Empanadas

Empanadas can make a great dinner or a snack and Anne and I made two different kinds and served them with a cabbage slaw on the side.  We made two different fillings: cauliflower, butternut squash, and pea as well as a roasted sweet potato, corn, and chorizo.  Though it is not traditional, we used a pie crust recipe for the dough because it is flaky and delicious.  There are many options for fillings-we came up with these based on what was leftover in our fridge.  Any kind of ground meat or vegetable would be delicious, it's really up to you on what you'd like in your empanada!

Crust (8-10 small empanadas)

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup shortening

1/3 cup cold unsalted butter

5-7 tbsp cold water

Mix dry ingredients together and then cut in butter and shortening into flour mixture until pieces are sizes of small peas.  Add water 1 tbsp at a time and mix until all the flour is incorporated.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Now is a great time to make your filling! You will probably need about 2-3 cups of filling for this amount of dough depending on how big you make them.  It is important that the dough stays cold, so work quickly! Divide dough into 8-10 pieces and roll out into small circles, about 1/8" thick.  Put about 2 tbsp of filling in each circle.  Dampen the outer edge of dough with water and then fold dough over filling to create a half circle.  Press edges down with the tines of a fork to seal.  Place on baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes on 350 or until golden brown.