Corn and Pea Empanadas

These were a huge hit! TF and the Kidlet both loved them. (And I quite liked them too!)

They're a little lacking in protein, so you'll probably want some sort of meat or beans to go with it. They still make a great start to a meal though, even if they're not a complete package on their own.

The dough required a lot more water than specified to come together, but that wasn't a huge problem. Just something to be aware of. I've updated the recipe to reflect this.

Corn and Pean Empanadas

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

Dough

• 315g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• ~3/4 c. water

Filling

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (or a few slices of minced pickled jalapeño)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 c. frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 c. tomato sauce
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Sift the baking soda into the flour and mix in the salt and pepper.
2. Slowly mix in water, a bit at a time, until the mixture comes together into a soft dough. (You might need slightly more than 3/4 c., but be careful not to make the dough too wet!)
3. Shape the dough into a ball or log, wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat.
5. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes.
6. Add the jalapeño and garlic and cook for another minute or two.
7. Add corn and peas and cook for ~5 minutes.
8. Add the tomato sauce and cook until mixture thickens slightly (~5 more minutes).
9. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.
10. Divide the dough into 16 roughly equal portions and shape each into a ball.
11. Working with one ball at a time, roll out into a circle on a lightly floured surface.
12. Mound 2-3 Tbsp. of filling onto the centre of the circle.
13. Fold the circle over and crimp the edges together. Wet the edges a little if necessary to get it to seal.
14. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
15. Heat some oil in a wok or deep fryer. (Aim for a temperature of ~180°C/350°F.)
16. Fry the empanadas 2-4 at a time (depending on the size of your fryer/wok) until golden-brown on both side, flipping once.
17. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
18. Serve as is or with salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, and/or guacamole.