eclaire (what’s in a) name?

i’m not quite sure why some recipes that i make get posted asap to this website, while others take longer…much longer. it’s not that the longer to get onto the site recipes are any less delish, but the carrot oat coconut cookies post just jumped right onto the page. as well as the coconut lime cinnamon rice post. wait, maybe there’s a coconut connection – perhaps my subconscious must immediately share any and all recipes immediately with you!

please don’t allow my delinquency in posting this recipe to deter you from making these empanadas, though! they are very tasty, and i was delighted with the unique concepts in the dough as well as the filling. the dough for the empanadas is like nothing i have every made before – it combines the standard butter (or fake butter) and flour base with vinegar, applesauce, and chili powder. this combination yields a tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy crust that lingers as you eat the empanada and intrigued my taste buds (even though i knew all of the ingredients!).

the filling is just as interesting as the crust – it combines black beans and onions with a variety of savory spices, and then bananas.  i don’t think i have ever sauteed bananas, much less attempted to chop them. it was a very easy process, but felt unusual to use my normally-used-for-veggies technique on the bananas. i think it’s really important to use firm bananas for this recipe, as any bananas on the riper side would probably be challenging to chop and would disintegrate quickly in the pan while sauteing – and i liked eating solid chunks of bananas in the empanadas.

the first time i made this recipe, i completely ignored the direction to refrigerate the dough due to time constraints (and a hungry tummy), and it was still easy to roll out the dough.  the second time i made the recipe i decided to chill the dough overnight to see if it made any difference. i think the only recognizable difference was that the chili powder and applesauce were a little more present, as though they had mingled more with the flour. so, i’d suggest that if you have the time and inclination, go for the refrigeration, but nothing drastic will happen if you omit that step.

delicious and complex flavors aside, my favorite thing about these empanadas is that they travel well. they are delicious at room temperature, as well as cold and hot. they do not need to be refrigerated, don’t leak their contents in your bag, and are perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any time in between. they are basically practically perfect in every way! enjoy!

banana black bean empanadas

adapted from vegetarian times, march 2009
yields 6 servings

• crust
• 1½c whole wheat flour
• 1c all purpose flour
• 1½t salt
• 1/2t chili powder
• 4T cold soy margarine (or butter), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2c unsweetened applesauce
• 1T white vinegar

• filling
• 1T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1c canned black beans
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 bananas, peeled and diced
• 1t ground cumin
• 1/4t cayenne pepper
• 1/4t ground coriander
• 2T chopped fresh cilantro
• 1t hot sauce (omit if you don’t like spicy!)
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1. for the crust: combine whole wheat flour, all purpose flour (or 2½c whole wheat pastry flour), salt, and chili powder in a bowl
2. cut margarine or butter into cubes, and cut into flour with pastry cutter or a fork until it resembles sand
3. mix together applesauce, vinegar, and 1/3c water in separate bowl
4. stir wet ingredients into dry, adding more water if necessary
5. form into a ball, cover in plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour or overnight (or omit this step if you want to make in one night)
6. preheat the oven to 400° and coat baking sheet with cooking spray when you decide to make the empanadas (might be next day if chilling the dough)
7. for the filling: heat oil in large pan over medium heat
8. sauté onion 4 minutes, or until soft and translucent
9. add beans and garlic, and cook 3 minutes more
10. stir in bananas, cumin, cayenne, and coriander, and cook 2 minutes
11. remove from heat, and stir in cilantro and hot sauce
12. to complete the empanadas: divide dough into 12 spheres by cutting the dough (see pic above)
    
13. roll out each piece of dough to 6″ circle on lightly floured counter or cutting board and then move to baking sheet
    
14. fill each piece of dough with 2T filling
15. brush edges of pastry with water and fold dough circle in half
16. press edges with a fork to crimp the edges and seal the filling inside to close, and crimp edges with fork to seal
17. repeat with remaining dough and filling
18. bake empanadas 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crusty, and enjoy warm or cool