Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (12 page)
Read Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers Online
Authors: Terry Hope Romero
2. Preheat the broiler to high. In a cast-iron skillet or a broiler-safe pan, place the serranos, garlic, onion, and white ends of the green onions and broil for 2 to 4 minutes, until the chiles are charred and blistered; some chiles may even split open. Remove the pan from the oven and scrape the serrano mixture into a mixing bowl to cool. Place the tomatillos in the hot pan and broil for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs, until the tomatillos have softened, turned a dull green with charred spots. I usually remove the smaller tomatillos first and let the larger ones roast the full 8 minutes. Turn off the broiler and remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the roasted tomatillos to a bowl or plate to cool.
3. In a food processor, pulse the roasted serrano mixture for a few seconds. Add the green parts of the green onions and the cilantro and pulse again to chop finely, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl several times. Add the cooled tomatillos, salt, and water and pulse to a pureed or slightly chunky consistency, whichever you desire. If you like a thinner, pourable-style salsa, pulse in an additional 2 tablespoons of water or more, as desired. Taste and adjust with more salt, if desired. Best if served at room temperature.
Variation
Roasted Tomato Salsa:
This one is easy. Just replace the tomatillos with ripe red plum tomatoes. Roast them whole in the oven until the skins are blistered and a little charred. Proceed as directed. Or use a combination of tomatoes and tomatillos for a beautiful roasted salsa.
This one is easy. Just replace the tomatillos with ripe red plum tomatoes. Roast them whole in the oven until the skins are blistered and a little charred. Proceed as directed. Or use a combination of tomatoes and tomatillos for a beautiful roasted salsa.
•
Serves 4 as a side•
Time: Less than 10 minutes•
Gluten Free, Soy Free
Guacamole, probably just after salsa, is a Latin food that’s become second nature to most North Americans (it’s almost shocking to meet somebody who’s never eaten it!) and is a regular guest at parties and in burritos everywhere. But no mention of a guacamole recipe in a vegan Latin cookbook would be scandalous, so here it is. Speaking of scandal, I avoid putting too many things in my guac; I like it simple and straightforward.
The most important guac tip? Use only perfectly ripe avocados; the flesh should not have brown spots and should be soft and yielding without being mushy, and the skin should be dark but not pitted. I like it without tomatoes, but if you must, incorporate very finely diced ripe red ones after mixing all the other ingredients together. The legendary method for keeping it fresh is to place the whole avocado pit into the finished guacamole to help prevent its turning brown, but it’s likely that that lime juice will do the real work.
Tip:
Selecting good avocados is the hardest part of making good guacamole. Most avos are sold unripe and will ripen within 2 to 4 days of purchase, so timing is everything. A perfectly ripe avocado should feel firm but not rock hard; gently press the skin—it will yield slightly and a knife piercing the skin will slide easily into the fruit. Avocados that are too ripe feel mushy and have dark pits or patches on the skin; overly ripe avocados taste bitter or otherwise “off.” Use a perfectly ripe avocado either that same day or early on the next day . . . ripe avocados may seem to get riper by the minute, especially in warm weather.
Selecting good avocados is the hardest part of making good guacamole. Most avos are sold unripe and will ripen within 2 to 4 days of purchase, so timing is everything. A perfectly ripe avocado should feel firm but not rock hard; gently press the skin—it will yield slightly and a knife piercing the skin will slide easily into the fruit. Avocados that are too ripe feel mushy and have dark pits or patches on the skin; overly ripe avocados taste bitter or otherwise “off.” Use a perfectly ripe avocado either that same day or early on the next day . . . ripe avocados may seem to get riper by the minute, especially in warm weather.
2 ripe avocados (any variety)
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime
juice (about the juice from 1 large lime)
1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced
1 small green hot chile—serranos are
ideal—minced finely (optional)
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
(optional)
1. Slice and peel the avocados and place in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the lime juice, minced onion, chile, salt, and cilantro, if using. Use a fork to mash everything together into a creamy, chunky paste. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more lime juice and salt, if desired. Serve immediately.
