Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (35 page)

Serves 4 to 6 generously

 

Time: About 1½ hours

 

 

½ recipe (two loaves) Steamed White
Seitan (page 35), or 12 ounces
commercially prepared seitan, sliced
into thick strips about 3 or 4 inches long
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Big pinch dried oregano

 

2 tablespoons Annatto-Infused Oil
(page 31)
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 large cloves garlic, minced
½ pound yellow onion, finely chopped
½ pound green bell pepper, seeded and
finely chopped
⅔ cup plain tomato sauce
1 cup light-colored Mexican beer or
vegetable broth
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon salt, or more as desired
1½ cups long-grain white rice
1¼ cups water or vegetable broth or a
combination of the two
1 cup fresh or frozen small green peas
(
petit pois
, small sweet peas are best)
1 carrot, peeled and diced small
½ cup sliced pimiento stuffed green olives
½ cup capers (optional)
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper

 

1. Prepare the seared seitan: In a large bowl whisk together lime juice, olive oil, and dried oregano. Add the seitan strips, using tongs to toss and coat them with the marinade. Marinate for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and generously coat with cooking spray or brush with peanut oil. Add a layer of marinated seitan strips, taking care not to crowd the pan. Fry seitan on each side for 1 to 2 minutes, flipping once (metal tongs work nicely here). Seitan should be crisp and dark on the edges but still look juicy. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. While preparing the seitan, prepare the sofrito: In a large Dutch oven or enamel-glazed cast-iron pot with a tight-fitting lid, combine Annatto-Infused Oil, olive oil, and garlic over medium heat. Fry until the garlic is fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the onion and bell pepper and fry uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and juicy, about 12 to 14 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomato sauce, beer (or vegetable broth), dried oregano, cumin, and bay leaf and simmer for 4 minutes. Stir in the salt, rice, water or vegetable broth, peas, and carrots; cover the pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the lid, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and push seared seitan strips down into the rice mixture. Sprinkle sliced olives and capers, if using, over everything, cover the pot, and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until rice is tender, fluffy, and all of the liquid is absorbed.

4. Remove from heat, keeping the pot covered, and set it aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Add chopped cilantro and gently fluff the rice. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and serve right away.

Serves 6 to 8 generously

 

Time: About 3 hours (not including soaking beans), mostly simmering on stove

 

 

2 cups dried black beans, sorted
1 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 generous cup large chunk TVP
2 cups boiling water
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 pound yellow onions, finely diced
⅓ cup red wine, light-colored Mexican
beer, or vegetable broth
½ pound Portobello mushrooms, stems
removed, caps sliced into ½-inch strips
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1½ teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme

 

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
(optional)
2 cups vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper

 

1. Place black beans in a large glass or plastic bowl. Cover with 4 inches of fresh cold water and soak for 8 hours or overnight until beans have doubled in size. Drain beans and briefly rinse. Place beans in a 4-quart soup pot and add 5 cups of cold water, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to simmer, and cook for 2 to 2½ hours or until beans are tender. Remove bay leaves from beans and discard.

2. While the beans are cooking, prepare the TVP and the sofrito: In a glass or metal mixing bowl combine the TVP and boiling water. Let TVP soak for 15 minutes; as it absorbs the boiling water it will double in size. When the TVP is cool enough to touch, drain it, gently squeeze out the excess liquid, and set aside. Combine the olive oil and garlic in a heavy 4-quart stainless steel or enamel-glazed pot. Fry the garlic over medium heat until it starts to sizzle and becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the diced onion and fry, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent and tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the wine (or beer or broth) and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring to deglaze the pot. Stir in the mushrooms; liquid smoke; ground cumin; dried thyme; red pepper flakes, if using; and drained TVP chunks, and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. From the pot of black beans, scoop out 2 cups of beans and bean broth. Puree the beans with an immersion blender or a blender jar and set aside. Add the remaining beans and the rest of the bean broth to the simmering stew. Stir in the vegetable broth, then the pureed beans. Partially cover and bring feijoada to a rapid simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook feijoada until it reaches a chunky consistency but still has plenty of thick sauce, about 30 to 40 minutes. Season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper as desired. Remove from heat and let feijoada sit for 15 minutes to cool slightly and for the flavors to develop.

4. Serve feijoada in large but shallow bowls. Place a cup of rice on one side of the bowl and ladle the stew around the rice. Add some chopped, steamed kale (or Braised Brazilian Shredded Kale, page 121) and garnish with a few orange slices. Warm Tofu Chicharrones (page 101) make a great addition here, too; sprinkle a few on the stew and serve.

•
Serves 4 to 6

•
Time: About 45 minutes

•
Gluten Free

 

4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large (about 1 pound) sweet white onion,
diced
2 tablespoons Annatto-Infused Oil
(page 31)
3 tablespoons white cooking wine or
vegetable broth
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2½ pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and
diced into ½-inch cubes
4 cups water or vegetable broth, or a
combination of both
⅓ cup unsweetened heavy cream
substitute or nondairy milk
Salt and pepper

 

½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted,
and diced

 

1. In a large heavy pot over medium heat, combine the garlic, peanut oil, onion, and Annatto-Infused Oil. Fry until the onion is soft and transparent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the white wine and deglaze the bottom of the pot, then stir in the ground cumin, potatoes, and water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stir, then cover and lower the heat to low. Simmer until the potatoes are tender and easily mash when pressed with a wooden spoon, about 30 minutes, and turn off the heat.

2. Remove about 1½ cups of soup and puree, then stir back into the rest of the soup (blend more for a creamier soup, but leave a little bit of soup unblended for some texture). Stir in the cream substitute and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the hot soup into large serving bowls.

3. For the garnish, toss together the cilantro, red onion, and lime juice. Sprinkle on top of each serving of soup, then top with the diced avocado and serve immediately.

•
Serves 6 or more

•
Time: 2½ to 3 hours, most of that being inactive while the soup simmers. Does not include bean overnight soak time.