Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (51 page)

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Authors: Terry Hope Romero

MICHELADA (SPICY, SALTY, ICE-COLD BEER)
 
 
•
Serves 1
•
Time: Less than 10 minutes
•
Gluten Free
 
 
Need a break from margaritas and mojitos? It’s the enigmatic Michelada or
cerveza preparado
to the rescue, a fascinating marriage of ice-spiked beer, lime, salt, and savory hot sauce. Before you toss this book aside and grab a pitcher of mango daiquiris, hear me out! Micheladas are especially suited for fans of beer, Bloody Marys, or salted margaritas. Experiment with your favorite hot sauce and Mexican beer for a different kind of Michelada for every day in the summer.
 
 
Tip:
The salt and chile powder mixture makes enough for two or more Micheladas, and it’s easy enough to store in a tightly covered container for when the next heat wave strikes. The sharp, bright flavors of pequín and costeño chiles contrast perfectly with beer; follow the chile toasting and grinding instructions on page 264 to make your own for truly memorable Micheladas.
 
1 tablespoon coarse margarita salt or
kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground Mexican chile powder
or ground dried chile, such as pequín or
costeño chiles
Lime wedge, plus another for garnish
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 to 2 teaspoons Mexican hot sauce, or
more to taste
1 dash vegan Worcestershire sauce
Ice cubes
1 (12-ounce) bottle Mexican beer,
chilled
 
 
1.
If desired, chill a tall 16-ounce beer glass in the freezer for an hour before serving, so that it gets frosty. Stir together the coarse salt and chile powder in a small saucer. Take a lime wedge and rub it along the rim of the beer glass, then dip the wet rim into the salt mixture, twisting the glass to coat the rim evenly. At the bottom of the glass, stir together the tablespoon of lime juice, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Fill the glass with ice cubes and pour in the chilled beer to the top, stir a few times, and garnish with the remaining lime wedge. Serve immediately.
 
14
 
DESSERTS AND SWEETS
 
B
reakfast, or really any time, is a good time for a
postre
or
dulce
. European-style cakes and pastries are popular all over Latin America, but I suspect you came here to indulge in crunchy churros, billowy sopaipillas, creamy caramel flan, or sweet treats filled with tropical flavor.
 
Latin desserts are typically very sweet, more so than American or European palates might be used to. Also, a few old-fashioned Latin American desserts are made with ingredients that may surprise you: corn, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. Fans of puddings have come to the right place—puddings of all kinds have a special place in Latin kitchens. Often made with grains and fruits, these desserts are substantial enough for a breakfast treat. For something more decadent, try the caramel-sweet
dulce de leche
that transforms any standard dessert—or crepes or shortbread rounds—into dessert
en Español
. It can even be enjoyed straight up with a spoon (as many testers can attest to, and maybe you, too!).
 
CHURROS
 
 
•
Makes about two dozen 4-inch churros
 
 
Churros are fingers or loops of sugar-coated fried pastry that, not to be outdone, are served with cups of thick hot chocolate. Churros are sometimes considered doughnuts, but may I be brash and say they’re better: they have a light crunch, come in fun-to-eat shapes, and most important, are so easy (maybe too easy) to make at home. Churros can vary from country to country in shape and size: in Venezuela, they’re shaped into dainty loops, whereas Mexican churros are quite long and spiked with cinnamon, for example. You may already be familiar with the Mexican-style cinnamon-sugared churro, but many Latin countries like their churros with just a dusting of granulated sugar.
 
For general deep-frying tips, see Deep-frying on page 261. Making churros is one of those special occasions worth pouring cups of oil into a pan. Share them with friends or family as a weekend treat to spread the goodness around.
 
 
Tip:
A
churrera
is special tool that sort of looks like a cookie press and is specially made for making churros. If you are in the habit of churros, it might be wise to invest in one of these, but for the rest of us there’s good old pastry bags and pastry tips. Look for a star-shaped tip in a large but not huge size . . . one with a tip around ⅜ inch wide at the opening should work just fine. For home frying, simple 4- to 5-inch sticks of dough at this thickness are easy to press out with a pastry bag and fry up nicely.
 
Speaking of a cookie press, that could work, too, if you have a tip or plate that’s around the same dimensions of a large star-shaped pastry tip.
 
