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'In Córdoba city most of the socialising happens in the street with a beer and tapas or a coffee and breakfast. Our ministry of getting alongside people and sharing the difference Jesus makes in our lives therefore takes place where people live their lives every day and so involves a lot of time in bars, cafes and restaurants. We hope to bring something of the love and good news of Jesus to places where “life” takes place and incidentally is the name of our church “Espacios de Vida” (life spaces).

'However we also like to invite lots of people to our home for informal “get togethers” over a beer or wine and tapas. Everyone is invited to come along with something they enjoy eating along with a drink. Many people now know our home as their second home where they come to relax and enjoy an evening with friends and good food. As we do this very frequently with big groups of people it’s important to have food that’s easy to prepare, easy to eat without a knife and fork and goes a long way. For that we are now renowned for our “empanadas”.

'Empanadas are very common in Andalucia and most supermarkets sell them ready made. They are a bit like pies that you can eat hot or cold and can have various fillings. Most frequently they have a tuna and tomato or cheese and ham filling but increasingly people are trying out new ideas. Whilst we make them frequently with these ingredients we sometimes make one with chicken, bacon and dates having a slightly arabic feel to it which fits well with the arabic history of Córdoba. We enjoyed one such empanada at a baptism celebration just this last Sunday along with lots of other great food. Personally, we don’t make the pastry as it’s easy and cheap to buy here and speed is usually of the essence. So if you fancy a taste of life in Córdoba with a twist try this recipe!

'And when you enjoy eating a slice don’t forget to pray for all those that come along to many events in our home from English evenings to games nights and see the gospel lived out in practice, that they will continue to “lean in” to hear more about Jesus and his love for them.'

EMPANADAS

Ingredients

• 2 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry
• 300 g diced chicken breast
• 4 rashers of streaky bacon
• half an onion diced
• 100g chopped dates
• cup of red cooking wine
• 3 tablespoons of honey

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
2. Fry the diced chicken and bacon (cut into small pieces) with just a drop of oil. When chicken is browned add the onions, wine, dates and honey and mix well and cook until onions are browned.
3. Lay out one pastry sheet on a baking tray and add the cooked ingredients on top. Spread it out evenly leaving an edge of pastry all round of about 2 cm. Then add the second sheet on top and press edges of the two layers together with a fork and pierce some holes on the top to let air escape during cooking.
4. Brush pastry with beaten egg or milk if desired.
5. Place in the oven until golden brown and then it’s ready to be sliced into squares and enjoyed!!

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