Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (28 page)

4 large green plantains, prepared as
tostones
(page 118)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 recipe Tofu Chicharrones (page 101)
(optional but very good)
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
½ cup warm vegetable broth, or more
Salt and freshly ground pepper

 

1. Prepare plantains as if making
tostones
(page 118), frying, pressing, and frying again. Chop the warm
tostones
into fine, stuffing-like bits with a mezzaluna, pastry cutter, or a heavy, sharp knife.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil and minced garlic over medium heat until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the Tofu Chicharrones and fry for 1 minute, if using. Stir in the mashed
tostones
and liquid smoke, then pour in ½ cup vegetable broth and simmer for 1 minute to deglaze the bottom of the skillet for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn off the heat. Mofongo should resemble a moist stuffing; if too dry, dribble in warm vegetable broth, a tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.

3. To serve: pack ½ to 1 cup of
mofongo
in a measuring cup, ramekin, or small bowl, top with the serving plate, and flip. Remove the object you just used as a mold. There you have it, a shapely serving of
mofongo
. Or if you don’t like flipping plates, just serve in a free-form pile, like stuffing. Drizzle a little extra warmed vegetable broth onto each serving if more moistness is desired, and serve the hot
mofongo
immediately.

•
Serves 4 as a side

•
Time: 30 minutes

•
Gluten Free, Soy Free

 

1 pound kale, well washed, tough thick
stems removed, leaves kept intact
2 tablespoons peanut or unprocessed
coconut oil
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small yellow onion, sliced in half and
diced finely
¼ cup water or vegetable broth
¼ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

 

1. Stack several leaves of kale on a cutting board. Tightly roll up the leaves to form a tube, then use a sharp, heavy knife to slice the kale tube into very thin shreds (⅛ inch or thinner). Place the shredded kale in a large bowl and set aside.

2. Combine the oil and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add a big handful of kale and stir with tongs (silicone tipped is best for use with nonstick cookware), until the shreds wilt enough to create room in the pan. Continue to add the kale, a handful at a time, until all of the kale is finally incorporated, about 10 minutes or so. Continue to cook the kale until it has wilted a little more and released some juices, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the water and liquid smoke over the kale, cover the pan and steam the kale for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the kale is tender and juicy. Season with salt and serve hot as a mound on serving plates.

•
Serves 4 as a side, 2 as an entrée

•
Time: About 45 minutes

•
Gluten Free, Soy Free

 

1 pound summer squash: zucchini, yellow
squash, pattypan, and so on, ends
trimmed, cut into ½-inch slices
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 small onion, sliced into thin slivers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive or peanut oil
1 pound calabaza pumpkin, butternut
squash, or any sweet winter squash,
peeled, seeded, and cut into
½-inch cubes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced into
½-inch pieces
1 cup fresh corn kernels (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper

 

1. Place the summer squash in a bowl, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt, and let sit for 15 minutes. The squash will release excess water; when ready to use, rinse and drain well. While the squash is draining, sauté the onion and garlic with the peanut oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the calabaza pumpkin and ¼ cup of water. Cover and steam for 10 to 12 minutes, until the pumpkin is easily pierced with a fork. Remove the lid and add the drained summer squash, oregano, cumin, lime juice, tomatoes, corn (if using), and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook and stir occasionally until the summer squash reaches your desired tenderness, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

•
Serves 4 as a side

•
Time: Less than 20 minutes

•
Gluten Free, Soy Free

 

1 large bunch chard (over ½ pound or a
little more)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons capers
¼ cup dark raisins
2 tablespoons cooking wine, vegetable
broth, or water
Salt and pepper

 

1. Wash the chard, then trim away the driedout-looking parts of the ends of the stems. Remove and dice the stems into ½-inch chunks. Roll up a few leaves and slice into ½-inch ribbons. Keep the stems and leaves separate for now.

2. Over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet, heat together the olive oil and garlic until sizzling. Stir in the capers and fry for about 30 seconds, then stir in the raisins and chard stems. Stirring occasionally, cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the chard stems start to become tender but are still firm. Toss in the chard leaves, stirring to coat with the oil, and cook until the leaves start to wilt, about 1½ minutes. Stir in the cooking wine to deglaze the pan and then remove from the heat.

3. Season the chard with salt and pepper and serve immediately, making sure to ladle some of the chardy juices onto the serving plates.

•
Serves 4 as a side

•
Time: 20 minutes or less

•
Soy Free

 

⅔ cup Mexican beer
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, crushed or grated on a
Microplane grater
½ teaspoon ground chile powder
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 pounds summer squash (such as
zucchini, yellow squash, pattypan),
asparagus, or whole okra pods
Additional vegetable oil, for grilling

 

1. Preheat a cast-iron skillet or grilling pan over medium heat. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the beer, lime juice, salt, garlic, chili powder, and olive oil. If using squash, slice it into long, ¼-inch-thick strips. Asparagus only needs to be trimmed. If okra pods are very large, slice in half lengthwise; leave small pods whole.

2. Place the vegetables in the beer marinade and marinate for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Lightly oil the preheated pan and add one-third of the vegetables. Don’t crowd the pan; leave enough room that vegetables can be easily flipped. Drizzle the vegetables with 1 to 2 tablespoons of marinade and grill for 4 to 8 minutes, flipping occasionally, until they are browned and tender. If necessary, add a little more oil to keep the vegetables from sticking. Remove from the pan, add a little more oil, and repeat with the remaining vegetables.

3. Serve hot or at room temperature.