empanadas

 

I have been at my computer non stop editing a ski video from our trip to telluride,  but nothing takes precedence over food! These empanadas I paired with a yummy tortilla soup. The best thing about this meal is it make the best lunch for like three days!

I always use left over roast beef from Sunday dinner for the empanada filling (you  got to get on the multiple roast thing, it comes in so handy during the week!) I saute a diced onion and a garlic clove minced, judge how much onion you use by how much meat you have left over (or how much you like onions!) Once the onions are cooked down I add the meat, with gravy and my favorite jar of salsa (my favorite is a very spicy jar that I can every harvest season, want to can salsa, start thinking salsa garden!)  That is the filling, easy peasy and it will taste good if you cooked your roast good and made your gravy good.

Now for the crust.

I do this all in a food processor.

2 1/2 c flour

1/2 t salt

1/4 cold butter  cubed

1/4 shortening cubed

1 egg beaten

1/4 c -ish water

Now if you don't have food processor, if you have 2 hands with fingers, you are still good. You just do it all with your little paws. If you are using a food processor,  measure the flour and salt and give the processor a couple pulses. Add the fats and pulse the processor till the fat is cut into the flour. Next add the egg and water, and turn on the processor and everything should turn into a ball, if it doesn't, you need more water.  If you try it and say "Nan is full of crap! what ball!" it means you plain needed more water at the beginning and its not going to turn into a ball so you are going to have to finish with your hands. I usually use closer to a 1/3 c of water.

Now its time to shape:

Grab a golf ball size of dough and roll it into a ball, smash it flat with the palm of your hand and roll it out just like a mini pie crust. It doesn't need to be perfectly round:

Now it is time to add the filling

Now it is time to make it pretty, just use your finger to tuck in the edges, use a pizza cutter to make it a perfect half circle if you are really anal, and pinch to make it "martha-sque":

Put them on a greased cookie sheet, and brush them all with an egg wash (don't know what an egg wash is you say?  crack and egg, beat it well, get a pastry brush and "paint" the pastry with it). Bake them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until golden brown.As for the tortilla soup, everything has its season, and you will have to wait for the recipe! This blog needs a long life! When warming up the empanadas for lunch the next day, don't you dare use the microwave! (it would break my heart!)  Just put them in the oven, turn it on to 350, and leave them in there for 5-10 minutes. If you have one of those little nifty toaster ovens, then you are money! To be noted, I usually double the dough, or one and a half it. The original recipe said it made 14,  well its 14 if you are making little baby ones. This recipe I say makes more like 9 or 10.