Beef and Red Pepper Empanadas
Empanadas are a universal treat and quite easy to make when you use frozen dough. Here is a kidney friendly version that works to compensate for the sodium in the packaged dough.
Makes
Serving size
Ingredients
3 large eggs
½ pound ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small (60 grams) onion, sliced
1 medium (114 grams) red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon oregano, chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried oregano)
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup (119 grams) goat cheese, crumbled
20 small empanada discos, frozen and thawed (used Goya Foods® for nutrient analysis)
Pinch salt (optional, did not used for nutrient calculations)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 415°F.
- Bring 1 small saucepan ¾ full of water to boil. Cook 2 of the eggs for 10 minutes. Plunge in cold water and peel.
- Dice eggs and set aside in a medium mixing bowl.
- Heat a medium sized skillet on medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until it is browned through. Remove from skillet and add to egg mixture.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in the same skillet. Sauté the onions over low heat until they are softened (about 7 minutes).
- Add the red bell pepper to the onions and cook 3-4 minutes, until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Remove from pan and add to mixing bowl and cool.
- Add the chopped herbs and raisins. Mix well.
- Add crumbled goat cheese to the bowl. Mix to incorporate cheese thoroughly.
- Place the thawed empanada discos on a clean cutting board.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of stuffing onto the center of each empanada disc.
- Crack the 3rd egg into a ramekin, add 1 tablespoon water and beat to incorporate.
- Brush the inside edges of each empanada disc with the egg wash to ensure a tight seal and prevent the filling from leaking.
- Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges by pinching or with a fork, crimping the edges.
- Brush the top of the empanadas with the egg wash.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
Cooking Tip
If you prefer even lower sodium empanadas, make your own dough and eliminate salt altogether. For vegan empanadas, remove the meat and potentially add more grain such as quinoa or rice to the mix, along with non-dairy cheese and more olive oil instead of butter in the sauté.
Recipe Contributed by FamilyCook Productions
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