Oven Baked Pork & Turkey Empanadas

I have a soft spot for, what I like to call, Colombian hot pockets; they are delicious flaky pockets filled with meat and veggies. My version is healthier than the traditional one, without sacrificing taste in any way.  Mine are baked, instead of fried and I use a combo of ground, pasture raised pork and organic ground turkey, along with a perfect combination of nutritious vegetables.  My two year old daughter absolutely loves them and they are a healthy, portable meals that are perfect for tiny hands.  They can also be personalized to fit any taste, and I love to make large batches of them at one time and then freeze them for a quick and healthy meal on a night when I don't feel like cooking or don't have time.

This recipe makes 20 empanadas, and if you have extra ones, they freeze perfectly.

Ingredients

2 Packages Goya empanada shells, 10 shells each.

1 lb Pasture raised, organic, ground turkey, dark meat.

1/2 lb Pasture raised, organic, ground pork.

1 Tbsp Goya adobo seasoning, found in the Latin American section of your grocery store.

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried poultry seasoning

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste.

Olive oil, for sauteing.

1 Large onion, finely chopped.

1 Organic red pepper, finely chopped.

3 Cloves oganic garlic, minced.

1 Large,organic, red skinned potato, finely chopped.

1 Cup Goya sofrito liquid, this is in the frozen section, if you cannot find it, the jar version can also be used and can be found in the Latin American section of your grocery store.

1/4 Cup organic tomato paste

1/4 Cup green olives, chopped.

1/4 Cup organic, sulphur-free raisins

2 egg whites


Directions

In a large bowl combine turkey, pork, adobo, coriander, oregano, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.  Mix well.

In a large heavy bottomed saute pan, add olive oil and on medium high heat, saute meats till they are browned, about 6 to 7 minutes, remove and set aside.  In the same pan add olive oil and on medium heat saute onion, pepper, garlic and potatoes for 6 minutes, add in tomato paste, liquid sofrito and meats back in and cook till the vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.  If the mixture gets too dry, add water as necessary. When the mixture is soft, add in olives and raisins and cook an additional 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.

In a small bowl, whisk egg whites with a tsp of water.

Once mixture has cooled, line a work space with parchment or wax paper.






 Spoon 2 Tbsp of mixture onto a shell.
With a pastry brush, brush a bit of the egg white mixture around the edge of the empanada shell.

Pull the shell over top of the filling and with a fork, push down the edges to seal. Repeat for the remaining 19 shells placing the amount needed for cooking onto a pizza stone. The remaining empanadas can be frozen for later use.





Brush the, to be cooked empanadas with egg white and cook in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

My favorite way to serve is with a fresh squeeze of lime, sour cream and shredded cheese over top.  Buen provecho amigos!