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Brazilian Vegetable Feijoada

December 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

This is a guest post from one of our friends in our Veglatino Facebook group. Thanks for the recipe Cynthia Marin-Soria.

Feijoada was originally made with leftover meats, feel free to replace or add different types of veggie meats of your choice. I have made this dish with left over faux hotdogs or Gardein meats. You can experiment with different types of veggie meats and make it your own.

Vegetarian Feijoada

3 Cups Black Beans previously soaked in water for at least 24 hours or canned beans
2 Large Oranges
3 Bay leaves
1 large white onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 Boca Burger patties thawed
2 Chicken boca patties thawed
4  oz Soyrizo
1 or 2 Tofurky Kielbasa sausages

2 Tablespoons finely chopped spicy red peppers for topping (optional)

You can use canned beans, but for best taste I recommend cooking beans from scratch.

Cook beans in plenty of water, 1 garlic clove 2 bay leaves and 2 oranges with peel cut in half. When beans are tender but still in one piece, saute in a separate pan:
Onion, remaining garlic and soyrizo. You can use more or less depending on your preference.
Cut Boca patties in quarters and slice sausages in large chunks add to saute, when onion is tender add to beans add 1 bay leaf.
Season to taste and let simmer in low heat for about 30 -45 minutes. You can add to a crock pot and simmer for 1 to 1/12 hour if desired, the flavors blend well.
Serve with white rice and top with spicy pepper if desired,  fresh orange slices on the side and yucca frita.

Filed Under: Entrées, Recipes, Soups and Stews, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , ,

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

November 23, 2011 by 3 Comments

Thanks to one of our followers on Facebook Cynthia Marin-Soria for this recipe.

If you don’t know what to cook for ThanksGiving, this will cover all of your basis tomorrow or anyday of the week.  

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie


1 1/2 C GARDEIN HOME STYLE BEEFLES TIPS previously prepared optional * see below
2 CUPS LENTILS COOKED IN WATER WITH ONION AND GARLIC
6-7 MD RUSSET POTATOES COOKED AND PEELED
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Soy Milk
2 T Vegan Butter or Vegetable spread
MD WHITE ONION CHOPPED
2 GARLIC CLOVES CHOPPED
4 MD CARROTS PEELED AND CHOPPED FINE SQUARES
Pinch of fresh Rosemary
1 tsp of Fresh Thyme
1 Cup chopped tomato
1/2 C frozen or fresh peas
1/2 C frozen or fresh corn

Some of these things such as the cooked lentils, gardein can be prepared the day before.
POTATOES:
Mash potatoes or beat in electric beater until fluffy with 2 Tbls of Vegan Buttery spread, 1/2 cup hot unsweetened soy milk, season with garlic salt, salt & pepper (optional)  to taste, Set aside

FILLING:
*the Gardein was left overs from the day before, I had marinated them in a sofrito style with a little white vinegar marinade and slow cooked.

Saute onion, garlic, Rosemary, Thyme and carrots until tender in medium heat
add tomato, mashed up gardein & drained lentils, season to taste, let simmer over medium heat, add corn and peas, cover and cook until dry.

Take a glass 15×10″ oven safe baking dish and brush with olive oil or cooking spray.
Pour saute mixture and cover bottom of dish, spreading evenly to form a layer about 1″ thick
Scoop mashed potatoes with icecream scooper through out the dish, with plastic spatula spread evenly over the top forming an even layer.
Brush top of mashed potatoes with olive oil bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until top has formed a crispy light golden crust.

These are approximate measurements per Cynthia.

Photo Credits by Cynthia Marin Soria

Filed Under: Entrées, Holiday, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , ,

Making Nutrition Tasty

July 9, 2011 by 2 Comments

Quinoa is very foreign to many people. I hear people mispronounce it all the time, even though it sounds just as it’s spelled (KEE-noh-ah). I wonder why people put accents in the wrong places, or change the sounds of the vowels.

Back in the late 1990s, living as a vegetarian in Quito, Ecuador, one of quinoa’s “homelands,” I was aware that this grain is a super food and complete protein. Although I’d eat it periodically, I did not master cooking it, nor did I have an affinity to it. I still preferred tofu that I had to purchase from Chinese vendors in the mercado, or my comfort food – peanut butter – which I could buy at the tienda de naturistas.

Most commonly, in Ecuador, I saw quinoa as a flavorless ingredient in soups that was usually added to provide extra nourishment.  I was taught to put it in the blender with water to open up the grain and release some of the bitterness.

Fast forward almost 25 years to the U.S. and quinoa is sold in most all grocery stores and in many forms in the deli section of some grocers, and is frequently on the menu at vegetarian restaurants. But I found few really tasty quinoa dishes.  Most seemed dry and mediocre. More of a nourishment than a treat to eat.

Well, finally, I’ve found a recipe that satisfies my quench for spices, and a desire for healthy, high protein, vegan dishes. Most importantly, it’s super simple to make, and can be eaten hot or cold. Try it, and play with it by adding other spices or ingredients. Buen provecho.

