In the year leading to the Olympics, I served as a sort of den mother to the athletes training with my husband, Gary, in Islamorada. I cooked, cleaned and generally made sure that everyone was getting what they wanted and needed and that they were happy and comfortable. From my experience with Gary, I realize that rest-time is as important as the workout. A swimmer needs to eat good food and have adequate rest.

Fortunately, I LOVE to cook!

One week, after a weekend spent together at home in Miami, I sent Gary down to Islamorada with a batch of empanadas. Sabir Mohammed has recently requested the recipe. Apparently, he liked these tasty little meat-filled pies.

It’s not a traditional recipe but it’s delicious! It’s a Martha Stewart recipe. Every time I make them, people ask for my hand in marriage. Even Gary re-proposes whenever these babies come out of the oven. Well obviously, that’s just crazy-talk, which just goes to show how crazy empanadas can make you.

I must warn you, empanada-making-and-baking is a time-consuming labor of love. Please be selective with your recipients. You don’t want to just throw this kind of affection around. Save it for those who mean the most to you.

Beef Empanaditas
Makes 4 Dozen

1/4 cup pine nuts
2 T olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 t grated fresh ginger
1 lb lean ground sirloin
2 medium tomatoes, seeds removed, cut into small dice
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground coriander
1/4 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
1 t red chili flakes
1&1/3 cups tomato juice
4 t sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1 T milk
1 recipe Empanada Dough

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Place the pine nuts on a baking sheet and toast until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and ginger and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cherries, and chili flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the tomato juice, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 12 minutes over low heat. Stir in pine nuts and set aside.

4. Keep your oven at 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, lightly beat together the egg and milk. Set aside. Roll the dough out to a thickness that is between 1/16 inch and 1/8 inch. Using a 3¼-inch cookie cutter, cut out 48 rounds, rerolling the dough one time. Place the rounds onto the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

5. Place scant tablespoon of the filling in the center of 1 circle. Use your finger to brush a little of the egg wash onto the inner rim of the circle. Fold the circle in half, forming a half moon. Pinch the edges together with your fingers, and use a fork to seal the empanadita. Using your forefinger, push the sealed edge of the dough toward the filling to form the fluted edge. Brush the top of the empanadita with the egg wash and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with all of the empanaditas and bake until dough is golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Empanada Dough

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 t kosher salt
1 T sugar
6 T vegetable shortening
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
1/2 c plus 2 T ice water

In a bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt , and sugar. Add the vegetable shortening and the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, slowly add the water through the feed tube, and pulse until a ball of dough forms. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap. Use your hands to pat the dough into a 4-inch disk. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight, until completely chilled.