The Pizza Crust

I will just link to the Smitten Kitchen, because it is her crust, and because she is awesome. I like to make three times the recipe, let it do all it's rising, and then cut the ball into quarters. I wrap them in saran and stick them in the fridge until I'm ready for them.

Empanadas!

First you go to El Mercado, on Southport, to buy this empanada dough.

Preheat your oven to 375, fill and seal the empanadas, coat with an egg white wash, and bake for 25 minutes (or follow the dough instructions if you buy a different brand).

I like to make my filling the night before.

Bean filling:

1/2 15oz. can of refried beans

15 oz. can of black beans

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or monterey jack)

1 cup frozen corn (thawed)

1/4 cup of your favorite salsa

Mix ingredients together and you are ready to fill the empanadas.

Ham, cheese, and mushroom filling:

1 cup diced cooked ham

2 cups diced fresh mushrooms

1 cup diced or shredded swiss cheese

Mix ingredients together and you are ready to fill the empanadas.

Chicken and olive filling:

1 TBSP olive oil

1/2 medium sweet onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 sweet yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 sweet orange bell pepper, diced

Handful of cilantro, chopped

2 TBSP tomato paste

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

14oz. jar of green olives stuffed with pimentos, sliced

1/2 cup white cooking wine

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions become translucent. Add peppers and cumin, saute for another minute or two, until peppers start to soften. Add cilantro, tomato paste, chicken, olives and white wine, stir over low heat until mixture looks evenly coated. Allow to cool before filling empanadas.