It’s back to school and the evidence is in my kitchen cooking with friends! All the rolling, crimping and freezing happens most often during the school year as my friends and I make healthy foods to serve our kids during these busy weeks. Today, Suzy made burritos while I crimped empanadas and spring rolls. Ironically, we were both cooking for our teenage daughters who have very particular (ok picky!) back to school needs! My vegetarian of a daughter is no longer content being served veggie chili every night so I am in desperate need of vegetarian meals which please her. And now I’ve got plenty “dozens of spinach empanadas and veggie spring rolls!
In order to ensure efficiency during our cooking date, Suzy and I come prepared with our fillings already made and cooled. We also stall our rumbling tummies and do our work first before rewarding ourselves with a better-than-anything-you’d-get in a restaurant lunch which is all laid out on the dining room table taunting us. Since we’re usually starving, it’s not easy to put off lunch, but it helps us stay focused knowing all the gabbing and eating will soon come. But you know what they say “delayed gratification reaps better rewards! And so we work patiently knowing our time will soon come. And it always does!
- 20 ounces baby spinach cooked, drained well cooled and roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 whole shallots finely diced
- 8 whole baby bella mushrooms washed and chopped
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup milk 2 %
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- In a skillet, heat olive oil. Sauté the garlic, onions and shallots for five minutes or so before adding the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the mushrooms for another five minutes or so. Melt the butter into the mixture and sprinkle the flour onto the mushrooms. The flour will form a paste. Gradually add the milk and stir until well combine. Add the parmesan cheese and spinach and mix well. Cool the mixture before crimping. On a work surface, lay out several empanada wrappers at a time. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper and fold in half. Crimp the edges using a fork or by twisting the dough together as you would when pinching the edges of pie dough. Repeat until all the filling is used. Place on a parchment paper lined baking dishing and freeze for two hours before transferring to an airtight freezer bag or container. To cook, pre-heat an oven to 400 degrees. Bake frozen for approximately 20 minutes until golden and cooked through. If cooking before freezing, you will need less time.