Name: Banana-Black Bean Empañadas
Yield: Makes 12
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 firm medium-size banana, diced; ¾ cup chopped onion; 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained; ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro; ¾ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed; 1 cup (packed) coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese; 1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

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Photo by Leo Gong

Diane Brown Savahge of Los Angeles, California, writes: "I'm a part-time restaurant manager and food writer, and occasionally I teach cooking classes. One piece of advice I always share with my students is to keep the ingredients list short — you don't need to empty out your refrigerator to make a great meal. You just need a few quality ingredients with bold flavors."

These Latin American turnovers work as appetizers or as a vegetarian main course when served several to a person.

Recipe notes

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