New Mexico Fruit Empanadas Recipes

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. Saute beef and pork until cooked. Strain the meat from the fat and reserve. In the same pan, saute the onions until soft, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cooked meat to the onions, and saute 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, cilantro, and spinach and saute for 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the stove and mix in the goat cheese until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and cool to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lay out the chilled cut dough on a cutting board. Spoon a small amount of the stuffing into the center of the dough. Fold the top over the bottom and crimp all the way around with a fork. Lay the empanadas on a sheet pan. See Chef's Note. Bake for 15 minutes or until dough appears crispy.
• Chef's Note: At this point the empanadas can be refrozen for future use.

Steps:

• 1. Pastry Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a fork, combine the butter and cream cheese. Sift flour over this mixture. Add baking powder, vinegar and water or milk and combine with fork. With generously floured hands, work the dough until you have a smooth resilient ball. 3 to 4 minutes, but keep working the flour into the other ingredients until the dough suddenly holds together. Flour both the table and your rolling pin. Roll out dough and cut out circles. Oil cookie sheets and place circles or sheets, add 1 heaping teaspoon of filling and carefully fold over and crimp with fork and moistening the edge with egg glaze. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Filling Directions: Boil pork. When thoroughly cooked, put in food processor until meat is shredded. Add Raisins, applesauce, sugar, nuts and spices. Mix well and proceed with direction in Empanada Pastry recipe.

Steps:

• For the empanada dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then whisk in the stock. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and knead until a dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, for the empanada filling: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and garlic salt and cook until the beef is cooked completely. Drain the grease and set the beef aside.
• In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, oregano, seasoned salt, garlic, bell peppers and onions. Cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef and let them love each other with fire over low heat for about 5 more minutes. The mixture should be moist but not dripping wet. Now you are ready to fill the empanadas.
• Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 4-, 5- or 6-inch rounds, depending on how large you prefer. Add some meat filling to each empanada and fold the dough over in half to enclose the filling. Use a fork to press and seal the edges closed. You can refrigerate the uncooked empanadas for up to 3 hours.
• Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F. Fry the empanadas until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
• For the aioli dip: Mix together the mayonnaise, adobo sauce and lime juice. (The flavor will enhance if it sits in the refrigerator.)

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and mix well. Add shortening and break it up by hand until it resembles cornmeal. Add chicken stock and knead until all is incorporated. Let it rest, covered, for at least 30 minutes in cooler.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Combine blackberries, strawberries, goat cheese and sugar and mix well.
• When the dough has chilled, roll it out to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Cut circles out of the dough with a 4-inch round cutter. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each dough circle. Beat the eggs and water together in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash all around the edges of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling to make the circles into half moons. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork to seal the dough closed.
• Heat a pan, filled half way up with peanut oil, to 350 degrees F.
• Fry the empanadas until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes, turning them over occasionally with tongs.