Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…Ephesians 3:20

Living in South Florida, we have such a diversity of cuisine to choose from and this is one of my favorites.  Empanadas are basically a type of pie or turnover and very common in Latin cultures.  This Beef Empanada recipe is pretty much the basic recipe you would get here.  My favorite empanadas are from a Cuban restaurant.  It’s quite easy and once you get the hang of the dough, you’ll find this is a great recipe for parties since they’re pretty much finger food.  I like this alone but my daughter and son in law thought I should have a dipping sauce for them so I have added them also.  To make it a complete meal, add rice and/or beans. 

BEEF EMPANADAS

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, diced

 2 tbsp. tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. salt

1 cup beef broth

¼ cup green olives

1 pkg. Goya discos

1 egg, beaten with tbsp. water

Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through.  With a slotted spoon remove ground beef from skillet.  Stir in onion and cook for about 4 minutes.  Add tomato paste, garlic, cumin and salt and cook about 1 minute.  Deglaze the skillet with the beef broth and add the ground beef, scraping any bits from the bottom of the skillet.  Cook at medium heat until the liquid has reduced and is almost dry.  Mix in olives and stir to combine.   Remove from heat and cool.

Spoon about two tablespoons of filling into the center of each Goya discos.  Fold the dough over the filling and press together.  With your finger and thumb, pinch the dough together folding over the edges.  You can also take a fork and pinch the dough together.  Place empanadas on a parchment lined baking sheet and lightly brush with egg wash (beaten egg and a little water).  

Bake for 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.  Enjoy!

Yields:  10 empanadas