Homemade Empanadas & Salsa Verde

Every once in awhile, my husband comes up with a brilliant idea of something for us to cook together that we haven't made before. This time it was...empanadas! Recently, we visited his brother out in Colorado. While we were out there, we ate at a restaurant that makes a variety of amazing empanadas! If you're ever in the Boulder area, check out Rincon Argentino. They have all sorts of stuffing choices, from fsteak and chicken to mushrooms and even a caprese style empanada. With your order, you get a choice of salsa: chimichurri, salsa verde or asado sauce. We were blown away by the salsa verde! Thus...we were inspired to make our own!

Chorizo Queso Empanadas
Makes about 16-20 servings

Ingredients
1 can pastry dough, rolled out and cut into discs
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 lb. chorizo
12 oz. monterey jack cheese, shredded
4 oz. queso fresco, crumbled
1 egg

Directions
1. Heat the butter over medium-low heat and cook onions until soft.
2. Add chorizo. Cook over medium heat until fully cooked (about 6-7 minutes). Let cool.
3. Mix monterey jack with queso in a air-tight container.
4. Add spoonful of cheese to empanada dough circles, then top with a spoonful of chorizo. Do not overstuff, as the empanadas will burst open when baking.
5. Fold dough circles over and gently seal the edges with fingers, making sure to close all gaps. You can use a fork to help seal them.
6. Chill for an hour in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush with an egg wash, then bake for 20-25 minutes.

Salsa Verde
Makes 4 cups

Ingredients
10 tomatillos, husked, rinsed and quartered
2 serrano chiles, seeded and roughly chopped
1 garlic clove
1/4 small onion
1/2 cup cilantro
1 avocado
salt, to your taste
1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Directions
1. Add tomatillos, chiles, garlic and onion to a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are chunky.
2. Add in the cilantro, avocado, salt and cumin. Continue to pulse until ingredients are fully incorporated and salsa has a creamy texture.