The Ultimate Empanada Cookbook

 Nothing beats a  homemade pastry filled with either savory or sweet fillings. empanadas are just this. The dense pastries can be filled with all sorts of yummy fillings from, meat to veggies to even fruit and chocolate They're perfect for lunch dinner and even picnics.  Now there's a new cookbook that has dozens of tasty recipes .

Donna Kelly is the author of a great cookbook titled Empanada (Smith Gibbs Publishing 2025). This is an exciting book.I love empanadas and have always wanted to create my own. Ms. Kelly begins the book with their history - starting in Spain around 700 AD. Most are fried , usually in a neutral oil however Americans tend to bake them. How they're prepared is up to you. She also has several dough recipes ranging from dough for baked or fried pastries along with one for shortcuts - tortillas and ones with traditional masa or corn dough.There are also helpful instructions on sealing them from the traditional rope to the pressed crimp edge.The recipes start off with a section dedicated to traditional Latin ones,The Mexican ones have a blend of potatoes and chorizo while Argentinian ones include the tangy green chimichurri sauce. A great way of using rotisserie chicken is the Venezualan Mojo chicken recipe, packed with the meat and a variety of fiery spices and honey. The Cuban style empanada is full of Havarti cheese, black beans, rice and diced ham. This is a whole meal in one pastry. Again all look so good  and it's a question of what to make first.

There are also North American recipes too that are just as delicious.I can;t decide which one to try.The spinach artichoke one is good for parties but also a great dinner one. The TexMex chili is another on the radar to try. The books also has international , dessert  and holiday recipes too.Pizza empanadas are so good and there is a a recipe for them.Imagine an everything pizza with two kinds of cheese in one empananda. There is also a caprese one stuffed with fresh basil mozzarella and tomatoes. The Korean bulgoki one is an interesting mix of sriracha, soy sauce and bok choi along with ground sirloin.The Halloween empanadas are a must bake for any holiday party. They have jack o'lantern eyes and mouth cut out to reveal a black bean and onion filling. There are even Thanks giving ones, perfect for the day after the holiday. The dessert ones are perfect not just for snacks but also for get togethers. The chocolate raspberry is a definite must bake as are the fruit ones, perfect for the peach and berry harvests going on now. Another plus is the section of dipping sauces from savory to sweet, The avocado sauce would work well with the chicken ones while the chocolate hazelnut one is perfect with the sweet.

Empanada lovers will go made for this cookbook.Empananda  has every kind of recipe from Latin to dessert, American to international and holiday. It 's a definite addition to any home chef's library.

One Ingredient Different Ways

 Summer time is all about easy cooking and using as few ingredients as possible. Sometimes one food can be used a variety of different ways. It just makes for a simplified kitchen.

French and Italian bread are the perfect examples. They're make for a tasty breakfast with just butter or at lunch as the base of a good sandwich. An easy summer supper is slices of French bread slathered with Brie or Italian bread , with a caprese of sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.The slices are also good drizzled with a hot pepper infused olive oil. Of course you can use the loaves for a chewy and tasty French toast too, ether for brunch or breakfast for dinner They're also wonderful to add to a quick  microwave  bread pudding. A quick dessert is having your favorite jelly or jam on the slices too.(Add butter and you have a really good breakfast).Another versatile ingredient is rice. Brown or white cooks up fast, perfect for these steamy days. Cook up a few cups and then add your choice of veggies and a dressing. What is good about this kind of salad is that you can get creative with it and add everything from tomatoes to even cheddar cubes. Leftover rice can be easily stove top cooked into a rice pudding for an easy dessert.Just make sure you have enogh left over to so this.

The tomato is another one of those versatile ingredients. It's absolutely perfect on its' own with just a bit of sea salt sprinkled on. Add some torn Italian bread, basil, garlic and olive oil and you have the Neopolitan bread salad, panzanella. Some add balsamic vinegar and cheese to this but it's up to you. It's an easy side dish or a great Sunday lunch idea. Of course tomatoes are perfect for sauce, Since it's summer think a no cook salsa cruda. This is a mix of sliced tomatoes, chiffonaded basil and minced garlic marinated for a few hours in olive oil. It's then poured over the cooked pasta of your choice. The pasta's  cooks it up while a cup of the pasta water thickens it into a light sauce. It's so easy and delicious to make especially with vine ripes , fresh from the garden.Any fruit tends to fall into this catagory as well. For the summer, berries are versatile. Use strawberries and blueberries to sweeten up a vinaigrette or as part of a salad. For dessert , layer them with ice cream, or pound cake along with whipped cream as a parfait. Chop them up and add them to pancakes or waffles. Layer them on bagels along with cream cheese, or blend them into the cream cheese for a tasty , sweet spread.

One ingredient - so many different ways. This is the way to cook and eat during the summer. It makes for a simplfied kitchen and less time shopping.