The idea for this recipe came about by chance: I made gluten-free Moroccan cigars (recipe soon) but was stuck with quite a bit of the filling; And so I was looking for a recipe to use it. The empanadas jumped to my head at once, even though I had never made or even tasted them before!
I had an image of crispy, plump empanadas served with some green sauce. Go figure the mystery of the mind 🙂
A Google search revealed similar ingredients in most recipes. Still, the method was different: some like thin dough, and some prefer it thick up to 1 cm wide, some roll the dough and cut out discs, and some divide the dough into balls as the number of empanadas and roll each ball separately.
I like my empanadas with a thin dough; This recipe is for 12 empanadas, about 4 mm thick.
I find chimichurri sauce is a perfect match for savory empanadas. Therefore, I took one step further and added a bunch of Roquettes to the traditional recipe. Its bitter fresh taste upgrades the chimichurri significantly.
As a result, we get a delicious dip that makes a great companion to many other dishes – from mashed potatoes, rice to a vegan steak or hamburger; you can even put it on a slice of bread!
This cute duo came out so delicious that I couldn’t control myself and exaggerated to the point of remorse 😉
In other words: the empanadas and chimichurri run out in a blink of an eye, so you should consider preparing a double amount in advance.
Enjoy and let me know how it turned out❣️
12 Empanadas
Vegan Meat Mixture
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- 25 grams TVP Soy chips, soaked in boiling water for about 5 minutes, drained, and squeezed well.
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 100 grams mushrooms, chopped שמפניון, פורטובלו
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 Tbsp pine, pistachio or olives, chopped or a mixture of all
- ¼ tsp Ras El Hannut
- ¼ tsp paprika or smoked paprika
- salt and black pepper by taste
Dough
"Egg" for brushing
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp liquid sunflower lecithin Optional but highly recommended1 it gives an egg yolk texture.
- ½ tsp Agave syrup
- salt and pepper by taste
- pinch sweet paprika
For Serving
Roquette Chimichurri
- 100 grams Fresh rocket, with the stems
- 50 grams Parsley, with the stems
- ½ tsp Dried oregano
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp salt by taste
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper by taste
- 1 Small red onion, cut into eight pieces or very coarsely chopped.
- 1 Red bell pepper cut into eight pieces or very coarsely chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 2 tbsp apple sider vinegar
- ⅓-½ cup sunflower oil, or canola oil
- sriracha, tabasco or green curry paste by taste
Vegan Meat Mixture
- Heat olive oil in a wok or wide skillet.
- Fry onion until softened and slightly golden; Add garlic and fry for a few seconds until it smells delicious; Add pine nuts, olives and pistachios and fry for a few more seconds.
- Add the squeezed soy chips (TVP) and fry for 3-4 minutes; Add mushrooms and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add spices and fry for another minute. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Keep covered in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Please note: The filling should be cold while filling the dough.
Dough
- Mix flour, oil, sugar and salt in a bowl. Gradually add lukewarm water until a uniform dough is obtained.
- If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour; alternatively, add more oil if the dough is too dry (add the oil using a spray bottle) until you get a smooth and flexible dough.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and let it rest for at least half an hour at room temperature; this step is essential for developing the dough's texture.
"Egg" for brushing
- Mix oil, lecithin, agave, salt, sugar, and black pepper in a small bowl. Keep covered in the refrigerator.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal balls (do not be ashamed to use a kitchen weight).
- No need to roll the dough with a rolling pin! Using the palm of your hand, flatten each ball of dough into a disc about 9-10 cm in diameter. You can stretch the dough with your hands. You will get a disc approximately 3-4 mm thick.
- Remove the meat filling from the refrigerator. Place one tablespoon of it in the center of the disc.
- Fold the disc in half and fasten it with your fingers or a fork.
- Roll the edges slightly inwards as in the picture.
- Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush the "egg" over the empanadas.
- Place in the hot oven and bake for about 15 minutes until the empanadas are golden brown. Serve with roquette chimichurri or salsa sauce.
Roquette Chimichurri
- Place the roquette and parsley in a food processor and chop coarsely; Remove the stubborn stems.
- Add oregano, thyme, vinegar, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; Process and add oil gradually while processing. Add oil until you get the desired degree of thickness. The goal here is to achieve a texture that is between a sauce and a spread.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary: oil, vinegar, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, or sugar. Keep covered in the refrigerator until served.
- The longer the dough rests, the more flexible it will be at work. So, half an hour is the minimum; it is better to let it spend the night in the refrigerator, covered, so it doesn’t dry out.
- There may be some leftover from the stuffing; You can use it in other recipes.
- Make the chimichurri at least an hour in advance, or better overnight, to absorb flavors.
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