Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (24 page)

3. In heavy cast-iron pot, heat about ½ inch of peanut oil over medium heat. The oil is ready when a small piece of tofu sizzles instantly and browns within 30 seconds. Carefully lower a generous ½ cup of marinated tofu bits at a time into the hot oil. Use a slotted metal spatula to turn the tofu pieces to brown every side evenly, and occasionally press the frying tofu with the spatula. Remove the tofu when deep golden brown and crisped on the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Ladle it onto a plate lined with paper towels or crumpled brown paper, to drain, and sprinkle with a little salt, if desired. Repeat with the remaining tofu. Let cool to room temperature before storing, chilled, in a tightly covered container.

•
Serves 3 to 4

•
Time: About 55 minutes

 

1 pound extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce

 

½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Grated zest of 1 orange
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

 

1. . Slice the tofu into eight ½-inch-thick slices and dab the slices dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Press the tofu as directed in the tip box (page 98) if desired. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a shallow glass 9 by 12-inch baking dish, combine the olive oil and soy sauce. Lay a tofu slice in the baking dish, pressing it into the sauce mixture. Flip and press again to coat with the mixture. Bake for 20 minutes; remove from the oven but don’t turn the oven off. The tofu will be bubbling and juicy.

2. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.

3. Flip each piece of tofu and pour the marinade over tofu; the marinade will nearly cover the top of the tofu. Bake for another 30 minutes until the tofu is firm and any remaining marinade has thickened up a little bit. Bake longer if an even chewier texture is desired. Serve the tofu hot and topped with any remaining marinade juices from the baking pan.

•
Serves 4, two slices each of tofu

 

1 pound extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce

 

½ cup white wine, beer, or
vegetable broth
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano

 

1. Slice the tofu into eight ½-inch-thick slices and dab the slices dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Press the tofu as directed in tip box (page 98) if desired. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a shallow glass 9 by 12-inch baking dish, combine the olive oil and soy sauce. Lay each tofu slice in the baking dish, pressing it into the sauce mixture. Flip and press again to coat with the mixture. Bake for 20 minutes; remove from the oven but don’t turn the oven off. Tofu will be bubbling and juicy.

2. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.

3. Flip each piece of tofu and pour the marinade over the tofu; the marinade will nearly cover the top of the tofu. Bake for another 30 minutes, until the tofu is firm and any remaining marinade has thickened up a little bit. Bake longer if an even chewier texture is desired. Serve the tofu hot, topped with any remaining marinade juices from the baking pan.

•
Serves 4, about 1 cup of sliced seitan per serving

•
Time: Less than 20 minutes, not including making Steamed White Seitan

 

½ recipe (2 loaves) Steamed White Seitan (page 35)

 

½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 cloves garlic, grated
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt

 

1. Thinly slice the seitan into strips ¼ inch thick or even thinner. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a glass 7 by 11-inch pan, whisk together all of the ingredients except for the seitan. Add the seitan strips and toss to coat thoroughly with the marinade. Roast for 14 to 16 minutes, flipping the seitan occasionally with tongs, until sizzling and most of the marinade has been absorbed. Don’t overbake; the seitan should look juicy. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or if using in sandwiches, briefly chop into thin strips and let cool enough to handle.

•
Serves 2 to 3 generously as a main dish, or 4 as an appetizer

•
Time: About 45 minutes, including assembling the kebabs

 

½ recipe (two loaves) Steamed Red Seitan (page 34
)
, or ¾ pound seitan

 

5 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons
ají panca
paste, or
3 teaspoons mild ground red chile
powder, such as ancho
¼ cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon agave syrup or brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper,
or to taste

 

1 pound waxy potatoes, preferably very
small new potatoes (about the size of a
Bing cherry or smaller)
1 bell pepper, red or green, seeded and
sliced into 1-inch pieces (optional)
1 large yellow onion, sliced into 1-inch
pieces (optional)
12 to 14 bamboo or metal skewers (if using
bamboo, presoak skewers according to
the package directions.)

 

1. Slice the seitan into bite-size cubes, about ½ inch across, and place in a large mixing bowl. If using onion or pepper slices, add along with the seitan. In another mixing bowl, use a Microplane grater to grate the garlic into the bowl. Add the
ají panca
paste, red wine vinegar, peanut oil, agave syrup, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper and stir until smooth with a whisk or fork. Pour the mixture over the seitan cubes and veggies (if using) and toss to coat completely with marinade.

2. While the seitan is marinating, cook the potatoes. Thoroughly clean the potatoes first, leaving the skins on. If you’re using potatoes other than small new ones, cut them into bite-size chunks; leave small new potatoes whole. Place in a large, heavy pot and add enough cold water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes until they are tender but still hold their shape, 12 to 14 minutes. Drain and spread the potatoes on a dish to cool enough to handle.

3. When the potatoes have finished cooling, preheat your grill according to the manufacturer’s directions. Since these are quick-cooking ingredients, you want your grill to have an evenly hot, not blazing, heat that can crisp the outside of these skewers without overdrying the seitan. If you’re using a grill pan, you’ll probably need 6 to 8 minutes to get your grill ready to go over medium-high heat. Make sure to oil your grill well, as seitan and veggies (and even the marinade) don’t contain loads of fat to keep things from sticking. I like to use those new high-smoking-point cooking sprays (including ones designed for grilling) just for this.

4. Prepare your
anticucho
by alternating pieces of marinated seitan with onions, peppers, and an occasional potato piece on the skewers. Brush with additional marinade, taking care to especially coat the potatoes. Place the kebabs on the preheated grill. Don’t crowd the pan; leave enough room so the edges of the ingredients can cook evenly. Occasionally brush the cooking kebabs with leftover marinade. Cook on each side for 3 to 4 minutes, until the seitan and vegetables are browned on the edges and look juicy. If the ingredients stick to the grill, spray more oil onto the grilling surface. Take care not to overcook the skewers. Remove from the heat and serve immediately with a cold beer, any potato dish, and So Good, So Green Sauce, if desired.