I know I said that vegetarian lumpia would be the next recipe I posted, but I haven’t had the chance to make them to get accurate measurements of what I put in them. So I’m doing vegetarian empanadas instead.
I learned these empanadas as an Ecuadorian recipe (my maternal grandmother is from Ecuador), but I’ve since learned that there is a version of Filipino empanadas that is exactly like this. That’s what colonialism will do.
Anyway, I love these, as I do any food that involves fried dough. (I’ll add pictures when I make them next.)
Vegetarian Empanadas
Filling
1/2 pound of soy crumbles (I use St. Yves Meatless Ground)
1/2 cup raisins (I like golden raisins)
1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 hardboiled eggs, sliced
Swiss cheese (or any other white cheese you like), sliced
Brown the meat, onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Add raisins. Put eggs and cheese aside.
Dough
2 cups flour, sifted
2 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
About 1/4 cup water
Oil for frying
Sugar for topping
Mix salt and flour. Cut the butter into the flour — I just use my hands — until the mixture looks crumbly. Add enough water to work into dough , a tablespoon or two at a time. (Again, I just use my hands to work it in.) Roll the dough out, about an eighth of an inch thick. Cut the dough into about eight four-inch rounds. (I just use a bowl and a paring knife.)
Put about two tablespoons of filling on half of each round. Top with a slice of hardboiled egg and a slice of cheese. Fold over the top, seal, and then press edge with a fork.
Fry empanadas in oil until golden brown, flipping over of course. Take out of oil and sprinkle them with sugar while they’re still hot. Eat, but be careful not to burn your mouth. Delicious.
