For Mothers Day yesterday our Argentinian guest made lunch. It was just wonderful. So tasty and I learnt a few very good tricks. So as a practice for his English studies, last night Federico wrote the recipes down for me and described to me out loud how he made yesterdays lunch. This made him search for a number of words he had not used before. The lunch was wonderful and the rain held off long enough for us to be able to eat out in the garden and he improved his English. 
Empanadas,
1 lb Mama’s ground beef, in bowl, add finely chopped onion, plus handful of chopped green onions. Cook with butter and olive oil for about 10 – 15 minutes. Add 2 chopped boiled eggs and a small handful raisins and 1/2 cup chopped olives with 2 tsp sugar.
While this is resting make the pastry. He said the important part of this is to let the pastry sit in the freezer twice during its rolling out period. 
Pastry – 500 gram flour, 350 gram butter cubed, 100 mls water, mix together with your hands. Roll to 1/2 inch thickness, then put whole thing still on the board into the freezer 10 minutes. Fold and roll thick again, then back into the freezer. Then roll thin, cut out circles and make your empanadas.
Chimichurri
- 1 cup oregano
- 1 cup parsley
- 1 whole garlic
- 3/4 cup of olive oil
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp paprika (or in Argentina: Aji molido)
- 1 tsp salt
Chop all ingredients very finely by hand. This takes a long time. Make 24 hours before serving so the flavour grows.
Steak on the grill. Mix scant 1/4 cup of salt in a bottle of water. Put your finger over the top of the bottle and dribble onto meat as it cooks – maybe every 5 minutes I think.
This makes a wonderful crusty layer on the meat. Not too much though or it will get too salty.
I hope you have a lovely day. 
Your friend on the farm.
Oh almost forgot to tell you. Our border of sweetcorn and sunflowers running down the east and half way down the South side of the field, right next to my garden, has popped up. Four rows of sunflowers, closest to the house and four rows of sweetcorn behind. Now, as long as this last bout of rain does not drown it I will finally get my collar of sunflowers around the garden.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
58 responses to “Argentinian Lunch – Recipes.”
Tell Federico “¡que aproveche!”, and you too, Miss C. The meal looks delicious!
A tasty for certain. I will need to remember that little trick of salt water on meat. I imagine that beside flavoring the beef and providing a tasty crust, it also helps keep it moist. We don’t eat much beef, but, when we do . . .
Your meal looked wonderful. What colour olives? Or does it not matter, and also green onions are they what we call here spring onions? Finished my questions now 😊X
Yes green onions are the same as spring onions and he uses green olives.. good questions.. c
An amazing lunch. Perhaps Federico will consider becoming a personal chef…and I must say, even though I don’t eat meat anymore, that steak looked yummy 😉
A perfect homage to his momma on Mother’s Day–recreating her recipes. ❤
His mother is the one who taught him to cook.. so you are right, it is doubly lovely, though Mothers day in Argentina is in october.. c
What a treat for Mother’s Day. The food looks very good. I planted a row of sunflowers against the fence and the birds ate all the seeds.
Good for the birds, mine are for the pigs! and the chickens to eat, I just throw in the whole head.. c
My mouth is watering!!! That looks and sounds delicious! And I would like to try and make those GORGEOUS meat pies.
I’m planning to plant sunflowers myself today – I’m so glad yours have popped out the ground. I’m looking forward to seeing how they look in the near future – it’s going to be lovely! Thanks for these great recipes – you can’t get any more authentic than that. My husband loved Argentina. (He used to go there for business.) In fact, at one time he thought of buying a 2nd home there – that’s how much he loved it. AND – we live in the northeastern United States – so that would’ve been a real haul !! Hope you’re having a great day and that you only receive some light rain on those corn plants and sunflowers!
The rain is still coming down, sigh, but we might get a break from it tomorrow so things can drain, but now the temps are going Down! Rainy season here!.. c
Oh, you have reminded me today of my precious daughter who thrice has traveled to Argentina. Once to study abroad and twice to visit. She prepares some delightful Argentine dishes. Looks like the perfect day to dine outdoors.
Reblogged this on Foodfhonebook.
Lovely setting for a scrumptious meal! I make chimichurri a good bit when my herbs are up in summer. It’s great with venison and wild hog – I often use it as a marinade for wild meats. Your photographs are lovely… I always notice “hands” in photographs. These were “working” hands… the salt of the earth!
oh my thanks to Frederico and you for this delicious and tasty recipes- will try soon! Cheers!
I am envious of your rain!
Lucky you. Lunch looks wonderful, and thank Frederico for taking the time to share his recipes. I think learning another language by doing something you enjoy is the best way. I learned to sew in German, but that’s another tale.
I’m intrigued by the sweetcorn / sunflower combination, is it a similar idea to three sisters? I’m trying to incorporate more flowers into my vegetables but I have a lot to learn. Having the flower heads face the house in the evening is brilliant!
Frederico’s lunch looks amazing! The recipes are great too, sufficient & pertinent details 🙂 I love your black table & chairs. Very elegant – outdoors roomy in the garden. Hmmm, a border of sunflowers. I like this but I’m pondering which way they’ll face and where to plant them.
Ella – Sunflowers are absolutely fascinating as their big heads move around all day to face the sun: like a flower ballet!!
Oh, that makes sense! My across the road neighbour had them in the front yard and they faced us I thought but I obviously didn’t notice that feature.
It would be lovely to have them around some of our fence line at least. They are so cheery and the feathered locals will go nuts 🙂