Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (30 page)

1. Roast all the whole, unsliced chiles on a gas stove until well charred. Place the chiles in a bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate, and set aside for 5 minutes or longer. Remove the green chiles’ skin. Remove the seeds from the Anaheim or poblano; you can leave the seeds in the green chiles if you’re craving a spicy polenta. Finely chop the chiles and set aside.

2. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and green onion and fry until the green onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in amaranth and fry for 1 minute, stirring to coat with the oil. Pour in the water, stir, and add the salt. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat to low. Partially cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the amaranth grains are tender and look transparent (and resemble miniature cooked quinoa grains).

3. Increase the heat and bring the liquid to a gentle boil, then pour in a little bit of the cornmeal at a time while stirring constantly with a wire whisk to eliminate any lumps. A few minutes into stirring the polenta, you’ll want to switch to using a wooden spoon to stir, as the mixture will continue to thicken. Stir in the chopped chiles and continue to stir the polenta for 12 to 14 minutes, or until your desired thickened, creamy consistency is reached.

4. When ready to serve, stir in the lime juice and scoop onto serving plates.

5. To prepare polenta for frying: Pour the hot polenta into a small glass or metal loaf pan rinsed first with cold water. Spread the top of polenta as evenly as possible and chill overnight or until very firm. Slice into 1-inch-thick pieces and gently place in a preheated, well-oiled cast-iron pan. Chilled amaranth polenta is softer than regular polenta, so use a wide spatula to gently flip; add a little more oil if it starts to stick. Fry until hot and serve immediately.

•
Makes four 1-cup side servings, or serves

•
2022; 2to 3as a main course

•
Time: About 45 minutes

 

½ pound oyster or cremini mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
3 large shallots, chopped finely
1 cup dried quinoa, rinsed in a
fine-mesh strainer
½ cup white wine
½ teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon
ají amarillo
or
ají panca
paste
(optional)
3 cups hot vegetable broth (use a lightly
flavored stock or a “chicken”-flavored
one, for best results)
1 tablespoon lime juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Finely chopped fresh cilantro or
flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

 

1. Lightly brush mushrooms with a clean dishcloth to remove any debris. Cut off and discard any tough stems, then slice into thin strips. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden. Remove the mushrooms; set aside a few strips of mushroom for garnishing later.

2. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the chopped garlic and shallots and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the quinoa and fry, stirring occasionally, until it turns slightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the white wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pot and dissolve any browned bits. Stir in the dried thyme, oregano, and
ají
paste and simmer for 1 minute.

3. Pour in 1 cup of broth and continue to stir a little more frequently. After the liquid has been absorbed, pour in a little more broth. Continue like this, adding more broth after the quinoa has absorbed most of the liquid, stirring, cooking for 30 to 35 minutes total. The
quinotto
is done when the quinoa grains are tender and plump and the mixture is very moist but all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the
quinotto
sit for 10 minutes.

4. Remove the cover, add the lime juice, and season with ground pepper. Gently stir with a fork. Scoop onto individual serving plates, garnish with a few strips of sautéed mushroom, and sprinkle with cilantro or parsley.

•
Serves 4 to 6

•
Time: About 1½ hours, not including making Tomatillo Sauce and Pine Nut

•
Crema

•
Gluten Free

 

1 recipe Green Tomatillo Sauce (page 40)
1 recipe Pine Nut Crema (page 45)

 

1 pound white or yellow-skinned waxy
potatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
2 jalapeño or serrano chiles, roasted and
chopped finely
½ pound red onion, diced
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
A big pinch of dried epazote (optional)
1 cup vegetable broth, preferably
“chicken” flavored
2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 (15-ounce)
can, well rinsed, chopped coarsely
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground pepper

 

12 corn tortillas

 

1. Make the Green Tomatillo Sauce and the Pine Nut Crema first and have them handy. You can prepare them up to 2 days in advance before preparing the enchiladas.

2. Prepare the filling: Clean, peel (or don’t, if you like the skin), and dice the potatoes into ½inch cubes. Place in a large pot, add enough cold water to cover, and bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Cook the potatoes until a fork easily pierces a chunk, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a casserole dish, about 12 by 8 by 2 inches or slightly larger. Have ready enough aluminum foil to cover the top of the casserole.

3. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry the chopped garlic in the peanut oil until the garlic starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Add the chiles, onion, oregano, cumin, and epazote and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the onion turns soft and translucent. Add the vegetable broth, cooked potatoes, chopped chickpeas, and salt. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until most of the broth has reduced but the mixture is still moist. Mash the potatoes just enough to create a chunky texture; taste and add freshly ground pepper and additional salt as desired.