Vegetarian Pumpkin Black Bean Empanadas Recipes

VEGETARIAN EMPANADAS THREE WAYS

Steps:

• Choose the filling for your empanadas. Each recipe for filling above will make one batch of 10-12 empanadas.
• Make the filling using the instructions designated below for your choice.
• Heat oil in a skillet. When hot add onions and garlic and saute until tender. Add spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. Add the artichokes and nutmeg and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in parmesan cheese and allow the mixture to cool slightly before assembling empanadas
• Heat oil in a skillet. When hot add onions and garlic and saute 2-3 minutes. Add jalapeno peppers and cook until all the veggies are soft. Add the tomato paste and beans and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
• In a small bowl, mix together the corn, cheese and diced green onions.
• Preheat the oven to 400° F.
• Lay the disks out on a lightly floured work surface.
• Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling into the center of the dough circle.
• Dampen the edges of the circle with water and fold in half to create a half moon shape.
• Use a fork to press the edges closed.
• Place each empanada onto a baking sheet with about 1 ½ inch of space in between.
• Repeat with the remaining empanada dough and filling to make all 10 empanadas.
• Brush the tops of the empanadas with plant-based milk. Place into the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry puffs up and golden brown.

VEGAN PUMPKIN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Dough:
• Stir in Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt. Cut in Shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle in the milk evenly over the surface and stir until it form a dough and it is all evenly moistened. Shape into a ball. Chill the dough in the refrigerator or freezer until cold but not frozen.
• Filling:
• Combine Pumpkin, Sugar and Allspice in a food processor and mix all. You may choose the consistency according to taste some people like the filling very creamy, I prefer it a little more chunky with pumpkin bits. Set mixture aside.
• Finishing Touches:
• Roll out cold dough to 1/8-inch thickness, cut into 4-inch circles. They should resemble little tortillas. Place 1 tbsp of the filling mixture in the center of each circle. Moisten edges with a little milk; fold in half, and press edges together with fork. Place them on a ungreased baking sheet.
• Mix the sugar with the cinnamon. Brush empanadas with melted Earth Balance and sprinkle the sugar cinnamon mixture over them.
• Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until they get golden. I usually bake a batch of 10 empanadas at a time.
• Let it cool and enjoy!

VEGETARIAN EMPANADAS WITH BLACK BEANS AND CORN

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in the sugar and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Blend the lard (or shortening) and butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter, or with two knives, until fairly well blended.
• Whisk the egg yolks with 3/4 cups water.
• Stir in the water-egg mixture, a little bit at a time, until the dough starts to come together smoothly.
• Keep kneading the dough, adding more of the water-egg mixture as needed (you may need a few tablespoons extra of water), until the dough is smooth. The dough will seem a bit shaggy until it has thoroughly chilled. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about one hour.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Pour boiling water over the golden raisins and let soak for 10 minutes, then drain. Set aside.
• Add the vegetable oil to a heavy skillet and place over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, aji paste, cumin, and garlic salt and sauté until the onions are very soft and translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, the scallions, and the sugar and sauté, stirring, for about 5 minutes more, or until excess liquid has cooked away and tomatoes are beginning to stick to the pan.
• Add the black beans and sauté, until excess liquid is cooked away, about 5 minutes.
• Add the corn, raisins, and lime juice, and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Remove mixture from heat and scrape into a heatproof bowl.
• Let cool to room temperature, then stir in the cheese cubes and the cilantro. Chill mixture for 2 hours, or overnight.
• Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Divide the dough into 20 pieces for large empanadas or about 40 pieces for small, appetizer-size empanadas.
• Roll each piece of dough into a circle about 1/4-inch thick. (Circles will be about 6 inches in diameter for the larger empanadas and about 3 1/2 inches for the smaller ones).
• Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the middle of each circle of dough (1 teaspoon for small empanadas).
• Fold the dough over the filling to make a semicircle. Press the edges together firmly to seal.
• Fold the edge over itself and crimp decoratively.
• Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush the empanadas generously with the beaten egg.
• Bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
• Let cool and dust with powdered sugar.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add peppers, onions and tomatoes. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Add black beans and taco seasoning. Cook additional 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Lay empanada dough out on parchment-lined baking sheet. Fill with black bean filling and 1 Tbsp. cheese. Fold dough over filing to create a pocket. Use fork to press down on sides to seal. Brush with egg whites.
• Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from over and let cool.
• Serve with guacamole for dipping.

SPICY BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the Dough:
• Combine the cheese and butter in a mixing bowl and beat with a paddle attachment or just with a wooden spoon or spatula until well combined. Add flour, cornmeal and salt and mix well. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
• Black bean Empanada filling:
• Heat oil in a skillet over high heat and add onion. Cook, stirring for several minutes until onion is beginning to brown. Add jalapeño, garlic, tomato paste and spices and cook 60 seconds.
• Add beans and mash up about half the beans with your spatula.
• Add zest and turn off heat.
• To Shape:
• On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to ¼" thickness, or until it's about a foot-and-a-half diameter circle. (If the dough doesn't roll out easily - i.e. it springs back - let it rest longer)
• Cut 6″ circles from it. (You should get about 8 circles.)
• Plop 1/4 cup of filling onto the lower half of each circle and fold over to cover it.
• Use a fork to mash the seam together.
• Transfer to a baking sheet, leaving ½" between each.
• (If you like, brush the tops with beaten egg for a glossy look.)
• Bake at 375øF F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

