Jay has a field trip coming up this Monday and he hasn’t stopped talking about it for a month now. One of the big questions facing him is, Mom, what will you pack for lunch? I have been asked that question about a hundred times now, I think, no, more than a hundred times, but I am not letting on that I have this delicious secret up my sleeve. I know he loves them, and will be thrilled to find them in his lunchbox: chickpea and kale stuffed empanadas. There is something about stuffed pastries that appeals to every child – and the child in every one of us. Being a savory person myself (I can take sweets or leave them alone, but try keeping a bag of potato chips from me), I particularly love making savory hand pies for quick lunches, picnics, and brown bags. What I also love is that when you have delicious, flaky pastry to cover them up, kids will eat just about any veggie (have you tried my pita packets or these vegan empanadas with a yummy black bean filling?) Jay will eat these by the dozen, and they’re stuffed with broccoli and tofu! And although he will make a huge fuss about eating mushrooms – he does have to eat them – he will gobble them down in these chickpea-mushroom turnovers without a murmur). I take the easy way out with these chickpea and kale stuffed empanadas, so I can get them done usually in about 30-45 minutes, minus the baking time. I use storebought puff pastry, although if you want to try making a healthier version, you can try making my whole wheat puff pastry (sub half the all purpose flour with whole wheat and follow the directions). It is divine. But sometimes, time is not your friend and it is storebought to the rescue. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
I use canned chickpeas, although, again, feel free to start yours from dry, if you’d rather. It really doesn’t make a difference. I also use frozen kale. I tend to stock up on frozen greens because with my work schedule cooking can become an erratic exercise, and I find that when I buy too many fresh greens during busy times, they wilt away in the refrigerator before I can get around to them. Also, it’s far easier for me to find organic leafies in the frozen section than fresh, and with leafy greens organic really is the way to go. The chickpeas and kale are seasoned quite simply: some turmeric (optional), some garlic powder, and some adobo seasoning out of a jar. And all of it together, with the natural deliciousness of kale and chickpeas, comes together to make a mindblowingly tasty filling for these flaky empanadas.
Recipe card
Try these recipes next
Broccoli-Tofu Pita Packets Chickpea-Mushroom Turnovers Irish Hand Pies Naan-Calzones Vegetable Puffs Khasta Kachori
