Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (25 page)

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Serves 4 as part of an entrée with rice, beans,
tostones
, and so on; stuffed into arepas, serves up to 6

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Time: About 30 minutes, not including making Steamed Red Seitan

 

½ recipe (two loaves) Steamed Red
Seitan (page 34)
3 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 small yellow onion (about ¼ pound),
chopped finely
½ red bell pepper, seeded, sliced in half,
then sliced into very thin strips
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup white or red cooking wine or
vegetable broth
2 juicy tomatoes, seeded and chopped
finely, or ½ cup crushed tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper

 

1. With a sharp, heavy chef’s knife, slice each portion of seitan into the thinnest medallions you can. Then stack two medallions together and quickly (but carefully) chop the seitan into very thin, irregularly shaped slivers. Repeat with the remaining seitan. You should have slivers of seitan that are at most ⅛ inch thick, but that can be the length of the original medallion or shorter.

2. In a large, heavy skillet, combine the olive oil and garlic and cook over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and bell pepper, stirring occasionally and cooking until the onion is soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the cumin, cook for 1 minute, then pour in the wine and tomato; stir. Add the seitan, stir to coat with the sauce, and simmer for another 12 to 14 minutes. The seitan should look juicy; if it starts to look dry, add a little more wine or even more tomato. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

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Serves 4 with a side of rice, or 2 to 3 big servings as a main course

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Time: 45 minutes

 

2 pounds russet or other high-starch
potatoes, scrubbed clean, peeled
(or leave unpeeled for a rustic look)
2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil

 

½ recipe (two loaves) Steamed Red or
White Seitan (page 34 and 35), or slightly
less than 2 pounds purchased seitan
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
A generous pinch of dried oregano
½ pound yellow onions
1 to 2 tablespoons
ají amarillo
paste, or
1 to 2 fresh or frozen amarillo or
hot red chiles
3 tablespoons red cooking wine or
vegetable broth
3 large, firm plum tomatoes
4 tablespoons peanut oil
Freshly ground pepper
Steamed long-grain white or brown rice,
about 1 cup per serving (optional)
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

 

1. Make the baked potato fries first. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the potatoes into french fry sticks about ½ inch thick, pour the 2 tablespoons of oil onto a large, rimmed baking sheet, add the sliced potatoes, and toss thoroughly with the oil. Don’t crowd the pan; use two pans if the fries are overlapping. Bake the fries for 20 to 24 minutes, flipping once halfway through the baking, until the potatoes are golden and the edges are crisp and browned. Sprinkle with a little salt, if desired. Turn off the oven, open the oven door just a little, and leave the baking sheet in the oven to keep the fries warm.

2. Prepare the seitan and prepare the stir-fry ingredients: Slice the seitan into ¼ by 1-inch strips. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce and the red wine vinegar, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Add the seitan strips and use tongs to toss and coat the seitan completely with the marinade. While the seitan is marinating, peel the onion, slice it in half, then slice it into thin strips. If using fresh
ají amarillo
or other chiles, remove the seeds and mince. Slice the plum tomatoes in half, remove the seeds, and slice into thin strips. Measure the cooking wine and have it handy in a small cup.

3. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet (or wok, if you have one), heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the seitan strips and fry on each side for about 2 minutes. The seitan should be browned on the edges but still juicy. Transfer the seitan from the pan to a dish and repeat with the remaining seitan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the onions. Stirring, fry the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to soften and turn golden on the edges. If using minced chiles, stir into the onions and fry for 1 minute. If using
ají amarillo
paste, whisk into wine.

4. Pour the wine over the onion mixture and stir to deglaze the pan (dissolving any browned bits from the bottom of the pan). Scrape in any remaining seitan marinade. Using tongs, stir in the tomato strips to coat them in the bubbling wine mixture. Sprinkle within remaining tablespoon of soy sauce and season with plenty of freshly ground pepper. Add the seitan strips and continue using tongs to coat them with the sauce, then turn off heat. Have ready serving dishes and mound a serving of rice into the dishes, if using.

5. To put everything together: place a serving of baked french fries in a large mixing bowl (maybe even the one you used to marinate the seitan with . . . it’s okay because it’s vegan!). Use tongs to add a portion of stir-fried seitan and vegetables on top of fries and drizzle a little bit of the pan juices over the whole thing. Toss the fries with the stir-fry, taking care to coat the potatoes with the seitan juices. Slide onto a serving dish, sprinkle with some chopped cilantro, and serve immediately.

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Serves 2 to 3 as a main course, or 4 served with lots of sides or in a taco

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Time: Less than 30 minutes