Empanadas!

International food week has been going well. The Orange Chicken on Monday was good for a crockpot option and well-liked.  We mixed the green beans and some sesame seeds in with the sauce for a more robust dish.  On Tuesday, we had Tamales (Mexico/Central America), Wednesday we tried out a new Chicken Lasagna Roll-ups Recipe (Italy?)- fine, but not spectacular.  Today though, I was quite pleased with our first try at from-scratch Empanadas (Spain).  

To be honest, I tried repeatedly to by Empanada rounds so I could just add filling.  However, they were not to be found so I googled a recipe for Empanada Dough and am so pleased with the final results that I think this will be joining our recipe line up, and thus merits sharing with you.

Empanada Dough - Via Epicurious and quite similar to pie dough, just remove the sugar and add a bit more salt.

Corn, Black Bean & Beef Empanadas - Via What's Cookin Chicago - found on Pinterest. 

We made these in stages as some chilling was required (both dough and kids were a bit screechy today which meant everyone got to go rest while the dough chilled).  

After we, and the dough, were rested, they were great helpers and, as always, very interested in the rolling out the dough part.  

In what is truly the bonus round of approval B ate his!  There was meat in there and everything.  He even discovered while waiting for it to cool that avocados taste good dipped in sour cream (obviously) so now is liking avocados again as a bonus.  M didn't each much dinner, but did very much like the bread part of the pockets.

Also, these will be great in lunches, I think,  and freeze well so really a good find and worth the not quite so fast prep I might have had with pre-made dough.

I hope you are having a tasty week and would love any recipe recommendations you might have as we wrap up international foods week.  There is a serious possibility that tomorrow may be pizza as we "need" to have it weekly even though we've already "visited" Italy, perhaps we'll put an Argentine spin on it or something and call it good?