Empanadas!

Olive Oil Pastry

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup UP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 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 made with UP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 jar Delizia Roasted Red Peppers in UP Extra Virgin Olive Oil, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 /2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
• Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 egg beaten

Instructions

To make the filling, heat the olive oil of choice in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground meat of your choice. Sauté until well browned. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the roasted peppers, garlic, and 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