Earth Balance Spreads - Made Just Right

Mmmm… empanadas! A Latin American specialty whose popularity has spread worldwide, they consist of stuffed bread or pastry that’s been baked or fried. The stuffing traditionally consists of meats, cheese and vegetables, but these handheld delicacies can easily be made without meat or dairy for some delectable vegan eats.

Case in point: the very clever chefs, Kaylie and Malloreigh over at Vegan Mischief (a delightful vegan food blog from Canada), have perfected the art of making incredible empanandas that are stuffed with savory tempeh. We were so wowed by their recipe that we just had to share it with you. While there are a lot steps involved, the directions are easy to follow and are worth the effort!

Read on for the instructions and to enter our Everyday Giveaway contest!

Dough
2 cups unbleached white flour (plus some for rolling)
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup cold water
1 1/2 tbsp Earth Balance® butter at room temperature

Mix 2 cups flour, salt, and cold water in a bowl until a firm dough forms. Roll dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Prepare a cutting board (or your counter) by dusting with flour; dust a rolling pin (or a long bottle) with flour. Lay the dough out and roll it until it’s less than a cm thick. Slather it with Earth Balance®; tuck the edges in to the center to cover up the buttered bits and re-roll out. Slather again; fold; roll again. Repeat this 2 - 3 times to incorporate the butter. Roll the dough up again, wrap in and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Now, prepare your filling.

Tempeh Filling
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 mushrooms (white button or crimini), diced
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions; sauté one minute. Add garlic. Add mushrooms. Sauté until soft.

Add:
1 tsp cumin
Dash cayenne

Toss the spices around with the onion, garlic, and mushrooms for a minute before adding:
1/2 cup tempeh, crumbled
2 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos or soy sauce (use less soy sauce than you would Braggs – 1 tbsp should do)
Toss to coat. Sauté until tempeh has browned.

Then, add:
1 - 2 tomatillos, diced
1/4 tomato (roma or vine size, not beefsteak), diced
Mix well and turn down heat. To add some spice try adding chopped green chilies or chopped jalapenos.

Pull dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface until it’s very thin -really, as thin as you can make it. Cut circles out using a pint glass or a large circle cookie cutter.

Put a teaspoonful or two of filling on each piece of dough and fold it over. Press it closed with your fingers and then crimp the edges with a fork.

Frying:
Either use a deep fryer or small skillet. Add enough oil that the bottom of the skillet is coated and turn it up to medium-high. When the oil is hot you are ready to cook.

Prepare a plate or cookie tray beside the stove with layers of cheesecloth or paper. Cook your in small batches, on each side until golden-brown. Let the oil drain off afterward. Let the oil in the pan heat up sufficiently between batches or you will have very oily empanadas. Eat with green chile sauce, hot sauce, or without any dipping sauce at all.

See, we told you. Amazing, right?

What’s your favorite kind of handheld food? We want to know what you eat when you’re on the go!

Discuss in the comments and all entries will be eligible to win free Earth Balance® products!