Walnut Lamb Empanadas
Mix a savory treat into your holiday baking assortment this year with these Walnut Lamb Empanadas. Take a traditional Latin American pastry and fill it with a combination of lamb, robust spices and walnuts. These will make for an impressive appetizer and a welcome addition to your dinner party.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30 mL)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 lb ground lamb (500 g)
- 1 cup California walnut pieces (250 mL)
- 1 potato, cooked and diced
- 3/4 cups green peas (175 mL)
- 1/3 cup tomato, diced (75 mL)
- 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced (75 mL)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (30 mL)
- 2 tsp sea salt (10 mL)
- 2 tsp paprika (10 mL)
- 1 tsp cumin (5 mL)
- 1 tsp nutmeg (5 mL)
- 2 400 g (14 oz) boxes frozen pie pastry (like Pillsbury)
- 2 eggs, beaten
Methods/steps
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet on medium-high heat. Add oil, garlic and onion. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add lamb, stirring frequently, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain excess fat in colander. Transfer lamb to a medium sized mixing bowl and combine remaining ingredients: walnut pieces, potato, green peas, tomato, olives, lemon juice, sea salt, paprika, cumin, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Roll out pie pastry and cut out 24, 4-inch (10 cm) rounds with a bowl or cookie cutter. Brush the outer edge of a round with egg wash and spoon about 1½ tbsp (20 mL) lamb filling into centre of pastry. Fold one side over the other and crimp edge with a fork to seal.
Repeat until all the pastry and filling has been used. Brush tops of empanadas with remaining egg wash before baking.
Bake in 3 batches on centre rack for 15 to 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.
Additional Tips
PER SERVING (1 empanada): about 206 cal, 6 g pro, 14 g fat (4 g sat. fat), 15 g carb, 1 g fibre, 30 mg chol, 269 mg sodium. %RDI: 2% calcium, 4% iron, 2% vit A, 6% vit C.
Source: walnutinfo.com
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