ONLINE EXTRA — EASY EMPANADAS: Cherry Jack Empanada . . . Empanadas de Oaxaca . . . Beef Empanadas, etc.

Cherry Jack Empanada

½ cup almonds, slivered

1 15-ounce package refrigerated pie crust rounds (2 crusts)

1 16-ounce can tart red cherries, well drained, or fresh cherries, pitted

½ cup dried apricots, diced

¼ teaspoon almond flavoring

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1½ cups (6 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon milk

3 tablespoons coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toast almonds 6 to 8 minutes on cookie sheet in oven until lightly golden.

Unfold both pie crusts on baking sheet. In a bowl, combine toasted almonds, cherries, ap-ricots, almond flavoring, cinnamon, brown sugar and Monterey Jack cheese; mix well.

Spoon half of mixture onto half of one pie crust round, within 1 inch of edge, leaving other half of pastry round uncovered. Fold pastry over filling; crimping edges to seal. Finished empanada should resemble a half-circle. Repeat with remaining crust and filling.

In a small bowl, combine egg and milk. Brush empanadas with egg mixture then sprinkle with sugar. Cut four small slits in top of each empanada. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until pas-try is golden brown.

Yield: Serves 12.

Empanadas de Oaxaca

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half if small, coarsely chopped if large

1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat oil in skillet and add mushrooms, onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes, add salt and pepper and remove from heat. To finish empanadas:

1½ cups masa harina, prepared per package directions

3 jalapeno chiles, toasted, stemmed, seeded and cut into strips

1 cup shredded Oaxaca string cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To make tortillas, put a plastic bag onto the bottom of a tortilla press. The extra thickness of the bag works better than a flimsy sheet of plastic wrap. (Frugal cooks use produce bags from the supermarket.)

Pull off a walnut-size piece of masa, roll it into a ball and center it on the plastic bag. Cover masa with another bag. Press down with your hand to flatten the masa a bit. Lower the top of the press and push down on the handle — less hard for thicker, smaller tortillas, or harder for large, thinner tortillas.

Open the press. The tortilla will have a bag on the top. Peel away the top bag, then flip the tortilla over into your other hand and carefully peel plastic away. If there are cracks along the edges, the dough is too dry, and a little more water must be kneaded in.

Slowly lay the tortilla onto an ungreased griddle over high heat. The tortilla should sizzle. Leave tortilla on griddle for 15 seconds.

Remove tortilla to a lightly floured table or counter top. Turn tortilla over so cooked side is facing up. Place ½ cup sauteed mushrooms in the center in a mound.

Add a few chili strips and the cheese, if you’re using it. Fold tortilla over and pinch edge closed. Cook on griddle for 15 seconds without turning.

Slip empanadas into the hot oven, directly onto a rack, for 2 minutes. Put the empanada back on the griddle for a final browning (with brown side up) for 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining masa and filling.

Yields: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 100 calories, 7 grams fat, 8 grams carbohy-drates, 3 grams protein, no cholesterol, 5 milligrams sodium, 61 percent of calories from fat.

Beef Empanadas

3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for deep-fat frying

1 Spanish onion, diced

½ green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

6 tablespoons tomato sauce

1 pound extra-lean ground beef

Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

1½ teaspoons garlic powder

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Juice from ½ lime

6 tablespoons chopped pimento-stuffed Spanish olives

5 tablespoons dark raisins

About 13 egg roll wrappers, each cut into 4 squares

1 egg, beaten

In a nonreactive skillet over medium heat, heat 3 tablespoons oil. Add onions, green pep-pers and garlic and saute 5 minutes until soft. Add tomato sauce and let cook 2 to 3 minutes. Flatten ground meat into a patty and place on top of onion mixture. Sprinkle with salt, pep-per and garlic powder. Sprinkle with cumin and squeeze lime juice over all. Stir meat into pepper mixture as it cooks. If pan seems dry, add more oil and tomato sauce. When meat is almost cooked, add olives and raisins and continue cooking until meat is browned and sauce is thickened. Transfer to a shallow pan to cool.

Lay dough pieces egg roll wrappers on a work surface. If using egg roll wrapper squares, place ¾ tablespoon to 1 tablespoon meat mixture in center of each square. Brush edges of wrapper with egg. Fold dough over filling, corner to corner, to make a triangular shape.