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tapioca flour or
cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups water
1 rounded tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon nonhydrogenated vegan
margarine
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Mild-flavored vegetable oil (canola, corn,
sunflower, or a blend) for deep-frying,
enough for at least a 2-inch depth
 
 
Sugar for Rolling the Churros
 
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon for
Mexican-style churros (optional)
 
 
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large saucepan, combine the water and brown sugar and bring to a boil, then add the margarine and heat until melted. Lower the heat to low, stir in the vanilla, and pour in a little of the flour mixture at a time, mixing constantly with a silicone spatula or large fork. The mixture will look lumpy at first, but continue to add flour and stir; it will be very thick but don’t let it stop you, just keep stirring! After all of the flour has been added, remove from the heat and continue to stir for about a minute, to form a thick, smooth dough. For this last step, you may find it easier to scoop the dough into a mixing bowl, but if your pan is large enough you can continue mixing it there. Let the dough cool for 10 minutes.
2. While the dough cools, pour the frying oil into a 3-quart heavy pot (cast iron is best) and preheat over medium-high heat. Make sure that there are at least 2 inches of oil as, to cook properly, churros should be able to float in the oil. Cover a large plate with paper towels or crumpled brown paper for draining the hot churros. The oil will need anywhere from 10 to 14 minutes to get hot enough (but not smoking); when at the correct temperature, the hot oil will have a gently rippling surface. The idea is that the oil will be sufficiently hot for the churros to cook evenly without soaking up too much grease.
3. Fit a large pastry bag with a large star-tip nozzle. Use a rubber spatula to scoop the dough into the bag; grab the ends of the bag and shake several times so that the dough drops farther down toward the nozzle. Gather the top ends of the bag and firmly twist toward the dough so that it will press out of the nozzle when you’re ready to fry. If you’re using a
churrero
or cookie press, follow the manufacturer’s directions for assembling and loading with the dough.
4. Spread the sugar on a dinner plate, stirring in the cinnamon, if using.
5. Test the oil to see if it’s ready by pinching off about ¼ teaspoon of dough and dropping it into the hot oil. Immediately, it should start to bubble rapidly and to fry quickly. To make the churros: twist down the top of your pastry bag, squeeze the top, and press a length of dough about 4 inches long directly into the hot oil. Use your fingers or sharp kitchen scissors to pinch the churros free from the pastry tip.
While you’re at it, please be careful around hot oil and never, ever drop water into hot oil
. You can fry up to five churros at a time in a 10-inch pot without crowding them; just take care not to squeeze dough directly onto another frying churro. Use either metal tongs or a metal slotted spoon to gently turn the churros occasionally. Fry for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the churros are firm and slightly golden. Remove from the oil, very carefully shake off any excess oil, and place on the paper-lined plate to drain.
6. I like to let churros cool for 2 to 3 minutes (rather than dumping piping hot into the sugar, where it can create an oily mess), before placing them in the sugar and gently rolling to coat. Serve warm with hot chocolate.
CHOCOLATE PARA CHURROS
 
•
Makes four ½-cup servings of thick chocolate
•
Gluten Free, can be made Soy Free
Compared to Real Hot Chocolate (page 216), this recipe is much thicker, like a smooth, thin pudding, and is designed for dipping your freshly made churros. If you prefer frothy chocolate, prepare Real Hot Chocolate instead. Make
chocolate para churros
while the dough is cooling, keep it covered in a pan on the stovetop, and give it a brisk whisk right before serving.
 
4 ounces sweetened Latin drinking
chocolate (any brand, such as
Ibarra, Lukar, or Sol), chopped
coarsely
⅓ cup water
1⅔ cups nondairy milk, such as almond,
soy, hemp, or a combination
2 teaspoons cornstarch
 
 
1. In a 2-quart saucepan with a lid, combine the chocolate and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to melt the chocolate. Whisk in 1⅓ cups of the nondairy milk and continue to heat until steaming (take care not to boil), about 8 minutes. In a measuring cup, stir together the remaining ⅓ cup milk and the cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the steaming milk and stir constantly until the mixture thickens slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. This can happen suddenly, so keep stirring for an accurate measure of the consistency. Taste: the cornstarch is cooked when the chocolate does not taste chalky but instead has a smooth texture. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. When ready to serve, whisk the chocolate and pour into four cups. Serve with warm churros.
SOPAIPILLAS WITH ORANGE FLOWER-AGAVE “HONEY”
 
 
•
Makes 2 dozen or more fried pastries
 
 
This recipe for little puffy fried pillows of dough is derived from my mom’s Mexican friend Rosa Maria’s other Mexican friend Elva from her travels in New Mexico, for a cross the border and back again experience. I’ve replaced the traditional honey accompaniment with agave syrup; its consistency is similar to that of a light honey, plus a gentle simmer with cinnamon and citrus further deepens this vegan alternative. The not-so-secret ingredient of orange flower water adds a special floral aroma to the agave syrup, for additional honeylike flavor.
 
 
Tip:
Orange flower water is made by a distillation of orange flowers in water and is usually imported from France. It doesn’t taste like oranges at all, but instead has a spicy floral perfume and flavor. Look for it in the baking aisle or baking extracts section in fancy gourmet stores. If you can’t find it, just leave it out of the recipe.
 
2 cups all-purpose flour
2¼ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup soy, almond, or other nondairy
milk
2 tablespoons nonhydrogenated
margarine, slightly softened
Peanut oil or vegetable oil, for deep-frying
 
 
Agave “Honey”
 
½ cup agave syrup, preferably dark
1 tablespoon water
1 (3-inch) stick cinnamon
Thin 1-inch sliver lime or lemon zest
⅛ teaspoon orange flower water
(optional)
 

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