Albacore Tuna Turn Overs (Empanadillas de bonito)

When I was little my grandmother "la abuela Juanita" used to make these turnovers or  "empanadillas." However, she always used to call them "huecos" and I don't know the reason for such a name. I can only think that it means they puff up when fried, because that is the literal translation. "Empanadillas" used to be one of my favorites dishes and my grandmother made everything from scratch. Starting with the dough, she would work it until she got almost a paper thin layer. She then would get a glass, put it over the dough, and use a wooden cutter to give a pretty look to the disk. She also used a bottle as a rolling pin. Now I buy the dough ready-made.

Empanadillas de bonito del norte

Ingredients:


1/2 Onion finely chopped
12 Turnover Disks (I use the Goya Brand)
1 Can Albacore Tuna (Bonito del Norte)
1 Roasted Red Pepper finely chopped
1 Hard Boiled Egg finely chopped
12 Black Olives finely chopped
1 8 ounce can of Tomato Sauce



In a sauce pan put a drizzle of olive oil and cook the onion until translucent. Add the tuna, red pepper, egg, olives and tomato sauce to make a filling. Fill each disk with the mixture. Then brush water on the edges of the disks to act as an adhesive and fold them in half,  pushing the edges down with a fork. Fry the "empanadillas" or cook them in the oven at high temperature. Serve with a guacamole or roasted pepper sauce.