CHICKEN & CAPSICUM EMPANADAS WITH AVOCADO DRESSING

These hand-held pies make for a delicious sizeable snack and are perfect for making a day or so ahead. If you make them larger they’ll make for an excellent dinner. Rather than rolling out the dough, I used a tortilla press to make the rounds – if you have one it’s much faster than rolling.

Instructions

1.	FOR THE FILLING
2.	Heat the oil in a wide pan, add the chicken and brown. Set aside.
3.	Add the onion and capsicums to the pan, add some salt and cook until softened. Add the garlic, cumin and sweet smoked paprika and fry for a few minutes.
4.	Add the tomato paste and potato and cook for a minute, then add the chicken back to the pan along with the chicken stock.
5.	Cover and cook gently for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, the potatoes are tender and most of the liquid is gone.
6.	Set aside to cool before using. Add the olives to the mix when cold.
7.	FOR THE PASTRY
8.	In a food processor blitz together the flour, salt and smoked paprika.
9.	Add the butter and blitz to a fine crumb. Add the eggs and enough of the water to bring it together.
10.	Tip out onto a clean bench and knead to form a dough. Wrap and set aside for an hour.
11.	Divide the dough into 15 pieces (approx 40g each) and roll each one out on a floured surface to 2-3mm thickness.
12.	Put a large spoonful of filling in each round, fold in half and crimp the edges. Put onto a tray lined with baking paper. If you wish these can be made a day or two ahead and kept in the fridge until required.
13.	Preheat the oven to 180°C.
14.	Prick the tops with a fork to allow steam to escape and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.
15.	Allow to cool slightly before serving with the avocado dressing.
16.	AVOCADO DRESSING
17.	Put all the ingredients together in a blender, adding enough water to make a smooth sauce.