Variation
For a smoother guacamole, try grinding together the onion, chile, and cilantro with a mortar and pestle until smooth and then mash the mixture into the remaining ingredients. This is basically how a stone Mexican mole bowl (
molcajete
) works, grinding ingredients into pastes for smoother salsas. The onion and chile flavors will be distributed more evenly throughout your guacamole and you might just like it so much, you’ll always make it that way from now on!
molcajete
) works, grinding ingredients into pastes for smoother salsas. The onion and chile flavors will be distributed more evenly throughout your guacamole and you might just like it so much, you’ll always make it that way from now on!
•
Makes about 3 cups salsa•
Gluten Free, Soy Free
If you’ve heard of a burrito, you probably also know some kind of fresh tomato salsa, usually referred to as
pico de gallo
. This is what comes to mind when most people think of that certain five-letter word that’s served up with tortilla chips: a chunky mixture of fresh tomatoes and herbs with a touch of chile and lime.
pico de gallo
. This is what comes to mind when most people think of that certain five-letter word that’s served up with tortilla chips: a chunky mixture of fresh tomatoes and herbs with a touch of chile and lime.
Of course, ripe red summer tomatoes make the best salsa, but up north we only have a few months of these heavenly tomatoes and that’s when canned diced tomatoes come to the rescue. This is a perfectly delicious and affordable option during those long no-tasty-tomato months of the late fall, winter, and spring (see how desperate things can get?).
2 to 4 jalapeño or serrano chiles
2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, preferably
plum, seeded and chopped finely
1 large white onion, diced finely
3 tablespoons lime juice
½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
1. Roast the chiles as described on page 46, peel, and remove stems. If desired, remove seeds for a milder heat (or leave in if using serranos, as these seeds are smaller and softer than those of jalapeños). Mince the chiles as finely as possible and place in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the tomatoes and onion to the chiles and stir in the lime juice and salt. Chill the salsa for 30 minutes or let sit at room temperature, for the flavors to blend and the tomatoes to tenderize and release more of their juices.
Winter Salsa:
It’s February, it’s snowing outside, and you need fresh tomato salsa. Don’t even think of using those plastic pink wrapped things called “tomatoes.” And perhaps you don’t want to pay ten dollars a pound for tomatoes shipped from halfway across the world. Instead, reach for a 32-ounce can of diced organic tomatoes and stir into the chiles and other ingredients. If you prefer a less watery salsa, try draining off a little bit (but not too much) of the liquid first.
It’s February, it’s snowing outside, and you need fresh tomato salsa. Don’t even think of using those plastic pink wrapped things called “tomatoes.” And perhaps you don’t want to pay ten dollars a pound for tomatoes shipped from halfway across the world. Instead, reach for a 32-ounce can of diced organic tomatoes and stir into the chiles and other ingredients. If you prefer a less watery salsa, try draining off a little bit (but not too much) of the liquid first.
Dried Chile Salsa:
Replace the fresh green chiles with dried bright red chiles. Chile de arbol or costeño are my favorites for tomato salsa. Leave the pods whole (with seeds) and gently toast (see Red Chile Sauce, page 45) until fragrant. Remove the stems and grind in a spice grinder, then stir into the salsa. Let this salsa sit for at least an hour before serving, to allow the dried chiles to soak in the tomato juices.
Replace the fresh green chiles with dried bright red chiles. Chile de arbol or costeño are my favorites for tomato salsa. Leave the pods whole (with seeds) and gently toast (see Red Chile Sauce, page 45) until fragrant. Remove the stems and grind in a spice grinder, then stir into the salsa. Let this salsa sit for at least an hour before serving, to allow the dried chiles to soak in the tomato juices.
