Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (47 page)

1. To prepare the seitan filling: use a large-holed grater and gently grate the Red Steamed Seitan. Use your fingers to tear apart any remaining nubs too small to grate. The grated seitan will be crumbly but moist and springy. Very finely mince the mushrooms, chopping them as small as the bits of shredded seitan (the idea is that they will blend into the seitan; these are not chunky vegetable empanadas).

2. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat together the olive oil and garlic over medium heat, until the garlic starts to sizzle and becomes fragrant. Stir in the onion and fry until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until they darken and release their juices, another 5 to 6 minutes. Add the red wine, paprika, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon (if using), stirring occasionally, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the grated seitan and, stirring constantly so that seitan absorbs liquid but is still moist, cook for 6 to 8 more minutes. Use a silicone spatula to fold the seitan into the vegetable mixture and really press it into the liquid to help it absorb more seasonings. Remove from the heat, let cool for a few minutes, and taste the mixture. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Stir in the olives and raisins. Set aside until cool enough to comfortably handle.

3. When ready to assemble the empanadas, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Have handy the prepared dough rounds, soy creamer, and a pastry brush.

4. Take a dough round, gently stretch it slightly outward by its edges, and lightly brush with soy creamer. Scoop up a generous ⅓ cup of filling, making sure to get a few raisins and olive slices with each scoop. Place the filling into the center of the round and spread it over half of the round; leave about ½ inch of space along the edge of the dough. It’s especially important to make sure this filling doesn’t spill over the edge; the wet filling can make crimping the edges a little tricky.

5. Fold the dough over the filling, stretching and pulling it just enough to completely encase everything. (You will now have a semicircular patty.) With your fingers, firmly press down the edges of the dough, then seal by firmly pressing the tines of a fork into the edges of the empanada. Carefully lift and place on a prepared baking sheet and brush with soy creamer. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, dividing the filling equally among the dough rounds.

6. Bake the empanadas for 24 to 26 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the edges begin to brown. A little of the filling may bubble out of the edges, but if you crimp it firmly enough it won’t be much of an issue. Allow them to cool for 6 to 8 minutes before serving, as the filling will be extremely hot right out of the oven.

7. To reheat, either wrap in foil and bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or microwave on high for 30 to 35 seconds. Store leftovers chilled in a tightly covered container.

•
Makes about a dozen 6-inch empanadas

•
Time: About 1½ hours with baking and cooling the filling, not including making pastry dough circles

 

1 recipe Wheat Empanada Dough (richer
variation, page 201), well chilled
1 pound waxy potatoes, peeled and diced
into ½-inch cubes
1 large carrot, peeled and diced into
½-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
½ recipe (two loaves) Steamed Red or
White Seitan (pages 34 and 35), diced
into ½-inch cubes (about 2 generous
cups of chopped seitan)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
½ pound yellow onion, diced into
½-inch cubes
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons red hot chile sauce
or paste, or more to taste
(use fiery rocoto pepper for very hot
salteñas
)
A generous twist of freshly ground
black pepper
½ cup fresh or frozen peas
½ cup dark raisins
⅔ cup sliced green olives
1⅔ cups rich vegetable broth
4 teaspoons arrowroot powder or
cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

 

1. Place the potatoes and carrots in a heavy saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes just start to turn tender but are not mushy, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain in a colander over the sink and rinse with cold water to stop the vegetables from cooking further. Leave the colander in the sink to drain any excess water.

2. Now make the seitan veggie filling. If desired, you can do this step in advance and keep the filling chilled until it’s time to bake the empanadas. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat and add the diced seitan, sautéing for 5 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Transfer to a plate. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat and add the garlic and onion, frying until the onion becomes soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the cumin, oregano, and hot sauce and grind a few twists of pepper over everything. Add the seitan, drained potatoes and carrots, peas, raisins, and olives and fry for about 2 minutes.

3. While the seitan mixture cooks, use a wire whisk or a fork to beat the vegetable broth, arrowroot, sugar, and salt in a mixing cup until dissolved. Add to the seitan mixture and stir occasionally until the mixture starts to boil. The mixture will begin to thicken now, so switch to stirring constantly until a thin gravy has formed. Taste the gravy; it’s fully cooked when no chalky texture remains. Adjust the seasoning, if needed, by adding more salt, pepper, or even hot sauce, if desired. Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool for at least 25 minutes. It should be cooked enough to handle easily.

4. When ready to assemble the empanadas, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. You may want to use baking sheets with a raised edge for these empanadas, as juices may bubble out.

5. Take a dough round, place it on a lightly floured surface, and gently stretch it slightly outward by its edges. Scoop up a generous ⅓ cup of filling (making sure to scoop up some of the gravy) into the center of the round, leaving at least ½ inch of space along the edge of the dough. Quickly grab two opposite ends of the dough and pinch together to form a “purse” to help prevent the gravy from spilling out. Continue to press the edges together and work toward the top to create a bottom-heavy, half-circular purselike shape. Now really press those edges of the dough together, enough to squish the dough out to create an edge ½ inch wide. Carefully crimp the edges and tuck them under (see the tip about making a braided edge). It’s an important step to make sure all of the filling is secured inside the crust.

6. Gently lift the empanada by hand (or use a thin spatula) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top and sides generously with soy creamer. Continue with the rest of dough and filling, dividing the filling equally among the dough rounds.

7. Bake the empanadas for 28 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the edges are browned. A little of the filling may bubble out of the edges, but as you get better at crimping the edges of the dough it won’t be much of an issue. Allow them to cool for 6 to 8 minutes before serving, as the filling will be extremely hot right out of the oven.

8. To reheat: either wrap in foil and bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or microwave on high for 30 to 35 seconds. Store leftovers chilled in a tightly covered container.

1.
Place filling on dough

2.
Pinch dough upright to seal

 

Corn Empanada Heaven

 

I
n Colombia and Venezuela, empanadas use a dough made from the same South American precooked corn flour that’s used for making arepas. After working with homemade wheat dough, working with corn dough will be something of a revelation; thanks to the precooked
masarepa
, this dough comes together in mere minutes. And because there’s no gluten, you can knead and rework the dough all night long without fearing the wrath of a tough empanada.

 

Corn-crusted empanadas are best deep-fried. Or they can be baked instead, if you prefer; the crust will be chewier instead of crisp, in that case. These empanadas are so easy to pull together, you’ll want to experiment with different fillings and textures. Try making one or more of the following fillings for your next empanada-frying fiesta! Prepare the corn dough and fill and fry just like in the recipe for potato-pumpkin empanadas (page 205).

 

• Use the shredded seitan, olive, and raisin filling (page 202) for a “meaty” and very traditional-style filling. Serve with Green Onion Salsa (page 44) or any salsa.

• Fill with equal parts black bean Home-style Refried Beans (page 86) and finely shredded meltable mozzarella-style vegan cheese (one of the most typical and beloved of fillings for corn empanadas). Serve with any salsa or hot sauce.

• Stuff with the oyster mushroom and pimiento pepper arepa filling (page 180)

• Fill with leftover seitan ropa vieja (page 107) plus a little leftover rice.

• Colombian-style Red Beans (page 90), especially roja bola beans, are particularly outstanding and hearty inside empanadas. Great with a little bit of sweet roasted or fried plantains, too.