Empanadas with Emilia

She is 14, learning... well almost everything!
She came to cook with "abuelos" *grandparents...
So we made 12 meat EMPANADAS.

The dough:
6 cups flour (we used half whole wheat and half white)
1 cup cold water with one cube of ice
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 lb cold butter
1 teaspoon salt

For glazing the empanadas:
1 beaten egg to be used after they are filled, sealed and placed on a baking dish.

The filling:
1 1/2 lb ground beef
5 cloves of garlic chopped fine
2 yellow or white onions, chopped fine
1 pepper, red or greed, chopped fine
5 potatoes, peeled and cut in cubes
1 cup of cilantro (or parsley if you prefer) chopped fine
2 cups chopped tomatoes (can or fresh)
salt and pepper, chili powder or jalapeño, optional
1/4 cup oil
optional 1 or 2 pitted olives for each empanada

Making the meat filling:
Saute the garlic, onions, chilis, peppers with the oil
add potaotes cook 10 minutes
add ground meat, season, stir in the tomatoes
Add 1/2 cup water, continue mixing until potatoes and meat are cooked.
Set aside for filling the empanadas. Remove grease with a spoon or a paper towel.

Making the dough:
In a bowl beat vinegar, eggs and egg whites, salt and cold water.
cut the butter with two knifes or a pastry cutter until the butter looks like greated cheese
Make a hole in the middle of the flour and pour the liquid ingredients in. Mix with a fork and turn on a floured surface, knead until it is incorporated and smooth. Don't over knead, it warms up the dough.
Place un a plastic bag and refrigerate 1 hour.

Cut the dough in 4 and with a rolling pin stretch it until it is very thin.
Cut circles about 15 cm.

Fill each circle with 2 tbspoons of filling, add 1 or 2 olives
wet the edges, bend over the filling half of the dough and with a fork seal the edges.
The shape should be like half a circle. It improves after making 2 or 3.
Place the empanadas on a baking dish and paint the dough with beaten egg.

Cook in oven at 350 for 35 - 40 minutes, until golden, depending on size.
Serve warm with a good salad!
Bon Apetit... Salud!!!