dinner - what to serve with empanadas?

[petersgal]

So I haven't had good empanadas in a long time, but I found my pregnant self craving them when I woke up today, so I am making beef empanadas from scratch - from this killer spanish recipe book I have. 

I don't know what to serve with them though...in the past when I ate them they were served tapas style (I have never made them, just had them at restaurants and friends houses), so we had them before a meal (just small ones) or served as a tiny course of a many-tiny-coursed meal.  So if I want that to be the center of my meal, what do I serve WITH the beef empanadas???

[momsndaughters]

what are empanadas?

 

[petersgal]

they are a meat (or veggie) filled pastry.. kind of.  empanada dough is slightly different than puff pastry, but still light and flaky.  Different people put different things in, but the Spanish recipe I have calls for lean beef, raisens, green olives, carmalized onions, hardboiled eggs, cumin, and 2 kinds of paprika.  You fry all this together, and then put it in the empanada dough and bake it.  They are SSOOO delicious!  I think originally Spanish and Portugese - they are eaten pretty widely in South America as well (I think...)

Here's a photo of one kind of empanada

 

Quoting momsndaughters:

what are empanadas?

 

[ErikaM27]

refried beans ,mexican rice

[ninipanini]

 That sounds wonderful.  Since everything is inside,  I would just do a salad and/or veggie platter with it. Since you're making these(they are a lot of work) I'd go with the precut stuff.  LOL

You could always do Spanish Rice.

[momsndaughters]

Mmmmmm! I'm coming to your house for dinner and i don't care if there is another side dish to go with it!!!!!

Quoting petersgal:

they are a meat (or veggie) filled pastry.. kind of.  empanada dough is slightly different than puff pastry, but still light and flaky.  Different people put different things in, but the Spanish recipe I have calls for lean beef, raisens, green olives, carmalized onions, hardboiled eggs, cumin, and 2 kinds of paprika.  You fry all this together, and then put it in the empanada dough and bake it.  They are SSOOO delicious!  I think originally Spanish and Portugese - they are eaten pretty widely in South America as well (I think...)

Here's a photo of one kind of empanada

 

Quoting momsndaughters:

what are empanadas?

 

 

[petersgal]

hmmm good call - maybe I'll go with some raw carrots and then a summer black bean salad on the side...

Quoting ninipanini:

 That sounds wonderful.  Since everything is inside,  I would just do a salad and/or veggie platter with it. Since you're making these(they are a lot of work) I'd go with the precut stuff.  LOL

You could always do Spanish Rice.

[R0X]

I always make black bean soup and spanish rice when I make empanadas.

[VeronicaTex]

In addition to the goodies that all the ladies already mentioned...if it were me I would also look into something like mango or avocado slices.

I am mainly familiar with empanadas being married to a Mexican and also I know Argentine gauchos (cowboys) eat them with vino (wine.)

I also have lived in Bolivia where they make a thing similiar to a little potpie called a salteñas.   Ay que rico!!!!  (Oh how rich!!!!)

You're making me hungry....just might whip up something like empanadas or soft tacos tonight!!!!!