Sunday, May 16, 2010

Empanadas de Hongos y Calabaza


Effort. Now there is a word with weight. It takes effort to stay in shape. It takes effort to succeed at your job. It takes effort to stay on a budget. Effort is, no doubt, an everyday requirement. Effort (sometimes) can be a joy, which is the point I wish to make with this blog.

Those who follow this blog know that Charlie and I bring our lunch everyday. Well, almost everyday. I am vegetarian; Charlie is not. Summer, in my world, equals "salads", but how often can someone eat a salad for lunch? For me? Not a problem. However, I am still adjusting to cooking for two, and that is a challenge. There's that word again: Effort. The thought of making another salad for my meat-eating boyfriend brought me to tears. What could I make (a quantity of) that has vegetables and satisfies two people's lunches?

I broke my salad routine to make Empanadas de Hongos, or Mushroom Empanadas. (Mushrooms, in Spain, are called 'champinones', which to me sounds better than 'hongos'. Our friend Jenny would agree. I will never forget the face she makes when she says that word. Hongo. I will even quote her: "Hongo?! Yuck. It just sounds so gross. Why would you want to put something called an 'hongo' in your mouth"?) For those of you who embrace mushrooms, as I do, please read on.

In Mexico, mushrooms and spinach are a popular combination. That provided the inspiration for these small empanadas. (This is also a fun way to get some dark, leafy greens into your diet.) Squashes, like pumpkin, are also a frequent Mexican ingredient. I made two fillings: Portabella/Spinach and Pumpkin/ Black Bean. I grew up with empanadas Chilenas which resemble an Italian calzone. They are large, rectangular, and just one can fill up an entire plate. In Chile, we don't mess with our empanadas. Argentinians, however, make smaller, more bite-sized empanadas. This is easier to work with (and a great portion controller), thus a variety of empanaditas were in order.

Mushroom filling:
1 pack of Pillsbury Pie-Crusts (There are 2 crusts in a pack)
1 6 oz. pkg of Baby Portabella Mushrooms
1 1/2 cup Baby Spinach
Dash of: Adobo, Epazote, Onion Powder, and Ancho Chili Powder

Pumpkin filling:
1 cup of canned Pumpkin or Butternut Squash
1/2 cup of canned black beans, rinsed and dried
Dash of: Chipotle Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Salt, and Zuckerrubensirup (This is a German condiment made of concentrated sugar beets. It tastes just like a lighter molasses. Feel free to use molasses, maple syrup, or honey.)

Preheat oven to 450. Use a large mug and cut disks into the dough. Fill the right half of the disk with filling and fold over to create a cresent shape. Wet edges with warm water and press to seal. Press the ends of a fork along the rounded part of your empanada for a more secure seal. Bake for 20 mins.

The ingredients are few. The effort, though a bit time-consuming, is minimal at most. Such minimal effort goes such a long way. What fun food. I can now rest assured that several days of lunches are pre-made, healthy, and definitely not a salad. Cooking-for-two takes some getting used to, but is well worth the magic word: Effort.