What's cooking

I decided the first meal in my new oven will be Empanadas. When my children were young and at home this was one of the meals they enjoyed helping me prepare for dinner. This is a recipe that can be made ahead of time and freeze for future use also!! So I always make it a double batch and freeze half. I usually add a salad. I also mix it up sometimes and add things like corn or fresh jalapeños what ever I have or sounds good to the filling mixture.

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

For Dough

3 cups flour
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup lard or shortening
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 egg
oil or shortening for frying

Preparation:
Mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in the lard with a pastry cutter or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg and mix into chicken broth. Mix the broth and egg into the flour mixture and knead until dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Lightly flour a surface and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 4-inch circles for small empanadas, 5-inch for medium ones or 6-inch for large ones. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the dough circle for small empanadas, 2 tablespoons for medium and 3 tablespoons for large.

For filling

2 lbs ground beef
2 small potatoes, diced into one inch cubes and boiled until soft
1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup green olives, finely chopped
2 hardboiled eggs, coarsely chopped
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in warm water for 1 hour (optional)
1 teaspoon oil

Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Put the ground beef in and begin to brown. When the beef is cooked through, add in the broth, green olives, raisins and bring to a simmer. Let the liquid reduce until it's almost gone. Fold in the eggs and potatoes and place by the spoonful into your prepared empanada dough and cook accordingly.

Fold dough over to make a filled half circle and use a fork to press the edges together. Refrigerate uncooked empanadas for 3 hours.

Fry in 350 degree oil for 6-7 minutes or until golden brown.
Instead of frying, I have been baking mine for years. At 350 until golden brown. That usually takes about 20 min. remember the inside is already cooked you are only cooking the dough.

Enjoy!