Stuff That (School Daze Part 4)

School starts in less than a week and I'm just not ready. I've got the supplies, etc, but I'm not ready for packing lunches, horrible traffic or homework. Last year Nick had lunch at 10:35. Of course, he'd just had breakfast at 7:30, so he wasn't that hungry and would not eat his lunch. I don't really blame him, but by the end of the year I was beyond frustrated with him coming home with his lunch untouched. He'd eat the granola and fruit, usually, but rarely touched his sandwich/ soup/ etc. By March of last year, all he wanted was school lunch, which is so totally void of nutrition it's scary. Not that they don't offer vegetables and fruits, but the kids get to choose what they want. I don't think a 6 year old should get to choose. Maybe I'm weird, but kids that age aren't going to choose veggies or fruit if they don't have to.

This year, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a later lunch time and hoping Nick will actually eat his lunch. We made a deal with him that he could have school lunch once a week but had to have house lunch the other days. We'll see how that goes. So, we've been having conversations about what, exactly, he wants in his house lunch. So far this is the list: carrots, banana, granola, peanut butter and nutella sandwich, empanadas (more on that later), turkey sandwich, plout, apple, meatballs (no spaghetti!), mango and peaches. I can't complain too much, since those are all healthy choices. We'll see how long it lasts.

Empanadas are one of his favorites. Here's a basic recipe for you all to try. I'm lucky, and have access to frozen emapanda dough at all of the grocery stores here. Goya makes them as do other latin food perveyors. You will find them in the frozen food isle in the Ethnic section.

1 package (10) empanada dough rounds defrosted
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion diced
1/2 pepper diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 80z can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp Mexican ground oregano (do not use dried flakes)
1.5 tsp paprika
2 tbsp Mexican chili powder
2 tsp salt
10 thick slices of cheddar cheese
1 egg beaten 1/2 tsp water

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Remove to a plate. In the same pan add a bit of oil, and saute the onions and peppers for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and spices, continue to saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef, tomato sauce, and water. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Heat oven to 425 degrees

Lay out an empanada dough round, put 2 tbsp of meat filling on one half, top with a slice of cheese, then fold over and crimp the edges with a fork. Place on a baking sheet. Continue this process until all of the empanadas are filled and sealed. Brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top.

I make 30-40 of these on a Sunday, have some for dinner that night, then store the rest in the freezer. At room temp they are delicious! I've also stuffed them with shredded chicken and mozzarella cheese, meatballs (sliced) with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Heck, anything your kid will eat can be stuffed in these handy little pies.