On a recent Prince Rama tour, Nimai stopped into Detroit, MI's Salt and Cedar to perform a live installment of Healthy or Hungover. Here is the recipe for the Smoked Tempeh Empanadas with Mashed Potato Patties and Avocado Dressing she cooked that night.
Ingredients, serves 6-8:
For the Mashed Potato Patties:
3 Yukon Potatoes
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup chopped White Onion
2/3 Cup chopped Green Onion
4 chopped Large Cloves Garlic
2 TBS Salt
2 TBS Ground Black Pepper
1 TBS Stone Ground Mustard (whole seed)
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
3/4 Cup regular Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil for frying
For the Smoked Tempeh Empanadas:
3 Cups White Flour
1/2 Cup White Sugar
2/3 Stick Unsalted Butter
2/3 Cup Water
1 TBS White Vinegar
1 Package Tempeh Chopped in small slivers
1 BIG Carrot peeled and grated
1 Package Cream Cheese
2 TBS fresh Thyme
1 tsp each of Paprika, Red Pepper Flakes, dried Garlic, Ground Black Pepper
4 TBS Braggs Amino Acids
Olive Oil for frying
For the Creamy Avocado dressing:
2 Avocados
2 TBS Vegannaise (or like however you spell that)
2 TBS each of Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
4 TBS Water
1 tsp each of Grated Horseradish and Stone Ground Mustard (whole mustard seed)
A dash of Salt, Pepper, Cayenne
TONZ O GREENZ
Directions:
Steam the potatoes til soft and drain the water. Using the same pot, throw a stick of butter in there with your chopped garlic and onions. Wait til they smell DAMN GOOD then add your steamed potatoes, green onion, mustard, and spices and mash it all up with a “Potato Masher”….seriously the coolest kitchen tool.
Let your potatoes refrigerate while we move on to the hard part: Empanadas. I'm not claiming to be from South of the Border which is why my “traditional empanadas” are actually going to taste white//American as hell.
Combine Flour, Sugar, and butter in a bowl. Mix in vinegar and water and mix with your hands. It should be a pretty dry dough. Set aside and fry up that Tempeh! Cut into small, thin strips. Oil a cast iron skillet and add spices. Add the tempeh and let it get brown and crispy. Then squirt a bunch of Braggs on that shit! Watch it get all smokey, that's my favorite part! Alright back to the dough… Roll it out on a floured surface (seriously y'all–floured surface! it's super annoying when the dough sticks to everything and breaks apart and you're like wiping tears away with dough-y hands). Cut into medium sized rectangles. Pinch off about a Tablespoon of cream cheese and spread it close-ish to the top of the rectangle. Layer grated carrots and tempeh. Sprinkle with a bit of finely chopped Thyme and fold over pressing the sides with a fork. Patch up any holes with left over dough. Place on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or til golden on top.
While that's baking, take the potatoes out of the fridge and mix in all the bread crumbs. Try a little bit. (Just you WAIT til they're fried!!!!!!) take handfuls and mold into patties and place in a heated//oiled non-stick pan. Let them get brown and crispy on both sides.
Now for the equivalent of the Icing on the Cake: the CreAMy Avocado Dressing that goes with everything!!
Mash two avocados in a bowl with veganaisse (or however you spell that). It would be tight if you had one of those blender wand things that are super easy and fun and make you feel BALLER while you're makin smoothies but like I don't have one so Mashed my avocados with a fork. Stir in mustard, oil, balsamic vinegar and salt n pepper. Add water and cayenne to your liking. Then to really make this dressing the best, grate a bunch of parmesan in there!!!
Serve all together on a bed of greens.
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