By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The nice spring weather is here, and I'm sure you're excited to go outside and enjoy the sunshine.
My bike is already in the backseat of my car, ready for the days when I can ride on a bike path or trail after work and feel the wind on my face and see the setting sun.
In spring, it's a good idea to have a few hand-held meals like these easy Mexican meat and potato empanadas in the fridge. When it's time to eat, you just have to heat them in the oven for a few minutes.
If you're worried about making fresh dough, you shouldn't be. The dough in this recipe has just five ingredients (plus ice water) and comes together easily.
It quickly forms into a soft and flexible ball using just your fingers and a fork, and it's very forgiving as long as you let it sit in the fridge for a while before rolling it out on a floured work surface.
I used ground chorizo sausage for these empanadas because I like spicy food, but any ground or finely chopped cooked meat or vegetable, or a combination of both, makes a great filling. You can also add shredded cheese if you want.
I partially cooked the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of water in the microwave for 3 minutes, but you could also parboil them with a little salt until they are tender.
Serve with salsa verde or chimichurri for dipping. I made mine with cilantro, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of red pepper. You might end up with a little extra filling — I had enough for two street-sized breakfast tacos.
Chorizo and potato empanadas
PG tested
For dough
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
For filling
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped white onion (1/2 large)
1/2 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
2 hot chili peppers, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound loose chorizo sausage
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces and cooked
Generous pinch of Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon salt
Generous grind of fresh black pepper
Egg wash, for sealing and brushing tops of pies
Directions
Makes 8 large or 16 small empanadas.
— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette
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