Friday, March 6, 2009

Chicken, Black Bean and Corn Empanadas


We enjoy Latin food quite alot in this household, and I realized I had not made Empanadas for over a year.

I once read you can buy Empanada pastry rounds in a frozen format, and I finally found them. They just were not that great, I think using Puff Pastry works much better and is a tastier alternative. You could also use Frozen Pie Crust which I have successfully used in the past.

This makes a bunch of filling, so you may need more than 1 box of Puff Pastry. I still have a quart of filling in my freezer for next time!

1/2 onion, diced
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 can corn, drained (you could use a whole can I am just not a fan of corn)
2-3 breasts of chicken, poached in water, and diced into cubes
2 whole canned chilis, diced
salt and pepper
1 cup mexican blend cheese
1/2 cup Cotija cheese crumbled (you can get this just about anywhere)
2 jalepeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 tbl onion powder
1 tbl chives
1/4 cup tomato based salsa of your choice
2 tbl lime juice
2 tsp Franks Red Hot
Salsa Verde (to taste)
1 package puff pastry

Poach your chicken breasts, remove from pan, cool and dice, then place in a large bowl.

Add in the beans, corn, salsa, and remaining ingredients. Mix well, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper. Add salsa verde by the spoonful until it is at the level of taste you desire.

You don't want this mixture loose and moist, keep it on the dry side. You can adjust any of the above ingredients or seasonings.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and use pan spray on your baking sheet

Place your room temperature puff pastry into a floured surface, roll it out a bit until the seams integrate. Cut into 4 pieces

You are going to fold them into triangles, so place several tablespoons of your filling in the middle of each piece.

Using your finger and a small vessel of water, dip your finger and run it around the edge of the pastry

Fold over and using your fork pinch and seal the edges

Cut several holes in the top for venting

Brush each empanada with a bit of vegetable oil and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden brown and puffy

20 comments:

Donna-FFW said...

Cheryl.. These sound great. Your pictures are so clear.. I love how they look. Are you eating these beans now because hubby i away or is he back.. when is he coming home?

Debbie said...

I love empanadas. Your look so good. My coworker makes them and brings them in from time to time..I just devour them!!!

Dewi said...

Your pastry look so buttery and very flaky, that is the beauty of puff pastry. The filling is of course delicious too.
Cheers,
elra

Paula said...

Ah Cheryl, you are the master! This is terrific! I love, love, love how you've got a bit of heat in here, and the rest of the filling sounds awesome. I've never used puff pastry, but that's all going to change now. I must have these. Must, must, must! YUM!

Pam said...

Mmm. Looks tasty - I love empanadas.

MaryBeth said...

Total yum-o... they look so light and crispy, way to go Cheryl!!

Jan said...

I have never had empanadas, but these look and sound so scrummy I needs must try them soon.

Sara said...

These look great - I love that they're baked instead of fried.

Heather said...

mmm. i've never had empanadas ot made them. you've combined three of my favorite ingredients!! yum!

test it comm said...

Those empanadas look so light and flaky and good!

Sharon said...

We love puff pastry so this is definitely on my bookmarked list! Thanks for the great recipe.

Netts Nook said...

Empanada my favorite. Yours look great can't wait to try.

Creative Classroom Core said...

Im a huge empanada fan, and these look great! Thanks for sharing!

Foodiewife said...

Huh. Silly me. I never thought to try puff pastry when I make empenadas! I just happen to have a box of Trader Joe's puff pastry I'm hearing people rave about...I have black beans and corn. Looks like I'm going South of the Border next week. Great blog!

Debby

jesse said...

These look perfect! Yumyumyum, and great pic to go with it too... mmm!

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Thanks for the heads up on the pastry. I haven't tried empanadas before. My family would love these!

Coleens Recipes said...

Excellent photographs! These looks excellent.

Foodie with Little Thyme! said...

I grew up in South FL so I too love Latin food. I'm going to make these this weekend. Thanks for the recipe!

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kidkraft said...

Baked to the most perfect golden brown color! Looks delicious. =)

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