Beef and Cheese Empanadas (Vegetarian)

I also made this recipe up.

Recipe:

1 pkg. of Fango brand empanada dough (you can buy this at Phoenicia in the frozen food or at Fiesta)
1 bag Morningstar ground soy beef
1 small onion sliced
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 1/2 tblsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 8 oz block of Monterrey jack cheese, shredded with grater
4 tblsp. salsa (any kind will do, this is just acting as a wetting agent)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Defrost empanada dough and soy meat by placing in the refrigerator the night before.

2. Heat deep fryer to 350, or if on stove fill deep pot with enough canola oil to cover the empanadas, maybe four inches (get a deep fryer if you plan to fry often--it is worth it)

3. saute onion and garlic with a little oil in a pan. Mix in salsa and cumin and cook just a minute.

4. Place the onion/garlic/salsa mix in a food processor. Grind up. Then add the soy meat and cheese. Mix up.

5. Now, take a heaping tblsp. of the mix and place in the center of the empanada dough wrapper. Fold over in a half moon and with the tip of a fork seal the edges around. Do this until you run out of wrappers or filling.

6. Deep fry until golden brown.

Cook's Note: You can make a sauce by just mixing salsa and a little mayo, or mix 1/4 cup mayo with finely chopped fresh cilantro and enough vinegar to make it a little creamy and runny--this is what they do at Escalantes in Houston. Also get creative with the filling. You could also add corn or mashed black beans or even chicken (soy of course).