Empanadas and Guacamole

"They're gluten free," says Raul.

"Does that matter?" asks Drew.

"Not really," says Raul. "I love gluten. It's how you get lightness and air pockets. But these shells are made of two cups of Instant Corn Masa Flour with one and half cups of hot water and a half teaspoon of salt. They're basically Doritos with meat sauce."

The resulting dough is rolled into balls, covered with saran wrap and left to sit for an hour to reach room temperature. Raul presses each ball into a flat disc using the six-inch tortilla press he found at the thrift store for $5. The press is also used for oatmeal cookies because there isn't enough space in the kitchen to roll out the dough properly. And it means no extra flour is needed. "It's all about process for me," says Raul. "Getting the maximum uniformity out of repetitive efficient actions."

Empanadas can be filled with almost everything and every culture has a variation. Though the Portuguese variation often contains fish or seafood, Raul goes with a Columbian theme and uses ground beef. First he dices onions, celery, green and red peppers, carrots and garlic. All is microwaved for three minutes to soften and then sauteed. He spices only with salt and pepper to keep the flavours neutral as he knows Drew will go overboard with toppings, sides and/or dipping sauces: guacamole, salsa, sour cream, peanut sauce and wasabi mustard have already been floated as ideas. Raul then puts the vegetable mixture into the mini-Cuisinart - another gift from Drew's niece and nephew - and blends it into a puree. This idea came from the big girls small kitchen site and it works wonderfully. A pound of lean ground beef - to make eight empanadas - is browned and then stirred into the vegetable puree.

Raul places the filling in the center of the pressed dough discs and then folds them into a half moon shape. They are baked for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Fortunately, despite being gluten-free, they do not crack as he feared. No air pockets are needed, just a satisfying crunch.

Drew is entrusted with making the side and, after several discussions, guacamole is the compromise. Drew dices two ripe avocados and mixes and mashes them with a commercial salsa and lime juice. Then he adds a squirt of wasabi paste, a spoonful of horse radish, a squirt of hot sauce and three diced green onions. A mixture of coriander, basil and chives from the garden also go into the bowl. "That doesn't look very traditional," complains Raul.

"It's mamacita opera singer Helene Ducharme's flawless recipe with Crackpuppy guitar-slinger Patricia Wilson's accents," says Drew defensively. "And maybe a few flourishes of my own."

"Basil? In guacamole? It's unusual but it looks . . . delicious," says Raul diplomatically.

The results are delicious and Raul not only eats his words but an extra empanada because he can't bear to see his helping of guacamole go to waste or to the dog.