Pasta Vegan Alla Puttanesca

We are over halfway through Vegan MoFo 2014 and I have not been as diligent as usual about posting. Every other MoFo that I have participated in, I have done at least 20 posts. I know I will not make that this year. I am not beating myself up about it. I realize that my expectations are a bit different this year.

I have been cooking more than normal since the pregnancy now that food is becoming more appealing to me. I am starting to look forward to some meal times and I am having to remind myself less and less to eat. Mealtimes are becoming less of a chore for me. They are not up to where they were before, where I looked forward to the next one, but I am no longer dreading what I will eat next. I am also not having to worry about sickness as much. I still feel nauseated at times, but not the every minute deal like I felt before. New challenges have sprung up- such as every night I feel a pain in my right rib. I think it is my stomach being pushed into my ribs, but I am not for sure. I know my organs are shifting around to make room for the future little vegan one, but I just don't know where they are being pushed.
It is still warm here, in the 80's and our produce box through our CSA is flourishing. I am happy that we are still getting pints of cherry and sungold tomatoes. We are also getting larger varieties of tomatoes. They are amazing, as usual. One night when I looked at the pint of sungolds, I thought puttanesca. Lucky for me, we had kalamata olives in the fridge.  I had everything I needed to make a simple puttanesca dinner. 

I am not an expert on the original as it contains ingredients that I do not consume. However, as a note of substitution, I used pepperocini instead of anchovies for a mildly spicy bite. The other change was that I used sungold tomatoes instead of roma or other red tomatoes. Sungolds are orange and a bit sweeter.

Pasta Puttanesca

- 12oz gluten free pasta

- 1 garlic clove

- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped 

- pint of your favorite tomatoes, chopped

- 3 or 4 pepperocini- chopped 

- Olive oil

- Ground pepper

Cook the pasta according to the directions. Meanwhile, place the olives and garlic in a bowl and use a pestle to grind the two together to make a paste. If you don't have a pestle, chop both the garlic and olives small- set aside. 

In a medium pan, heat a little olive oil and add the tomatoes. When simmering, add the garlic and olive mixture and pepperocini and continue to simmer. You can cook this for as little or as long as you like. I like to have the tomatoes break down a little bit and I cook for about 15 minutes. Add ground pepper to taste.

When the pasta is done add a little more olive oil to the pasta so that it doesn't stick. Then add the sauce and serve. 

Spicy Tamales- MoFo Post Twenty

Post #20 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

Welcome to post 20! I have made my goal by posting 20 times in one month. This might be my last post for the month and for MoFo. My goal was to post 20 times during the month and I have met that goal. I am considering one more post before the month ends sharing more Puerto Rico pictures. The trip was a little over a month ago and I have not yet had the time to sort through all of the pictures. This month has found me busy and a bit too distracted to do that.

Here are the tamales all wrapped up

I have not decided if I will have any more posts for the month, so I wanted to leave you with one of my favorite meals- spicy tamales. This meal was a lot of work and took longer than I would have liked, but the end result was delicious! It was great at dinner and just as great the next day warmed up for lunch at work. I unwrapped them the evening before and placed them in my glass lunch containers for lunch the next day. I normally add hot sauce to my lunch foods, but I had no need because the spice was inside! 

It had been years since I have had a tamale because they generally contain dairy. I have been thinking for a while about recreating this dish. As a child, I have a memory of making them with my mother. I do not remember eating these more than once, but I wish we had. There are so many fillings that could be used inside the tamale, but I decided to go with vegan cheese and a green chili and chipotle and adobo pepper mixture. I wanted to keep it relatively simple, but spicy. It had been a while since I purchased canned chipotle and adobo, but had been craving the smoky flavor of the pepper. The tamale was a perfect vessel for that craving. 

Left: filling, Right: Guacamole

The tamales take quite a while and can be labor intensive, but I feel that with practice the process will go faster. I have not tried it, but I wonder if the corn mixture can be made in advance by a day or two. The recipe makes about 12 tamales, but it is best to soak more than 12 husks in case any break and for the ties. I soaked about five more than I needed and ended up having to double up several because of rips in the husks. 

I hope you enjoy these tamales as much as we did! I expect to try these beauties again with plenty of other fillings. Along side the tamales, I served a homemade guacamole.

