NO ORDINARY TURNOVER

Last week I indulged in celebrating a national holiday.  That’s right, you guessed it.  April 8^th was National Empanada Day.   Mmmm….so good!  A friend of mine shared some of this savory, stuffed pastry goodness and I’m still licking my lips.  This is no ordinary turnover!  

Now, you all know I love to cook, so I had to add empanadas to culinary favorites.  Of course, her great grandmother’s recipe wouldn’t leave her lips, so I had to go searching for my own.  I found these two recipes for empanadas that will be a great addition to my next gathering. 

I decided to make a savory and a sweet empanada.  Try it and tell me what you think!

Puerto Rican Style Empanadas

Dough:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil

1 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon annato seed (optional for color)

Filling:

1 lb. browned ground beef or cooked shredded chicken

1/2 medium onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/8 c. chopped fresh cilantro

1/8 c. sliced green olives

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4-1/2 jalapeno, minced (optional)

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 pkg. Goya Sazon with annatto

For cooking:

1 cup vegetable oil for frying.

DOUGH: Combine all the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric

mixer; add all wet ingredients. Mix for about 3 minutes until well

combined. Dough will form.  Remove dough and knead for about 3 minutes, let sit wrapped in plastic wrap for another 15 minutes. Divide into 12 pieces, then roll into 4 inch circles.

FILLING: Brown ground beef (drain excess grease), or sauté shredded chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add all the ingredients and cook for an additional 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Let cool.

COOKING: Preheat the vegetable oil in a frying pan at about a medium

temperature. Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling in the dough and

seal the edges with a fork.  Deep fry for about 5 minutes on each side, then place on dish lined with papertowels.

Press another layer of paper towels over the top. Serve.

Makes 12 Empanadas.

Submitted by: Yasmin Hernandez

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/bs5c658i/empanadas.html

Mexican Empanadas (Dessert)

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened

1 (3oz) package cream cheese

1 cup sifted all purpose flour

1 cup fruit preserves

1/3 cup white sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Day before: cream butter and cream cheese together until smoothly blended.  Beat in the flour.  Shape dough in to a smooth ball, wrap in foil or cling wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to a week.

At baking time: Remove dough from refrigerator 30 minutes before using.  Start heating oven to 375 degrees F.  Roll chilled dough thin.  Cut with a 3 or 4 inch round cutter.  Place small spoonfuls of ham in center of each round, moisten edges with water. 

Fold round over and press edges together.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 15-20 minutes.  Immediately roll in sugar mixed with cinnamon (traditional) OR in confectioner’s sugar if preferred.  

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Empanadas/Detail.aspx?evt19=1&referringHubId=1217

Mending Maria

P.S.  If you have a different recipe for empanadas, share it with me.  Email me at info@mendingmaria.com