the 'from sratch' diaries: sweet potato empanadas

you know what's funny?

after yesterday's post on Jesus being my niche, i went home thinking i should post a recipe for today.. you know to balance things out. though i know He said we must not live on bread alone... ;)

and as i stood over my counter top yesterday evening peeling and and cutting sweet potatoes destined for a brave attempt at empanadas, i looked down at my cutting board and found a peculiar beauty in my chopped produce.

to appreciate this, you must know that my first victory in the kitchen was successfully cooking corn dogs in the microwave for my love and i. that was many years ago, but the kitchen and i have not always had a love affair, as the kind i've developed recently.
especially when making things from scratch.

i could have just as easily gone down to the little market in my neighborhood and purchased the empanadas, saved myself time (not money) and that would have been the end of that.
but making, cooking, baking  from scratch results in a sweet harmony when our hands engage in creating something from almost nothing.

hence being made in the image of our Creator.

i won't lie and tell you that my back and feet don't hurt when i'm done, and that there's usually more mess to clean up. however, i will tell you that as i look at my mess, my flour covered t-shirt, and my finished empanadas for my family to enjoy, i am overflowing inside. i used my hands and time to create something from almost nothing. from scratch.

and that's the way He works too. making something out of nothing. not only in creation, but in our lives too.
He takes what seems ordinary and creates. a dream into reality. a hope into a promise. a possibility into a fact. only His 'empanadas' come out perfect.

to encourage myself and hopefully you to engage more in the making from scratch, this is the start of a new series here: the 'from sratch' diaries.

what do you enjoy most making from scratch?

 

 

sweet potato empanadas:

the filling

2 medium sweet potatoes

raisins

cinnamon

nutmeg

sugar

the dough

3 cups of flour

salt 

1 egg

2 tbsps of vinegar

1 cup of cold water

1/2 cup sugar

mix the egg, vinegar, and water in one bowl. 

in another sift together the dry ingredients for the dough. 

make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. mix with a fork until dough is stiff. knead until dough is smooth. 

wrap in a plastic bag or plastic wrap and store in fridge for about an hour and a half. 

while waiting start baking sweet potatoes. peel them and chop them into big chunks. place them in cookie sheet and bake until tender at 350 degrees. 

mash the sweet potatoes and mix with the rest of the filling ingredients. 

when the dough is ready, (it should not be sticky), cut a handful of dough and roll out on a flour sprinkled surface. cut out a 4-6 inch circle and fill with sweet potato filling down the center.

fold like a quesadilla and with the tines of a fork, seal the edges.

at 350 degrees, bake your empanadas for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. 

let them cool, and enjoy.