Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (33 page)

4. Assemble the casserole: Pour ½ cup of the sauce into the bottom of the pan and tilt it to spread it around. Using tongs, dip a tortilla into the pot of sauce and place it on the bottom of the pan. Continue with five more tortillas, dipping them in the sauce and overlapping them, spreading their edges a little up the sides of the pan. Top with about half the crumbled potatoes and sliced poblanos, then ladle another ½ cup of sauce on top. Dip another tortilla in the sauce, layer it on top of potatoes, and continue as before with five more tortillas. Finally, sprinkle the remaining potatoes and poblano strips on top. Tear any remaining tortillas into thick strips, dip them into the sauce, and spread them on top of the casserole. Pour any remaining sauce evenly over the casserole and cover with the foil, crimping the edges tightly. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and take off the foil. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.

5. Spread dollops of the Pine Nut Crema over the top of the steaming hot casserole. You don’t have to be even about it; a few bits of the casserole showing underneath are fine. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the
crema
. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the top of the
crema
is golden and the seeds are toasted. If desired, broil the casserole for 4 to 5 minutes to continue browning spots of the
crema
, but watch carefully as not to burn the seeds.

6. Serve the casserole hot, sprinkled with cilantro and onions. Pass around lime wedges for squeezing on top of each serving. This casserole heats up well the next day in the microwave.

•
Serves 4 to 6

 

8 ounces tempeh, sliced into
½-inch cubes
2 tablespoons peanut oil or olive oil
2 medium-size yellow onions (½ pound),
chopped finely
1 large carrot, diced
2 tablespoons white or red wine or
vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika
½ pound potato or yuca, peeled, cooked,
and diced into ¼-inch cubes
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup dark raisins
½ cup sliced green olives
Freshly ground pepper

 

3½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
(thawed and drained, if frozen)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
⅔ cup soy creamer or heavy cream
substitute, or a combination of the two
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons peanut oil
8 to 10 large fresh basil leaves,
chopped finely
1 tablespoon sugar, or about 1 teaspoon
of sugar per individual pie

 

 

Arroz con Seitan (page 145)

 

Creamy Corn-Filled Empanadas (page 201)

 

Shredded Seitan and Mushroom Empanadas with Raisins and Olives (page 202) and Chimichurri Sauce with Smoked Paprika (page 42)

 

Cuban “Ropa Vieja” Style Latin Shredded Seitan (page 106), Yellow Rice with Garlic (page 96), and Venezuelan-style Black Beans (page 89)

 

Peruvian Seitan and Potato Skewers (page 104)

 

So Good, So Green Dipping Sauce (page 43)

 

Portobello Feijoada (page 147), Savory Orange Rice, Brazilian Style (page 98), Braised Brazilian Shredded Kale (page 121), and Fried Sweet Plantains (page 115)

 

Chorizo-Spinach Sopes (page 171) with Pickled Red Onions (page 43)

 

Red Chile-Seitan Tamales (page 191)

 

Cubano Vegano Sandwich (page 66)

 

Savory Fresh Corn Pancakes (page 182) with vegan cheese and Creamy Avocado-Tomato Salsa (page 39)

 

Sancocho (page 154)