Beef and Lamb Empanadas

Does this sound a little familiar?  This is the "dumpling" version of the awesome Stuffed Poblano Pepper recipe that I adapted from Julie at Paleomg.  Her recipes helped me learn how to eat "paleo" and not hate myself or empty my wallet.  For my peppers I substituted out some beef for lamb and added squash.  Check out her website for seriously delicious recipes!

We ate them with a LOT of guacamole.  Check out my recipe for guacamole here.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 lb ground lamb
  • 1/2 white onion minced
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1/2 8oz can tomato paste
  • 1 small can medium heat green chiles
  • 1/2 of a jalapeño, diced
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • ~ 50 wraps
  • 1 jar coconut oil

Directions:

  1. This is stupid easy.
  2. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl
  3. You're almost done!
  4. But actually, if you feel like it's too dry, add a little bit more tomato paste, but keep in mind both of the meats are fatty so it will moisten up a bit.
  5. Take one of your wraps in your hand, scoop a large teaspoon in the center of the wrap
  6. Dab your finger in warm water and wet the edges
  7. Carefully seal so it is a half moon with no meat coming out of it
  8. If you want to get fancy, there is about 1/4 of an inch of dough around the edge, and I fold it over itself in small increments so it kind of looks like a braid or a fancy crust
  9. Continue until you have stuffed and folded all of your dumplings
  10. Heat up your jar of oil in a small sauce pan
  11. Place your dumplings into the oil in small batches, try to fill the pan without them touching edges
  12. Cook for about 2-3 minutes each side until it is a nice golden brown
  13. Remove from the oil to drain, and add more dumplings
  14. Continue like this until all of the dumplings are fried
  15. Throw together some guacamole to dip them in, and Enjoy!

Thai Basil Chicken Dumpling

Ingredients:

  • ~50 wraps 

  • 1 lb ground chicken

  • 1/2 red pepper

  • 1/2 green pepper

  • 1 cup thai basil

  • 3 tsps garlic

  • 1 1/2 tbsps oyster sauce

  • 1 tsp soy sauce

  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt

  • 2 cups frying oil

Directions:

  1. Mince the peppers and basil in a food processor
  2. Add the vegetables to the chicken
  3. Mix in garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce and garlic salt
  4. Place a large spoonful of the mixture in a wrap
  5. Bunch all the edges together and twist to make a top
  6. Pinch off the excess dough
  7. Heat up oil in a sauce pan
  8. Cook in batches until golden brown 
  9. Drain dumplings on a paper towel and enjoy!