Dairy-Free Empanadas Salteñas (Baked)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to 190°C.
2. 2Finely chop the 1 medium onion and the 0.5 medium green bell pepper. Place a 30.48 cm skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and green bell pepper to the hot skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes, or until they look soft.
3. 3Add the about 450 g ground beef to the skillet with the softened vegetables. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until it is completely browned, about 8-10 minutes. Carefully drain off any excess fat from the skillet.
4. 4Add the 1 medium Russet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1.27 cm cubes), 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 0.5 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt, and 0.5 tsp black pepper to the skillet. Stir everything together well. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potato cubes are tender when poked with a fork. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the filling cool completely. This is important to prevent the pastry from becoming soggy.
5. 5Unroll the 1 package dairy-free puff pastry. Using a round cutter or a glass with a 12.7 cm diameter, cut out 8 circles from the pastry. You may need to gently re-roll scraps to get all 8 circles.
6. 6Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the cooled filling onto one half of each pastry circle, leaving a small border around the edge. Fold the other half of the pastry circle over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Press the edges together firmly with your fingers, then crimp them with a fork to seal the empanadas securely.
7. 7Arrange the sealed empanadas on a baking sheet. Brush the tops of the empanadas with the 2 tbsp plant-based milk. This will help them turn golden brown as they bake.
8. 8Bake the empanadas in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until they are puffed up and a deep golden brown color.

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