When
my niece, Jackie, married Omar I was happy that she chose such a fine young
man. What I didn’t know was that I was
getting a fellow foodie, who was going to introduce me to foods from his
family’s native country of Ecuador. Recently,
Omar came to my home to spend an afternoon cooking. Together we made a year supply of his
favorite recipe from my blog, to Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Crackers, and he filled my
freezer with my favorite Ecuadorian Beef Empanadas.
The name comes from the Spanish verb empanar,
meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Whether an alternative to a sandwich for
lunch or a favorite appetizer for a party, this make ahead and freezer friendly
recipe is always a crowd favorite. Each
time I defrost and warm one of Omar’s empanadas, I’m reminded of the fun day we
had cooking together. Some of my
favorite food memories are cooking alongside friends, family and especially my
mom. The connection over slicing, dicing and eating are much more authentic and
intimate than going out to a restaurant. The holiday season is the perfect time to
create memories with your family or friends over a cutting board or a stove.
Make sure and snap a few pictures, so you never forget.
Ingredients:
§ 1 package Empanada
discs
§ 1/2 lb ground
beef
§ 1/2 yellow onion
- chopped
§ 1/2 red pepper -
chopped
§ 1/4 cup tomato
sauce
§ 6 Spanish olives
stuffed with pimentos
§ 2 cloves garlic
§ 1/2 teaspoon
dried oregano
§ Goya Adobo
all-purpose seasoning
§ 1 egg lightly
beaten with 1 tablespoon water
§ 2 eggs hard
boiled
§ Salt and pepper
to taste
Directions:
To hard boil eggs, place the eggs into a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt for easy peeling. Cook uncovered over high heat until the water begins to boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 12 minutes. Run eggs over cool water, peel and set aside.
