Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (16 page)

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
.

Makes 4 sandwiches

 

Time: 20 minutes, not including preparing seitan

 

 

1 recipe Mojo Oven-Roasted Seitan (page 104)

 

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.

•
Makes about ¾ cup dressing

•
Time: Less than 10 minutes

•
Soy Free

 

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.

•
Makes about 1 cup dressing

•
Time: Less than 10 minutes

• Time: Less than 10 minutes

•
Soy Free

 

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.

•
Makes slightly less than 1 cup of dressing

•
Time: Less than 10 minutes

 

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.