. They were lightly browned, crispy and were delicious!
Aarti also has her own blog called Aarti Paarti. What a sweetheart she is..you will have to check it out. Congratulations Aarti...you were my Food Network Star from day one!!!
"I’ve been on a diet for two weeks and all I’ve lost is two weeks."
~Totie Fields
