In a previous life I worked with kids, teaching them to cook and helping them experience the joy that comes from making something yourself using a few simple ingredients.

The motivation to do this is most obviously driven from my own love of food and cooking and from my background cooking with The Queen Mother and The Queen Nana. But it was also motivated from a place of fear. A fear that basic cooking skills are being lost. I’m not talking “chef-ie” cooking skills but just everyday home kitchen cooking skills; like knowing how to roast some veggies, make a simple soup or slow cooked stew or whip up a quick salad dressing without needing a pre-made bottle.

The rise of the celebrity chef phenomenon and all of those cooking shows have turned many people into “foodies”. Sure, they like to eat in restaurants and post the pics on Instagram and they can name the hottest chefs on the food scene after reading the latest posts on The Urban List but, can they cook? Can they open the veggie drawer and transform its contents, along with some leftover bacon and a trusty can of tomatoes into something delicious? Can they make a quick batch of scones when their friends want to pop over to say hello on a Sunday afternoon? Overwhelmingly I think the answer is, very unfortunately, no.

So, now I will gracefully step down from my soap box and gently adjust my CSQ crown and get to the point. Those of us with a Combi-Steam oven are lucky. We have the opportunity to make so many deliciously simple things using all the functions that these appliances offer. And if you have children, in my not so humble, royal opinion, you have a responsibility to teach them some basic cooking skills. Get them into the kitchen to peel the carrots or whisk up the pancake batter (not from a shaker bottle!) and let them learn. It’s one of the most important “life skills” there is. As my Dad sometimes says “if you don’t eat you don’t…..” - ahhh I might leave that one there.

This recipe is perfect for small hands but is also so yummy, that my adult loyal ones can feel proud to make, serve and enjoy them. School holidays, in my part of world, are almost over, so let’s hop to it people.

Here are my Easy Cheesy Empanadas. They are certainly not “authentic” so don’t call the South American authorities…..just make them and enjoy them for their simplicity and deliciousness. And, they are lovely with a nice, crisp glass of white wine.

This recipe has some of my favourite “kid friendly” cooking hacks like using scissors to chop up spring onions but feel free to use a knife if you can be trusted.

Makes 12 snack sized empanada (recipe can easily be doubled)

Ingredients
3 sheets frozen puff pastry (just thawed)
400g can kidney beans (drained)
125g can corn kernels (drained)
1 whole roasted red capsicum
2 spring onions
½ tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander and sweet (or smoked) paprika
1 tbs sweet chilli sauce
6 baby bocconcini* (halved)
1 egg (lightly beaten)
flour for dusting your bench.
mild salsa to serve

Method:

1. Select Hot Air+Steaming on your Combi-Steam. (Combination Steam) Set the temperature to 210°C. (For variable steam settings choose 20%) Allow to pre-heat.

2. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

3. Place the kidney beans into a large mixing bowl with the spices and the sweet chilli sauce. Use a handheld potato masher to mash roughly until it starts to stick together.

4. Use some clean scissors to snip the roots from the end of the spring onions, then snip them into little pieces and add to the bowl, stopping when you get to the really dark green part.

5. Snip the capsicum into the little pieces with the scissors and add to the bowl.

6. Add the corn and use a mixing spoon to mix it all together.

7. Dust your bench lightly with some flour. Cut circles from the pastry using a cutter around 10cm in diameter. You should get 4 circles from each piece of pastry.

8. Place around 1 tablespoon of the filling onto one half of each of the circles leaving space around the edge. Press half a baby bocconcini into the filling.

9. Fold over the pastry to enclose the filling and use a fork to crimp down the edges and seal them together.

10. Place them onto the lined tray and brush with a little of the beaten egg. Prick them once each in the top with a fork to make some little holes for the steam to escape when they cook.

11. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden browned and puffy.

12. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes on the tray before serving warm with the salsa for dipping.

Notes: *roasted red capsicum is available at most delis by the piece or in jars in the supermarket.

In my brand of choice there are some other ways that you can cook your Empanadas and other pastries. Give them a try if you are lucky enough to have these options.

BakeOMatic - Fresh Aperitif Nibbles - Light OR Medium Brown - this is completely automatic - don’t pre-heat the oven and don’t glaze with egg wash - just put the tray in to a cool oven, select the function, start and wait for the automatic program to beep when they are don.

Professional Baking - again don’t pre-heat the oven ad don’t glaze with egg wash - put the tray in the cool oven. Select the function - set the temperature to 210°C and bake for 20-25 minutes. The automated Steam Phase at the beginning will make them extra shiny, puffy and crunchy at the end. Don’t panic if they look soggy at the start - just let the function work it’s magic.

Enjoy these little delights. A fun way to start off the weekend and a deliciously easy way to get some veggies in.

Happy Combi Steaming loyal ones!

Yours in the kitchen,

The CSQ.