Do you have a good empanada recipe?

Question

I know you could put pretty much whatever you want in an empanada but do you have any suggestions on different meats or veggies to stuff them with and ways to cook them?

Answer 1

I have always fried empanadas in a pan, but if you want to cut the fat, then you could bake them on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with a little cooking spray. As far as fillings, I have always been pretty traditional, using lightly seasoned ground beef and smoked mozzerella. But, as you said, you can put pretty much anything you want in them. You could use veggies or fruit, as long as there is a little sauce of some kind to them moist inside.

Suggestions:

Steak strips and mushrooms
Broccoli and cheese
Cherry filling
Apples, cinnamon, brown sugar

Answer 2

I have cannelloni recipe.Is the same.Spinach,ricotta cheese,parmigiana cheese ( grated)salt,pepper,cumin,several dry spices are OK.Boil the spinach.Drain the water very well.In a bowl,mix all the ingredients.Do it by hand .Mix better.The final mix,must be white-green-light color.Its so good.Trust me.

Answer 3

EMPANADA DOUGH
This recipe is an accompaniment for Potato, Pepper, and Chorizo Empanadas.
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.
Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated. (Mixture will look shaggy.)

Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently with heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring dough together. Form dough into a flat rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.

Cooks' note:
Dough can be chilled up to 6 hours.

Makes enough for 12 pastries
POTATO, PEPPER, AND CHORIZO EMPANADAS
click photo to enlarge
3/4 cup finely chopped Spanish chorizo (cured spiced pork sausage; 3 oz)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped (2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 lb yellow-fleshed potato such as Yukon Gold (1 large)
Empanada dough
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Make filling:
Cook chorizo in oil in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, 2 minutes, then transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon. Add onions to saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and very soft, about 15 minutes. Add garlic, bell peppers, bay leaf, salt, and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until peppers are very soft, about 15 minutes. Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, then stir into onion mixture and cook over moderately low heat, covered, stirring frequently, until potatoes are just barely tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add potato mixture to chorizo and stir to combine. Cool filling to room temperature and discard bay leaf.
Form and bake empanadas:
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and form each into a disk. Keeping remaining pieces covered, roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 5-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick).

Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling onto center and fold dough in half, enclosing filling. Press edges together to seal, then crimp decoratively with your fingers or tines of a fork. Transfer empanada to a baking sheet. Make 11 more empanadas in same manner, arranging on 2 baking sheets.

Lightly brush empanadas with some of egg wash and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer empanadas to a rack to cool at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12 pastries.
PORK PICADILLO EMPANADAS WITH CHIPOTLE SALSA
The filling of these savory Latin pastries, served at Café Iguana, in Denver, Colorado, is accented with chilies, raisins and almonds.
Filling
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 12-ounce pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 1/3-inch pieces
1 jalapeño chili, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
6 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds
3 tablespoons sour cream

Dough
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup Masa Harina (corn tortilla mix)*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
2 large eggs


*Available at Latin American markets and many supermarkets.

For filling:
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, serrano chili, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and allspice to skillet and stir 3 minutes. Add raisins and lime juice; boil until almost all liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Mix in almonds and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cool.

For dough:
Butter 2 large baking sheets. Mix flour, Masa Harina, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Stir in melted butter. Whisk water and 1 egg in small bowl to blend. Add to flour mixture; knead in bowl until smooth pliable dough forms, about 2 minutes. Working with half of dough at a time, roll out on floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 3 3/4-inch-diameter biscuit cutter, cut out rounds. Reroll scraps and cut out additional rounds for a total of 12 rounds per dough half.

Whish remaining egg in small bowl to blend. Place 1 tablespoon filling in center of each dough round. Lightly brush edges with egg. Fold dough over, pressing edges with fork to seal. Place on prepared baking sheets. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap; chill.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush empanadas with beaten egg. Bake until light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve with Chipotle Salsa and sour cream.

Makes 24.

CHIPOTLE SALSA
This salsa from Café Iguana in Denver, Colorado is terrific with tortilla chips.
3 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (sold at Latin American markets)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS.

Sour cream