Friday, November 30, 2012

Apple Pie Empanadas

Mike and I teach vegan classes once a month in the loft kitchen of Green's downtown location.  This month we were focusing on southern comfort food, and since I grew up eatin' Tex-Mex...I made Apple Pie...Empanadas!  Blending the best of two cultures, these little pastries are loved by all!  I blend whole wheat and all purpose unbleached flours in this recipe, but you can use just all purpose flour if you prefer a lighter texture. Also, I used Granny Smith apples, because I like the tartness of them, but I think these would be great with some red New York apples.  I ate SOOO many while I was on tour in October.  The best apples I've ever had in my life were fresh and local in Ithaca, NY, from a great co-op called Greenstar.  I was in heaven with the pre made vegan chikin salad sandwiches and Seneca pumpkin ale...and APPPPPLES!!!!


Apple Pie Empanadas
make approximately 2 dozen small empanadas!

[for dough]
2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp margarine
6 tbsp shortening
1 cup ice water as needed

[filling]
5 cups chopped apples
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp agave
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp margarine
1 tbsp arrowroot


[dough]
In a food processor, combine your flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt. Pulse 5 times. Then, add your margarine and shortening and pulse until mixture becomes grainy. Then add ice cold water, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough is thick and sticky enough to form a ball. Remove from food processor and wrap tightly in Saran Wrap. Refrigerate at least one hour.

[filling]
In a small bowl, combine the apples, sugar, agave, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well, and be sure there are no lumps of brown sugar. In a small pot, melt your margarine, the add apple mixture and stir on medium heat for 5 minutes. Once the sugar is dissolved, add arrowroot and stir well. Once the mixture is thick and sticky, remove from heat and set aside.

Remove dough from refrigerator, and lightly dust a surface with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll out half your dough to 1/4 inch thick, then cut into 3 inch diameter circles. Roll each circle once more, then add 1 tbsp of apple filling on the right half of your dough piece. Fold the dough piece in half and line up equally. Use a fork to press both sides together all along the half circle of the empanadas. Poke once in the middle to allow steam to escape while baking. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake 8 minutes, remove from oven when golden and firm to the touch. Serve warm. Picture by pkdigimedia

Oh. Hey.

Hey ya'll!  I have dedicated this blog to all my vegan obsessions.  I cook and bake, read and write, travel and visit, indulge and delight in ALL things cruelty free!  I have helped run Green Vegetarian Cuisine, since it opened in downtown San Antonio in 2007, with Chef Mike Behrend as my mentor.  He used to own LuLu's Cafe and Bakery, known for it's chicken fried steaks and jumbo cinnamon rolls, but sold it after going vegetarian, and used the proceeds to open San Antonio's first 100% vegetarian and kosher restaurant. His mom, who we call Mama Lu, has recently gone vegan, and is one of my favorite chefs as well.  She keeps the southern belle in me inspired and hungry!  I have been the pastry chef at Green since 2009, and am a self taught baker.  I have always had a big sweet tooth, and I love to work on recipes and veganize classic desserts.  The best way to convince someone that a vegan diet isn't just sticks and berries, is to feed them pie and cupcakes! cookies and brownies! Tofutti Cuties! It proves you can eat yummy stuff while standing up for precious animals, annnnd the environment.  

I play guitar in two bands, so I tour a lot while seeking out crazy awesome vegan restaurants every where I go! Hopefully you will get to see some stuff from my travels, as well as recipes and pictures of the food and desserts I am constantly making at home and work.  My boyfriend is an amazing vegan cook too. You will probably see lots of pictures of him...eating...and making weird faces...and holding my pup...Cheeba!! She is a little deer chihuahua and she is 8 years old.  Her favorite food is pizza crust.  She hates peanut butter and saying goodbyes.  My goal is to inspire you to buy a rolling pin, nutritional yeast, and squeal with belly excitement.