Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (52 page)

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a mixing cup, stir the brown sugar and vanilla extract into the soy milk until mostly dissolved. Add softened margarine to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter or a fork to blend it into flour to form a sandy mixture. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

2. Gradually stir in the soy milk mixture and mix until a soft dough forms. Lightly knead for about 2 minutes, then divide the dough into two portions and flatten each piece into a rough square shape. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Let the dough rest for half an hour at room temperature (this will help the gluten relax and make rolling easier). While the dough is resting, prepare the agave honey.

3. In a large cast-iron Dutch oven or similar large heavy pot, heat about 2½ inches of oil over medium-high heat. The oil will need about 10 minutes to get hot enough (around 350°F; see Churros [page 223] for additional deep-f rying information); while the oil is heating, lightly flour a large work surface and rolling pin. Roll a piece of dough into a very thin rectangle, ⅛ of an inch thick or slightly less. Use a sharp knife to cut squares or diamonds 3 to 3½ inches long. Trim any ragged edges from the dough. Repeat with the remaining dough.

4. Test the oil by dropping a scrap of dough into the hot oil. It should fry very rapidly and puff up within 30 seconds. Fry three or four sopaipillas at a time, until golden on each side and puffed, 1 to 1½ minutes per side. Do not crowd the pan; overcrowding may cool the oil and prevent the dough from puffing properly. Use a mesh skimmer or tongs to carefully transfer the sopaipillas onto layered paper towels or crumpled brown paper to drain. Serve warm, either drizzled with agave syrup or serving it on the side as a dip.

5. Prepare the Agave “Honey”: Combine all of the ingredients except for the orange flower water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat, lower the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes . Turn off the heat, stir in the orange flower water, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and lime zest and serve.

•
Makes about 1½ cups

•
Time: 45 minutes

 

1 cup soy creamer or rich soy milk
4 teaspoons tapioca flour or arrowroot
powder
½ cup brown rice syrup
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons nonhydrogenated vegan
margarine
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

 

1. In a measuring cup, whisk together ¼ cup of the soy creamer and the tapioca flour and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the remaining ¾ cup of soy creamer, and the brown rice syrup and brown sugar, and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Stir in the margarine and lower the heat to low. Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture should resemble a thick caramel sauce and easily coat the back of a wooden spoon.

2. Whisk the tapioca flour mixture again and stir it slowly into the simmering sauce. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens even more, simmering for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. The sauce is now ready to use, yay!

3. Store extra
dulce
in a tightly covered container in the fridge; it lasts for weeks if not fo rever.

•
Serves 4, two crepes each

•
Time: About 45 minutes, not including making the sauce

 

1½ cups soy or almond milk
⅓ cup cold water
¾ cup all-purpose or whole wheat
pastry flour
⅓ cup chickpea (garbanzo) flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Nonstick cooking spray and/or softened
nonhydrogenated vegan margarine

 

4 very ripe plantains (most black
with dark yellow-streaked skin,
should feel soft when gently
squeezed)
4 tablespoons nonhydrogenated vegan
margarine
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons lime juice
4 tablespoons dark or spiced rum
Nonstick cooking spray

 

1 recipe Un-Dulce de Leche (page 227), gently warmed on the stove or microwave

 

1. For the crepes: In a blender jar, combine the soy milk, water, flour, chickpea flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse until you have a smooth, thin batter. Pour into a container, cover, and chill for at least an hour or overnight. When ready to cook, stir the batter briefly if the ingredients have separated. Heat a 10- to 12-inch crepe pan or skillet over medium-high heat; the skillet is ready when a few drops of water flicked onto the pan sizzle. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. For additional buttery flavor, dab a silicone brush into softened nonhydrogenated margarine and brush along the bottom and sides of pan, but you can skip this if you use plenty of nonstick spray for each crepe.

2. Ladle ⅓ to ½ cup (use the larger quantity for a bigger pan) of batter into the center of the pan. As the batter starts to sizzle, immediately begin to tilt the pan (use your wrist) in a circular motion to spread a thin layer of batter to the edges of the pan. Continue to tilt the pan as the batter spreads and then sets. If you’re new to crepes, you’ll find you get better the more you make them; often your first crepe isn’t nearly as nice as the last one in the batch.

3. Cook the crepe is until the top looks dry and the edges appear firm, 1 to 1½ minutes. Gently run the spatula (a long, thin one works ideally here) under the crepe to loosen it, carefully flip the crepe, and cook it on the other side for 30 seconds. Slide the crepe onto a dinner plate. Spray more oil or brush more margarine onto the crepe pan before starting the next crepe; if the crepes start to stick, give the pan another hit of nonstick cooking spray. If bits of batter collect on the pan or the pan seems too oily, quickly swirl the crumpled paper towel across the surface of the pan to remove the crumbs. Cook the rest of the crepes, stacking them one on top of another. If not serving immediately, cover the entire batch with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

4. For the fried sweet plantains: Preheat a cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. On a cutting board, use a very sharp paring knife to slice both ends off a plantain and run a shallow cut—only deep enough to slice the skin but not the flesh—from one end of the plantain to the other. Peel off the skin and slice on a bias into ½-inch-thick slices.

5. Spray the preheated pan with nonstick cooking spray and melt a tablespoon of margarine on its surface. Slide one-third of the plantain slices into the pan and fry for 4 to 6 minutes, flipping a few times until the plantains are soft and turning golden. Sprinkle with one-third of the brown sugar, lime juice, and rum and sauté for another 2 to 4 minutes to gently caramelize the surface of the plantains. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining plantains. If the surface of your pan gets too sticky, wipe with a paper towel before frying more plantains. Cover the cooked plantains with foil, or warm them in the oven or microwave (remove foil first if microwaving) if they start to get too cold.

6. To assemble: Lay a crepe on a serving plate, drizzle half of the crepe (a semicircle) with some Un-Dulce de Leche, and layer that part with three or more slices of plantain. Fold the crepe in half, drizzle half that surface with more sauce, add three or more slices of plantain, and fold again so that now you have a curvy triangle. Top with another plantain slice and more
dulce
. Repeat on the same plate if you’re serving two at a time.

•
Serves 9

•
Time: About 1½ hours including baking time, not including overnight chilling

 

1 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
⅓ cup canola oil
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon coconut, lemon, or
orange extract
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt