Empanadas are one of my favourite things to make for super-easy and very delicious lunches. I’ll spend part of an afternoon whipping up a dozen or so, and then my lunches are easy-peasy for the next twelveish days. You just whip up the dough, make your fillings while it rests, and then roll, fill, and pinch. Bake ’em, freeze ’em, and off you go.

This is just my second batch of empanadas, but I’ve already made some improvements on the original recipe, from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I’ve added spices and herbs to the dough, and made sure I rolled the dough nice and thin, making the empanadas wonderfully tender and delicious. I also made sure there was enough filling for each one, since my first batch ended up being a bit skimpy using the amounts on the original recipe.

Last time I filled the empanadas with refried beans, roasted bell peppers, and shredded monterey jack cheese. This time, I used sundried tomatoes, cheddar, and refried black beans and chickpeas. It’s almost as if sundried tomato hummus got together with an empanada and these empanadas are their delightful little love children.

Of course you can use anything you like to fill these empanadas, but I’d definitely recommend trying this. It’s delicious. Yummy.

Sundried Tomato Empanadas

Dough
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup masa harina
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp black pepper
10 tbsp shortening or lard, cubed & chilled
½ cup cold water, more if needed

Filling
2 tbsp olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp black pepper
1 onion, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 (15-oz.) can black beans
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeans
½ cup frozen corn kernels
12 sundried tomatoes, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

To make the dough, mix all the dry ingredients together. Toss in the cubed fat and cut it in with a pastry cutter or two knives until no pieces are larger than peas. Mix in the water, a little at a time, until the dough just holds together. I found I needed about 10 tbsp of water. Knead the dough a little bit so it comes together, and then wrap it in plastic or a damp towel and let it rest for at least 20 minutes while you prepare the refried beans.

Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the spices and stir. Add the onion and garlic after about 20 seconds and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is tender. Drain and rinse the beans and chickpeas, and then add them to the pan. Partially mash the beans and add some water and the corn. Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes or so. Taste for spices and seasonings, and remove from heat. Let cool while you deal with the dough.

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and let rest for another 5 minutes. Roll out a round of dough on a floured surface until it is thin enough that you can see a shadow of your counter through it. Fill with a spoonful of refried beans, some sundried tomatoes, and some shredded cheese. Fold in half, seal with damp fingers, and fold the edges over again.

Bake the empanadas for about 16 minutes, until a bit golden and you can hear them sizzling. Serve with sour cream and devour!

 

What’s your favourite make-ahead lunch? Remember, every post you comment on is an entry in the monthly draw!