All you touch and all you see, is all your life will ever be...

The post I bring to you today I believe is my favorite in quite awhile. Empanadas, a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried in many countries in Western Europe, Latin America, and parts of Southeast Asia. The name comes from the verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Empanada is made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing. The stuffing usually consists of a variety of meat, cheese, vegetables or fruits, among others. Empanadas trace their origins to Galicia and Portugal (this fact surprised me as I thought they originated in Latin America). They first appeared in medieval Iberia during the time of the Moorish invasions. A cookbook published in Catalan in 1520, the Libre del Coch by Ruperto de Nola, mentions empanadas filled with seafood among its recipes of Catalan, Italian, French, and Arabian food. In turn, it is believed that empanadas and the similar calzones are both derived from the Arabic meat-filled pies, samosas. After reading many empanada recipes, I chose beef, lot of veggies, and a mix of spices to fill mine. I used mango chutney and dates to add a hint of sweetness. I wanted to make sure my empanadas were not overly dense (it is important to roll the dough very thin). Do not be discouraged by the length of ingredients and instructions (honestly stuffing them took the most time). These are certainly worth the effort as they were truly delectable. This recipe makes many empanadas, after they are baked they may easily be frozen and reheated.

1 lb ground beef

1 T olive oil

1/4 C red bell pepper diced (about 1/4 pepper)

1/2 C carrots diced (about 1 carrot)

1/2 C celery diced (about 1 stalk)

1 medium onion, diced

1 jalapeno, chopped

6 dates chopped

1 tomato chopped

2 T Worcestershire sauce

2 T mango chutney

1/4 t paprika

1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t garlic powder

1-2 t cumin

2 t sea salt

2 C loosely packed spinach leaves

1 C loosely packed cilantro

2 1/4 C of flour
1 1/2 t of salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced
1 large egg
1/3 C of ice water
1 T distilled white vinegar

For the dough:

Sift flour along with the salt into a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter (or fork) to work in the butter until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal and has only a few remaining small lumps of butter. You can also do this with your fingers by rubbing the butter into the flour.

In a separate small bowl, beat the egg, water and vinegar together with a fork. Stir it into the dry mixture until it’s just incorporated.

Flour your hands and shape the dough into a ball. Place it on a lightly floured surface and use a light hand to knead it gently a few times before forming it into a flattened ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

For the filling:

Start by heating half the oil in a large pan over medium high heat, add the carrots, celery, bell pepper, jalapeno, onion and garlic, saute for 5-7 minutes. While sauteing, add 1/4 t of cinnamon, 1/2 t cumin and 1/4 t sea salt. Remove veggies from pan to a medium bowl.

In the same pan heat the rest of the oil over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. While cooking add the nutmeg, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, garlic powder, worcestershire sauce and mango chutney. Use a wooden spoon to break up the beef into small pieces.

Once the beef is mostly cooked add the tomato and spinach and add back in the veggies, simmer for a few more minutes until the beef is thoroughly cooked. Add the cilantro and turn off of heat.

To assemble, have the empanada dough ready, rolled out (using 1/4-1/2 c. more flour as needed) cut into circles with a 4-5 inch diameter. Add about 2 Tbsp of the filling into each circle. Fold over, leaving a little extra dough on the bottom layer to pinch up and fold over the top layer. Repeat until all sides are sealed with a pinch. Or you could just use a fork to pinch the edges together. Place the empanadas in a parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes before baking to let everything set together and get the crust nice and cold.

Brush the top of each empanada with an egg wash of egg and water to get that nice golden brown color.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 375 degree oven or until golden brown.

Serve with additional mango chutney, hot sauce, and sour cream.

Until tomorrow...Peace.