BLACK BEAN AND OAXACA CHEESE EMPANADAS | EMPANADAS DE FRIJOLES NEGROS Y QUESO OAXACA

Steps:

• You'll need to prepare the mashed beans before beginning. Also it's important that they not be hot and preferably look warm or even cold out of the fridge is fine. Additionally pull the Oaxaca cheese apart -- it comes in a ball so you'll need to unravel it then pull and break up the long strings into smaller strips. Lastly, do prepare any salsa topping that you'd like to use. I used my tomato and arbol chile salsa and you can print that recipe from here.
• Heat up a comal/griddle or pan and when hot place the tomatoes on it and char evenly on all sides. Once they are blackened carefully remove from the heat and set aside. Now cut open the chiles and remove all of the seeds and veins, then place them on the hot surface and toast on both sides just for a couple of minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Once cooled place the tomatoes and the toasted chiles in a blender and add a splash of water just to get the blades going. Blend the ingredient until you achieve a smooth sauce consistency, set aside.
• In a large bowl combine the masa harina, salt, and baking powder -- stir well to distribute the ingredients. Make a well in the centre and pour in the tomato sauce. Use a wooden spoon or your very clean hands to work the sauce into the flour mixture. Once all of the tomato sauce has been incorporated begin adding some of the water onto the dough and continue to mix. Keep adding the water until the 1.5 cups has been used. At this time you may or may not need more water to achieve the smooth dough consistency. You want the dough to not stick to your hands any more, and to keep its form when you ball it up -- the consistency is like that of play-dogh. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
• Take the large clear sandwich bag and cut it so that you it can be large enough to cover the entire inside of the tortilla press. (If not using the press then you'll need two bags to place the dough balls in between and roll them out with the rolling pin) Once the dough has sat for 10 minutes divide it into either 10 large balls, set aside and do cover them so they don't dry out. Now take one ball and place it in the centre of the plastic bag covered tortilla press. Close the top press lid then use the little handle to flatten into a disk. You don't want to make it too thin otherwise the stuffing may spill out. Now take the disk and place about one heaping tablespoon of the mashed black beans into the centre, then add some strands of the cheese. Bring the two ends of the disk together to form a half moon and pinch the edges to seal. Set aside and repeat the whole process until all of the dough has been used.
• Line a large plate with a few paper towels and set it aside, also have a set of tongs ready to use. Heat the oil in a frying pan, I head the oil over medium heat and dip a wooden spoon into it to test the temperature. I know it's ready when the submerged spoon has bubbles forming around it -- the more technical way is to heat the oil to 365°F or 185°C. I used half of one regular sized bottle of vegetable oil for frying, you just need enough oil to submerge at least half of the empanada. Once the oil is hot enough, very carefully place an empanada into the oil. Depending on the size of your pan you may be able to fry two or more at a time. Fry on both sides until the empanadas are more golden and feel a bit crispy around the edges. Carefully remove from the hot oil and allow to drain off any excess oil on the paper towel lined plate. Allow to cool for a bit before serving. Serve with your salsa of choice as an appetiser or a light meal.

VEGETARIAN PUMPKIN BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Mix black beans, corn, pumpkin, rice, Gruyere cheese, jalapeno peppers, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Refrigerate filling for 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
• Roll empanada shells lightly using a rolling pin to stretch slightly. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling onto the center of each disc. Fold into a semi-circle shape and press edges closed using a fork. Place empanadas on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

CORN AND BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 375°F. Shuck the corn and cut the kernels off the cob. Combine with the black beans and oregano.
• Roll out half of your pie dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into a 3×3″ grid, as shown in the photos above.*
• Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the corn filling onto the center of every other square. Add 1-2 teaspoons enchilada sauce and top with a sprinkling of cheese.
• Gently peel up an empty square and place it on top of one with the filling. Press the edges together with your fingers, then seal with the tines of a fork.
• Transfer to a silicone-lined or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. They should be nice and golden. Remove from the oven and serve piping hot, topped with more enchilada sauce and cheese.

VEGAN SWEET POTATO & BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy clean up.
• Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes.
• Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet and squeeze one half of the lime juice over the potatoes and toss to coat.
• Roast for twelve minutes, then toss the potatoes and roast for another twelve, or until they're fork tender and golden brown on the edges.
• While the potatoes are cooking, add the black beans to a small sauce pan with two cups of water and the cumin, oregano, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.
• Heat the beans on medium-high heat to a rolling boil, then drop the heat to a simmer.
• Simmer the black beans for thirty minutes.
• Make the pasta dough. Click the link to get the recipe.
• While the black beans and sweet potatoes cook, roll out 2 tbsp of dough at a time into a circular shape. Look at the above pictures for an idea of what they should look like.
• When the potatoes are done, let them cool slightly and then add to food processor, add the salt, the rest of the lime juice, and the liquid from the black beans.
• Turn the food processor on and process the sweet potato mixture for one minute, or until the sweet potato is smooth.
• Add the black beans and pulse about six times so the black beans are evenly dispersed but most of them are still intact.
• Drop the oven temp to 350°F (176°C)
• Take about 1 tbsp of the filling and place it on top of the dough.
• Roll the dough to form the empanada as shown above.
• Place the empanadas on a parchment lined baking sheet and lightly brush with olive oil (feel free to omit this part if you're oil free)
• Bake for 12 min per side, or until golden brown.
• Enjoy!