Empanadas al Horno (Chilean Turnovers or Meat Pies)

Another great recipe from Noelle at An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

makes 10-12
Veganized and adapted from The South American Table

Masa (Dough) Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance, cut in pieces
• 1/4 cup all-vegetable shortening (Spectrum)
• 3/4 cup warm almond milk (or non-dairy milk)

Masa (Dough) Directions:

1. In a food processor, put the flour, salt, and baking powder and with a fitted steel blade pulse for 5 seconds.
2. Add the shortening and Earth Balance and process ntil the mixture looks like coarse meal, about 15 seconds.
3. While the machine is running, pour the milk through the feed tube in a steady stream and process until the dough almost comes together into a ball. Remove from bowl and knewad a few times and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare pino or the seitan filling.
4. Roll dough into a long log and cut dough into 10-12 pieces.

Relleno (Filling) Ingredients:

• 8 ounce package Upton's Nautrals Ground beef-Style Seitan
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder
• 12 pitted black olives
• 1/4 cup seedless black raisin, soaked for 5 minutes and drained

Relleno (Filling) Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan and saute' onions for 5-7 minutes until transparent.
2. Add seitan and garlic and cook for 5 more minutes.
3. Add seasonings and cook for 3 more minutes.
4. Add vegetable broth and simmer until liquid almost evaporates (5 minutes).
5. Add arrowroot powder to seitan mixture and cook until mixture thickens.

Assembly:

1. Take one piece of dough and roll into a 6-inch circle.
2. Add 1-1 1/2 Tablespoons of seitan filling.
3. Add a few raisins and one black olive.
4. Take one side of the dough and bring to the front side of dough to enclose the filling sealing the ends and folding the excess dough and sealing upwards.
5. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
6. "Egg" wash over the empanadas. 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder w/ 2 Tablespoons water. Mix well and brush over the tops of each empanada.
7. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from oven and turn each empanada over and baking on the opposite side for 5 minutes. This is will brown the tops a little.

Eat slightly warm and serve with Pebre or my grandma's secret chimichurri sauce. Enjoy!!