Chicken Empanadas

Empanadas are stuffed pastry which is either fried or baked. The name comes from the Spanish verb empañar, meaning wrapped in bread.  Empanadas are delicious no matter how you serve them, and they can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner, appetizer or snack. You can fill an empanada with just about anything you like but this is a healthy chicken filling, made with caramelized onions, olives, and pieces of hard-boiled egg. I am substituting a lighter puff pastry for the more traditional dough, but everything else is the same. For the best flavor, make the filling the day before and chill it overnight.

Total Time: 70 minutes

Ingredients (Makes 12 empanadas)

• 3 chicken breasts, poached and shredded
• 6 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon raw sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• ½ cup green olives, chopped
• 1 egg white, beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon cold water (for glaze)
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Filling:

1.    To poach the chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a pot with the bouillon and bay leaf, and cover with water or chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Let cool in the broth.

2.    Meanwhile hard-boil 3 eggs and set aside to cool. Chop when cooled.

3.    Shred chicken into small pieces and set aside.

4.    Heat oil in a skillet. Add chopped onions, paprika, cumin, chile powder, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.

5.    Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until onions are soft and clear, and mixture is golden brown.

6.    Remove from heat and stir in the chicken.

7.    Stir chopped hard-boiled egg and olives into filling mixture.

8.    Preheat oven to 425°F.

Pastry:

9.    Cut out 2 six-inch rounds from each pastry sheet – use a small plate as guide - 12 total. Place each round on one 8- to 9-inch parchment square.

10.  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of filling in the middle of each circle. Brush the edges of the dough along the bottom half of the circle lightly with water.

11.  Fold the top half of the circle of dough over the filling to form a semicircle, and press edges together firmly to seal.

12.  Brush the pressed edge with a little bit of glaze, and fold the edge over itself, pinching and crimping as you go to seal.  Place empanadas on a baking sheet.

13.  Mix egg white with water to make a glaze and brush mixture lightly over entire surface of each empanada and cut small slits in top to allow steam to escape while baking.

14.  Bake for 10 minutes

15.  Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!