Oh, Mama! Empanada!

When I lived in Queens, our standard takeout wasn't pizza (too expensive) or Chinese food (the buffet is better), but empanadas! Papa's Empanadas, or Mama's Empanadas (same menu, same cute cartoon empanada, same owners, I imagine), serve up Colombian-style empanadas at the very low price (especially in New York) of $1 - $2 each one. They offer both wheat and corn based shells with traditional fillings (like cheese or shredded beef), as well as those that are more reminiscent of a Hot Pocket (like broccoli and cheese or pepperoni pizza).

Oh, great, now my keyboard is splattered with nostalgic drool...and I think some tears, too.

Here in Mexico, I still enjoy empanadas pretty frequently, although it requires a little more effort than making a phone call. (If it didn't, I would be eating some right now!) Empanadas (or quesadillas as they're called in Mexico City, despite the fact that they don't necessarily have queso) are made exclusively of corn flour masa, filled with a variety of stuffings, fried and served with salsa, lettuce and sour cream. Chicken and cheese fillings are most common in Mexico, but mushrooms are quite popular in the DF, and a chorizo and onion filling is quite popular in my home. As with everything in this world, cheese is the best.

Ingredients
masa (store bought or homemade - see masa post)
oil, for frying
shredded lettuce
salsa verde
sour cream
possible fillings -
shredded chicken
chorizo and onion
good melting cheese (queso asadero or queso de hebra or monterrey
jack - whatever you can find)

Directions

1 - After making (or buying) the masa, divide it into meatball-sized and -shaped pieces. Flatten them between 2 sheets of plastic (a cut up Ziploc bag) into rounds with a thickness of 1/8 inch.

2 - On one half of the dough, put about 2 Tbsps. of your chosen filling, leaving a 1 cm. edge. Using the plastic, fold the other half over the filling and seal the edges.

3 - Fill a deep pan with at least one inch of oil. Heat the oil over medium heat.

4 - Very carefully (!!), slide the empanadas into the oil and fry for about 3-4 minutes.

5 - Remove with a spatula and drain on a paper towel.

6 - Serve with salsa for dipping (Papa's Empanadas Style) or covered with salsa verde, lettuce and sour cream.