Olive Oil Pastry
1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup UP EVOO
3 to 4 tablespoons water
Empanada Filling
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 large yellow onion, finely minced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons UP Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or Infused Olive Oil of your choice
1 jar Roasted Red Peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 /2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
1 egg beaten
To make the filling, heat olive oil of choice in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground meat of your choice. Saute until well browned. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the roasted peppers, garlic, oregano and cook for another few minutes until most of the moisture in the mixture has evaporated. Add the cheese, mix well, taste and season with salt and pepper, and then set aside to cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 375.
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix the UP extra virgin olive oil and water together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well until a dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll out to 1/8" thickness and then using a round glass or a large circular cutter (4"-5" diameter would be perfect), cut out rounds of dough. Fill each with 2 tablespoons of cooled filling, brush one half of the inner edge of the circle and then pinch firmly closed to form a half moon shaped empanada. Use the tines of a fork to make a decorative edge and help seal the empanadas.
Arrange on a baking sheet and brush with beaten egg. Bake for 15-20 minutes until each empanada is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm. Can be frozen and reheated with excellent results.
Makes approximately 1 dozen empanadas
