Smokey white bean & swiss chard empanada

Making these was fun, I really enjoy working with dough and experimenting with different ratios of water and shortening to make a pastry dough that is flaky. The most important part of pastry making is not to over knead it, otherwise it ends up tough hard to roll.

I did not want a white dough so I used a sprinkle of turmeric in the flour mixture, almost Jamaican patty-ish. Like most of my inspiration, I find by Googling. I came across a dough recipe....and changed it a bit to what I had on hand.

Pastry dough
makes 8

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp sea salt
pinch of turmeric
1 egg replacement
1/3 cup cold water + a little more if needed to combine dough
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Using a pastry cutter cut the shortening into the flour until crumbly.
Add wet ingredients. And stir with a fork trying to incorporate it all together.
Pour onto floured surface and knead together into a ball.
Place in bowl and cover. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

I know that the health world is going nuts over kale, but I am not super into it. I prefer to use spinach or in the case swiss chard. The filling is fairly simple...

Filling

In a large saute pan with lid add 1 cubed butternut squash ( medium in size), pour in 1 cup of water of veggie stock. Allow to simmer with lid on for 10 minutes or until it is soft. Add chopped chard and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the greens are wilted. I added some chipotle for spice, about 3 or 4 tablespoons worth. Season with a bit of sea salt and a little sugar. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool.


White bean mixture


2 cups white beans- cooked or canned
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
2 tbsp sunflower oil
sea salt

Place in food processor and blend until creamy.

Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll out onto floured surface. Scoop a small amount of filling in the middle, and close. Using a fork or a finger technique close the empanada. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.