Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (10 page)

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Makes about 1½ cups salsa

•
Time: Less than 10minutes

• Time: Less than 10 minutes

•
Gluten Free, Soy Free

 

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and
diced finely
1 large ripe tomato (about ½ pound),
seeded and diced finely
½ cup finely minced white onion
3 tablespoons lime juice or white wine
vinegar
2 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
cilantro
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Lime juice or vinegar (optional)
2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
(optional)
A few dashes of your favorite red hot
sauce (optional)

 

1. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using a potato masher or a large fork, gently mash the ingredients just enough to create a creamy texture but still leave some chunks of avocado. Taste and adjust the flavor with more salt, lime juice or vinegar, parsley, and/or hot sauce, if desired. Serve immediately.

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Makes 4 cups sauce

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Time: About 40 minutes

•
Gluten Free, Soy Free

 

1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, washed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jalapeño, serrano, or other green chiles,
washed, sliced in half, and seeded if
desired (for hotter sauce, leave the
seeds)
1 medium-size onion, chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, lightly packed
1 teaspoon dried oregano or Mexican
oregano
2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
1½ cups well-seasoned vegetable broth
2 teaspoons sugar, or 1 teaspoon agave
syrup (optional)
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

 

1. Fill a large pot with enough water to allow the tomatillos to float, cover, and bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the tomatillos and cook for 10 minutes, stirring them occasionally, or until the skins start to split and the tomatillos’ bright green color turns a dull olive green. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked tomatillos to a bowl to cool for 20 minutes. Cooked tomatillos may collapse and release some juices while they cool.

2. In a blender jar, pulse the cooled tomatillos with their juices, garlic, chiles, onion, and cilantro to form a thick sauce. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the peanut oil, add tomatillo mixture, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Slowly stir in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil again, then lower heat to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally; the sauce should thicken enough to thinly coat the back of a spoon lightly. Season with sugar and salt to taste.

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Makes a little over 1 cup sauce

•
Time: Less than 15 minutes

•
Gluten Free, Soy Free

 

1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
1 small onion, minced
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped finely
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
½
cup warm vegetable broth
⅓
cup smooth natural peanut butter
¼ cup almond milk or favorite
nondairy milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper

 

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the peanut oil and minced onion. Fry the onion until very soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato and cumin and cook for 2 minutes. In a measuring cup, stir together the warm vegetable broth and peanut butter until the mixture is emulsified, then pour into the pan. Stir and add the nondairy milk, lower the heat to low, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. Remove from the heat and serve warm. If desired, puree the sauce for a smoother consistency, or serve as is.

•
Makes about 1½ cups sauce

•
Time: Less than 10minutes

• Time: Less than 10 minutes
Soy Free

 

4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large shallots, chopped
1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf (Italian)
parsley, thick stems removed
⅓ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more
to taste
½ teaspoon sea salt

 

1. Place the garlic, shallots and parsley into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Stream in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, paprika, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and sea salt, and pulse until creamy. Taste the sauce and adjust with more salt or red wine vinegar, if desired. Store in a tightly covered container and keep chilled until ready to use.

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Makes about 3 cups onions

•
Time: Less than 15 minutes, not including marinating time

•
Soy Free

 

1½ pounds red onions, sliced in half
lengthwise and then very thinly
⅓ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lemon
juice
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
A pinch of sugar

 

1. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Place a metal colander in the sink. Add the onions to the rapidly boiling water. Stir for about 30 seconds, then drain into the colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water to stop the onions from cooking. Shake the colander well to release excess water. In a 2-quart plastic or glass container, combine the drained onions, lime juice, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Toss to mix everything, tightly cover the container, and chill for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. The onions will taste best if allowed to marinate overnight.

2. To serve, grab a few generous tablespoons of onions and shake off any excess juice. Pile generously on the serving plate. The cool, crunchy onions go especially well with hot, spicy, moist foods. Kept tightly covered in the refrigerator, these onions will last for at least 2 weeks but have a habit of disappearing long before that.