Hello friends!
This post isn’t related to sweets but contrary to popular belief I do some savory cooking as well.
I had plans to make some empanadas yesterday (one of my favorite weekend foods) because you can make them early in the day and snack on them throughout the afternoon.
They remind me of home and my Mom and my childhood. There is never a shortage of tasty, homemade dishes when my Mom is in the kitchen. She taught me how to make Argentine empanadas when I was a kid. I would sit at the kitchen table as Mom put together bunches of them and I would help by carefully sealing them closed with a fork so the yummy filling wouldn’t leak out when she fried them.
I must admit that I do not make traditional Argentine empanadas as I don’t love green olives or raisins in the meat mixture. I usually buy the frozen dough discs available in the latin frozen foods section of any grocery store and stuff them with some not so traditional fillings.
The discs I had didn’t seem quite right when they thawed so I threw them out. Always err on the side of caution, when in doubt throw it out! I really didn’t want to go to the store so I decided to try the egg roll wrappers we had in the fridge instead.
One of my very Irish~American hubby’s favs has been my Philly Cheesesteak empanadas. This includes all the usual suspects that you would find in your favorite cheesesteak such as shaved steak, cheese sautéed onions & mushrooms, peppers etc. The tuna empanadas that was my absolute weakness as a child includes canned tuna. Yes, I said canned tuna. (We buy Wild Planet wild albacore tuna 100% pole & troll caught) sautéed onions and red peppers, fresh mozzarella cubes and a hint of cayenne pepper, salt, freshly cracked black pepper.
Now to yesterdays new addition, the Italian empanadas/ egg roll. Prosciutto de Parma, caramelized onions, sautéed julienne red peppers, cubed fresh mozzarella, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper wrapped in an egg roll wrapper and deep-fried in 350 degree oil/shortening til golden brown.
They were amazing! The crispy and delicate dough was a perfect vehicle for the salty, cheesy and slightly sweet filling. These weren’t as good at room temperature as the traditional empanadas but they reheated really well in the toaster oven so they were still great weekend snacks.
I had never given much thought to egg roll wrappers before, now I can’t stop thinking of new combinations of ingredients to stuff into those versatile little sheets of dough.
Just goes to show you that sometimes the old adage is still true, necessity is the mother of invention. At least it is in my kitchen.
Sweet regards, Monica
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