Spicy Tamales 

• One package of dried corn husks
• 1 c vegan cheese
• 1 can chipotle and adobo
• 8 oz chilies, any spice level
• 16 oz frozen corn, thawed
• 1 c cornmeal
• 1/2 c masarepa (I used this bc I had it leftover, but you could use masaharina)
• 1 tbsp vegan butter

Soak the corn husks in water according to package directions (should be about an hour or two). When finished soaking, take one of the husks and tear off strips to use to tie the tamales.

While soaking, make the cornmeal filling. In the food processor process the thawed corn until it forms a thick paste. Add in the cornmeal and masarepa and process until a dough forms. Set aside. 

Remove four peppers from the can and chop. In a bowl combine the chipotle and adobo and the chilies. Mix until incorporated.  Add in some of the sauce in the can and mix again. Taste for spice level and add more, as desired.

Remove the corn husks from the water and dry them off so that they are not dripping wet. Place a flattened husk on a work surface and place several tablespoons of the corn filling on the husk. Flatten out the cornmeal with your hands to make a square in the center of the husk. Place some of the cheese and pepper mixture in the tamale. Fold the sides of the husks to enclose the filling. Then fold the bottom of the husk over the tamale and use the torn husk pieces to tie the tamale together. I used two ties per tamale. 

Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan. When the water comes to a boil, add in the steamer basket and place the tamales on top of each other in the basked. Place on the lid, turn down the heat to medium low and steam for 45 minutes. When finished, unwrap the tamales and serve!

South American Quinoa- MoFo Post Nineteen

Post #19 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

Before the quinoa was added

Most of my posts up to this point have featured Latin dishes that are popular in this country. Dishes that could commonly be located on restaurant menus and food trucks. I decided to go a little less traditional today and focus on a food item that is not necessarily associated with Latin cuisine. Quinoa is a "grain" that originated from South America, yet we do not see it featured in may traditional Latin foods. Since becoming gluten free, this grain has made its way into many of our meals. 

Finished product

Quinoa is considered to be a complete protein and is a good source of fiber, calcium, and more.  The flavor tends to be nutty and can be crunchy if not overcooked. I tend to prefer it a bit crunchy and less cooked. I guess we could call it al dente! We try to incorporate quinoa about once a week. John even enjoys it for breakfast at times. It is versatile enough to be served savory and sweet, like rice. In my opinion, it can be substituted for rice in many dishes. While I love rice, I like to change it up a bit by using quinoa. 

After going gluten free, I received a cookbook that was made up of all gluten free recipes. The book contained meat and eggs and therefore I immediately dismissed it. Then it brought up the passion that I used to have of veganizing recipes. Years ago, I used to watch Food Network and veganized recipes that enticed me. This died away after the diagnosis came. The presence of this book seemed to rekindle that love of veganizing recipes. There are some items in the book that are vegan, but I have enjoyed veganizing many of the recipes. 

One such recipe was a South American Chicken and Quinoa dish. I made several substitutions and changes to the recipe, enough to even call it my own. While the dish might not be what we consider to be traditional Latin cuisine, it has a lot of flavors like coconut, turmeric, peppers, and onions. The coconut milk added richness and creaminess to the quinoa. The addition of curry powder made it almost seem Indian in nature. I find it nice to have a product like Beyond Meat that is both gluten free, vegan, and a good cruelty free version of chicken. If you are soy-free consider removing the Beyond Meat and using beans! 


South American Quinoa

• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 package of Beyond Meat
• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 bell peppers, green or red, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 c quinoa
• 1 c vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 c light coconut milk
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp of grated ginger

Combine the turmeric and thyme in a bowl. Dredge the Beyond Meat with the spice mixture to thoroughly coat. Set aside. 

Heat a half of teaspoon of oil in skillet and add the bell pepper and onion. Cook two minutes. The vegetables should be tender. Remove from the pan and place it back on the stove and add the remaining half of teaspoon of oil. When warm, place the Beyond Meat and cook for 3-4 minutes to warm. Set aside. 

Meanwhile combine the quinoa, broth, coconut milk, curry, and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 12 minutes. When finished, add the vegetable mixture to the skillet with the Beyond Meat. Then add the quinoa mixture and cook for 3-5 minutes until the remaining liquid is absorbed.

 

Lime Avocado "Cheese"cake- MoFo Post Seventeen

Post #17 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

Cheesecake after baking, but before it set in the fridge

I have focused all of my recipes on savory entrees thus far. I am a fan of savory items, but I also enjoy sweets once and a while. Lately, I have been eating more sweets than normal because of all of the birthdays and the amazing friends that I have. In keeping with my sweet-eating month, I thought it was time to create a Latin inspired dessert. The thought of Flan went through my head, but I am not a fan of the consistency or the dessert in general. I know that it is a widely loved dessert, but it just is not my thing. Not to mention the large reliance on eggs in the dessert. 


As I pondered my options, I was reminded of two things. First was margarita pie that I had seen people eat at a previous job. It was not the most appetizing looking dessert as it was bright green and was made of sorbet. However, it was served with a pretzel crust and that was of interest to me. I am not a fan of sorbet either. I have not had a vegan sorbet, but before I went vegan I had tried it several times and felt was not worth the calories.

Cheesecake after it had set in the fridge

Second, at Paladar Vegetariano we were served a lime and avocado pie that was out of this world! The pie was raw and delicious and a perfect ending to that nice evening. I originally wanted to recreate the raw pie, but I made an attempt that I felt was a pure failure. I brought it as an experiment to dinner at a friends house and it was not edible to me. John and my friend ate it and said that they liked it, but I am convinced they were being nice. It was hard for me to stomach. I did not put in enough lime to avocado ratio left out a sweet element to the dessert. 

Thinking of the margarita pie and the pie from Paladar Vegetariano, I had the idea to create an avocado lime cheesecake. One of my first attempts at making a vegan dessert was a cheesecake and it was a pure success. I was able to fool carnivores with the dessert, thinking it was a cheesecake made from cows milk. The recipe is such a success, that I wanted to follow a similar structure. The difference was that in this creation, wanted to remove some of the vegan cream cheese from the recipe. Avocado is creamy and seemed like a good substitution for some of that cream cheese. So I set out to replace some of it with the creamy avocado to see how the cheesecake would turn out. 

I brought cheesecake experiment to a birthday dinner for a friend. Some people asked for seconds, so I think the recipe was a success. I would like to use the pretzel crust for other pies and plan to try a different crust with the cheesecake as well to experiment even further. The pretty green of the cheesecake was fun! I also enjoyed the creaminess of the avocado and vegan cream cheese. The lime was quite strong in the pie, but it felt appropriate. If you are not a fan of lime, I suggest cutting the recipe down to one lime juiced.  I plan on making this again! What fun desserts have you created lately?

Lime Avocado "Cheese"cake

Crust:

• 2.5 c gluten free pretzels
• 1 tbsp vegan butter, melted
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Pie filling:

• 1.5 avocados
• 1 tub of vegan cream cheese
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 c vegan sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 c sorghum flour

For the crust, set the oven at 375 degrees. Crush the pretzels in to small pieces using a bag and the back of something flat (I used a measuring cup). Mix in the melted butter and brown sugar. Press into a large pie pan. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes until crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling. 

Place the avocados and cream cheese into a bowl. Use a mixer to make the filling smooth. Add in the lime juice, vegan sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix more incorporating all of the ingredients. Then fold in the flour. Spoon the mixture into the cooled pie crust and bake 40 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool. Then place in the refrigerator over night to set. Serve as is or you can use whip cream or berries on top.

Empanadas- MoFo Post Fifeteen

Post #15 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

I feel like empanadas are all the rage these days. I see them sold at food trucks, see them on menus, and hear about them in the media. The concept is genius- a hand pie of sorts with a savory filling. Before going vegan, I tried them several times at the local farmers market. It was a potato and soy meat filling. I really enjoyed the flavor and wondered why I had not had one before. After going vegan and then gluten free, I forgot about them. 

Fast forward to Puerto Rico and our stay at Maravilla and I was joined once again with the savory hand pie. I believe the filling was black bean and various vegetables. I do not remember exactly, but I was excited to once again get to eat this treat. The predominant flavor in the dough was corn and chunks of cornmeal could be seen. The crust was a bit firm, which works for an empanada as it would seem you should eat it out of your hand. As I enjoyed the pie looking out over the ocean, I thought about making these when I got home. I thought about different types of flavors and crusts. I decided that I would make my empanada with a more delicate crust, more like a pie crust. 

One of my favorite pie crusts is oat based and from the Welcoming Kitchen cookbook. It is very rich and crumbly and can be enjoyed savory or sweet. I add more agave nectar to the recipe when I am making a sweet pie and less when it is savory. This crust has worked well for me as the base of quiche, pot pies, and an apple pie. I decided to put it to the test for an empanada. I made the dough using my electric mixer and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour. I cannot share this recipe as it is not mine, but I encourage you to use your favorite xgfx crust recipe. It is key that you use a crust that you can easily roll out with a rolling pin or pat down with your hands. Gluten free doughs can often be sticky, so have some extra flour on hand for your work surface. 

For my filling, I decided to go with mushrooms, onions, spinach, and pepper jack vegan cheese. I have been enticed lately by Veg-Am, one of my favorite bloggers, and her use of mushrooms. Cremini are my mushroom of choice as they are hardy and "meaty". They hold up well to cooking. Like most mushrooms, they shrink when cooked. Not a fan of the mushroom? No worries! Sub in another ingredient instead. I cannot leave out my mushroom hating friends! These are supposed to be fun and delicious, so go wild if you wish! 

Mushroom and Spinach Empanadas

• 1 recipe of your favorite pie dough
• Gluten free flour for rolling out the dough
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped small
• 2 c mushrooms, sliced
• 4 c spinach
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 c vegan pepper jack cheese
• 1 tbsp almond milk for an "egg wash"

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add water or olive oil to the pan. When hot, add in onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add in garlic and cook a minute more. Add the mushrooms to the pan and let them sweat out and cook, this should take about 5 minutes. Add spinach, liquid smoke, paprika, and chili powder to the pan and let the spinach wilt. Turn the heat off and set the mixture aside. 

While the mixture cools, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the pie dough and cut into rectangular strips. Use as much flour as needed to roll out the dough. I was able to get 7 strips out of mine, but you might get less. Place about a tablespoon of cheese in the center of the strip, then top with spinach mixture. Take the short end of one side of the strip and fold it over to touch the other end. Seal the sides of the pocket with your fingers and form into a half moon shape. Make sure that the crust remains sealed. You can close with a fork at the ends or with your fingers. I formed an edge around mine. 

Place the empanadas on a prepared baking pan. Brush the top and sides of each empanada with the almond milk. Place in the oven for about 25 minutes. Check to make sure they do not brown too much. Remove, let cool for about 10 mins and enjoy!

Vegan Queso and Potato Tacos- MoFo Post Fourteen

Post #14 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

Here it is all put together.

Who does not love a taco out there? While tacos have a Latin origin, they have become so popular here. I have seen so many variations of the taco in restaurants and food trucks. The concept is quite simple, but the flavors can make all of the difference. I generally prefer a crispy shelled taco to the soft shell. As a child, I would get excited about taco night. My mom would make seasoned ground beef and then we would have lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa, and more to fill our taco. She usually served crunchy shells. This was often accompanied by what she called Spanish rice and various other vegetable sides. 

Tomatillos

As I became vegetarian as a teenager, I remember my mom buying veggie taco "meat" for me and having the same dinner. I do not remember the brand, but I enjoyed the tacos just the same. Now that I am vegan and gluten free, it is harder to find a taco "meat" filling. There are a few on the market and they are just ok. I have made similar fillings using TVP, but sometimes I like to go a bit more exciting with our fillings. As I was flipping through a recent issue of VegNews, I saw a post for potato tacos and queso fresco. The recipe looked delicious! After looking through it, I realized that I already made each of their suggested fillings my own way. 

The inspiration for the dish comes from VegNews, using two of my own recipes. The third recipe is adapted from a VegNews email that I received over a year ago. The magazine had a crumbly queso fresco that looked good, but the queso dip that I had many times before sounded better. One of the first recipes I created on my own was a tomatillo salsa years ago before I was even vegan. After looking back, I realized that I had never shared it before. I have served it to many salsa lovers and it has been a hit. Lastly, the potatoes are the standard ones we make when we want oven roasted ones. Sometimes we change up the seasoning depending on the accompanying side dishes. 

Tomatillo salsa and queso dip

I was so pleased with putting the three of these recipes together. The tacos were amazing. I only ate two small ones because the potatoes and queso dip are filling. Beware, this queso dip makes a large serving. Be prepared to buy some tortilla chips and make nachos to use it up. It will still be there after you have chowed down an the remaining soft corn tortillas. Now that I have this combination down, I expect to have this quite a bit. And not to toot my own horn, but the tomatillo salsa is so good that I could literally drink it up. If you think I am kidding, ask my friends if I drink sauces when I like them. (Example- the spicy peanut sauce made by Fiction Kitchen and the homemade ketchup by Ninth Street Bakery)

 I hope you enjoy these recipes during your taco nights as much as we do!


Vegan Queso and Potato Tacos


Potatoes

• 3 medium sized potatoes, washed and cubed 
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cumin  

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the potatoes in a baking pan, sprinkle with seasonings, then drizzle olive oil and toss or stir to coat. Place in the oven and back for about 25 minutes turning once. If you like a little crunch to your potatoes, turn on the broiler the last couple of minutes
Tomatillo Salsa

• 8 tomatillos, skin peeled off and quartered
• 1/2 onion, quartered
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (I used one red and one green)
• 1 c cilantro
• 1 lime, juice only
• salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process about 30 seconds or less until smooth. Taste for salt and add more as desired. 

Vegan Queso (adapted from a VegNews recipe)

• 1 c raw cashews
• 1 1/3 c almond milk
• 1 3/4 c soy milk
• 1 tbsp vegan margarine
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 1/4 c nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp white miso
• 1 tbsp hot sauce, more or less to taste
• 1/8 tsp salt, or less to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 16 oz can pinto beans
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 3 tsp corn starch, mixed with 3 tbsp water
• 1/3 c vegan mozzarella cheese

Place the cashews and almond milk into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Set aside. Heat a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add in the olive oil and margarine and allow it to melt. Then add in the flour and stir to coat. Let cook for two minutes. Add in the garlic and allow to cook one more minute. Then add in the soy milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, miso, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and cumin. Stir with whisk to incorporate. When mixed add in pinto beans, tomato, and corn starch mixture. Let cook for 5-7 minutes until thick. Then add in cheese and stir until melted.

Tacos

• 10 corn taco shells, soft or hard
• 2 bell peppers, sliced

Place the taco shells on a plate, line the shell with two tablespoons of potatoes, bell pepper slices, queso, and then top with tomatillo salsa. Repeat and enjoy! Add some hotsauce to spice things up a bit! 

"What Am I Supposed to Do With All This Paella"- MoFo Post Twelve

Post #12 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

We have approached the third week into September and Vegan MoFo! This month has flown by! I have really enjoyed the new blogs that I have come across this year as well as the ones I have been following for years. It is impressive the passion and love of vegan cooking that is shared across the globe! 

Paella before the peas have been added

The post for today will take us to Spain! When I was 17, my Spanish class took a trip to Spain to practice our Spanish and to experience a different culture. I was so fortunate to be able to go with them. It was an amazing trip! Back then I was a vegetarian, not vegan, and so was one of the male Spanish teachers. Therefore, I was able to follow him around and order what he ordered! It really could not have worked out any better. While that was many years ago, I remember not having any trouble finding vegetarian options. One meal that stuck out to me the most is in Madrid. I do not remember the name of the restaurant, but I recall sitting on a terrace overlooking beautiful architecture that the city had to offer. Senor Parks ordered vegetarian paella and I decided to do the same. I had heard of paella before, but knew that it was loaded with seafood. I was pleasantly surprised when ours came out with an array of vegetables. I loved the dish! 

To this day, that is one of the few meals that stuck with me from the trip. The other one was at a place where my classmates were afraid to speak to the waiter in Spanish, so I ordered for the table. I believe that we were in the city of Barcelona that day. I believe that the dish was called tacos con queso. We thought we were getting cheese tacos. When the dish arrived, it was a plate of cheese with olives in the middle. It was not what we expected, but it was fun to order in Spanish! 

Over the years, I have made paella thinking about that special evening in Madrid. I am not sure how closely this dish mirrors what I had that night, but I enjoy the flavor and aroma that this dish brings! I have found that Trader Joe's sells reasonably priced saffron. I purchased a small bottle and it has lasted me quite a while. I do not have a paella pan, but used a wok for size. This recipe makes quite a bit of paella. Which reminds me of a line from Seinfeld when George's Mom, Estelle, proclaims "What am I supposed to do with all this Paella?". I like to save the remaining paella for leftovers!

Vegetarian Paella

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 4 c vegetable broth, low or no sodium homemade or store bought
• 2 c brown rice
• 1/8 tsp saffron
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 15 oz can or artichoke hearts (not the kind in oil)
• 1 15 oz can of chickpeas
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 c frozen peas
  

Broth with saffron

Heat a wok with the olive oil over medium heat. When the pan is hot, saute onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute more. Then add the broth, saffron, and thyme to the walk. Allow it to boil, add the rice and cook for 35 minutes, covered. Add bell pepper, artichoke hearts, parsley, pepper, and chickpeas. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes until all of the water is absorbed. 

Open the lid and add the frozen peas. Turn off the heat and allow the pan to sit, closed for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid, stir and serve warm.

Vegan Chorizo and "Veggs"- MoFo Post Eleven

Post #11 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

Chorizo is a dish that I tend to hear about quite a bit. I see it on restaurant menus, hear about it online, and have seen it on television. I have never had the meat version of the dish, but have had the pleasure to have vegan chorizo on many occasions. I have had it at vegetarian restaurants and have purchased at various grocery stores in the area. Trader Joes has a brand that is particularly flavorful and gluten free. It comes in a plastic casing and is reasonably priced. 

The final dish. Chorizo and "Veggs"

While I enjoy the flavor, I prefer to have homemade items so that I can control the sodium levels in our food. As you have probably noticed from previous posts, I am not a huge fan of salt. I almost never add it to any dish, other than baked goods. I seem to get a more than adequate amount of salt by consuming copious quantities of hot sauce. Have I mentioned that it is an addiction of mine? To lessen the amount of hot sauce that I consume, I try to add more no-salt spices to our food. It is sort of working. Ok, I am lying to myself, it isn't working at all. I still use way too much hot sauce!

Spice blend used for the chorizo.

In honor of my Latin cuisine theme, I wanted to attempt making chorizo. When we usually get the store bought kind, we serve it with scrambled tofu with a lot of vegetables.  On this occasion, I wanted to focus on chorizo and scrambled Vegg's. What is scrambled "Vegg's" you ask? It is scrambled tofu made using The Vegg which is a product that is all plant-based replacement for an egg yolk. It mimics the texture and color of the egg without cholesterol, animal ingredients, cruelty to animals, or allergens. 

Chorizo and colorful spices cooking

I served the chorizo and Veggs with roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli.  he end result of the dish did not mirror the vegan chorizo purchased in stores, but I was pleased with the taste and texture of the dish. I also enjoyed the vegan scrambled eggs alongside of the chorizo.I have become a huge fan of The Vegg! I have created several recipes using it and even had one published on The Vegg's website and in a recent cookbook published by the company called "Cooking with The Vegg"

Have you recreated any store bought vegan items? Have you purchased and tried The Vegg?
 
Vegan Chorizo and "Veggs"

• 1 pound tofu
• 1 c water*
• 4 tsp Vegg powder
• 1/4 c red wine
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 c TVP granules
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp minced dried onion
• 1/8 tsp salt 
• cilantro (optional)

Press the tofu using a tofu press or wrapped in a kitchen towel and placed between two plates with a weight on top. If using a tofu press, the pressing will take about 15 minutes. If using plates, press for about a half hour to 45 minutes. While the tofu is pressing, boil 1 cup of water. When the water comes to a boil, pour it over the granules and let them sit for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile heat the red wine in a skillet over medium heat. When warm,  place the minced garlic into the red wine and cook for 3 minutes. When the TVP is finished sitting mix in the parikas, coriander, cumin, black pepper, ground cloves, oregano, thyme, granulated garlic, dried onion, and salt. Then mix in the TVP into the wine and garlic mixture in the pan. Add in the tomato sauce and mix. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside. 

In the same pan, crumble the pressed tofu and let warm in the pan for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the water with The Vegg mixture using a blender*. When mixed, pour over the tofu. Let the tofu cook for 5-7 minutes until the mixture becomes thick.  

When finished cooking, sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with your favorite breakfast sides like potatoes, salsa, tortillas, and vegetables. 

*If you like less runny scrambled tofu, use less water. For more runny scramble use 1 cup or more of water.

Plantains Two Ways-MoFo Post Seven

Post #7 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

One of my favorite cooked fruits is the plantain. It is enjoyable both salty and sweet and can pair well with many different entrees. They are also versatile enough to be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. In Puerto Rico, we had fried sweet plantains for breakfast one day and another we had boiled green bananas with onions and oregano. Which reminds me, I have to get my hands on some green bananas. 

Plantains that are not quite ripe

John and I have enjoyed plantains for years. We made up our own recipe which we enjoy, but are not likely authentic. For this MoFo post, we purchased four plantains and made them in two different way. The first way was tostones or patacones. Tostones is the Puerto Rican word for the dish, while patacones is the Colombian word. I believe the recipes are similar, however; I followed a recipe for tostones. Tostones are traditionally fried in quite a bit of oil, but we are not a fan of deep frying food and only used a small amount of oil (a couple of tablespoons for two plantains).  

I did not mash them well enough after the first pan fry, so they are not as large as traditional tostones. I think in the future, I will make the plantain slices larger. Even though the shape was not what I expected, I enjoyed the taste. We usually make plantains sweet and I tend to prefer savory items for dinner. 

I should have used a spatula to smash the tostones

The second plantain dish that we made had a citrus and sweet element to it. We generally use water or olive oil spray to pan saute the plantains. The end result is a crispy and browned plantain. The sweet element is usually agave nectar, however; we were fresh out of it and used maple syrup instead. We often have this as a dessert or wait and enjoy it after dinner. It is a simple dessert and minus the sugar, is healthy. 

My attempt at tostones

Sweet Sauteed Plantains

• 2 plantains, ripened to a brown-almost black color, and cut into slices
• 1 lime, cut in half
• 2 tsp of agave nectar or maple syrup
• Olive oil spray or water 

Sweet Sauteed Plantains

Prepare a large frying pan over medium heat. Spray with olive oil or with water. When warm layer the plantains in the skillet, do not overlap. Cook for about three minutes, flip over and cook three minutes more. When finished squeeze the lime juice over the plantains. Then drizzle the agave nectar. Let caramelize for about a minute and then flip over and cook for about a minute more. Serve immediately while warm.

Did Someone Say Beans?- MoFo Post Five

Post #5 for Vegan MoFo 2013.   

Happy Day 5 of Vegan MoFo 2013! I am a bean lover.  I'll proclaim it- I LOVE BEANS! That is why I have a copy of The Great Vegan Bean Book and cook from it weekly. The author, Kathy Hester, lives in Durham and was so kind to sign my copy. I feel lucky to get to see her weekly at a local vegan pop up restaurant. Her book has allowed me to carry out my bean habit even more. While this post is not about one of her recipes, I felt that the Queen of Vegan Beans needed to be mentioned. 

Back to the bean. John and I try to have several meals a week that consist of the glorious bean. Beans are low in fat, while being high in fiber and protein. The thought of a Latin theme had me dreaming of being able to write many posts that included beans! I have not planned out the whole month just yet, but rest assured that this is not the only post with a bean inspired recipe. 

If I had to pick a favorite bean, it would be the pinto bean. A close second is the chickpea, followed by the black bean and the cannellini bean. Refried beans turned me on to the pinto bean. It can be very hard to locate a Mexican restaurant that makes these beauties without lard, so oftentimes have to take matters into my own hands. I sometimes buy them from a can and other times I make them from a dry form of the bean. Appetite For Reduction has an awesome recipe that I enjoy making called Unrefried Beans. Lately, it has been a regular on our dinner dish. 

When prepping for this blog post, I decided to soak and cook up a pot of dry pinto beans. I took some short cuts from my regular go to recipe because I had a busy evening of work ahead. I started by placing about 8 ounces of dry pintos in a pot and covered them with water. I boiled them for about an hour after they soaked for 2 hours in warm water. I then mashed the beans with tomato sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, and chili powder. Those beans became the protein and base of Mexican Lasagna.

