CRS Meal Week #1- Empanadas

For the next 5 weeks, I'll be posting a meatless recipe for Lent. Catholic Relief Services created a program called Operation Rice Bowl which raises money for basic necessities in impoverished countries. Each week, CRS features a recipe from a different country across the globe.

This week, Empanadas from Colombia were featured. This particular recipe called for the dumplings to be filled with a soft cheese but to be honest I'm not a huge cheese fan. Instead I filled the empanadas with kidney beans, onion and pepper. Either way it turned out great!

I realized empanadas are basically large pierogies that you fry instead of boil. I love learning about the foods across the world and it's cool to see how each country seems to have a signature dumpling dish. And now that I know how easy they are to make, I'm sure I'll be posting a recipe with a beef filled or fruit filled empanada sometime soon!

If you want more info on this dish or want to check out the Rice Bowl program click HERE

Ingredients: Makes 2 Large Empanadas

For the empanada dough:
All Purpose Flour--- 1 CUP
Water--- 1/2 CUP
Vegetable Oil--- 2 TBSP
Salt--- 1 TSP
Baking Powder--- 1 TSP
Egg--- 1

For the filling:
Kidney Beans--- 1 Can
Onion (chopped)---3 TBSP
Italian Sweet Pepper (chopped)--- 1/4 CUP
Garlic (minced)--- 1 Clove
Ground Cumin--- 1 TSP
Chili Powder--- 1 TSP
Olive Oil--- 1/4 CUP

STEP BY STEP:

• 1. Heat stove to Medium. Lightly oil medium-sized sauce pan and saute onion and garlic until tender. Next strain beans and add to pot.

• 2. Stir in cumon and chili powder until evenly mixed. Reduce heat to Low

• 3. For the dough, combine flour, water, vegetable oil, salt and baking powder. Knead ingredients until a solid ball forms

• 4. Flour a work surface and roll out dough until about as thick as a pencil 

• 5. Cut 5" circles of dough

(I used a small plate to trace out my circle)

• 6. Fill half of the circle with beans and fold the empty half to seal the dumpling. Wish egg and brush around the edges of the dough.
  

(Use fork to press and seal the edges)

• 7. Heat stove to Medium-High. Add olive oil once hot. Fry empanada on each side until golden brown. 2- 3 minutes.

Once brown, remove empanada and let sit on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve with rice, salsa, sour cream and chives!!