If you have a taste for cooking up some foreign cuisine, I would recommend visiting Epicurious. If you have a fancy smart phone, use the app. It let's you search by ingredient and region. Once selecting your recipe, a shopping list is created by grocery department. There are even check boxes to cross off once you've gathered an item--how satisfying!
Spain was our destination of choice and the Tuna Empanadas looked muy delicioso! It was the perfect recipe: seeing as I had never tasted empanadas, I couldn't blame myself if they were dreadful.
After about an hour total of prep and baking, they were quick good. The tuna is an interesting choice but was surprisingly well complemented by the prosciutto.
Recipe
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium plum tomatoes, seeded, finely chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound high-quality canned Spanish tuna packed in olive oil, drained, coarsely flaked
- 2 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled, sliced
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
- 2 ounces thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto
- 1 large egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)
Preparation:
Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, pepper, onion, and garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until vegetables are soft, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Add tuna and sliced eggs; toss gently to distribute evenly. Season filling with salt and pepper; set aside to cool completely.
Spray rimless baking sheet with nonstick spray. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on floured surface to 12x16-inch rectangle. Transfer to baking sheet. Arrange ham over pastry, leaving 1-inch border. Spread filling atop ham, leaving 1-inch border. Brush pastry edges with beaten egg. Roll out second pastry sheet to 12x15-inch rectangle. Place atop filling, pressing on edges to seal. Fold 1/2 inch of bottom pastry edge up over top pastry; crimp edges to seal. Brush top with beaten egg. Cut eight 2-inch slashes in top pastry. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Bake empanada uncovered until crust is browned and crisp, about 25 minutes. Slide onto platter.
