Empanadas de Carne de Res from Argentina

Empanadas de Carne de Res are semi-circlular shaped pies with a very different taste.  Make them a bit bigger for a main meal, or serve as a snack.  The flavour combinations are not something you would ever have thought of putting together, but it works.  If you make your own pies, then you definitely have to try these.

1 roll frozen puff pastry defrosted

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion thinly sliced

1 cup beef mince

1/4 cup seedless olives diced

1/4 cup raisins

1 hard-boiled egg

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.  Put the oil in the frying pan and lightly saute the onion and garlic.  Add the beef mince and salt and cook over a low heat until the mince is cooked through.  Add in the olives, raisins and hard-boiled egg.  Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.

Roll out the puff pastry sheet.  Using a coffee mug or a glass with a wide mouth, cut circles out of the pastry sheet.  Put 1-2 tablespoons of the mince filling into the centre of the pastry circles.  Beat the egg with the water in a small bowl.  Brush the beaten egg around the edge of the pastry circle.  Fold the pastry over to make a semi-circle.  Crimp the edges down together so that it is completely sealed.  Brush the top with the egg mixture and pop them into the oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine.  She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B.  All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Cornish Pasties from England

Traditional English Cornish pasties have beef, onions, potatoes and swedes in them.  The Cornish say peas and carrots in a pasty is a crime.  Perfect comfort food for a cold, drizzly climate.  However we don't have to be so traditional.  There is no reason why you can't add in vegetables that are currently in season just so long everything you put in is chopped to the same size.  The meat and vegetables traditionally go in raw and cook inside the pastry.  But there is no reason why you can't use leftover lamb roast and veggies from the night before.  For my Cornish pasties I am using leftover rabbit from my Lapin a la Cocotte.
Make the dough several hours before and keep in the refrigerator.
Shortcrust Pastry
3 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter into small blocks
1/2 cup iced water
egg wash consisting of 1 egg and 2 tablespoons milk
Put the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.  Add in the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingers until you have a mixture resembling coarse breadcrumbs.  Pour in a little iced water, a tablespoon at a time and cut it into the butter and flour mixture with a knife.  As soon as the dough holds together and forms a large ball it is done.  Put it on a piece of clingwrap, flatten it into a large rectangle, cover with the clingwrap and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
When you are ready to make the pasties, heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.  Divide your pastry into about 6-8 pieces.  On a floured board roll out each piece until you have a side plate-sized circle.

You will place the filling on one side of the circle, and then brush some egg wash around the edge and fold over the other part of the circle so that you now have a perfect semi-circle.  Seal the edges of the pastry together by decoratively crimping the edge with a fork.
Brush the tops of the pasties with egg wash and bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown.
Filling
2 cups cubed meat
2 cups cubed potatoes
2 cups cubed veggies
2 cups sliced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
healthy sprinkle of olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
Mix all filling ingredients into a large bowl and spoon onto the pastry.  Remember you can use leftovers and add in other vegetables in season.  Just make sure that, besides the seasonings, the filling ingredients are all cubed into the same size.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently working in Kyiv Ukraine.  She's the author of Hush Baby, Defective, Not Telling, C U @ 8 and The Case of Billy B.  All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format.  http://cindyvine.com