This is a recipe directly coming from Argentina. I tasted empanadas when traveling all over this country. You can find them anywhere there with so many different stuffings: ham and cheese, veggie, beef, chicken, corn, etc. These little golden stuffed turnovers are so tasty and yummy. You’re gonna love them. It’s very easy to make and perfect for take-away, pic-nic and snacks at all time of the day, warm or cold. They are so versatile. To recognize the stuffing once sealed, Argentinians fold them in different ways. Smart, isn’t it?

Here, I present you some quinoa and cheese empanadas. I tasted them in the Andes, in the region of Salta. They are definitely my favourites! The mix of quinoa and melting cheese is amazing and it’s a great veggie variation to the classic Argentinian empanada stuffed with beef.

Of course, you can imagine a lot more variations with anything you like such as hotpot and sauteed vegetables leftovers. And that’s the brilliant thing about empanadas: to « renew » leftovers in a different way or to take-away your favourite home-cooked dishes for lunch in a « transportable » version.

Makes around 20 quinoa and cheese empanadas

• 4 cups flour
• 2/3 cup and 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup oil (groundnut or sunflower)
• 2 cups grated cheese (Gruyere)
• 1/2 cup red or white quinoa

Boil the red quinoa in salted water for 15 minutes and drain.

Combine the flour, water, salt and oil until you get a soft and homogeneous dough.

Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Roll into a sausage shape and cut into 20 pieces.

Make little balls with the pieces of dough and roll out with a rolling pin to make small disks. Pile them up separating them with sheets of baking parchment, so that they don’t stick to each other. Wrap with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the grated cheese with the quinoa.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Take a disk of dough and roll it out a little more. Brush the edges with water. Put one or two tablespoons of quinoa and cheese mix in the center then fold the empanada in two and seal it folding the empanada from an edges to another.

Place the red quinoa and cheese empanadas on a baking tray covered with baking parchment or a non-stick sheet pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

Here are some few pictures of empanadas enjoyed during my trip: