Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook (19 page)

Read Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Online

Authors: Isa Chandra Moskowitz,Terry Hope Romero

Tags: #food.cookbooks

TIME:
40 MINUTES
 
 
These are like potato pancakes, but instead of making them with the traditional potato we make them perfectly autumnal by using beets, carrots, and sweet potatoes. It’s pure fall harvest gluttony! You’re going to want a food processor to shred all these vegetables or else autumn will be over by the time you’re done prepping. Serve with apple sauce or Horseradish-Dill Sour Cream (page 208), or both.
2 cups peeled, shredded beets
(about 3 average-size beets)
1 cup peeled, shredded carrot
(about 1 average-size carrot)
1 cup peeled, shredded sweet potato
(you guessed it, 1 average-size sweet potato)
1
shallot, chopped finely (about ¼ cup)
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
Several dashes of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, chopped
¼ cup water
Olive oil for panfrying
 
 
➣
Replace the flour with matzo meal to make these Passover friendly.
HAVE READY layers of paper towels or a large, clean paper grocery bag for absorbing the oil after frying.
Combine the shredded veggies in a large mixing bowl. Add the shallot, flour, cornstarch, salt, black pepper, and fennel seeds. Use a wooden spoon to mix everything well; the flour mixture should evenly coat all the veggies. Add the water and stir again, until all the flour is dissolved.
Preheat a heavy-bottomed nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pour a ¼-inch layer of oil into the pan. Let the oil heat for about 2 minutes.
Form the beet mixture into balls the diameter of a quarter, then flatten into 1½-inch medallions. Fry the medallions in batches for 5 minutes; turn over and flatten them a bit with a spatula. Fry for another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve ASAP.
POTATO LATKES
 
MAKES ABOUT 18
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES WITH A FOOD PROCESSOR, A LOT LONGER WITHOUT
COOKING TIME:
1 HOUR
 
 
This is the perfect recipe for the traditional Jewish fried potato pancake. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, these guys are sure to please everyone at the Hanukkah table. Because they are made with matzo meal, they’re good for Passover as well. If you non-Jews among us are like “Hannuwha?” and “Passwhatover?” don’t worry about it, just make up a batch the next time a need for fried potato-y goodness arises. Serve with applesauce and Horseradish-Dill Sour Cream (page 208). The recipe doubles perfectly, so make enough for the
meshpuchah
and then some.
2½ pounds white potatoes, peeled
(Russet, Idaho, et al.)
1 small yellow onion, peeled
¼ cup potato starch or cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups matzo meal
Lots of vegetable oil for frying
 
HAVE READY a brown paper shopping bags or paper towels for draining the oil from the latkes. You may also want to have the oven on at 200°F to keep the latkes warm until you’re ready to serve. If serving immediately, just have a baking pan covered with aluminum foil ready to keep the finished ones warm after they’ve been drained.
If using a food processor, use the grating blade to shred the potatoes and the onion. If shredding by hand, use a grater to shred all the potatoes. Dice the onion as finely as possible.
In a large mixing bowl, using a wooden spoon or your hands (We use our hands, it’s faster), mix the potatoes and onions with the potato starch until the potatoes have released some moisture and the starch is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the salt and pepper, and stir. Add the matzo meal and mix well. Set aside for about 10 minutes. The mixture should become liquidy but sticky.
In the meantime, preheat a large, preferably cast-iron but definitely nonstick skillet over medium heat, a little bit on the high side. Pour a ¼-inch layer of vegetable oil into the pan. The oil is hot enough when you throw a bit of batter in and bubbles rapidly form around it. If it immediately smokes, the heat is too high and you should lower it a bit. If the bubbles are really lazy, give the oil a few more minutes or raise the heat a bit.
 
IN Brooklyn we pronounce latke
lat-kuh,
but in other parts of the country we’ve heard
lat-key,
which sounds really cute. Both pronunciations are correct, so go with whatever suits you.
 
 
With wet hands (so that the mixture doesn’t stick), roll the batter into golf ball-size balls. Flatten into thin, round patties. Fry about four to six at a time; just be careful not to crowd the pan. Fry on one side for about 4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip over and fry for another 3 minutes.
Transfer to the paper towels and proceed with the remaining latkes. Once latkes have drained on both sides, place in a baking pan and keep at 200°F or cover with aluminum foil, to keep warm.
ACORN SQUASH AND BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS
 
MAKES 12 EMPANADAS
TIME:
2 HOURS 30 MINUTES,
LOTS OF IT INACTIVE
 
 
Most Latin American and Spanish-speaking countries have their own variation of empanadas, but they are all basically a savory stuffed pastry. We make our empanadas into triangles as a matter of efficiency, because we hate cutting circles and then having scraps to reroll. If you want to do circles, more power to you! The flaky crust has a hint of cornmeal, which makes this empanada dough especially tasty. Plus, the nutty flavor of acorn squash goes great with black beans. Serve these with Tropical Avocado Salsa Fresca (page 213), Guacamole (page 69), or Sour Cilantro Cream (page 209).
 
 
Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup cold nonhydrogenated vegan shortening
½-¾ cup very cold water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
 
Filling:
1 acorn squash (about 1½ pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 average-size red onion, sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 jalapeños, sliced thinly (seeds removed if you don’t
want these too hot)
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, smashed (see help for
crushing on page 112)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
About 2 tablespoons water
1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
 
 
➣
If you don’t have a pastry cutter, use two butter
If you don’t have a pastry cutter, use two butter knives tightly held together to cut the shortening into the flour.
 
THE cooking time sounds like forever but if you roast the squash and prep your ingredients while the dough is chilling, it should take about 2½ hours from start to finish, with lots of doing nothing in between. You can also prepare the dough and roast the squash a day ahead, and then all you have to do is prepare the filling and bake, so you can have them ready in less than an hour.
 
 
PREHEAT THE oven to 400°F.
Prepare the pastry: Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the shortening by the teaspoon, but you don’t need to be precise about this. You just want to add it in small chunks. We add the shortening in three batches and then cut it into flour with each addition. Cut in the shortening until the dough is crumbly and pebbly, as if you are making a piecrust.
Combine the vinegar with ½ cup water. Add to the dough in three batches, gently mixing it in with a fork, until the dough holds together when pinched. If need be, add up to ¼ cup more water.
Gather the dough into a ball and knead very gently a few times until it holds together. Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour, then roll out the dough into a rectangle about 8 inches long and 5 inches wide.
Place baking parchment on a cutting board (Make sure the parchment is bigger than the cutting board because you are going to use it to roll out the dough later). Gently lift the dough onto it. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, roast the squash: Cut it in half lengthwise and use a tablespoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy parts. Place face down on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, until it is easily pierced with a fork. When the squash is cooked, remove it from the oven and place on a plate, cut side up, to cool. Keep the oven at 400°F if you are making the empanadas now. In the meantime, begin making the filling.

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