Last sunday was another great Cookalong with Frida and Ciana. They in Frisco, Dallas Texas, USA and me here in Sollentuna Sweden. This time we made Argentine Vegetarian Empanadas. Empanadas can be found everywhere in Argentina. The most common filling is with beef, but it can really be anything you like and prefer. We made ours vegetarian. Instead of ground beef we used crumbled, marinated and baked Tofu and added that to a filling with onion, garlic, chili pepper, bell pepper, shredded carrots and potatoes. We also added the traditional hard boiled eggs. In Argentina they even use olives however I we did not have that at home so we made without.
Empanadas are made all over the world however might have different names and shape.
Dough
Ingredients:
- 200 g room temperature butter
- about 8 dl flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- about 2 dl boiling water
Instructions making the dough:
Pour the flour into a baking dish and add the salt.
Put the butter in small pieces in the middle and pour on the boiling water.
Mix everything using a fork at the beginning and then the dough can be kneaded together with your hands.
Roll out the dough until it is about 2-2, 5 mm thick. Take out rounds of about 13 cm in diameter (use a lid or cup).
Filling
Ingredients:
- 500 g minced marinated and baked Tofu
- 2 carrots
- 1 potatoe
- 1 bell peppar
- 2 chopped yellow onions
- 1 red peppar
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp chiliflakes
- ½ tsp black peppar
- about 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 tbsp oregano
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp tomatoe paste
- about 10-12 green chopped olives
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
Instructions to marinate and bake the Tofu
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
Set oven heat to 400 Fahrenheit/200 Celsius Degrees
To prepare the Tofu take it out of it´s package and wrap paper towels around like a package. Place it in a container and under pressure. I put my iron cast frying pan on top. This to press the water out. Leave it under pressure for 10-15 minutes. Change the paper around if it is a lot of liquid.
Meanwhile mix the soysauce, olive oil, garlic powder, paprika and Nutritional Yeast in a bowl. Unwrap the Tofu and crumble in small pieces. Toss the Tofu in the soy mixture until all is covered. Place a parchment paper in a baking tray and spread the Tofu out on the tray. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 Fahrenheit/200 Celsius Degrees.
Instructions to make the filling:
Chop the onion and garlic finely.
Shred the carrots and potatoe.
Chop the bell peppar and the red peppar finely.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and garlic. Sprinkle a little salt.
Sweat the chopped onion and garlic for a minute. Add the shredded carrots and potatoe. Add the chopped red peppar. Cook for a few minutes until the carrots are soft. Add the spices and fry for a minute. Add a little water. It should not be runny. Add the tomatoe paste and stir. Let it cook together for a minute. Take off the heat and add the Tofu and mix all. Leave until cooled off completely.
Making the Empanadas:
Cut your hardboiled eggs into boats (six from one egg)
Prepare a cup with a beaten egg for eggwash
Roll out the dough until it is about 2-2, 5 mm thick. Take out rounds of about 13 cm in diameter (use a lid or cup).
On each round place filling on one half side, add one eggboat and a couple olives (if you have olives. I didn´t so I had to make without)
When you have placed the filling in the middle of each round, brush half the edge with water or eggwash.
Fold the half without filling over the other half with the filling and close the Empanada so it looks like a half moon. Press the edge and fold the edges to make a pattern. If not folding press with a fork around the half to close.
Place Empanadas on a tray with parchment paper and bake in the middle of the oven at 400 Fahrenheit degrees/200 Celsius Degrees for about 20 minutes or until your empanadas have a nice golden color.
Bj's Live Kitchen 