Each pastry is bursting with flavor and packed with veggies and protein. These hearty, smoky empanadas are a great hors d’oeuvres or meal and will even satisfy your meat eater. Serve them with salsa and light sour cream or guacamole. You can find many of the ingredients at the farmer’s markets.
Recipe source:
Cooking With Friends Kitchen
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
4 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 14.5 ounce can petit diced tomatoes (or 4 farm fresh tomatoes)
1 29 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 jalapeno pepper, diced finely (optional)
Juice from 1 lime
Pepper to taste
2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese
40 empanada wrappers
Directions
To make the filling: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onions and garlic for a few minutes on a medium heat. Add the peppers, jalapeno peppers and corn and cook for about five minutes. Add the tomatoes, black beans, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, lime juice and jalapeno. Combine well and add the cheese. Stir well and cool.
To Crimp: Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of an empanada wrapper. Fold one side over the other and crimp the edges together, using the rope or fork method. Repeat until finished with all of the wrappers and filling.
To cook: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the tops of the empanadas with egg wash (one egg lightly beaten with a dash of water) and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden. Serve with sour cream or guacamole.
To Freeze: Crimp each empanada and lay on a baking sheet lined with wax paper (making sure not to overlap or stack the empanadas). Place uncovered in the freezer for several hours until the empanadas are frozen solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and seal, squeezing out excess air. To cook, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees, brush the tops of each with egg wash and bake on a non-stick baking sheet for 30 minutes until golden.
Serves
Makes 40 empanadas