A delish vegetarian snack that will be a sure fire hit at your next party! By Meg from A Recipe Blog.
A Chef's Word
Meg's Easy Brazilian Palmitos Empanadas is the perfect recipe for a quick throw together snack or entrée.
Empanadas are a popular snack throughout Spain as well as Latin America and the Philippines thanks to the Spaniards taking the recipe across to the seas during their conquests.
If you’re wondering what Empanadas are, they are a baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling.
The name comes from the Galician verb empanar, that translates to “enbreaded” – wrapped or coated in bread.
What's in Brazilian Palmitos Empanadas
Palmitos are the Spanish name for heart of palm or palm hearts.
They are a vegetable harvested from the inner core and growing bud of certain palm trees, most notably the coconut, juçara, açaí palm, palmetto, and peach palm.
Traditionally empanadas are made using a short crust pastry, but in the case of this recipe I have opted for ready made puff pastry for ease and convenience.
Sautéed leeks, green olives and semi dried tomatoes are added to the chopped palmitos for the filling.
What's in Brazilian Palmitos Empanadas
This is a quick, easy and simple recipe.
A couple of baking trays are pretty much the only thing you will need and a pastry brush to egg wash the pastry before baking.
Serving Suggestions
Allow the empanadas to cool before enjoying as it will be piping hot out of the oven and you wouldn’t want a steam burn!
Delicious on their own or served with a tomato relish if you’d like.
Serve these at your next party or why not take them on a picnic, they are delicious served hot or cold and travel really well.
Alternatively you could do bite size versions and serve them as a canape for a more fancy-pansy dinner party!
Ingredients - Serves 6
2 sheets Puff Pastry
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 finely sliced Leek
400 g drained, chopped Palmitos
Handful chopped flat leaf Parsley
2 tbsp chopped Sicilian Olives
2 tbsp chopped Semi Dried Tomatoes
3/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1 beaten Egg
How to make Easy Brazilian Palmitos Empanadas
Step 1
Defrost the sheets of puff pastry on a clean chopping board.
Cut each sheet of puff pastry into four equal squares.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Line two baking trays with foil and spray with oil.
Step 2
Heat a medium sized saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil.
Add the leek to the pan and sauté, and then the chopped palmitos.
Combine and then after a few minutes remove from heat.
Add the parsley, olives, semi dried tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
Stir through to combine everything well.
Step 3
Place a tsp of mozzarella cheese on one half of each square of puff pastry.
Then, top with a tablespoon of the palmito and leek mixture.
Step 4
Fold over the pastry to make a triangle.
Using a fork crimp the edges to seal the pastry.
Place the pastry triangles on the lined baking sheets.
Step 5
Brush egg wash over the puff pastry.
Place the trays into the oven to bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
To find more inspiration visit https://www.arecipeblog.com/
