Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (40 page)

 

¿Dónde Está el Mio Burrito?

 

T
here are no burrito recipes in this book. No,
señor
, not a one. The reason is, if you’re looking for a burrito recipe, probably you eat too many anyway! But, seeing that there are some out there who really feel they need a burrito recipe, here’s a guide (okay, it’s a recipe!) for a deluxe burrito with all the works. For simpler fare, leave out the addition of tofu, seitan, or tempeh or the garnishy vegetables such as the lettuce or onions. For best results make sure your beans, rice, and tofu, seitan, or tempeh are warm prior to filling.

 

1 (8- to 10-inch, or larger) store-bought
wheat tortilla (see Tip)
¼ to ⅓ cup any bean recipe or refried beans
¼ to ⅓ cup any rice (Cilantro-Lime Rice [page 95] always works,
or just long-grain brown with a twist of lime juice)
¼ to ⅓ cup any tofu, seitan, or grilled tempeh, diced finely
2 to 3 tablespoons any salsa (it’s fine to use store-bought salsa)
A handful of shredded cabbage or finely chopped lettuce

 

 

Toppings

 

Diced avocado
Tomato
Thinly sliced onion
Thinly sliced, pickled jalapeño peppers

 

 

1. First reheat the wheat tortillas to soften them. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and lay a tortilla in the center of the pan. Heat for 30 to 44 seconds, then flip and heat for another 30 seconds, until the tortilla is soft and flexible. Place the hot tortilla on your work surface.

2. To fill and fold, place your fillings in an oblong mound slightly off-center (a little closer to you than true center) of the tortilla. Don’t go too crazy with the total amount of filling as it will be difficult to roll the burrito tightly if it is too full (about a cup of filling is fine for an 8-inch tortilla). Fold the right and left sides of the tortilla toward the filling, covering the filling only partially. Then lift and fold over the edge closest to you, so that it partially covers the filling and overlaps the two previously folded edges. Now, firmly holding the tortilla along its right and left sides to keep those first two flaps folded in, carefully and firmly roll the filling end away from you, toward the last unfolded edge of the tortilla. Roll it tightly, as this will greatly help the burrito to hold together while eating. You should now have a neat little burrito!

3. Add an extra dimension of delicious by grilling this baby burrito. Lay the burrito seam side down onto that skillet you’ve previously heated and grill for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is nicely toasted and the seam has firmed up. Very carefully turn the burrito onto the other side and grill until toasted as desired. Every now and then, you might want to press down gently on the burrito with a wide spatula to speed up the toasting process.

Tip:
For burritos, use store-bought tortillas over homemade ones, unless you’re skilled at rolling them very, very thinly. You’ll need the tortilla to be very flexible to fold it right. Also, plenty of interesting varieties are now available, such as spinach, tomato, garlic, and that old workhorse, the whole wheat tortilla. Or even try using tortillas labeled for use with the dreaded “wrap” sandwich and making what they should be called anyway . . . a burrito.

 

1.
Fill only lower third of tortilla

2.
Fold tortilla sides, then bottom edge over filling

3.
Roll while firmly holding sides of burrito

 

•
Makes 8
sopes
, 2 per serving

•
Time: About 45 minutes

 

1 recipe of dough from Homemade
Soft Corn Tortillas (page 165)
Canola or peanut oil, for oven “frying”
or pan-frying

 

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 links Seitan Chorizo Sausages (page 36),
diced small
2 bunches fresh spinach (about 2 pounds),
well washed, thick stems removed,
chopped coarsely
2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Cashew Crema (page 51)
Shredded green or red cabbage
Sliced avocado
Sliced radish
Pickled Red Onions (page 43)
Any salsa

 

1. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. If baking the sopes, preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Make the
sopes
first: Divide the tortilla dough into eight equal portions and roll into balls. Cover with a damp, clean kitchen towel to keep moist

3. To form a
sope
: Pat the dough into a circle ¼ to ⅜ inch thick and about 3½ inches wide. Now place the thick tortilla in your palm. Using your other hand, pinch it with your finger and thumb to form a small raised ridge around the edge of the tortilla; it should be ¼ to ⅜ inch high. Your
sope
will look like a tiny tart. Place the
sope
flat side down on the preheated skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the dough has firmed and the bottom has a few toasted spots. Continue to shape the
sopes
and place them flat side down onto the skillet.

4. Once the
sopes
are grilled, you can either bake or fry them. If baking, transfer the hot
sopes
to a lightly oiled baking sheet and generously brush with oil, making sure to brush the sides and the raised edge. Bake the
sopes
at 375°F for 12 to 14 minutes, until firm. Keep warm in a 250°F oven until ready to serve, but if the
sopes
are to remain in the oven for longer than 15 minutes, cover with foil to prevent their drying out. Alternatively, to fry the
sopes
, pour ½ to ¾ inch of oil into a cast-iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat. The oil is ready when a small piece of dough dropped into the hot oil sizzles immediately and vigorously. Some recipes call for measuring the temperature of the oil at a specific 350°F, but your
sopes
will be just fine as long as your oil passes the sizzle test. Sauté one or two
sopes
at a time for 4 to 6 minutes, until their surfaces are golden. Drain on paper towels or crumpled brown paper and keep warm in a 250°F oven until ready to serve.

5. Make the spinach filling while the
sopes
are cooking: In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat half the olive oil and fry half of the garlic, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the diced chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the edges of the chorizo are slightly browned. Remove the chorizo from the pan and add the remaining oil and garlic. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the spinach by the handful and sauté, stirring occasionally, adding more spinach until all of the spinach has wilted and is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

6. To serve: mound a generous portion of spinach in the center of a
sope
. Top with some of the fried chorizo, then shredded cabbage, avocado, any other goodies, and lastly some Cashew Crema. I like to dilute the
crema
so that it’s pourable rather than sour cream-like, but that’s up to you.
Sopes
can be messy eating, so it’s okay to grab and eat these using both hands!

•
Serves 8 as an appetizer or 4 as a hearty main entrée

•
Time: About 45 minutes

•
Gluten Free, Soy Free