Foodie Friday #4 - Spicy Black Bean Empanadas

Today's recipe is always a family favourite. It's also the easiest way to get my kids to eat beans without complaint! As a vegetarian family, we use ground round for the filling, but feel free to modify with ground beef or chicken for your family.

Ingredients:

1 package of Puff Pastry
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1/2 lb ground round (or meat of choice)
1 small red pepper diced
4 med green onions diced
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp crushed peppers
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
15 oz can of black beans
1/4 cup cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Thaw pastry. Whisk egg and water and set aside.

Cook ground round on medium, adding diced pepper, onions and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce, cumin, chilli pepper and chilli powder. Reduce heat to low ad simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add cheese, one cup of beans and cilantro. Set aside and let cool.

Roll out pastry dough to 16x12" and cut into ten 2 1/2" rounds. Top half of round with bean mixture, brush edges with water and egg mixture, fold over dough and brush with egg mixture. Repeat until all rounds are filled. (NOTE: I can make at least a dozen of these, or keep left over mixture for wraps) 

Bake empanadas for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly, and serve with sour cream, guacamole and remaining beans.