Vegetarian Picadillo Empanadas

Preheat your saucepan over a medium-high heat source, using olive oil as the primary cooking agent. Introduce lentils, sofrito, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper into the saucepan; cook for 4 minutes, allowing these ingredients to meld together harmoniously.

Gradually decrease the heat to a lower medium setting and incorporate potatoes, tomato sauce, and olives into the mixture. Continue cooking until the entire combination is warmed through, taking approximately 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat source and permit it to cool down, allowing the flavors to settle.

Meanwhile, prepare a deep skillet or frying pan by filling it with 2 inches of vegetable oil. Place the skillet over a medium heat source while you assemble your empanadas.

Arrange empanada discs on a clean, flat work surface. Add 1/4 cup of the lentil-potato mixture to the center of one half of an empanada disc, forming a half-moon shape that mirrors the curve of the wrapper. To facilitate the folding process, moisten your fingers in a bowl of water and run them around the entire edge of the wrapper to make it pliable. Fold the wrapper in half to cover the filling and pinch the edges of the dough together to seal, then use a fork to crimp the edges further, securing the wrapper in place. Repeat this process with the remaining discs and filling.

Once your oil has reached 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), carefully add empanadas in a single layer, taking care not to overlap them. You will need to cook the empanadas in batches.

Fry the empanadas until they are golden brown and crispy, flipping them once or twice so that they brown evenly while frying, taking approximately 5 minutes. Transfer the empanadas to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Repeat this process to cook any remaining empanadas.