Guatemalan Empanadas for Valentine’s Day

Chef and author, Amalia Moreno-Damgaard spices things up for Valentine’s Day and shares a beloved family recipe to celebrate the day of love.

For more recipes or to purchase one of Amalia’s cookbook, click here.

GUATEMALAN EMPANADAS

Grilled fresh masa cakes filled with pork and vegetable picadillo (or ricotta cheese and loroco flower buds) topped with spicy slaw

Recipe by Amalia Moreno-Damgaard, AmaliaLLC.com

Makes 6 small empanadas

1 batch Curtido Crudo (below)

Masa (Dough)
1 cup instant corn masa flour
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken stock or water

Relleno (Filling)

1 cup chopped roast pork, ½ chopped onion, 1 tsp. minced garlic, ¼ cup diced cooked potatoes, ¼ cup frozen diced carrots, peas and green beans (thawed), 3 tbsp tomato sauce, ½ tsp thyme, 1 bay leaf, ½ cumin, 1 tbsp canola oil, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Directions: combine all ingredients in a skillet, stir well, cover and cook at medium-low heat for 3 minutes. Stir again, cover, cook for another 3 minutes, or until all vegetables are cooked al dente.
Or,
1 cup requeson (Latin ricotta cheese mixed with ½ cup loroco flower buds)

Canola oil spray or regular canola oil

1. Combine the flour and stock and to make a very moist dough. It should not stick to your hands. If the dough feels dry, add a little more stock. If it’s too wet, add more flour. When you form the dough into a ball, it should hold its shape.
2. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and form them into balls. Flatten the balls to about 1/8 inch thick using plastic wrap or a zip lock back cut at both sides and a small skillet.
3. Place about 2 teaspoons of the picadillo or cheese mixture in the center of each tortilla. Work the dough with your fingers to enclose the filling inside a ball of dough. Carefully flatten the balls again with the skillet. This time make them a little thicker (about 1/4 inch thick) to hold the fillings inside.
4. Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Spray a thin coating of oil (or lightly brush regular oil) on both sides of the empandas. Cook the empanadass until they’re medium brown (3 to 4 minutes per side). Keep them warm in a tortilla warmer or wrapped in kitchen towels until you’re ready to eat.
5. Serve the empanadas topped with the slaw of your choice.

 

CURTIDO CRUDO (Spicy slaw with lime)
Recipe by Amalia Moreno-Damgaaard, AmaliaLLC.com

Makes 2-3/4 cups

2 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrots, or chopped radishes
1/4 cup thinly julienned red or white onions
1 jalapeño or Serrano thinly sliced (optional)
4 radishes,
The juice of 1-1/2 limes
1/2 tsp mejorana (dried marjoram)
Kosher salt to taste
Red food coloring (optional for Valentine’s)
Fresh herbs (cilantro and parsley) for garnish

Combine all ingredients (except garnishes) in a bowl.

Use immediately on empanadas, tostadas, pupusas, or as a side.

Garnish with fresh herbs.