It wouldn’t surprise me to find out that my kids’ friends thought I never left the kitchen. They seemed to have the knack of showing up right in the middle of me preparing supper or some weekend treat. I never minded. There is nothing more satisfying than feeding a teenage boy. Once I was making empanadillas, a dish most Georgia boys aren’t acquainted with, when a few of my sons’ friends came over. My mother-in-law, who is from Segovia, Spain, taught me how to make these. The first thing they noticed was the savory aroma that hung in the air from my simmering pan of roast beef, tomatoes, green peppers, and onions. “Smells awesome in here.” they said. “What is that?” I told them it was going to be empanadillas. The oddity of the name gave the young men some hesitation. When they were finished cooking, I offered them each one. You should have seen how their eyes brightened. They were a hit. After that, whenever they called the house, they always asked if I was making empanadillas. Of course they never quite got the name right. They didn’t say empanadillas, but empadiadas or empediamas. hahaha These were good days when the boys were young and their friends would pile into the house and fill it with such happy chaos as only boys can. My kitchen was a gathering place even for them. Feeding them was one of my fondest pleasures. This time of life goes as quickly as a plate of empanadillas in the midst of a crowd of boys. I would love to hear of your memories of food and kids. Feel free to leave a comment and a story.

Ingredients (Makes 10 6″ empanadillas)

Dough (Adapted from Daisy Cooks! Cookbook)

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
½ cup cold water
1 egg plus 1 egg white
1 tsp sherry vinegar
3 tbsp butter

Instructions
Stir the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
Beat water egg, egg white, and vinegar together in a small bowl.
Cut butter into flour mixture. I do this with my hands until it resembles crumbs.
Make a well in the center of the flour and add wet ingredients.
Stir until it forms a smooth dough.
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight.
(It can also be frozen)

Filling

For the filling

4 cups leftover roast beef
1 28oz can of whole or diced tomatoes
1 lg bell pepper
1 lg onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 bay leaf (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil for sautéing

Instructions

Sauté onion and bell pepper until translucent and add garlic and cook for 5 minutes longer or until golden.
Add tomatoes and roast beef. Salt and pepper to taste.
Let simmer until most all of the liquid has evaporated, shredding the roast beef as you stir.
When most of the liquid is gone, remove from heat and let cool.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut into 10 equal balls.
Roll each ball into a 6” circle.
Put about a 1/2 cup of filling in the center, fold, and seal edges with a fork. (pastry should be full but filling should not spill out) I usually divide the filling into 10 sections and fill each pastry as much as I can.
Fry in medium hot oil until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Empanadillas