Empanadas!

Being that I’m poor, and can’t really afford to eat out all the time down here, I have taken to becoming quite the mad scientist in the kitchen.  Tinkering with ingredients that always taste slightly different, trying new recipes from the area, singeing my eyebrows, etc.

I would like to report one very nice success amongst all my attempts at the ubiquitous local pastry: the empanada.  I tried a couple of recipes I found online, but I’ve finally settled on one that suits my lust for spicy.  Tonight’s masterpiece was composed of ground beef, chopped medium onion, diced green pepper, cumin (very heavy on the cumin), garlic powder, oregano, and diced tomatoes with juice (from a can).  The pastries themselves were store brand — I do have to make budget sacrifices somewhere, after all!

Those beauties you see there were taken right after I finished folding over the pastries.  Some people make the crimps on the edges fancy, but I suppose I’m just more utilitarian.  All you have to do after folding them (easiest if you dab your finger with water to make the edges stick) is brush both sides with a bit of oil and throw them in the oven.  You can fry them if you want them more crispy, but I prefer mine baked.  Give them about 10 or 15 on the highest setting (my oven only has a dial, I’m assuming I’m cooking them somewhere around 375-400 degrees) and BAM!  You’ve got yourself some bangin’ empanadas.

Yeah, I’m a bit proud of myself.

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