Spicy Beef Empanadas

Alright. This asparagus is from last night. We decided to have frozen pizza so I thought we should have something healthy along with it. I lightly coated the asparagus with olive oil and tossed with salt and pepper. I baked it at the same time as the pizza and sprinkled lemon juice over them after taking them out of the oven. So simple, yet so delicious.

As for tonight, I really wanted to make some empanadas using this recipe from Everday Food. I knew it would take longer than the usual dinner meal but I geared myself up for it. Of course, before I could do that, I made a little appetizer to hold our hunger over until dinner.

I made guacamole using this simple guacamole recipe from Everday Food. I kept everything the same except for adding diced mango. I didn't add much but enough for a hint of flavor. It gives the guacamole an added sweetness and tartness. Zack and I ate this with some tortilla chips.

For the empanadas, I halved the recipe and made four of them. The filling was easy to make but the dough was really time-consuming and labor-intensive. I realized halfway that it's not worth making on a Tuesday night at 9pm. Oh, but I was determined and the only thing that kept me going was the reward of being able to eat this thing piping hot out of the oven.

The good thing is that I have two pre-made empanadas sitting in the freezer waiting for me tomorrow night. All I have to do is pop those bad boys in the oven. Sweet!