Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (16 page)
Read Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers Online
Authors: Terry Hope Romero
2. Keep the Latin Shredded Seitan warm (or reheat) either in a saucepan on the stovetop or in a microwave. If necessary lightly sprinkle avocado with lime juice to keep from browning. Have the lettuce and tomato handy and prepare the Salsa Golf now, if necessary.
3. To assemble a “sandwich,” place a warm
tostone
on a cutting board and top with a small dollop of Salsa Golf. Add a little lettuce, a tomato slice, a generous tablespoon of seitan, and slice of avocado. Spread a little extra Salsa Golf on another
tostone
and press it on top of the whole pile. Serve immediately. For a cheeky presentation, you can spear each little “sandwich” with a cocktail toothpick to keep it all together while your guests grab at them, as things can get messy in the crazy world of
patacones
.
Replace the shredded seitan with a smear of thick black-bean Home-style Refried Beans (page 86)
If you want to use vegan cheese, arrange a layer of
tostones
on a baking sheet and top each one with a mound of finely shredded, meltable, mozzarella-style vegan cheese. Place under a preheated broiler and broil until the cheese melts, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the broiler, immediately top with whatever else you want, and finally top with another
tostone
. Serve right away.
tostones
on a baking sheet and top each one with a mound of finely shredded, meltable, mozzarella-style vegan cheese. Place under a preheated broiler and broil until the cheese melts, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the broiler, immediately top with whatever else you want, and finally top with another
tostone
. Serve right away.
Makes 4 sandwichesTime: 20 minutes, not including preparing seitan
I am pleased to present this unapologetically vegan version of the widely admired pulled-pork Cuban sandwich. Behold the perfect storm of tangy roasted seitan, vegan cheese, and sweet pickles embraced by buttery toasted bread. Don’t even think of adding lettuce or mayo to this sandwich; this should be an undeniably “meaty” indulgence. Keep roasted seitan ready in the fridge and you’ll have Cuban sandwiches in less than 10 minutes on a busy weeknight.
Press this veggie Cubano on a hot griddle to achieve its signature dense texture and crispy finish. A panini sandwich press is great, but an old fashioned hand-held grill press or even a brick wrapped in aluminum foil also work beautifully. A tour of your local construction site should yield something useful.
Note:
It’s said what really makes the Cuban sandwich special is the bread; Cuban bread looks similar to wide French bread but with a not-too-hard crust and a springy interior. Unfortunately for us, it is often made with lard and almost impossible to find outside of Cuban communities. For your sandwich-making adventure look for long sandwich rolls or French bread that has a moderately firm, thin crust and tender crumb and is wide enough (no less than 3½ inches thick) to properly contain the fillings.
It’s said what really makes the Cuban sandwich special is the bread; Cuban bread looks similar to wide French bread but with a not-too-hard crust and a springy interior. Unfortunately for us, it is often made with lard and almost impossible to find outside of Cuban communities. For your sandwich-making adventure look for long sandwich rolls or French bread that has a moderately firm, thin crust and tender crumb and is wide enough (no less than 3½ inches thick) to properly contain the fillings.
1 recipe Mojo Oven-Roasted Seitan (page 104)
Sandwich
4 6- or 8-inch long sandwich rolls or
1 long, wide French bread loaf cut
into 4 pieces
Nonhydrogenated vegan margarine
Prepared yellow mustard
1½ cups sweet pickle slices, drained
(bread and butter pickles work great)
1 5-ounce package vegan ham slices
5 or 6 ounces white meltable
vegan cheese, sliced very thin
(⅛ inch)
1. Prepare Mojo Oven-Roasted Seitan, remove from oven, and let cool enough to handle. If you’re not using it right away, cover it with foil and keep it warm in the oven. If you’re using prepared seitan that’s cold, heat it first in a microwave for 30 to 40 seconds. It will help melt the vegan cheese during the grilling.
2. Assemble the sandwich. Slice each roll in half and spread interior with margarine. Spread generously with mustard on one side, layer with pickles, then ham slices, sliced roasted seitan (sprinkle with any extra marinade), lastly slices of vegan cheese. Top with other half of bread. Spread with plenty of margarine on both outer sides of sandwich, top and bottom.
3. Preheat a wide cast-iron griddle over medium-low heat. You don’t want it so hot that it burns the bread, but still hot enough to heat the insides of the sandwich and melt the vegan cheese. Place the sandwich on the griddle and, using your sandwich press (or foil-covered brick), press down very firmly, squashing the sandwich as much as possible. If using a brick, leave it on top of the sandwich and let it grill for 3 to 3½ minutes, watching to make sure the sandwich doesn’t burn. Remove the brick and use a wide spatula to carefully flip the sandwich. Press it again, applying as much pressure as possible. Grill for another 3 minutes or so until the vegan cheese looks softened and the bread is golden and crisp.
