Chicken and Black Bean Empanadas
Ingredients
- 14 cup vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped,
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
- 1 12 teaspoons oregano, dried
- 14 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 can (15 ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed well
- 1 12 cups cooked chicken, finely shredded
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 12 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 (2 sheet) packageprepared puff pastry
- flour, for rolling out pastry
- salsa, for topping
- sour cream, for topping
- green onions, for topping or chives
Directions
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.Saute onions and garlic until onions are soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add spices, stir to mix fully, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add black beans and chicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Cook until black beans are heated through, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let mixture cool fully.
Add cilantro and stir well.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Lay out a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.
Flour the top of the dough and roll out the puff pastry until it is about 1/16-inch thick and about 12 inches by 16 inches.
Trim edges to size, if necessary.
Cut 4-inch strips crosswise and lengthwise making 12 (4 by 4-inch) squares.
Make sure the squares are well floured and stack them in a little pile.
To form empanadas: Fill a little dish with some room temperature water.
Imagine each square you work with is separated in half by a diagonal.
Place a couple tablespoons of filling in the top half.
Dip a finger into the water and moisten the edges of the top half with water.
Fold the bottom half to meet the edges of the top half.
Use a fork to pinch and seal the edges.
Lightly brush the tops with vegetable oil.
Place finished pockets on a nonstick baking sheet and bake about 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy.
Serve with salsa, sour cream and green onions.
