Manolos Pizza and Empanadas

The students are almost back on campus and it’s time to start thinking about our projects for the Spring: our Introduction to Argentine Culture educational outreach program, Taste of Champaign, Summer Camp Music Festival, more community involvement, and developing new empanadas!

Now that we’ve proudly been serving ‘nadas at 1115 W. Oregon for nearly three years, we’re thinking it’s time to start experimenting in the kitchen to discover that next mouth-watering flavor combination.  Some recent suggestions have included a Bacon Cheeseburger, BBQ pork, a pesto, artichoke and bacon ‘nada, shrimp and garlic, and even a green bean casserole empanada!

Traditionally speaking, savory Argentine empanadas can be filled with chicken or beef, corn, beans, raisins, olives, potatoes, peppers, rice or even hard boiled eggs depending on the region the ‘nada calls home.  Empanadas not only vary from region to region in Argentina, but they are also dramatically different from country to country.  Chilean empanadas may contain cheese, mussels or crab, while Colombians often like to stuff the savory treats with a jam consisting of fruits such as lulo, a sub-tropical plant that produces large fruits that resemble tomatoes and taste of rhubarb and lime.

While our empanadas are based on an Argentine recipe, we like that our choices are a surprising mix between traditional flavors such as our San Telmo Pollo (sauteed chicken, onions and bell peppers spiced with Argentine flavors), vegetarian options like Mushroom Thyme (delicious mushrooms, onions and thyme with just the right amount of creamy Gorgonzola cheese), and our decidedly American choices like Sausage Pizza (What a great way to introduce the kids to this unique, South American cuisine)!

This Spring, we’re excited to experiment with even MORE traditional and unconventional flavor combos. What sounds good to you? We’d LOVE to hear your thoughts as we start mixing it up in the kitchen!

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empanada