Amy LaBelle’s Mexican Red Wine Chocolate Sauce

1/4 cup heavy cream

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chip

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons LaBelle Winery Americus Red Wine

• Heat 1/4 cup cream in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until just before it boils. Remove the pan from the heat and add semi-sweet chocolate chips. Let chocolate sit in the hot cream to soften, and then whisk chocolate together with the cream. Stir in butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and wine (optional).
• If chocolate becomes too thick, stir in teaspoons of cream at a time until you reach your desired consistency

Amy LaBelle's Colombian Empanadas

Ingredients for Filling

2 pounds Grilled Steak Tips or Ribeye (Ground) 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

2 cups Boiled (or Leftover) Potatoes, Smashed 1/2 cup Sliced Onions

1 tablespoon Cumin 2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Pepper 1 teaspoon Aleppo Chili Pepper

1 tablespoon Dried Cilantro OR 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh
1/2 cup LaBelle Winery Jalapeño Culinary Wine OR Heirloom Onion Culinary Wine

Place sliced onions into pan and caramelize in olive oil. Shut off heat and add ground beef, and all other ingredients - mix thoroughly until all ingredients are incorporated. Allow to cool before creating empanadas.

Ingredients for Dough

4 cups Masarepa Blanco (NOT YELLOW) 3 3/4 cups HOT Water

2 teaspoons Sugar 2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Mix the dry ingredients with a whisk and then make a well in the center, adding the hot water one cup at a time while incorporating. Lightly turn and mix dough until the proper consistency for rolling.

Making Empanadas

Roll medium sized balls and place between sheets of parchment or plastic wrap and roll out to circles - spray cooking spray on surfaces to prevent sticking. The formed circles should be about 5-6 inches, no more (smaller if desired). Place filling in center and close dough around to make a half circle. Heat frying oil in a shallow sauté pan until a small drop of dough instantly bubbles and rises to the surface of the oil - I use vegetable oil mixed with olive oil! Drop empanadas into pan several at a time — do not crowd. Repeat until all are fried.

Note that you may substitute a flour-based dough (such as a croissant dough) and bake empanadas if you do not wish to fry them.

Ingredients

Corn Tortillas

Recipe

Flour Tortillas

3 cups masarepa or corn flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup hot water

1/3 cup vegetable oil,shortening or lard

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk briefly to combine.Add vegetable oil; stir until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.Pour in warm water; stir to combine. Knead briefly with well-floured handsuntil mixture comes together into a craggy dough. Transfer dough from the mixing bowl to a well-floured work surface. Divide into 16 roughly equal portions. Roll out each portion into a ball; flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Cover flattened balls of dough with a clean kitchen towel; let rest for 15 minutes to an hour. Warm a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly flour your worksurface and rolling pin; roll each dough ball into a circle (about 6" in diameter).Avoid stacking rolled tortillas on top of one another to prevent sticking. Instead, use a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper between each tortilla. Transfer tortillas one at a time to the hot skillet. Cook for about 1 minute, until small bubbles form on the top and brown spots form on the bottom. If it takes much longer than a minute to see golden brown spots on the bottom,slightly increase the heat. If the tortilla browns too much or too quickly, reduce the heat. Flip and cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and stack cooked tortillas. Loosely wrap in a clean kitchen towel; this will keep them soft, pliable and warm. Serve immediately or allow to cool for later use. Tortillas can be stored for 2 - 3 days in the fridge in a plastic resealable bag. Before serving, wrap tortillas in a slightly-damp paper towel and microwave for 15 - 30 seconds. Tortillas can also be frozen for 2 - 3 months. To freeze, separate tortillas with sheets of parchment or wax paper and store in a zip-top freezer bag.