1/3 Vegan Empanadas
Our trip South has taken an unexpected turn and Sandy, Chloe and I are in the KIA headed home to Michigan for a week and a half. There has been a death in my family so we left Atlanta yesterday for the twelve hour drive home. Sandy’s mom packed us a lunch complete with tropical fruit salad, PB& J’s and crispy grapes. I added hommus and soy creamer to our cooler and we were on our way.
In the last post I shared a Cuban recipe for vegan Picadillo. It is one of Gwen’s (Sandy’s mom) specialties. The three of us thought that the leftover Picadillo (see recipe here) would make phenomenal Empanadas, which are Latin Americn meat pies. On New Years Day we put our theory to the test and wow! were they amazing.
In an effort to keep it simple, we used a frozen pie crust that had been defrosted, removed from its pie tin and rolled out. I had purchased a two pack of frozen pie crust for a different recipe and only needed one. So I put the other in the fridge to thaw overnight. An excellent, time saving trick when you don’t feel like making dough from scratch.
Without over-handling the dough, Gwen rolled it out approx 1/4-inch thick. 
She then used an upside down glass to cut circles in the dough. You may certainly use a biscuit or cookie cutter. Our circles were quite small, approx 2 1/2 inch in diameter.
Gwen put a teaspoonful of Picadillo onto each round then folded over the edge and using the tines of a fork, sealed the fate of our pies. It was funny because all of this was happening while we were busily veganizing Gwen’s world famous Pecan Tart (recipe coming soon). The vegan Empanadas were a delicious snack in the midst of controlled culinary chaos. That is how easy they are to make with a thawed vegan pie crust sitting in your fridge.
Gwen baked the Empanadas for approx 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.(rotating the pan half way through). I served them with salsa and a bottle of Chipotle hot sauce. The mini pies were outrageous. They were little pockets of meaty goodness. The dough remained flaky while the filling was tangy and flavorful. They would make the most sensational appetizer or addition to a Tapas menu. They were swanky and rustic at the same time.
We were really just using up the leftover Picadillo and the pie crust that I had purchsed for the Pecan Tart. I love when you can create the most delicious thing you have ever had simply from incidentals.
Making and devouring vegan food stuffs with Sandy’s parents has been one of the most wonderful experiences. It feels truly loving to create dishes together with ingredients that have not caused harm to any living thing. What can be more loving or taste better than that?
We are still driving through Ohio and have reunited with cold temperatures and the snow. I have to admit, this sudden change in plans has shaken my confidence in our Southward-bound adventure. The best I can do now is to remain open to change and go with the flow, which I promise to try and do.
Have a delicious day.
Tags: compassionate eating, plant based diet, trying vegan, vegan appetizer, vegan experience, vegan Latin American recipe, vegan meat pies, vegan tapas dish
