Phenomenal Phoods

Sweet Potato Empanadas

Ingredients:

For the empanada dough

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup milk

For the filling

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb vegetarian ground beef (see note)
• 1/2 cup sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 1/2 to 1 sweet potato)
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup white mushrooms, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup green or kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/4 cup banana peppers or pepperoncini, chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (feel free to use fresh, chopped herbs instead of dried seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2-3 tablespoons tomato sauce
• Cheese (I used 1 container of Boursin garlic & herb, but you can use any cheese you like)
• 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, whisked together for egg wash

Instructions:

For the empanada dough

1. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor.
2. Add cold butter, cut into small cubes, and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand and forms pea-sized bits.
3. Add the egg and milk and pulse until a dough forms.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until it is very smooth. Press into a flat disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling out.

For the filling

1. If you are using the vegetarian or regular ground beef, cook it in a large pan over medium-high heat until fully cooked through, using a fork or spoon to crumble it as it cooks. Season with half of the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes as it cooks. Transfer to a bowl and cover with foil until ready to use.
2. To the same pan, add a little olive oil and sweet potatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add onions, garlic, bell peppers, banana peppers, olives, mushrooms, capers, tomato sauce and spices and cook for 5-7 minutes until veggies are soft when pierced with a fork. Add additional tomato sauce as needed if the filling seems dry.
3. Toss veggies with vegetarian ground beef and prepare to fill the empanadas.
4. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
5. Roll out your refrigerated empanada dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Use a round cookie cutter or a glass to cut out circles of dough. I used a 6 inch cookie cutter, but you can make them as large or as small as you like and just adjust the baking time as needed.
6. Spoon a little bit of filling onto half of each circle of dough, being careful not to put so much that it will be difficult to fold and seal. Add a little bit of cheese - I used Boursin garlic and herb cheese, but you could use a slice of provolone or really any cheese that you like here.
7. Fold over the empanada and press around the edges to seal. Starting at one end, pull out little sections of the dough and twist. Continue all the way around to create the twisted folds that you see in the photos. Another option is just to use a fork to crimp the edges.
8. Place empanadas on a baking sheet, brush with the egg wash, cut a couple of small slits in the top for steam to escape, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Serve empanadas with dipping sauces such as chimicurri, green goddess dressing, hot sauce, salsa, etc.