Baked Lentil Empanadas

Lentils, cremini mushrooms, and pimento-stuffed olives give these baked empanadas flavor to spare.

This recipe comes to us from chef Jodi Taffel, one of the finalists in the Western Foodservice Show Meatless Monday Rapid Fire Challenge.

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Makes 24 empanadas

Ingredients:

• 7 eggs
• 1 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
• 2 tbl olive oil
• 1 tbl minced garlic
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 cup dry green lentils
• 2 tsp dried tarragon
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup martini olives (green with red pimentos), roughly chopped
• 24 empanada wrappers
• 2 tbl water, divided
• 1/2 cup toasted garlic & avocado finishing oil

Directions:

1. Submerge 6 eggs in a pot of water set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover with a tight fitting lid and let sit 12 minutes. Remove eggs and place in an ice bath. When cool enough to touch, peel and roughly chop.

2. While eggs are cooking, set a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat and sauté onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms the olive oil until softened.

3. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and paprika and cook 1 additional minute, or until fragrant.

4. Add the lentils and toss with the vegetables, then add the tarragon and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

5. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, or until lentils are tender and all the liquid has been absorbed (if lentils are still a bit crunchy after liquid is absorbed, add another cup of stock and continue to cook until they are tender).

6. Transfer lentil mixture to a large bowl and allow to cool 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

7. Fold eggs and olives into lentil mixture.

8. Working with 1 at a time, place 3-4 tablespoons lentil mixture in the center of each empanada wrapper. Dab your finger in water and moisten all around the outer edge of the empanada wrappers. Fold empanadas in half, seal the edges with the tines of a fork, and place on a parchment or silicone lined sheet pan.

9. Beat remaining egg with remaining tablespoon of water and paint the tops of the empanadas with it.

10. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until beautifully browned.

11. Remove empanadas from the oven and pain tops with finishing oil while still hot.