4. Move the sandwich onto a cutting board and use a sharp, serrated bread knife to diagonally slice it into two triangles. Serve immediately.
4
ENSALADAS
B
asic elements of Latin cuisine, salads can be as simple as a mound of shredded cabbage, some tomato, threads of onion, or chunks of ripe avocado. And if the cook feels like elaborating, a splash of vinegar or lime juice, oil, and salt.
asic elements of Latin cuisine, salads can be as simple as a mound of shredded cabbage, some tomato, threads of onion, or chunks of ripe avocado. And if the cook feels like elaborating, a splash of vinegar or lime juice, oil, and salt.
Some of the traditional salads here fit that bill perfectly—cabbage
curdito
and the simple Chilean salad of shredded onions and tomato—and are incredibly tasty just as they are. Some are lavish fiesta-ready creations, such as a contemporary version of a fruity Mexican holiday favorite and a potato salad with subtle chayote “pear” squash and capers.
curdito
and the simple Chilean salad of shredded onions and tomato—and are incredibly tasty just as they are. Some are lavish fiesta-ready creations, such as a contemporary version of a fruity Mexican holiday favorite and a potato salad with subtle chayote “pear” squash and capers.
And to also satisfy those North American cravings for big entrée salads, there are meal-worthy concoctions chock-full of vegetables, grains, and beans, too. And a few zesty salad dressings to liven up your regular fixings make any salad a potential Latin meal.
These three easy dressings transport standard American salad ingredients with a boost of Latin
sabór
. Keep these fresh dressings in a tightly-capped glass or plastic jar in the fridge and use within a week for freshest flavor.
sabór
. Keep these fresh dressings in a tightly-capped glass or plastic jar in the fridge and use within a week for freshest flavor.
Cilantro-Citrus Vinaigrette
•
Makes about ¾ cup dressing•
Time: Less than 10 minutes•
Soy Free
An herby all-purpose vinaigrette fine for both large salads and tossing with fresh greens for a light side salad.
½ cup olive oil or grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons lime or orange juice, or a
combination of both
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves,
lightly packed
2 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
1 teaspoon mustard powder or prepared
Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Use immediately or store tightly covered in the fridge for up to a week.
Fresh Gazpacho Salsa Dressing
•
Makes about 1 cup dressing•
Time: Less than 10 minutes• Time: Less than 10 minutes•
Soy Free
Gazpacho, that famous cold fresh tomato soup, is the inspiration for this tangy, sweet, and spicy dressing. I love how this tomato-y dressing hugs the leaves of fluffy green lettuces such as Bibb or red romaine and the thin rings of red onion. For a pleasing smoky touch, try roasting the peppers first (page 46) or roasting the tomatoes, using the oven method used for Classic Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (page 47).
½ pound ripe red tomatoes
½ cup diced sweet white onion
½ green, red, or yellow bell pepper,
seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
1 green chile pepper, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
A pinch of sugar (optional)
Freshly ground pepper
1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Use immediately or store tightly covered in the fridge for up to a week.
Creamy Ancho Chile Dressing
•
Makes slightly less than 1 cup of dressing•
Time: Less than 10 minutes
Enjoy more spicy, creamy, tangy goodness with your salad! Not just for salads anymore, use this dressing as a dip for french fries or as an alternative topping for Mexican Side-Street Corn (page 63). The chipotle variation is even faster and easier, but don’t let it distract you from making the tasty ancho original at least once.
2 ounces dried ancho chiles
(3 to 4 large dried chiles)
¾ cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon vegan ketchup
1. Slice open the dried chiles and remove and discard the stems and seeds. In a preheated cast-iron pan over medium heat, toast the chiles, using a metal spatula to press them down onto the pan. Toast for about 1 minute each side until the chiles darken slightly and the skin appears somewhat brittle.
2. Place the chiles in a heatproof bowl, cover with enough boiling water to cover, and soak for 5 minutes. Discard the soaking water and, in a food processor, puree together the soaked chiles, mayonnaise, lime juice, and ketchup until very smooth. Taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning with more lime juice, if desired. For a thinner dressing, blend in a tablespoon of soy milk at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Other books
Life on the Run by Bill Bradley
Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
Stormrider by David Gemmell
Night Whispers by Leslie Kelly
Bionic Agent by Rose, Malcolm
Sugar and Iced (Cupcake Bakery Mystery) by McKinlay, Jenn
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Red Bird's Song by Beth Trissel
Avalyne Series 01: The Queen of Carleon by Linda Thackeray
Unleashed #4 by Callie Harper