Empanadas

Meat mixture:

1 lb. ground beef

2 c. stewed or bottled tomatoes (tomatoes with diced green chile is good too!)

1 c. tomato sauce

Optional: sliced mushrooms, green pepper, onions, green chile and/or shredded carrots (I use any or all) 

salt

pepper

Brown ground beef, pour out fat, add other ingredients.  Cook for at least 5 minutes.  I usually cook it a little longer so the flavors can mix together and it cooks while I make the bread mixture.

Bread mixture:

4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 T. baking powder

1 cube butter (1/2 cup)

1 egg

3/4 - 1 c. water

Cut butter into flour mixture.  Add egg.  Add water.  Mix.  Roll out on a flat surface.  Cut out circles (I use the rim of a rice bowl as my measurement.)  Put meat mixture in the center of circle and fold dough in half creating a half circle.  Rub a little bit of water on one edge and seal edges together.  Deep fry until golden brown.  Eat hot with left over sauce from meat mixture.  (I just add a little bit of a cornstarch/water mixture to the sauce to slightly thicken it.  It is great with the empanadas.) You can also dip it in ketchup or any kind of salsa.