Ham & Leek Empanadas, Abundant Sunshine, and Dishes That Just Will Not Clean Themselves

Empanadas have been around forever!

How come I've never had one before, then????
These babies are fantastic!!!

The filling can be 
sweet 
or 
savory. 

They're usually deep fried but can also baked.

This is a savory one with ham, leeks & 
Gruyere cheese.
These were baked. 
It's like a warm ham and cheese in a flaky croissant!!!!!

This Ham & Leek Emapanada recipe 
is from Ina Garten's 
new cookbook 
Make It Ahead.

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Best part is, 
these lovelies cook in 
the oven,
 
NOT the deep fat fryer!

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Ham & Leek Empanadas
Makes 12 empanadas 
Straight outta oprah.com from Ina Garten's new cookbook Make It Ahead - a Barefoot Contessa cookbook.
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups small-diced leeks, white and light green parts only
• 1/3 cup crème fraîche
• 4 ounces smoked ham, such as Black Forest, cut into 1/4" dice
• 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
• 2 ounces (2 cups) baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. julienned basil leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• All-purpose flour, for rolling
• 3 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted (2 packages)
• Fleur de sel or sea salt for sprinkling 
  
  Directions
  Active time: 40 minutes 
  Total time: 1 hour 
  Preheat oven to 400°. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. 
  
  In a medium (10") saute pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add leeks and sauté until tender but not browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in crème fraîche and simmer 1 minute. 
  
  In a medium bowl, mix ham and Gruyère. Add leek mixture, spinach, basil, Parmesan, salt, and black pepper. Mix and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk. 
  
  Sprinkle a cutting board with flour, roll out 1 sheet of the puff pastry to an 11" x 11" square, and cut into 4 equal squares. Brush edges of each square with egg wash. Place 1/3 cup of the ham and cheese filling in the center of each square. Fold each square diagonally to form a triangle, lining up edges of pastry. Place empanadas on prepared sheet pans and press edges with tines of a fork to seal. Brush each with egg wash and sprinkle with fleur de sel and pepper. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling. (If making ahead, put sheet pan in freezer; when frozen, transfer empanadas to a resealable plastic bag.) Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Here's the direct link to oprah.com and Ina's fantastic recipe...click HERE.




Okay, let's get started with the fixins here...

By the way: 1 1/2 CUPS of leeks = 1 1/2 leeks. Figure a cup a leek. You're welcome :)


Also: The puff pastry is frozen. It really did thaw out on the counter in under 30 minutes. Weird.




Um, now a disclaimer...

Sour cream is a fine substitution for creme fraiche. Frankly, I'm leery of anything that sounds too fancy anyway :)

Okay, now prep everything...chop up the spinach, leeks, ham, basil. Grate up the parm and that yummy expensive Gruyere. Beat the eggs with milk and get the flour ready.

Melt the butter in the pan and throw the leeks in...

Throw creme la-de-da-DO-DA-DAY 
I mean the sour cream in there and stir.

Now take that yummy, salty diced ham and throw it into a bowl with the Gruyere cheese.

Hellllooooooo Gorgeous.






My life is complete.

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Now throw the sauteed leeks 
and 
sour cream mixture in there...

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We're really rockin' and rollin' now....
add the spinach, basil, parm, and salt & pepper into that lovely ham and Gruyere mixture!

Okay, now let's look at this lovely medley all mixed up.....

Dear Readers of My blog,

I forgot to take a picture of this colorful ham and cheese and spinach and basil and parm yummy medley all mixed up. Crap. I swear I didn't eat it. All. 

Love, Angie

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So anyway, you need to roll the puff pastry dough
 out into an 11'' x 11" square.

When the pastry defrosts out of the package, it is 9" x 9.5". 
I measured. 
With a tape ruler.
Cuz I am a dork.

Just take flour and a rolling pin and do your thang...
easy peasy.

Divide that puff pastry into 4ths.

Line the baking sheets with parchment paper and get the egg wash mixture ready...

Okay, now brush the edges of each square with the egg wash...

Place 1/3 cup of the filling in the middle of each square.

Fold each square into a triangle...

Place the triangles onto the baking sheet...

Take a fork and crimp the edges...
this part was actually fun....cuz I am such a free wheelin' party animal who knows no boundaries of fun-ness and stuff. Duh. Shut up.

I admit, I only had two sheets of puff pastry so I threw all that ham mixture into 8 empanadas instead of 12.  I am a rebel.

Can you see the egg wash that goes on the outside there? Well, do it. Brush that egg wash all over.

Then season each empananada with 
salt and pepper.

So they're ready to go in the oven...

And here they are after 25 minutes...
now these look messy as a whole... 

But single each one out and they are loverly golden brown and perfectly baked!

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Open one up and this is the deliciousness inside, the ooey gooey Gruyere with the diced ham, the small hint of mild onion with the sauteed leeks and the bite of the spinach, all in that flaky pastry crust.  
So good!!

Again I will say, it's almost like an artisanal ham and cheese croissant. 
Several flavors meld together and you will have people ask WHAT IS IN THESE THAT MAKE THEM SO GOOD?

Now these empanadas would be good for lunch because they're not super filling. They're definitely snack material and maybe even as a solo appetizer before a meal.

Okay, it's a bee-utiful day out here today, 
full of sunshine!!!!!  See that light in the right hand corner? That's called sunshine, something that is not common a lot 
in the winter here!!!

I love seeing the railing shadows on the deck from that awesome sun working it's magic!!

The snow is melting.......
too bad, so sad....NOT!!

The cats started to wake up out of their winter slumber too.

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I'm planning on enjoying the day after I clean up this craptastic mess in the kitchen.  I abhor cleaning, especially the kitchen!!!  
Now I know you're thinking that don't look so bad, pffft.

Well, let's just piece this out, shall we???

A nice combo of 
dirty wine glasses from
 last night 
and 
coffee from this morning.

---

Next to that is more 
dirty glasses, 
cat treats, butter 
and a precariously placed plate.

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FOR PETE'S SAKE, 
CAN NO ONE CLEAN UP AFTER THEMSELVES????



Oh wait, that was me.
:(

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Next, 
onto the other counter is a cookie cooling rack that's been hanging out on the counters for a week.

I've been planning on making cookies but it just occurred to me while I'm typing this, that the cookies I'm going to be making
 
are no bake.

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This just makes my blood boil.

I hate washing pans. I think I'm allergic to doing dishes.

Lastly, let's take inventory of the island:

1. Message pad
2. Store receipt 
(I always want to make sure I'm not being screwed out of being charged too much, ya know?)
3. More cat treats. Really? This is borderline embarrassing.
4. Italian seasoning.
5. Measuring tape. Doesn't EVERYONE have one of those on their countertop, though??
6. Earrings. Guess I can't blame those on Tim.
7. Towel and steak knife.

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So I better close up the laptop now and go clean the kitchen.














BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA







I'm gonna go peruse more pictures like this

Source?

And this gorgeousness

bhg.com

And a droll worthy kitchen all day long

Domain Home...Benji Madden's LA kitchen

And when I get tired of perusing pictures like this

THEN I will go dishes.

Promise!

Girl Scout honor (does that count even if you weren't a Girl Scout?)












Okay, have a good rest of the weekend and we'll talk at y'all soon!!!  :)