MM Spinach Stuffed Empanadas.

Food on the pretend seasonal Summer Funk Soul Food menu would include Spinach Stuffed Empanadas.

It’s a quickish recipe. They’re awesome as a meal (use black beans as your side for fiber and protein) like dinner or as a brunch food. They’re delicious.

And not fried. High-five!

You’ll need:

Puff Pastry Dough (which you can get in the freezer section, or make your own. But really, it’s summer. Buy the pre-made dough.)
Spinach
Some sort of cheese (I used Havarti. Mozzarella would’ve complemented the tomatoes, too)
Mushrooms
Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes
Garlic
Water

Cut your dough into rounds (use a cookie cutter…or a wine glass. Obviously, I chose the wine glass) and cut up your mushrooms and tomatoes. Spinach doesn’t need to be chopped, it reduces into chewable pieces when it’s cooked.

Sauté a little garlic and about four handfuls of spinach with about a quarter cup of water, add in your mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese to taste. (how much of these? As much as you want. I tried to make the ratio of sautéed spinach:mushrooms:tomatoes:cheese about even) Melt that all in together then spoon about a tablespoon of that mixture in the center of your puff pastry rounds.

Put a little water around the edges of your dough and press them into half-moon shapes. Use a fork to make those cute little perforations that aren’t just cute, but functional. They and the water keep the empanadas from spilling out all the spinach/cheese glory on your pan.

Bake it just like the package tells you to. Simple enough, right? Plan to share these–I had trouble not eating the entire pan–Pan included–and then lying about how I didn’t make anything for dinner.

I like the puff pastry in these. I like how fluffy and soft it is. They’re like comfy little pillows that stop by your heart and give it a hug before they continue down your digestive tract.

That’s a little dramatic. But I like them.

The filling could be changed to be anything, really. Taco meat and cheese with some bell peppers and onions. Fruit. Swiss chard and mushrooms (which was the inspiration for these empanadas.) Chocolate chips, carmel and walnuts.