•
Makes about 1⅔ cups
crema•
Time: Less than 10 minutes, not including•
cashew soaking time•
Soy Free and Gluten Free
Light, tangy, and a wee bit salty, this raw nut cream recalls the light, smooth
cremas
used to garnish soups, stews, tacos, or whatever cultured cream is used on in Latin American food. Although it’s not to be confused with sour cream, it’s equally rich and should be used within a week of blending. This recipe is a little thick but you can thin it with more water if you want a
crema
with a dressinglike consistency.
cremas
used to garnish soups, stews, tacos, or whatever cultured cream is used on in Latin American food. Although it’s not to be confused with sour cream, it’s equally rich and should be used within a week of blending. This recipe is a little thick but you can thin it with more water if you want a
crema
with a dressinglike consistency.
1 cup raw cashew pieces
½ cup water
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon agave nectar
½ rounded teaspoon salt, or more to
taste
1. Place the cashews in a small glass or plastic bowl and cover with at least 2 inches of cold water. Let soak for at least 4 hours or overnight; the cashews will become very soft and expand a little in size. Drain, then pulse in a food processor with the remaining ingredients, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes in total. Taste and adjust with more salt or lemon juice, if desired. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.
•
Makes about 4½ cups sauce•
Time: About 1 hour•
Soy Free, Gluten Free
I’m a little obsessed with those famously complex Oaxacan chocolate moles. Here’s my most recent attempt: a dark sauce with hints of ripe sweet fruit, nuts, and spices that’s probably not the most authentic but is plenty complex, with a velvety richness all its own. The bittersweet flavors contrast expertly with sweet vegetables such as
calabacitas
or with fresh corn tortillas, or use as a luxurious dip for fried sweet plantains. You can also drape this sauce on Tempeh Asado (page 110), get fancy and serve it on top of enchiladas, or craft up a batch of special mole-filled tamales.
calabacitas
or with fresh corn tortillas, or use as a luxurious dip for fried sweet plantains. You can also drape this sauce on Tempeh Asado (page 110), get fancy and serve it on top of enchiladas, or craft up a batch of special mole-filled tamales.
Tip:
Oaxacan chocolate-based moles are said to have at least three different kinds of dried chiles in them. I recommend that you at least have two, one of them being ancho or pasilla and the other being mulato (the other mole chile), or play with guajillo or morita chiles. This sauce is supposed to be nuanced, so have fun experimenting with a host of chiles.
Oaxacan chocolate-based moles are said to have at least three different kinds of dried chiles in them. I recommend that you at least have two, one of them being ancho or pasilla and the other being mulato (the other mole chile), or play with guajillo or morita chiles. This sauce is supposed to be nuanced, so have fun experimenting with a host of chiles.
3 ounces mixed Mexican dried chiles, such
as ancho, pasilla, guajillo, or mulato
¼ cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons chopped pecans
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
½ teaspoon whole aniseeds
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 generous teaspoon Mexican oregano
¼ cup crushed tortilla chips
3 tablespoons peanut oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
¼ cup dark raisins
1 small ripe (soft, yellow with black)
plantain, peeled and diced
1½ cup diced tomatoes with juices
3 cups warm vegetable broth
4 ounces Latin drinking chocolate,
preferably Mexican, such as Ibarra, or
semisweet chocolate, chopped
¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1. In a large saucepan, bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Have ready a medium-size glass or metal heat-resistant bowl. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Slice open the dried chiles, remove the stems and seeds, and open the chiles so that they can be easily flattened when pressed with a spatula. (See the chile user’s tip box, page 15, for stuff about using gloves for chile protection.) Place the chiles in the heated skillet, and with a wide metal spatula press and flip them frequently to toast, about 1 minute. Watch carefully to prevent the chiles from burning. Remove the skillet from heat and transfer the chiles to a heat-resistant bowl. Pour the boiling water over the chiles and set aside for 10 minutes, allowing the chiles to soften. Drain the water from the chiles and set them aside.
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