Cooking with Pete and Barb Marczyk: Empanadas de espinaca

This week at Marczyk Fine Foods, the shop is doing a food and wine mash-up, offering, says Barb, a "killer Postales Malbec" ($9.99) from the wine store, in addition to a "quintessential chimichurri-sauced flank steak" from Jimmy "the Butcher" to pair with it. And to round out the South American experience, Barb suggests whipping up a batch of homemade empanadas with spinach and fresh mozzarella. "They're absolutely fantastic," she says.

Empanadas de Espinaca
6 servings (2 empanadas per person)

Pastry

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup milk

Filling

2-3 tablespoons oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds spinach, wilted
3/4 cup fresh mozzarella
Pinch of nutmeg and a dash of salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in milk and oil and mix.
3. Knead the dough on a floured work surface for 5 to 10 minutes or until it's silky smooth. Add a little more flour if it's too sticky or a little more liquid if the dough is too hard. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a towel to let rest for at least 30 minutes.
4. While the dough is resting, heat the oil in a pan and saute over medium flame. Saute onions until they're translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add the garlic, spinach, nutmeg, and salt and pepper and cook until warm and fragrant.
6. Add mozzarella and melt; set aside filling to cool.
7. Cut the dough into 12 equal portions.
8. Lightly flour a work surface and roll each portion out into a 6- to 8-inch round.
9. Add about 1/4 cup of filling to the center of each pastry round, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
10. Wet the edges with a finger dipped in water, fold over into a half moon and seal the edges with the tines of a fork or by simply by rolling it up.
11. Lay out on baking sheet, and brush tops with a beaten egg and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until browned on top. Serve warm.