Use tines of a fork to press and edge to seal and poke a few very small holes in dough di-rectly over filling to let steam escape. Empanadas can be frozen at this point for up to 2 weeks. There’s no need to defrost them prior to before cooking.

To cook empanadas, heat a large pan with about 4 inches of oil in it to 375 degrees (or fol-low manufacturer’s directions on a deep-fat fryer). Add empanadas in batches and fry about 2 minutes until golden; do not crowd. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve warm. To re-heat, place on a baking sheet in a preheated 350-degree oven 15 minutes or until heated through.

Yield: 52 empanadas.

Approximate nutritional analysis per empanada: 63 calories, 43 percent calories from fat, 3 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, .32 grams total fiber, 3 grams total fat, 11 milligrams cholesterol, 71 milligrams sodium.

Spicy Chicken and Cheese Empanada

1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese

1 cup cooked chicken (cooled, shredded or finely diced)

1 jalapeño pepper (diced)

3 large garlic cloves (peeled and minced)

1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and thoroughly mix them together. You may refrigerate the filling until you are ready to assemble the empanadas.

Place the filling by the spoonful into your prepared empanada dough, or store-bought discs.

Fold the dough and filling into a half circle shape and crimp the edges with a fork. If the edges won’t stay sealed you can dip the fork in water before crimping or use an egg wash. Do not overfill the empanadas. They will tear and you will lose your filling in the oil.

Fry the filled empanadas at 375 degrees for 1 to 2 minutes per side. They should be lightly golden. Drain on paper towels. Cool slightly before serving.

Spicy Pork Empanada Filling

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup Spanish onion (chopped)

1 small jalapeño pepper (seeded, chopped)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¾ pound pork (tenderloin, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces)

1 packet sazon (Spanish seasoned salt)

2 teaspoons adobo

1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes (drained)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Sauté onion and jalapeño until soft (about 5 minutes).

Stir in chili powder and cumin and cook for one more.

Add the pork, sazon and adobo to the skillet. Saute the pork until browned on all sides (5 to 7 minutes).

Stir in tomatoes. Reduce heat, and simmer until most of liquid evaporates.

Allow the mixture to cool. You may refrigerate the filling until you are ready to assemble the empanadas.

Place the filling by the spoonful into your prepared empanada dough, or store-bought discs.

Fold the dough and filling into a half circle shape and crimp the edges with a fork. If the edges won’t stay sealed you can dip the fork in water before crimping or use an egg wash. Do not overfill the empanadas. They will tear and you will lose your filling in the oil.

Fry the filled empanadas at 375 degrees for 1 to 2 minutes per side. They should be lightly golden. Drain on paper towels. Cool slightly before serving.

Notes:Empanada dough is available in specialty markets in the form of frozen discs, usu-ally 10 discs per pack. If you prefer to bake your empanadas, then bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. They should be lightly golden.

Yield: 12 empanadas.

Chicken Empanadas

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken

1 8-ounce package shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

¼ cup chopped red bell pepper

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 15-ounce package refrigerated pie crusts

Water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and next 7 ingredients. Unroll 1 piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining piecrusts, making 12 to 15 circles total. Arrange 1 round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush the edges of crust with water. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month). Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Yield: 12 to 15 empanadas

Spinach Empanadas

PASTRY:

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

¾ cup butter, softened

2½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

FILLING:

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 tablespoon bacon drippings

1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup cottage cheese

¼ teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 egg, beaten

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter till smooth. (Use a stand mixer, since the mixture is heavy.) Gradually add in the flour and salt. Lightly knead the dough by hand. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.

In a medium skillet, cook the onion and garlic in the bacon drippings until the onion is tender but not brown. Mix in the bacon, spinach, cottage cheese, pepper, and nutmeg; let the mixture cool.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut 3-inch circles in the pastry, place 1 teaspoon of the filling in each circle, just to one side of the center. Moisten the edge of the circle with the egg, fold the dough in half over the filling to make a semicircular empanada. Seal the edges with fork tines, and poke the top of each pastry with a fork to make a vent. Put the empanadas on an ungreased cookie sheet, brush their tops with egg, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.

Yield: 60 empanadas.

