Veganomicon_ The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook - Isa Chandra Moskowitz [41]
Pastry: 2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup cold nonhydrogenated vegan shortening
½-¾ cup very cold water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Filling: 1 acorn squash (about 1½ pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 average-size red onion, sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 jalapeños, sliced thinly (seeds removed if you don’t
want these too hot)
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, smashed (see help for
crushing on page 112)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
About 2 tablespoons water
1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
➣ If you don’t have a pastry cutter, use two butter If you don’t have a pastry cutter, use two butter knives tightly held together to cut the shortening into the flour.
THE cooking time sounds like forever but if you roast the squash and prep your ingredients while the dough is chilling, it should take about 2½ hours from start to finish, with lots of doing nothing in between. You can also prepare the dough and roast the squash a day ahead, and then all you have to do is prepare the filling and bake, so you can have them ready in less than an hour.
PREHEAT THE oven to 400°F.
Prepare the pastry: Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the shortening by the teaspoon, but you don’t need to be precise about this. You just want to add it in small chunks. We add the shortening in three batches and then cut it into flour with each addition. Cut in the shortening until the dough is crumbly and pebbly, as if you are making a piecrust.
Combine the vinegar with ½ cup water. Add to the dough in three batches, gently mixing it in with a fork, until the dough holds together when pinched. If need be, add up to ¼ cup more water.
Gather the dough into a ball and knead very gently a few times until it holds together. Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour, then roll out the dough into a rectangle about 8 inches long and 5 inches wide.
Place baking parchment on a cutting board (Make sure the parchment is bigger than the cutting board because you are going to use it to roll out the dough later). Gently lift the dough onto it. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, roast the squash: Cut it in half lengthwise and use a tablespoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy parts. Place face down on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, until it is easily pierced with a fork. When the squash is cooked, remove it from the oven and place on a plate, cut side up, to cool. Keep the oven at 400°F if you are making the empanadas now. In the meantime, begin making the filling.
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and the jalapeños in the olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, peel the skin from the squash and cut the squash into ¾-inch chunks.
Add the coriander seeds and garlic to the pan and sauté for a minute more. Add the cumin, salt, and a few splashes of water (about 2 tablespoons). Add the squash and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often to coat. It’s okay if the squash doesn’t retain its shape perfectly. Add the black beans and heat through. If the mixture looks dry, add a few more splashes of water. Lastly, add the lemon juice and the maple syrup, and stir. Turn off the heat and prepare the empanada dough.
Grease a baking sheet and set it aside. Now grab your dough from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Slide the dough off the cutting board, keeping the paper underneath it. Roll out the dough into a 9 × 12-inch rectangle. Trim the edges to make it an even rectangle. Slice the dough into 3-inch squares—four cuts across and two cuts lengthwise.
Take a square and roll it out a bit more, to about 6 inches square (but you don’t have