One of the things that mom suggested that we do while she's here is make empanadas (which will forever be known simply as "meat pies" to my former swim teammates and some of my friends). The first time I had an empanada (a small pastry filled with ground meat, vegetables, potatoes and sometimes raisins) was when we visited my aunt. It is actually a Mexican food, but the Filipinos have adopted it and made their own version of it. Hers were made with ground pork, potatoes and raisins, and they were then fried. Once I expressed how much I liked them, my mom promised me she would try to make some at home. Thus was the birth of my mother's empanadas.
My fondest memories associated with the empanadas are from swim club. I can't remember when exactly it all started, but mom had decided to make some for one of my away swim meets, as they are small and easy to have for lunch. It was also around the same time that some of the families in the club (ours included) were doing mini-community camping in the parking lots of the various swimming pools we were in for our swim meets. As well as the obvious (being close to the pool), it allowed for communal dinners and lunches and a central place for us swimmers to hang out together. I think it was during one of the communal lunches where the empanadas were being offered around for others to try, and they were pretty much gone by the end of the weekend. It then became THE thing that my mom made for away swim meets, and was essentially expected to be there. I remember one particular swim meet where, upon arrival to the mini-community, one of my younger teammates greeted us not with a "Hello!", but with "Did you bring meat pies?!?!". Heck, my mom even sent some along with me when I tagged along with my friend's family to a provincial meet! Now, she makes them when hubby and I visit or for gatherings with my girlfriends when we're in town (mom reminded me that the last time she made them was for my bridal shower).
Whenever my mom makes empanadas, she enlists my help in poking holes into them (for ventilation) and brushing them with egg (to give them a nice golden crust). I am also the official empanada sampler! Mom does all the work of cooking the filling, making the pastry, and creating the empanadas themselves. She uses a mold, rather than cutting the circles and doing the fancy edging herself. It takes a good hour, hour and a half to make a batch of empanadas (a single recipe makes a little over two dozen small empanadas). Would I ever try to make them myself? Eventually. Maybe pass it on as a tradition with my future children. ;) But they will forever remind me of my days in swim club.
Here is the meal plan for the upcoming week. I can't believe that I'll be heading back into the classroom the following week! Enjoy the weekend, and happy cooking all!
August 28th-Sept 2nd
Sunday: Meatballs with red bell pepper sauce, rice, veggies
Monday: Chicken Waldorf salad
Tuesday: Salsa beef & rice casserole
Wednesday: Perogies & sausage
Thursday: Pork chops with maple glaze, rice, veggies
Friday: Steak with avocado sauce & tomato salad