Tofu & Green Olive Empanadas | Christina's Kitchen: Global - LATIN AMERICA
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Tofu & Green Olive Empanadas
Makes 12 Empanadas
Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup vegan butter
½ - ¾ cup very cold water
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
Filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
2 jalapeños, coarsely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
1 pound firm tofu
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
½ cup sliced green olives, pitted and finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Prepare the dough: Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter in small chunks. I add the butter in three batches and then cut it into flour with each addition. Cut in the butter until the dough is crumbly and pebbly, as if you are making a piecrust.
Combine the vinegar with ½ cup cold water. Add to the dough in three batches, gently mixing it in with a fork, until the dough holds together when pinched. If needed, add up to ¼ cup more water. Gather the dough into a ball and knead very gently a few times until it holds together.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and the jalapeños in the olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened.
Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for a minute more. Add the paprika, cumin, oregano, and salt. Add the tofu and stir. Add the nutritional yeast and stir. Add the scallions and green olives and heat through. If the mixture looks dry, add a few splashes of water. Turn off the heat and get back to the dough.
Grease a baking sheet and set it aside. Sprinkle a clean surface with flour and roll out the dough to the size of a large pizza. Using anything in the shape of a circle about 4 ½ inches wide, start cutting circles until you have 12. You will need to put scraps of dough together and roll it out again, be sure not to make them too thin.
Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle of the circle and gently fold to make them into half moons. The filling should be about ½-inch from the edge. Pinch together the seams with a fork and place on the baking sheet. Continue forming the rest of the empanadas.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm!