Empanadas

The area in which Bob and I live is often called the Emerald Valley. It's gorgeous, but our achingly beautiful spring is tempered by rain and fog that can cause melancholy and produce a cabin fever that makes the pacing of caged tigers seem tame. No doubt about it, you have to learn how to deal with the weather. One tactic is to head toward Mexico for the rainy season. Another, and the one we've chosen, is to forget about it. Umbrellas, except for the most formal occasions, become excess baggage and yellow slickers or Gortex become one's armor in the war against the elements. Once the temperature hits the mid 50's we are out of here. Last week we picnicked, stream side, in the canyon of a creek that meanders, sometimes forcefully, through protected forest land. It is breathtaking. It's still too wet for campfires, so I pulled empanadas from the freezer and baked them for an alfresco feast that included mugs of tomato soup, ginger tea and damp rear ends. The empanadas are not hard to do, but they do require planning. Every country in South America has its own version of these half moon pies. Some are deep fried, some are baked. I can't get my head around deep frying what is essentially pie crust, so I bake mine. These are a bit unusual in that turkey and hominy (hulled corn with the bran and germ removed) are among the ingredients used to make the filling. I use cream sherry to boost the sweetening power of the raisins. They make a great snack and older children love them. You'll need about an hour and a half to get these puppies on the table, so plan accordingly. Don't let the ingredient list turn you off - the empanadas require a lot of readily available herbs and spices and you'll have most, if not all, of them in your pantry. They empanadas can be frozen in their unbaked state. I think you'll enjoy these. Why not give them a try?

Empanadas

Ingredients:
Picadillo
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, minced
12 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons gried oregano
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika (pimenton)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 pound ground turkey
2 cups sliced crimini or button mushrooms
1/3 cup creamed sherry
1 can drained hominy
1 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup pitted, coarsely chopped pimento stuffed olives
1/4 cup plumped raisins
Pastry Dough:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup cold water
1 egg
Assembly
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup chopped pistachios or pepitas
Paprika

Directions:
1) To make picadillo, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add red pepper, onions,garlic, fennel, oregano, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cinnamon and pepper flakes; cook until vegetables are slightly wilted, about 3 minutes. Add ground turkey; saute until brown. Stir in mushrooms and cream sherry; cook until sherry is absorbed, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in hominy, cilantro, olives and raisins. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside
2 ) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
3) To make dough, Place flour, butter,salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until crumbly. Add water and egg; pulse until dough forms a ball.
Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Working on a floured surface, roll each piece into a 7-inch circle. Put 1/2 cup filling in center of each disk and fold in half. Seal edges with a fork. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheets.
4) To finish, beat remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush tops of half moons with egg wash. Sprinkle with pistachios and paprika. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Yield: 6 empanadas.