You might of read the title of this recipe and thought to yourself "ok, now that is not authentic at all!" Now hold up there! I warned you that my posts would not be authentic Latin cuisine! :-) Authenticity aside, this was a delicious and filling dish. This recipe makes quite a bit and will serve us for lunch for several days. Serve this lasagna with salad or other cooked or raw veggies.  

Now I'm curious. What are your favorite beans?

Jalapenos from a friend

Mexican Lasagna

• 20 corn tortillas
• 1 recipe of refried beans (unfried in my version)
• 10 jar of salsa, or homemade if you have access to good tomatoes
• 3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped small
• 4 cups of organic spinach
• 1 package of vegan cheese- cheddar or pepperjack
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped (less if you prefer)
  

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare a casserole dish with olive oil spray. Line the bottom with 5 tortillas. You might have to break one in half to get it to cover the bottom. Layer on half of the beans, half of the spinach, 1/3 of the jalapenos, 1/3 of the salsa, and 1/3 of the vegan cheese. Repeat with 5 more tortillas, the remainder of the beans, remainder of the spinach, 1/3 of the salsa, 1/3 of the jalapenos, and 1/3 of the cheese. For the last layer, place 5 more tortillas to cover the top. Sprinkle with the remaining salsa, cheese, and jalapenos. 

Example of the first layer: tortillas, beans, spinach, cheese and jalapenos

Bake for 30-45minuted until the cheese is bubbly and the lasagna layers are cooked and warm. Remove from the oven, let sit about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve.

Jamaican Rice and Beans- MoFo Post Three

Post #3 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

Welcome to post number three for Vegan MoFo 2013! My first two posts focused on Puerto Rico and I felt it was time to sprinkle in a recipe. John was excited for this as well because I pushed him out of the kitchen to create. We generally cook together, but during MoFo I like to do the creation and cooking. Mostly because I am a bit of a control freak. :-) Today's post will be a Jamaican Rice and Beans dish!

You might be wondering why I am including a Jamaican dish in a Latin theme for MoFo. One might not think of Jamaica as being a Latin country, but it was once owned by Spain. The small sampling that I have had from Jamaican food reminds me of a Latin influence. I thought about doing several different versions, and still I came back to thinking of this Jamaican inspired dish.  Out of all of the versions of rice and beans, this dish usually comes to mind. The flavors of lime and cilantro were so present and vibrant in each bite. I have enjoyed so many different versions of rice and beans, but I have felt most fond of the one that I tried to recreate in this post. 

Years ago when John and I were in undergrad at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, we were invited by a friend to his family home for dinner. His parents originated from Jamaica and his Mom was excited about making a vegetarian dish for us that highlighted her culture. The meal consisted of rice and beans along with plantains and wonderful conversation. The flavor of that dinner stuck with me and over the years John and I have tried to recreate it. We were struck by the simplicity of the dish, but that it was full of taste. I could tell I was going to be in love with the dish before even trying it as I saw a large bottle of hot sauce on the table. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a hot sauce fanatic.


 It has been well over 10 years since that dinner and I expect that my version is nothing like the original. I am also expecting that it is not authentic either. My hope in creating this was not to imitate it exactly, but to create something that we both enjoyed and reminded us of that nice evening with our friend and his Mom. I feel that the dish was successful because it was simple and still very flavorful. I enjoyed my dish with extra hot sauce that we picked up in Puerto Rico. If you recreate this, feel free to add in your favorite hot sauce. And for those of you who do not enjoy heat, feel free to leave out hot sauce all together.

Jamaican Rice and Beans

• 4 cups cooked brown rice 
• 2 cups cooked black beans or 15oz can  
• 1 tbsp water or oil  
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 jalapeno, minced 
• 1/4 tsp cumin 
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• Hot sauce, to taste (and if you are like me, add a lot!!)
• 3 limes, juiced 
• salt 
• pepper 
• 1/2 c cilantro, chopped 

Heat a skillet with water or oil on medium. When hot add onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add in garlic and jalapeno and saute 2 minutes more. Add in the beans and half of the vinegar and saute until beans are warm. Add in cooked rice, cumin, the remainder of the vinegar, hot sauce (I used about 2 teaspoons), and lime. Stir and cook until the rice is warmed up. Add salt, pepper, and taste for seasonings. Turn off heat and sprinkle with cilantro and serve.