I’ve been on a roll with Latin American food this week, so I figured why not continue the fun at home? Though, unfortunately when I’m making cooking at home there’s no queso involved (speaking of, best queso in DC? I used to think Los Cuates, but Mission brought its white queso A game this past week.)
Tacos, fajitas, and quesadillas seemed too easy, so I decided to spice it up with Spiced Beef Empanadas with Lime Sour Cream. And, because I’m trying to be healthy these days, I used a vegetarian ground beef. Fun fact: I was vegetarian for 7 years back in the day, so sometimes I like to revisit those meat free options.
Spiced Beef Empanadas with Lime Sour Cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 pound ground beef or Gardein vegetarian ground beef
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Refrigerated store bought pie crust (roll out)
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon lime juice
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and cook until soft. Add ground beef and cook through, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in ketchup, cinnamon, chili powder, salt and pepper.
Roll out pie crusts. Cut out circles from piecrust (great if you have a cookie cutter, I used a cup!). Divide meat mixture between piecrust circles. Wet the edges of each circle with water and then fold over. Press with a fork to seal. Transfer to a greased baking sheet and brush with egg. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Stir lime juice into sour cream. Sprinkle with a bit of chili powder. Serve empanadas warm with sour cream. Enjoy!
These are the perfect recipe to make for a dreary football watching Saturday like today! They definitely taste best when served fresh from the oven, so make sure to time it right. Also, you can add all sorts of different mix ins – cheese, chicken, peppers, pineapple… have fun with it!
