Empanada made Sugar's way!

What best way to remind me of the islands than frying this yummy treat. We would eat empanada in the morning, afternoon, evening & any time we can get our hands on it. I prefer eating them while they are still hot when the shell is still crunchy. Hmmm..what is inside? That depends on the maker. The filling is so versitile that you can add beef, chicken, pork even seafood for Lent [ crab, tuna ]. The filling is made with toasted ground rice, onions, garlic, [ meat of choice ] and seasoning. Is it time consuming? Well yes and no. Making the filling is quick. The crust is time consuming. But it is worth making. How did I get the color orange on the shell? No, I did not use food coloring from a bottle I used achote seeds. You can find these at your any Asian markets. Let's start making some yummy yum yumz.....shall we?

Utensils:

• Tortilla press [ if you don't have any, a rolling pin should work ]
• wax paper & lot's of it
• Fry pan
• tongs

You will need the following:

Empanada filling:

• 1 whole onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 box sliced bacon and lot's of it!
• [ meat of choice amount depends on you ]
•  1 box Cream of rice [ plain ]
• 5 cups achote water [ more or less might be needed ]
• black pepper [ more or less depending on your taste ]

Steps:

1. Saute onions,garlic,bacon all together until bacon is cooked but not crispy
2. add one cup water and heat until almost to boiling point
3. season to taste
4. add toasted rice slowly a little at a time
5. add more water until rice thickens and is all cooked through
6. set aside to cool

Empanada shell:

1. 1 bag masa harina [ I usually use 1/2 bag ]
2. 5 cups achote water [ use more or less depending on how much masa harina you use]
3. 1 box cornstarch
4. salad oil [ 1 1/2 c estimated. I  use more or less ]
5. season to taste

steps:
this is where it gets tricky. I use half bag of masa harina, approximately 5 cups achote water, box of cornstarch the whole box please & salad oil. Mix them together until you get a dough like consistency. Season to taste. Make golf ball size balls and press in tortilla press between wax paper. Add one tablespoon or more of the cooled filling and fry until golden orange. Enjoy

*Note: I do not use a measuring cup in most of my recipes. The measurements are approximate but I am sure you will get good results. Remember: the trick to the filling is making sure the rice thickens and is cooked through. Use more or less water if needed & make sure you season to your taste buds. The trick to the crust is more or less achote water, whole box of cornstarch & salad oil until the dough looks shiny but not oily, and season your dough to your taste buds. Good luck and enjoy!