Beef Empanadas (5 points, 6 Points Plus)

This recipe is a 4 part recipe. It is a good idea to start the Beef Carnitas first. (You can reduce a step by using pre-made pie dough. But I'm not sure what the points would be.)

Beef Carnitas

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves crushed
2 pounds beef stew meat trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon Splenda
1 teaspoon Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Salt
1 teaspoon Mexican Seasonings
1 teaspoon Orange Peel
Instructions
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add beef; sauté 5 minutes or until beef is browned on all sides. Stir in broth and all the seasonings. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Continue simmering, uncovered, 8 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.

Dough

Ingredients
9 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chilled butter cut into small pieces

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.
To prepare dough, combine 9 tablespoons water and vinegar. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse 2 times to combine. Add butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, slowly pour water mixture through food chute; process just until dough begins to form a ball (dough will be crumbly).

Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Working with one dough portion at a time, press dough into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap. Cover with additional plastic wrap. Place dough in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.

Slightly overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface. Unwrap 1 dough portion; place on plastic wrap. Cover dough with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into an 11-inch circle. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Place both portions in freezer for 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.

Filling

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 cups Onion chopped
1 cup Bell pepper sliced
1 cup Tomato chopped
1/4 teaspoon Crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3 cups Beef Carnitas

Instructions
To prepare filling, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 5 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Stir in tomato, red pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in Beef Carnitas; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.

Putting it All Together
Remove plastic wrap from 1 dough portion; place dough, plastic wrap side up, on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap. Spoon filling onto dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap from remaining dough. Place dough, plastic wrap side up, over filling. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap. Pinch edges together to seal. Cut several slits in top of dough to allow steam to escape. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until crust is crisp and beginning to brown. Cut into 8 wedges.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 251 (27% from fat)

Fat: 7.4g (sat 3g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.4g)

Protein: 15.1g

Carbohydrate: 30.4g

Fiber: 1.9g

Cholesterol: 43mg

Iron: 3mg

Sodium: 470mg

Calcium: 57mg

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2006