New and Refreshing Recipes To Try This Spring
March 27, 2024
Spinach and Green P ea Empanadas
Ingredients
Dough
- 1½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or lard
- 2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera)
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting on dough
Filling
- 10 ounces spinach, stemmed
- ½ cup shelled fava beans or thawed frozen lima beans
- ¼ pound green beans
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint
- 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Time
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 32 servings
Directions
In a small saucepan, combine the water, salt, butter and paprika and bring to a boil. Pour the mix into a large bowl; let cool to room temperature. Stir in the 3¾ cups of flour until the dough forms. On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough until smooth; wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
In a saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the spinach for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the spinach to a colander. Add the fava beans to the boiling water and cook until bright green, around 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fava beans to a plate. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until tender, around 4 minutes; drain and finely chop the green beans. Peel the outer skins from the fava beans. Squeeze the excess water from the spinach, then coarsely chop it.
In a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until softened, around 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, around 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach, fava beans, green beans and peas and cook, stirring, until heated through, around 2 minutes. Stir in the mint and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly oil 2 large baking sheets. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough ⅛-inch thick. Using a 3½-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 32 rounds from the dough. Moisten the edge of 1 dough round with water. Mound 1 tablespoon of the vegetable filling on half of the round and fold the other side over. Press to seal the dough; pinch at intervals to make pleats. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds and filling.
Arrange the empanadas on the prepared baking sheets and bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for about 30 minutes, until browned. Serve the empanadas warm or at room temperature.
Pasta al Limone
Ingredients
- 1lemon
- 12 ounces spaghetti or similar pasta
- Kosher salt
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 ounces finely grated Parmesan (about ¾ cup)
- Freshly ground black pepper
Time
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Directions
Using a vegetable peeler, remove two 2-inch-long strips of zest from 1 lemon. Thinly slice each strip lengthwise into thin strands; set aside for serving. Finely grate remaining lemon zest into a large pot. Cut zested lemon in half and squeeze out enough fresh lemon juice to yield 2 tablespoons into a small bowl; set aside.
Cook spaghetti in another large pot of boiling, heavily salted water according to package directions, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce).
Add ¾ cup of heavy cream to the pot with the lemon zest and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until the liquid is just beginning to simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk in 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter until melted and the sauce is creamy. Remove from the heat.
Just before the pasta is al dente, scoop out 1½ cups of pasta water. Add ¾ cup of pasta water to the cream sauce and return to medium heat. Using tongs, transfer the spaghetti to the pot with sauce. Cook the pasta, tossing often and adding 3 ounces of finely grated Parmesan, around ¾ cup, little by little, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy, around 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the reserved lemon juice. If the sauce looks tight, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more pasta water. Season with more salt, if needed.
Divide pasta among bowls. Season with freshly ground black pepper, then garnish with the reserved lemon zest strips.
As we move into the second quarter of another exciting year, I want to take a moment to reflect on our accomplishments and share some of the new initiatives we are implementing in the realms of sales, marketing and community engagement. Over the past year, GBU Life has reached significant milestones thanks to the dedication and hard work of our team and the trust and support of our members. Our sales department has exceeded targets, and we have expanded our reach to more communities than ever before. We have launched several successful marketing campaigns that have not only increased our visibility but have also strengthened our brand's presence in the industry. For this year, our focus will be educating potential new members on the importance of securing their financial futures through life insurance and annuity products while serving their communities as part of our great Society. Looking ahead, we are committed to enhancing our sales strategies to better serve you. We are introducing some tools for our agents to enhance our products. One new tool is our Defined Benefit Annuity program which combines the Future Flex Fixed Index Annuity (FIA) with a software tool that can help determine retirement savings needs and break them down into contributions over time to help you meet your retirement goals. Be sure to keep in touch with your GBU agent to review your plans and products to see how adding an FIA to your retirement planning can help boost your savings efforts
GBU members between the ages of three and nine years old can enter their colored page in this year's contest, which is themed Pawprints on My Heart. Three age categories will be judged as follows: Category I: Ages three and four Category II: Ages five and six Category III: Ages seven, eight and nine Entrants may use crayons, colored pencils, markers or watercolor paints. Entries will be accepted through Monday, August 18, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. The picture on the next page can be reproduced, or copies can be obtained by calling the Community Engagement Team at the GBU Home Office (800-765-4428) or by printing the image above. Cash Prizes for Each Category First prize: $75 Second prize: $50 Third prize: $30 How to Enter Send the three- to nine-year-old GBU member's coloring contest entry with their name and address on the colored page to: GBU Life ATTN: Member Benefits 4254 Saw Mill Run Boulevard Pittsburgh, PA 15227-3394. Or email contest@gbu.org with "Coloring Contest Entry” as the subject line. General Information Judges reserve the right to accept or reject any or all entries. Their decisions will be final. Artwork will be handled at the GBU Home Office with the utmost care. GBU reserves the right to reproduce entries for whatever use it wishes, provided proper credit is given. Permission does not include the sale of such work.
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