Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (42 page)

2 cups white or yellow Venezuelan-
or Colombian-style masa
harina flour
½ teaspoon salt
2¼ cups warm water, or more
A small amount of vegetable oil (use a
high-smoking-point oil, such as refined
canola), for grilling

 

1. Preheat a well-seasoned cast-iron griddle or other thick-bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Lightly brush with vegetable oil. If you’re making Venezuelan style arepas, also preheat the oven to 350°F and have ready a baking sheet. The griddle is ready to use when a drop of water dropped onto its surface sizzles loudly.

2. In a large bowl, combine the
masarepa
flour and salt. Form a well in the center of the flour and pour in the warm water. Use your hands to mix the water into the
masarepa
to form a soft mass, then knead with your fingers, eliminating any lumps and creating a smooth, moist dough. The dough should have the consistency of very firm, moist, and heavy mashed potatoes. If the dough seems too stiff, drizzle in a little extra water.

3. Divide the dough into six equal portions and roll into balls. Place a ball in your palm and, with gentle yet firm patting motions, begin pressing down your arepa. Use your palms to occasionally press the disk just a little flatter, then use your fingers to shape and press the edges outward. Do a little of this motion all at once while incrementally turning the arepa in your palms to work on the edges. Shape each arepa into a disk 3½ to 4 inches wide by 1¼ inches thick.

4. Gently place two to three arepas in the preheated, lightly oiled pan, leaving enough room that they can be easily flipped. While the other arepas cook, place the remaining shapely new arepas on a cutting board and cover with either a damp, clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Cook each arepa for 8 to 10 minutes on each side to form a crust, flipping just once. Some dark, browned spots are ideal. If desired, try cooking the arepas on a well-greased preheated grill pan, grilling each side for 10 to 12 minutes or until nice browned grill marks are created. Then place the grilled arepas on the baking sheet and bake for another 14 to 16 minutes, flipping halfway through. The arepas are ready when they have a firm crust and sound slightly hollow when tapped underneath.

5. To fill an arepa: Slice horizontally about three-quarters of the way to form a “pocket” not unlike filling a biscuit or pita bread. Add plenty of your desired filling(s) and eat piping hot. Remove a little of the doughy interior if you want to pack in even more filling . . . ridiculously overstuffed arepas are popular in Venezuela and make messy and fun eating.

6. Serve hot arepas immediately or keep warm by loosely wrapping in foil. Arepas should be eaten hot, as they tend to toughen up when they get cool. Reheat arepas by grilling again, or by warming in a microwave for 30 seconds and then slapping on the grill if you want the interior very hot and the crust recrisped.

•
Makes 6 large, thin arepas

•
Time: About 30 minutes

 

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
(thawed and drained, if frozen)
1½ cups finely shredded mozzarella-style
vegan cheese, preferably one that
melts (optional)
2 tablespoons melted nonhydrogenated
vegan margarine, cooled
1 recipe basic arepa dough
(page 177)
Vegetable oil, for grilling

 

1. Knead the corn, cheese, and melted margarine into the arepa dough until everything is distributed evenly throughout the dough. Preheat a cast-iron griddle or other thick-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brush with vegetable oil.

2. Divide the dough into six equal portions and roll into balls. Place a ball in your palm and with gentle yet firm patting motions, press the dough down to form your arepa. Aim to shape the arepas into thin disks ½ to ⅜ inch thick and 5 to 6 inches wide. Use your palms to occasionally press the disks flat just a little as you turn the arepas in your hands while using the pads of your fingers to press and shape their edges.

3. Gently place one or two arepas into the preheated, oiled pan, leaving enough room that they can be easily flipped. While the other arepas cook, place the remaining shapely new arepas on a cutting board and cover with either a damp, clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Fry each arepa for 12 to 14 minutes, flipping once or twice, until the surface is golden, the cheese has softened or melted, and a few dark, toasted spots have formed. Oil the pan as needed to cook the remaining arepas. Transfer the hot arepas to a cutting board, slice in half or into quarters, and serve immediately.

•
Makes 6 generously stuffed arepas

•
Time: About 1 hour

•
Gluten Free, Soy Free

 

1 recipe Venezuelan-style Arepas (page 177), kept warm in a 250°F oven

 

1 pound oyster mushrooms or other
delicately flavored, light-colored
mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 (6-ounce) jar red pimiento peppers,
drained and chopped finely
1 cup finely chopped ripe red tomatoes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
or flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup white wine
¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Your favorite bottled hot sauce
(Tabasco is fine)

 

1. Use a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to brush off any debris from the mushrooms. Cut off any tough stems and slice the mushrooms into thin strips. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat and add the mushrooms. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have reduced in bulk by about half and are tender. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a dish and set aside.

2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and stir in the garlic; cook until the garlic starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Stir in the onions and pimientos and fry until the onions are soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, cilantro, and cumin and cook until the tomatoes are soft and most of their juices have evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the white wine, stir, and cook until bubbling, then stir in the cooked mushrooms and salt and season with ground pepper to taste. Cook the mixture for 6 to 8 more minutes, until the wine has been mostly absorbed but mixture is still moist. Taste the mushrooms and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, and hot sauce, if desired. Use this filling hot or warm to stuff the arepas.

3. To fill the arepas, place a hot arepa on a cutting board. Firmly secure it to the board with your fingers (you may want to wear an oven mitt if the arepa is very hot) and use a sharp knife to slice the arepa three-quarters of the way through horizontally. It’s important to not completely slice the arepa in half as you want to have a “pocket” (a little like a very thick pita bread) to fill. Stuff a generous amount of the mushroom filling into the arepa and serve immediately. If you’re serving the arepas all at once, keep a baking sheet in the warm oven so that you can place the filled arepas on it and keep them warm until everything is ready to serve. Serve with more hot sauce, if desired.

•
Makes 6 generously stuffed arepas

•
Time: About 45 minutes including making arepas, not including chilling time

 

1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, cut into
½-inch cubes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper,
or more to taste
2 green onions, green parts only, sliced
finely
1 cup shredded jicama (slice first, peel,
then shred)
1 to 2 ripe avocados
6 hot Venezuelan-style arepas
(page 177)