Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (31 page)

4. Create an enchilada assembly line: Have ready a pie plate filled with about ¾ cup of Green Tomatillo Sauce, the prepared casserole dish, a stack of corn tortillas, a lightly greased cast-iron pan set over medium heat, and the filling. Ladle a little bit of the sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish and spread it around. Take a corn tortilla, place it on the heated pan for 30 seconds, then flip it over and heat until the tortilla has become soft and pliable. Drop the softened tortilla into the pie plate filled with the sauce; allow it to get completely covered in sauce, flip it over, and coat the other side. Now place that saucy tortilla in the casserole dish. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of the filling down the middle and roll the enchilada tightly. Continue with the rest of the tortillas, tightly packing the enchiladas next to one another in the casserole in a single layer only.

5. Pour about a cup of sauce over the enchiladas, spreading it evenly over the whole casserole. Don’t worry about having extra sauce left over; you’ll want to serve this with the enchiladas when they’re done. When done assembling the enchiladas, spoon generous dollops of Pine Nut Crema on top of the casserole. It looks best if you don’t try to spread it evenly; rather, leave some spots uncovered to let the Green Tomatillo Sauce show through. Cover tightly with the foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges of the tortillas are slightly browned. If you like, set the oven to broil on high for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, to further brown the Pine Nut Crema; watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.

6. Let the enchiladas cool for 5 minutes before eating. Top individual servings with the remaining warmed Green Tortilla Sauce.

 

The Whole Enchilada

 

U
se this enchilada recipe as a template to make any kind of enchilada anytime out of most any kind of filling. Enchiladas fit the bill of great foods that transform leftovers into—I’m going to say it—
look forwards
. Chop up steamed bits of veggies, random beans, stray seitan, or lonely tofu, roll in tortillas, and smother with your favorite sauce . . . enchiladas are up to your most demanding leftover recycling needs and ready to do it up in style.

 

 

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Serves 4, or 2 to 3 really hungry hombres

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Time: About 30 minutes

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Gluten Free, Soy Free

 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large poblano chile or green Cubanelle
pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon red chile powder, such as ancho
or guajíllo
1 (24-ounce) can diced tomatoes with
juice, or 2 pounds very juicy fresh plum
tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 (15-ounce) can pinto or black beans,
drained and rinsed, or 2 cups cooked
1 (15-ounce) can white cooked hominy,
drained and rinsed, or 2 cups cooked
1 cup Mexican light-colored beer or
vegetable broth
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon lime juice
Freshly ground pepper

 

Large tortilla chips or fried tortilla strips
Chopped fresh cilantro
Thinly sliced white radishes
Chopped fresh tomato
Finely diced fresh onion
Finely shredded white cabbage or a
crunchy lettuce such as romaine
Slices of ripe avocado
Lime wedge

 

1. In a large pot, combine the oil and garlic over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the onion and poblano chile. Stir and cook until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano, and chile powder and fry for another minute. Now add the diced tomatoes with juice, beans, hominy, beer, and salt. If using fresh tomatoes, you may want to add more beer, water, or vegetable broth if the tomatoes alone don’t provide enough liquid to create a stew. Stir, increase the heat, and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Turn off the heat, stir in the lime juice, and season with freshly ground pepper. Let the posole sit for about 10 minutes prior to serving, to cool slightly and allow the flavors to meld.

2. Ladle into large individual serving bowls and either decorate with separate mounds of cilantro, lettuce, and so on or place each garnish in its own serving bowl and have guests pass the bowls around. Serve with hot corn tortillas.

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Serves 4 to 6 generously

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Time: About 1½ hours

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Soy Free

 

1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, washed
4 tablespoons peanut or other light
vegetable oil
½ recipe (2 loaves) Steamed White
Seitan (page 35), diced into
½-inch cubes
¼ cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jalapeños, serranos, or other green
chiles, washed, sliced in half, and
seeded if a milder posole is desired
1 medium-size onion, chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, lightly packed
1½ teaspoons dried oregano or epazote
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups vegetable broth
½ cup Mexican light-colored beer or
vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can white beans (cannellini or
navy, for example), drained and rinsed,
or 2 cups cooked
1 (15-ounce) can white cooked hominy,
drained and rinsed, or 2 cups cooked
½ pound Swiss chard, thick stems
removed, sliced into thin ribbons
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste

 

Large tortilla chips or fried tortilla strips
Lime wedges
Thinly sliced white radishes
Slices of avocado
Large white corn tortilla chips

 

1. Fill a large pot with enough water to allow the tomatillos to float, cover with a lid, turn the heat to high, and bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the tomatillos, stir them occasionally, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the skins start to split and the tomatillos’ bright green color begins to fade. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked tomatillos to a bowl to cool for 20 minutes. The cooked tomatillos may collapse and release some juices while they cool.

2. In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat and add the diced seitan. Sauté for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the seitan is browned. Remove from the pot and set aside. In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn. Pour the seeds into a food processor and pulse to finely grind, then set aside.

3. In a blender jar, pulse the cooled tomatillos with their juices, garlic, chiles, onion, cilantro, oregano, and cumin to form a thick sauce. In the large soup pot used to sauté the seitan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the blended tomatillos and cook for 10 minutes, until the sauce turns darker (no longer bright green) and thickens slightly. Slowly stir in vegetable broth, beer, and ground pumpkin seeds and bring to a boil again, then lower the heat to a simmer. Add the sautéed seitan, beans, and hominy. Partially cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

4. Stir in the shredded chard, partially cover again, and simmer for another 10 to 12 minutes, or until the chard is completely wilted and tender. Add salt to taste.

5. When ready to serve, ladle into large, deep soup bowls and top with several white tortilla chips stuck into the stew, plus a small pile each of sliced radish and avocado and a slice of lime. Serve hot with a stack of hot corn tortillas.

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Makes about 6 cups; serves 4 to 6

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Time: About 1½ hours