Family Meal Plan: Awesome Argentinian Corn Empanadas + Chimichurri Sauce + Melon Agua Fresca

Awesome Argentinian Corn Empanadas with Chimichurri Sauce

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• blend :

  to stir together two or more ingredients until just combined; blending is a gentler process than mixing.

• chop :

  to cut something into small, rough pieces using a blade.

• grate :

  to reduce food, like a carrot, to very small shreds or pieces of the same size by rubbing it on a tool with an outside surface that has holes with cutting edges (a grater).

• knead :

  to work dough by pushing, pulling, and folding it by hand or with a stand mixer.

• knife skills :

  Bear Claw (growl), Pinch, Plank, and Bridge (look out for trolls). 

• pan-fry :

  to cook in a pan in a small amount of fat.

• rest (dough) :

  to let bread or pastry dough relax, allowing the dough to absorb more liquid and become more pliable before shaping it.

• squeeze :

  to firmly press or twist a food with fingers, hands, or a device to remove its liquid, like shredded potatoes, frozen and thawed spinach, or tofu.

• tear :

  to pull or rip apart a food, like basil leaves, into pieces instead of cutting with a knife; cutting breaks cell walls more, so herbs can discolor faster.

History of Empanadas!

• It is thought that empanadas (EM-pah-NAH-dahs) originated in Galicia (northwest Spain) and Portugal. A Catalan-language cookbook from 1520 includes the first mention of empanadas. They may have been a modified version of the "samosa," a similarly filled pastry from India and the Middle East. Empanadas were likely brought to Latin America by Spanish colonists. 
• Empanadas are eaten in Latin America, Spain, Portugal, the Caribbean, and the Philippines. They are essentially a stuffed pastry. The name comes from the Spanish verb "empanar," meaning "to bread." Usually, the empanada is made by folding a thin circular-shaped dough patty over a savory or sweet filling, creating its typical semicircular shape. Empanadas are also known by a wide variety of regional names.
• Empanadas are served as snacks, appetizers, or main course and are often sold as street food. Many countries and cultures have comparable stuffed pastries that go by different names and, like empanadas, were probably created to be portable, easy, and hearty meals for working people.

Let's Learn About Argentina!

• Argentina is officially called the Argentine Republic. This South American country has a population of more than 45 million people, and the official language is Spanish. Their government is a federal presidential republic with a president, vice-president, cabinet, supreme court, and congress. 
• Buenos Aires is Argentina's capital and largest city. 
• Native Americans lived in Argentina thousands of years before Spanish settlers arrived in 1536. 
• Argentina is the largest Spanish-speaking nation and the eighth-largest country in size worldwide! Other languages spoken here include English, Italian, Arabic, German, Yiddish, Guarani, and more.
• Argentina is a country with rainforests, grassy farmlands, and even glaciers. This country is located at the very bottom of South America, and it has a little bit of everything. In the north, where Argentina meets Brazil, the weather is wet and warm where cougars, jaguars, alligators, turtles, flamingos, and many other reptiles and animals live. To the south is the Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia, which have an extremely cold climate. The Tierra del Fuego is a group of islands at the southern tip of Argentina. 
• Western Argentina has the Andes Mountains, which form the natural border with Chile. The Andes include the highest peak in the southern and western hemispheres, Cerro Aconcagua, at 22,838 feet!
• The name "Argentina" came from the Italian word for silver, "argento," which is from the Latin word for silver, "argentum." European settlers believed mythical indigenous stories about a mountain of silver.
• Here's a cool fact: In 1917 and 1918, Argentine cartoonist Quirino Cristiani made and released the world's first two animated feature films.
• El Día del Amigo (Friend's Day), on July 20, is a national holiday in Argentina and is a day dedicated entirely to friendships.
• Popular foods from Argentina include "asado" (traditional bbq), "dulce de leche" (caramel sauce used in cakes, ice cream, cookies, and other desserts), "empanadas" (stuffed pastries), "mate" (herbal tea drunk in a gourd), and an indigenous stew called "locro" made with corn, beans, potato, and pumpkin. 
• Bueno Aires has the world's widest avenue, called the "Avenida 9 de Julio" or "July 9 Avenue." It has 14 lanes, plus 4 lanes of parallel streets. July 9 is Argentina's independence day.

What's It Like to Be a Kid in Argentina?

• Kids in Argentina go to school 200 days per year. That's about 20 more days than in the United States. However, in many schools, students are in class for only four hours, either in the morning or afternoon. Also, since Argentina is south of the equator, their seasons are opposite the US. So they attend school from March to December, with up to two weeks off in July and for major holidays like Easter. 
• Football (soccer) is the most popular sport kids play. In addition, they may play rugby, basketball, baseball, and tennis. 
• For breakfast, kids may eat "tostadas" (toast) or a "factura" (pastry), like churros or a "medialuna" (Argentine croissant). They'll drink orange juice, or perhaps yerba maté, or a little coffee with lots of milk with their toast or pastry. If kids go to school half the day, they'll have lunch at home and may eat empanadas, humitas (a dish of cooked corn wrapped in corn husks), milanesas (breaded meat cutlet), or asado. For a sweet treat, "alfajores" are popular. They're light and tender sandwich cookies filled with dulce de leche.