Black Bean and Plantain Empanadas

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large ripe plantain, coarsely chopped

¾ cup chopped yellow onion

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste

½ teaspoon fresh lime juice

1 large egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

1 cup grated queso fresco

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Tomatillo salsa or sour cream for serving

In medium fry pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Add chopped plantain and saute until golden and slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer plantains to a bowl and set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the saute pan and add onion. Saute until golden, about 4 minutes. Add beans, cilantro, cumin, and cayenne and saute until mixture is heated and flavors are blended, about 5 minutes. Add lime juice and season with salt. Remove from heat.

Using a potato masher, mash bean mixture until it forms a coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. Add plantains to bean mixture and stir to combine.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk to make egg wash.

Spread 1 sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Dust pastry lightly with flour and, using a rolling pin, roll into a 14-inch square.

Using a sharp paring knife, trim dough edges. Cut dough into four equal squares. Using a pastry brush, brush edges of each square lightly with egg wash. Place ¼ cup of cooled filling on each square and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of queso fresco and 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter. Fold dough in half to form a triangle. Seal edges by pressing them together with the tines of a fork. Transfer to a baking sheet. Poke a few holes in the top of each empanada with the tip of a paring knife. Repeat with remaining sheet of puff pastry and remaining filling.

Cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes to firm slightly. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove empanadas from the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Brush top of each em-panada with egg wash.

Bake until golden brown and flaky, 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool slightly. Serve warm, with tomatillo salsa or sour cream on the side.

Yield: 8 empanadas.

Argentine Empanada

FILLING:

½ cup red and green peppers (diced)

½ 1 pound minced meat (beef)

1 boiled egg (chopped)

½ cup onions (sliced)

¼ cup green olives

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup beef broth

3 tablespoons corn oil

¼ cup raisins

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon cumin

CRUST:

Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)

½ cup cold butter (cut into ½-inch cubes)

¼ cup granulated white sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup water (with ice cubes)

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium flame. Add the sliced onions and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the peppers, minced meat and broth, stir properly and simmer for a few minutes.

Then, add green olives, some chopped boiled egg and raisins. Season the filling with salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin. Let it cool.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.

Take a mixing bowl, combine the flour and the sugar, stir, and add in the butter pieces.

Blend it so that the butter is well distributed and mixture resembles semidry sand.

Pour in the water and mix well to form solid dough.

Now, divide the dough into equal portions and roll out each portion into a circle of 4 inches diameter each.

Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling in the lower half of each circle of crust.

Brush the edges of the crust with egg wash, fold the two ends together and press the edges together with fingers.

Arrange the above in a greased cookie sheet. Prick surface of each Empanada with a fork to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and then remove and brush again with the egg wash.

Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve.

Colombian Empanadas

Vegetable oil for frying

Lime and ají for serving

DOUGH OR MASA:

1½ cups precooked yellow cornmeal (masarepa)

2 cups water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ tablespoon sazon Goya with azafran

½ teaspoon Salt

FILLING:

2 cups peeled and diced white potatoes

1 chicken or vegetable bouillon tablet

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup chopped white onions

1 cup chopped tomato

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup chopped green onions

1 chopped garlic clove

2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoon chopped red bell pepper

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ pound ground pork and beef

Place the masarepa in a large bowl. Add the sazon Goya and salt and stir to mix well. Add the water and oil and mix to form dough. Pat the dough into a ball and knead for 2 minutes or until smooth. Cover with plastic and set aside for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the filling, cook the potatoes in a pot with water and the bouillon tab-let for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and gently mash the potatoes. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, green onions, garlic, bell pep-per, cilantro, salt and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes.

Add the ground pork and beef. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture is fairly dry.

Transfer the meat mixture to the mashed potatoes bowl and mix well to combine.

Break small portions of the dough, about 1 ½ tablespoons each one, and form each portion into a ball by rolling between the palms of your hands.

Place the balls of dough between two pieces of plastic and roll each out very thinly to form a circle. Remove the top plastic and place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each.

Then using the plastic underneath, fold the dough over to enclose the filling, forming a half circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork.

Fill a large pot with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat to 360 degrees.

Carefully place 3 or 4 empanadas at the time in the heated oil and fry for about 2 minutes until golden on all sides.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the empanadas to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with ají and lime wedges on the side.

Yield: About 20 3-inch empanadas.

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