Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (32 page)

1½ pounds red- or yellow-skinned
waxy potatoes
1 cup dried TVP chunks or Soy Curls
2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large (about ½ pound) onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
¼ cup white wine or beer
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon Annatto-Infused Oil (page 31)
2½ cups vegetable broth
½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
⅔ cup crushed tomatoes with juices,
or 3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and
chopped finely
½ cup unsweetened soy milk, almond milk,
or other unsweetened nondairy milk
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper
½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

 

Pickled Red Onions (page 43)
Slices of avocado and/or tomato
Your favorite hot sauce (Ecuadorean
sauces are a fine choice here)
1 cup of hot steamed white or brown rice
per serving
Freshly steamed torn kale

 

1. Scrub the potatoes and remove any buds or eyes. Without peeling, slice the potatoes into ½-inch pieces and place in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning (drain the water just before using). Place the TVP in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain.

2. In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat the oil and garlic over medium heat. Fry until the garlic just starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Add the chopped onions and red pepper and fry until soft, at least 12 minutes. Deglaze the pan with wine and add the oregano, ground cumin, paprika, and annatto oil. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the drained potatoes, TVP, and vegetable broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender.

3. Ladle about ½ cup of the hot broth into a small bowl. Add the peanut butter to the bowl and stir to emulsify the peanut butter to a creamy, smooth mixture, adding more broth if necessary. Spoon this mixture back into the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, nondairy milk, lime juice, and salt to the stew, and stir. Taste and adjust the flavor with more lime juice or salt, if necessary. Turn off the heat, season the
guatita
with freshly ground pepper, cover the pot, and allow the stew to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

4. To serve: Mound 1 cup of hot rice per person in a large, wide serving bowl, ladle the stew around the rice, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with a generous side of Pickled Red Onions and generous shakes of your favorite hot sauce.

•
Serves 6 generously

•
Time: 45 to 55 minutes, not including making the
sofrito

•
Gluten Free, Soy Free

 

2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
2 cups frozen
gandules
(pigeon peas),
or 1 (15-ounce) can, drained and rinsed
2 bay leaves
3 cups boiling water or vegetable broth
1 cup Basic Onion-Pepper Sofrito (page
32), the tomato or cilantro variation
1 cup diced canned tomato, drained of
juices, or ½ pound fresh tomato, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons Annatto-Infused Oil
(page 31)
2 teaspoons salt (omit if using salted
vegetable broth)
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have ready a lasagne-type baking pan that measures about 14 by 17 inches by at least 4 inches deep. Pour the rice,
gandules
, and bay leaves into the pan. Pour the boiling water over the rice, then stir in the sofrito, tomato, tomato paste, oil, salt, cumin, oregano, liquid smoke, and freshly ground pepper. Stir well to combine all of the ingredients, then cover the pan with aluminum foil as follows: Tear off two or three sheets of foil, each longer than the pan by at least 4 inches. Overlap the sheets and tightly crimp the edges to secure a tight fit over the pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed by the rice.

2. Remove from the oven, let sit covered for 15 minutes, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, then fluff the rice with a fork to redistribute the peas and seasonings evenly. Remove the bay leaf. Serve with hot sauce, slices of avocado, and fried or baked plantains, if desired.

1. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake as directed. Fluff the rice to evenly distribute everything. Serve with
tostones
(page 118).

•
Serves 6, or 4 to 5 generously

•
Time: About 1½ hours

•
Gluten Free

 

1½ pounds white potatoes, peeled
1 pound poblano chiles
(about 4 large chiles)
1 small white onion, minced
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 to 3 serrano or jalapeño chiles,
stemmed, seeded (if less heat is
desired), and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup vegetable broth
1 pound corn tortillas, preferably a few
days old (14 to 16 tortillas)
1 recipe Pine Nut Crema (page 45)
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
(pepitas) or pine nuts
Chopped fresh cilantro and thinly sliced
onions and lime wedges, for garnish

 

1. Roughly chop the potatoes, place them in a large saucepan, and fill with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, partially cover, and cook for 14 to 16 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, press into large crumbles.

2. Meanwhile, over a gas burner, roast each whole, intact poblano chile. Use metal tongs to turn the chile several times over the flame until its skin is blackened, sizzling, and blistered, 3 to 5 minutes. Place the roasted chile into a tightly covered container or a sealed paper bag. Repeat with the remaining chiles. Alternatively, you can roast all the chiles on a rimmed baking sheet at 450°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until their skin is blackened and the chiles have collapsed. Allow the chiles to cool enough to be handled. Gently remove their skin, split open, cut away the stem and seed base, and remove any excess seeds. Chop the chiles into ½-inch strips and set aside.

3. Make the tomato sauce: In a blender jar, pulse together the onion, diced tomatoes with their juice, chopped serrano chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt, to blend an almost smooth salsa (some fine chunks are okay). In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and carefully pour in the salsa. It may splatter a little but that’s all right, just keep stirring. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, preheat the oven to 375°F and have ready a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan and a sheet of foil large enough to tightly cover the pan.