Empanadas are for lovers

This is another recipe that comes from a fantastic recipe blog out there. This one is from Elise Bauer over at Simply Recipes. I only recently discovered this treasure trove, but I have yet to try a recipe from there that hasn't been fantastic. These aren't what I would consider mainstream empanadas, but they sure are tasty. They are more Indian/curry inspired. If you're looking for a more standard, Latin American flavored empanada, you might want to this Argentinean version sounds pretty great, though as a disclaimer, I have not made those.

So I took the recipe that was posted, and I streamlined it for my kitchen a bit. Since I'm keeping myself busy with the dissertation and the job, I'm all about making quick, healthy, filling and delicious food. So, instead of making pastry at home, I picked up a package of Goya Discos para Empanadas. They are available in our international grocery store's freezer section and they are amazing. If you don't have access to them, you can also use puff pastry, wonton wrappers or make your own. The link above to the Simply Recipes version has an awesome sounding recipe for pastry.

Just as a side note, a lot of this recipe can be made ahead of time. The pork can be mixed up 1-2 days before you needed it, the assembled empanadas can be stored in the fridge for 12-24 hours and you can even freeze them before cooking for a ready-made weeknight meal. They are also great reheated after being baked.

Now, on to the recipe:

Curried Pork Empanadas:

Ingredients:

- 1 package Goya Discos, puff pastry, wonton wrappers or one batch of homemade pastry

- 1/2 lb. ground pork

- 2 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1 small-ish onion, finely chopped

- 1 tsp. garlic

- 4 mushrooms, finely chopped (optional, I used crimini, also called baby bellas)

- 1 tsp. curry powder or garam masala

- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander

- 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

- Salt and Pepper (to taste)

- 2 Tbsp. white wine (I used chardonnay)

- 1/2 tsp. soy sauce

- 2 tsp. sugar

- 1 tsp. cornstarch

Directions:

- If using discos, wonton wrappers or puff pastry, defrost.

- Heat a large frying pan. Break off bite-sized bits of pork and add to frying pan. Brown on one side, and flip to the other. Don't break up the meat too much. Remove pork from skillet.

- In the same skillet, add olive oil. Fry onions until browned. Add garlic and fry until fragrant.

- Add curry, coriander, cardamom, salt and black pepper. Fry until fragrant

- Add pork back to pan. Add wine, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch. Cook and stir to combine. If any pieces of pork seem to be too large, break them into smaller pieces with a spatula. At this point, the pork does not need to be cooked completely, but it is okay if it is.

- Remove mixture from heat, and allow it to cool for a bit.

- Assemble the empanadas by placing 1-2 tsp. of filling in each, folding over the dough and sealing the edges with water.

- Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Last night we had these with spicy corn (recipe will be coming soon) and some salad and it was to die for. I really hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Until our next dinner,

ceh.