Yield: 12–14 appetizer portions
INGREDIENTS:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
½ pound boneless lean beef, coarsely chopped
¼ cup seedless raisins, soaked in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes and drained well
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper, more or less to taste
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Turnover pastry dough (recipe to the left), or frozen pie crust or pie crust mix
2 hard-cooked eggs, each cut vertically into 8 wedges 14 stuffed green olives, coarsely chopped, more if needed
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Prepare filling: Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat, add onions, and sauté until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Crumble meat into the pan, stirring constantly, and cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in raisins and spices to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare turnover pastry dough (recipe to the left).
Assemble turnovers: Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut the dough into circles, using a 4-inch cookie cutter. Gather remaining dough into a ball and roll out. Cut the remaining dough into circles.
Place 1 tablespoon of meat filling, then one wedge of egg on top of that, and sprinkle with chopped olives. Dip your finger into a cup of water, and moisten the edge of the pastry. Fold top half of dough over filling to form a half circle, and press edges of dough together with fork to seal. Place turnovers side by side on baking sheet. Make vent holes in the top of each turnover by poking once or twice with fork.
Bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and use a metal spatula to transfer turnovers to serving platter.
Serve as an appetizer while they are still warm.
