Chicken Empanadas

by Megan Melin

Makes: 12 empanadas

Prep Time: 20 minutes (+1 hour wait time for dough to chill)

Cook Time 17 minutes

Bake Time: 18 minute @ 400

Dough:

·         2.5 cups all-purpose flour

·         ¾ cup yellow cornmeal

·         2 T sugar

·         1 t salt

·         ½ cup cold unsalted butter

·         1 egg

Filling:

·         1 medium size onion, chopped

·         1 green pepper, seeded & chopped

·         2 cloves garlic, sliced

·         1 T chile powder

·         1 small zucchini, trimmed & chopped

·         1 jalapeño pepper, seeded & chopped

·         1 pound ground chicken

·         2 T tomato paste

·         1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped

·         ¼ cup sugar

·         ½ t salt

·         1 T fresh lime juice

·         1 egg, mixed with 2 T water

Directions:

1.       Dough: In a food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt. Pulse to blend. Cut up butter; add to processor. Pulse until incorporated. Add egg and ½ water. (Note- I usually have to add 1 ½ to 2 cups beyond what the recipe calls for). Pulse until dough begins to hold together. Gather dough into a disk, refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2.       Filling: Coat a large nonstick pot with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over a medium heat, and add onions, green pepper, garlic and chile powder. Cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini and jalapeno. Cook another 3 minutes, adding a little water if too dry. Stir in chicken, breaking apart with a spoon. Cook 6 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste, chocolate, sugar and salt. Cook 3 minutes to blend flavors. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Let cool.

3.       Heat oven to 400 degrees. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll one piece into a 6-inch circle. Repeat with remaining dough, for a total of 12 circles. Transfer dough circles to two nonstick baking sheets. Place 1/3 cup filling on one half of a dough round, then brush egg with water. Fold over to enclose filling. Press edge together than crimp with a fork. Repeat with all dough rounds and filling. Brush empanadas with egg-water mixture.

4.       Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Transfer to a platter. Serve warm.