CHILE VS SPAIN - GOAT CHEESE, PEAS & ASPARAGUS FILLED EMPANADAS - WORLD CUP RECIPES

Hey there!

I'm currently writing this blog post after eating the most amazing steak sandwich for dinner. It was huge and delicious, but I don't want to say too much yet as Louie will be writing about this national dish of Uruguay tomorrow. 

So yesterday Chile was playing against Spain and won! Spain has now lost their chance to win the world cup...who would have thought this would happen so early in the games! As we made tapas just a week ago I decided to test my luck with Chilean food. When researching into Latin American food on various website it was obvious that empanadas are a must to try. Empanadas are stuffed pastries which can get baked or fried. Their filling depends on the region it's from - I decided to mix it up a bit and go for a goat cheese, pea and asparagus filling even though it's not very Chilean. More common is minced meat (beef), but after having meatball for dinner and lunch I opted for a veggie version! The little pastries were also super handy for lunch - they tasted even better cold and the girls at work were happy I brought some in for them too.

WORLD CUP RECIPE EMPANADAS

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

FILLING
Olive oil
1 red onion
1 medium sized bunch of green asparagus, cut in small pieces
150g green peas
1 pack goat cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh chopped or dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture has roughly pea-size butter lumps.

2. Beat together egg, water and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated. Don't worry if the mixture looks a bit dry.

3. Knead the mixture gently on a lightly floured surface. Do this only for a little bit - maybe once or twice, just enough to bring dough together. Roll the dough into a flat rectangle, wrap it in cling film and chill it for at least 1 hour.

4. Heat a little bit of olive oil over medium heat, add the diced onion and cook until soft and translucent.Add the asparagus and cook for about 5 minutes.Add the frozen peas and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Nox mix the goat cheese cubes and the thyme.

5. Take the dough out of the fridge on the floured surface from earlier. Now use a bowl to cut out circular shapes. 

6. Place a spoonful of the filling on the center of each empanada disc.

7. Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges. You can either use a fork to help seal the empanadas or use your fingers.

8. Place the filled empanadas on a baking tray (lay baking paper underneath in case they stick), brush them with egg for a nice golden finish.

9. If you have time let the empanadas cool down a bit, they will help them seal better and prevent leaks.

10. Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

A balsamic chimichurri sauce tastes delicious with these goat cheese empanadas - just mix 2 tbs balsamic vinegar and olive oil with some pepper, chopped fresh parsley and salt.