BISTRO DRUNKEN CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS!

TURKEY PICADILLO EMPANADAS

https://youtu.be/wnwKY9JGmi8http:/

Empanadas de Pavo or Turkey Picadillo Empanadas are both fairly easy to make and yet different and super tasty!  I had an inkling for Sunday dinner to make something out of the ordinary for the weekly video.  I am Spanish and grew up with Spanish style food and for some reason these came to mind.  Basically Empanadas are from Spain, Portugal, South America, Cuba – all the “tasty food” countries!  Well my taste anyway!  I think you will enjoy these and as they can be made small for appetizers or larger for entrée they are yummy and versatile!   You can actually stuff these guys with cheese, fruit, meat, anything that you would put in a turn over.  You can also freeze them for a week or so if they are wrapped individually.  Just throw in oven don’t even have to defrost.

INGREDIENTS –  made about 10 appetizer size Empanadas

•  2 hard boiled eggs
• 1/2  medium onion – chopped
• 5 garlic cloves – chopped – if huge use 4
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 12 tsp Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Cuban Seasoning
• 1 lb Lean Ground Turkey
• Stuffed Pimento Olives- large ones – about 10- chopped
• 14 Oz Can Italian Tomatoes – chopped
• 1 package Pillsbury Frozen Pie Crust Dough – BOTH crusts

FIXINGS – Heat oven – 425 degrees

Cook onion and garlic in heavy skillet – stir till soften.  Add Cumin, Oregano and Cuban Spices — IF you can’t find or don’t have Cuban Spices – and you have a lemon – just grate a little bit in with seasonings.  I cook by taste and improvisation!  Cook about 1 minute and stir in turkey!  You can totally use Beef-  we are just to use to turkey in our kitchen that if someone tells us it’s going to kill us we are DEAD!  Death by ground turkey!  News alert!

Cook until turkey has no lumps – stir stir stir!  It should be as fine as you can get it.  Add the raisins and the olives, Lawry’s seasoning salt, pepper and tomatoes with juice.     DON’T be SCARED!  Taste the sauce – if you want to add more olives or raisins GO for it!  It’s all about what it taste like to you – this is not exact science!!  Stir occasionally and cook until liquid is reduced but still MOIST.  Spread on large dish to cool!

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!  If meat is warm it will MELT the dough.  That is NOT pretty!

Take large sheet of wax paper- if its slippery use dampened towel underneath.  Roll out pie dough –  I only had a 4″ disk so my Empanadas were appetizer size.  It you want to use the tomato can as a disk you can make larger entrée size.  Actually you would have to use larger tomato can! Or very large wine glass.

Place a couple of tablespoons of the Empanada Picadillo mixture in the dough disk and top with slice of boiled egg.  Moisten edge of disk with water and fold over to form a semicircle, then crimp with fork.  See photo!

These can be fried — but then they are fried.  I find that putting them in the oven until they are brown and crispy works JUST fine for us that would like to stay in their skinny jeans!

SERVE WITH – Black beans, a little brown rice (or white if you prefer) and I fry some NORMAL bananas – not Plantains – in a little vegetable oil and top with dab of Pure Maple Syrup.  These bananas are to “die for”–and in my opinion much tastier than Plantains!

Enjoy!  MUY DELICIOSA COMIDA!!!