Chicken Empanadas with Ancho Chili Sauce

For my one year anniversary and 200th post, I wanted to make something yummy and special, but I didn't want to have to run to the store to get all new ingredients. Craig has been begging me for months to make empanadas, he recently discovered them at our local Peruvian restaurant and fell in love, so I figured tonight was the night. Empanadas are small stuffed pastries or breads that can be baked and fried. They feature prominently in most Latin American cuisines and are a popular and delicious street food. You can stuff them with almost anything, but it is usually a combination of meat, potatoes and vegetables.

I decided to make a Mexican inspired healthy empanada, using some of the fantastic dried chillies I picked up in Texas this weekend. My awesome Grandpa Joe took me down to the Supermercado near his house and I stocked up on lots of exotic dried chilies and spices. It is so hard to find authentic Mexican ingredients up in Boston, so I was in heaven. Everything in the store looked and smelled sooo fantastic. So, to go with my empanadas, I decided to make a spicy ancho chili sauce.

These empanadas are certainly not traditional. I made a bunch of substitutions to make them healthier. I used whole wheat flour, cut way down on the traditional butter and lard, and filled them with lean chicken breast and fiber-filled pinto beans. Instead of deep frying them, I just baked them until they got nice and crispy.

Full recipe and photos after the jump!
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