Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (29 page)

 

Noteworthy Nopales

 

N
opales are the thick fleshy paddles from a cactuslike plant enjoyed in Mexico and Central America, grilled or pickled for eating in tacos, tortas, and most every food in between. Although they’re covered with long thorns and tiny transparent spines and look like a cartoon cactus, properly peeled and prepared nopales “paddles” are delicious. They have a fresh, grassy, asparagus-like crunch with a bit of the slipperiness of okra.

 

I love nopales but I really don’t like removing the spines. At all. I go as far as to recommend that unless you find handling spines somehow relaxing (maybe you wrestle porcupines or juggle sea urchins on the weekends?), it may be in your best interest to either enjoy them pickled or seek out prepeeled, spine- and thorn-free paddles at your local Mexican produce vendor.

 

 

•
Makes a little over 2 cups of sauce to serve with 4 to 6 servings of potatoes

•
Time: Less than 20 minutes, not including cooking the potatoes

 

1½ cups mild vegetable broth
3 tablespoons garbanzo flour
2 tablespoons
ají amarillo
paste
4 teaspoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped finely
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
⅔ cup nutritional yeast flakes
¾ cup heavy cream substitute or rich
nondairy milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup plain cracker crumbs (such as
water crackers or saltines)
2 pounds red, purple, or yellow waxy
potatoes or yuca, boiled and
kept warm
10 pitted black kalamata olives,
for garnish

 

1. In a large liquid measuring cup or mixing bowl, whisk together the vegetable broth and garbanzo flour until blended, then stir in the
ají amarillo
paste and set aside. In a large sauce - pan, heat the peanut oil and garlic over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Stir in the onion and fry until soft, about 4 minutes. Whisk the vegetable broth mixture one more time, then pour it into the saucepan. Continue to whisk the mixture over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the garbanzo flour cooks and thickens the mixture. Stir in the salt, nutritional yeast flakes, heavy cream substitute, lemon juice, and cracker crumbs. Simmer the mixture for another 2 to 3 minutes to completely soften the cracker crumbs.

2. Remove from the heat and pulse with an immersion blender to create a smooth texture. The sauce should be creamy and have the consistency of very thick gravy. Taste and adjust for salt and add a little more lemon juice, if desired.

3. Serve immediately, spooned on top of hot cooked potatoes or yuca. Traditionally,
salsa a la Huancaína
is draped on food so that it forms a concealing blanket of sauce, but I prefer to drizzle it or serve it on the side for dipping. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools; thin with more vegetable broth or nondairy milk, as needed, to your desired consistency. Garnish each serving with a few black olives.

•
Serves 4 as a side or appetizer

•
Time: About 45 minutes

 

2 pounds yuca (one really big fat yuca
root about 9 inches long by 3 to
4 inches wide)
Peanut, canola, or corn oil, for deep-frying
Salt
Lime wedges

 

1. Trim the ends of the yuca and use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to remove the waxy skin. With a heavy, sharp chef’s knife, split the root horizontally into two or three equal pieces, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. You should have 4 to 6 large, semicircular chunks of yuca. Slice each chunk into two or three more pieces. Place in a large stockpot and pour in enough cold water to cover the yuca by at least 3 inches.

2. Bring to a boil over high heat, partially cover the pot, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the yuca is very tender. Fully cooked yuca is ready when its white flesh has a semi-translucent appearance on the edges and it also flakes easily when pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside to cool.

3. Pour the frying oil into a large, heavy pot (cast iron is best) and preheat over medium-high heat. Make sure that there are at least 2 inches of oil in the pan. Cover a large plate with paper towels or crumpled brown paper, for draining the hot fried yuca. The oil is hot enough when a very small piece of yuca placed in the hot oil immediately starts to bubble rapidly and fry quickly; the idea is to use very hot (but never smoking) oil so that the yuca pieces cook evenly without soaking up too much grease.

4. When cool enough to handle, separate the yuca into long pieces no thicker than 2 inches but preferably a little less. Sometimes cooked yuca may have a thick, rubbery skin on the outside edges of the root; this peels off easily, so remove and discard it. Place a few chunks in the oil at a time, taking care not to crowd the pan. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning each piece occasionally with metal tongs or a slotted spoon. The yuca is ready when it’s firm and crisp looking with slight golden bits on the edges. Remove from the oil, very carefully shake off any excess, and place on the paper-lined plate to drain. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with salt.

5. Serve with lime wedges and eat while hot.

•
Serves 4 as a side or more as an appetizer

•
Time: About 45 minutes

 

2 pounds yuca, fresh or frozen chunks

 

½ cup olive oil
6 to 8 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 small yellow onion, cut in half and
sliced thinly
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Freshly ground black pepper

 

1. Trim the ends of the yuca and use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to remove the waxy skin. With a heavy, sharp chef’s knife, split the root horizontally into two or three equal pieces, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. You should have four to six large, semicircular chunks of yuca. Slice each chunk into two or three more pieces. Place in a large stockpot and pour in enough cold water to cover the yuca by at least 3 inches.

2. Bring to a boil over high heat, partially cover the pot, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the yuca is very tender. Fully cooked yuca is ready when its white flesh has a semi-translucent appearance on the edges and it also flakes easily when pierced with a fork.

3. Prepare the
mojo
sauce: In a large saucepan, combine the olive oil, garlic, and onion and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then lower the heat to low. Simmer for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the garlic and onion are very soft and just starting to turn golden. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and ground cumin . . . resist the urge to drink the luscious-smelling cumin-garlicky oil right away and set it aside for 2 minutes to cool slightly. Gently stir in the lime juice and a few twists of freshly ground pepper.

4. To serve: Drain the hot yuca from the pot. Sometimes cooked yuca may have a thick, rubbery skin on the outside edges of the root; this peels off easily, so remove and discard it. Arrange the yuca in a mound on a serving platter, drizzle with the sauce, and pile the onions on top of the yuca. Serve immediately.

•
Serves 4, generous 1-cup servings

•
Time: Less than 30 minutes

 

1 Anaheim or poblano chile
1 to 2 hot green chiles, such as serrano or
jalapeño
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 green onion, chopped finely
½ cup uncooked amaranth grain
4 cups water or vegetable broth
¾ teaspoon salt (use just a pinch if using
vegetable stock)
⅔ cup polenta-style cornmeal
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice