Pampered Pinay: Happy New Year 2023!

By Francine Maigue

I hope your year is off to an amazing start, my pampered friends!

In my family, our holiday season continues through my Ate Theresa’s birthday, which takes place on the 5th! (Happy Birthday, my beautiful sis!)

For Theresa’s birthday, (prior to COVID-19) the guest list is always an eclectic mix of folks from a wide range of backgrounds (which we love), so we enjoy serving familiar Filipino favorites as well as introducing other dishes that give insight into our culture. Also, people are always mingling during Theresa’s parties (her friends are some of the best storytellers), so we keep the food easily hand held. (You just can’t hug, gesture, or handle a cocktail well while balancing a loaded dinner plate!)

This year, I’m serving up some of my signature Picadillo Empanadas. Here’s how I’ll do it:

Picadillo Empanadas

2 lbs. Pizza Dough (I love using store-bought, oregano flavored dough—a tasty time saver!)

1 lb. Ground Turkey (unseasoned)

16 oz. Marinara Sauce

1 Large Potato, peeled and diced

1 Medium Onion, diced

½ Green Bell Pepper, diced

1 Tbs. Garlic, minced

¼ Cup Raisins

1, 16 oz. Combo Bag of Frozen Peas and Diced Carrots (½ way thawed)

½ tsp. Crushed Red Pepper

6 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce

¾ tsp. Cumin

¾ tsp. Cinnamon

¾ tsp. Paprika

1 Tbs. Brown Sugar

Soy Sauce, to taste Salt & Ground Black Pepper,

In a large pan, fry the diced potatoes in olive oil until they are golden brown. Remove the cooked potatoes and reserve them on a plate for later. Sprinkle them lightly with salt.

Begin to cook the ground turkey in olive oil. Season the turkey with Worcestershire Sauce, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, crushed red pepper, and soy sauce. When the turkey begins to slightly brown, add the diced onions and green bell pepper. Once both the turkey and onions start to caramelize, add the minced garlic and the peas & carrot combo. (The peas and carrots will continue to thaw while cooking, which prevents them from being overcooked, and the steam will bring just the right amount of moisture to the meat.) When the peas and carrots have thawed, add the marinara sauce, brown sugar, and raisins. Add back in the potatoes. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Allow mixture to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Divide your pizza dough into 16 equal balls. Gently stretch each ball into a circular shape, and spread your circles onto two parchment paperlined baking sheets. Spoon 1 ½ Tbs. of the picadillo mixture onto the center of each circle. Gently stretch and fold one side of the dough to cover the filling. Seal each empanada by crimping the edges with a fork.

Brush the top of each empanada with a little olive oil or melted butter. Bake the empanadas until they are lightly golden. Serve and enjoy! These are great to prepare ahead of time, so you can enjoy the party even when you’re the host!

BONUS TIPS: If you have extra filling, you can enjoy the picadillo over rice or in pan de sal. Mmm… Also, if you can’t find ready-made pizza dough or want to serve smaller appetizers, spoon the picadillo filling into the center of wonton wrappers. Seal by brushing the edges of the wrappers with beaten egg before folding. Fry until golden, sprinkle lightly with salt, and enjoy!

Cheers to you and celebrating those you love all year-round with fabulous food and parties, my pampered friends! XO ~Francine

Exclusively here in The Filipino Press--Follow Pampered Pinay, Francine Maigue’s, adventures as she represented our region with grace and honor as the FilipinoAmerican History Achievement Award Winner in Humanitarianism, Arts, and Community Service as an Outstanding Filipino American Young Leaders Awardee.

Check back every week for ways to pamper yourself and those you love.

Why? The answer is simple: YOU DESERVE IT!

Your comments could be featured here!

Got a business or event Filipino Press should know about? Wish to agree or “agree to disagree” ? Email us at filpressads@aol.com

Have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to Everyone! From the management and staff of The Filipino Press...