Transatlantic Quinoa

Ingredients

1 T. oil

1 chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

¾ c. dry quinoa

1 ½ t. curry power

½ t. each of salt, pepper and cumin

¼ t. cinnamon

1 ½ c. vegetable stock

¾ c. canned or cooked garbanzo beans

½ c. pine nuts

¼ c. raisins

Preparation

In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic until golden. Pour the quinoa and spices with stock into the pot. Cook on high until liquid begins to boil. Add in raisins, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. When done, mix in the garbanzos and pine nuts and serve.

Filed Under: Diabetic Friendly, Entrées, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Chayote Relleno

June 27, 2011 by 2 Comments

Today I decided that I was going to make Chayote Relleno. The first time I had chayote, I put sugar and tons of butter on it because it didn’t tast like anything to me. My mom put salt, pepper, and olive oil. Here is a bit more information about what Chayote is and the various ways you can prepare it.

When you look for it at the supermarket, look in the Spanish vegetable section. It should be white or green in color and look like a pear with ridges.

Chayote, Quinoa, Pink Beans

I had bought chayote recently and wanted to have it filled with vegetables and not processed soy protein. So that is exactly what I had for dinner today.

Cooking Chayote is simple; cut it in half, season some water with salt, and boil. I don’t peal the skin because the chayote will become soft enough to eat the entire thing. After it is fork tender, I cut out a hole in the middle extracting the pit. You can do a mojo isleño with onions and fill it as well.

After it was cooked I seasoned with some olive oil and sprinkle of pepper. I added cheese, cooked veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots), sauce, and topped with cheese. I know I should have omitted the cheese to make it a vegan dish. I put it in the toaster oven at 400 degrees for ten minutes or until the cheese melted. You can also make a mojo isleño with onions as a filler.

You can not get any easier than that for dinner. I also made quinoa and pink beans. I have to say that the meal was healthy and excellent. For those who are vegan, omit the cheese.

Filed Under: Entrées, Puerto Rican, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,

Adventures with Tempeh

June 17, 2011 by 7 Comments

I have tried to include tempeh in my diet. Tempeh is, in a nutshell, a brick of fermented soybeans. It has a strong taste but it is generally good tasting. There are different brands with different flavors. I like the Trader Joe’s brand. Nevertheless,  my problem has always been “adobando” the tempeh properly. Or at least in a way that I like.

So, I was watching VegEz, a vegan podcast, and took a hint from Toni Fiore (the author and awesome chef). Why not use ready made spice packets to spice my tempeh? Sounds easy, straight-forward and you know what, awesome!

The Ingredients

  • 2 blocks of tempeh
  • 1 packet of McCormick seasonings (use any, there are many)

Now before I start writing this recipe. I want to point out that many vegans and vegetarians use tempeh as a replacement for meat in sandwiches. Tempeh is hard and textured. So ready made seasonings for poultry and beef work wonders. Bottom-line is: include tempeh in your diet!

The Instructions

This is so easy it is ridiculous.

  • Prepare the dressing as indicated in the packet.
  • I added some garlic and dried red pepper as well. This is optional of course. If you want to make this kid friendly I suggest skipping this step.
  • Cut the tempeh in cubes. Any size will do. But they should all be the same size. Cut them in slices to eat them as finger food.
  • Mix the seasonings and tempeh and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes but no more than a couple of hours. If you do the tempeh might start to break down.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and arrange the tempeh in a nonstick pan.
  • The tempeh is cooked so it needs to be heated in order to absorb the flavor. Bake for 20 minutes. If it becomes too golden or dry remove from the oven. Check every 5 minutes. Burned tempeh is not good.
  • Let it rest for 5 minutes.
  • Enjoy!

Just had a few pieces over a 1/4 of white basmati rice. Delish!

Filed Under: Diabetic Friendly, Entrées, Kid Friendly, Recipes

Vegetarian Lasagna

May 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Hello everyone, hope you’re all doing well. Last night I decided to go ahead and make lasagna since it’s one of my favorite dishes but I had yet to give it a try. Although my boyfriend and I are meat eaters (don’t kill us) we love using soy crumbles because it’s low in calories and fat. We use it whenever we’re able to substitute it for meat in a dish. If you see the recipe for the Spaghetti Bolognese you might think it’s similar but this lasagna tasted way different (and if I may toot my own horn..better!) Enjoy.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/2 orange bell pepper
1/2 big red onion (or 1 small one)

1 small can sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon of sugar or sugar substitute (I used Splenda)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1.5 teaspoon of crushed red chili flakes (adjust to taste)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 small basil leaves (or 1 tsp of dried basil leaves)
1 medium sized can of diced tomatoes without the liquid (refer to pictures)


1 cup of your favorite pasta sauce, we used Bertoli Organic Traditional Tomato and Basil

1/4 cup of Ricotta cheese

1 cup of Italian blend cheese

1/2 box of whole wheat lasagna noodles

1 bag (12 oz) of soy crumbles (we always use Morningstar Farms)

Procedure

Cook onions with some water in a skillet set on medium/high heat. (I use water since it allows them to cook through without any added fat). Add peppers, mushrooms, and garlic. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the diced tomatoes (and 2 tablespoons of the liquid).

Set water to boil and cook pasta noodles – these take around 8 – 10 minutes.

Add soy crumble, basil, chili flakes and salt/pepper to the skillet and let the crumble warm through (I thaw it out for about half an hour before and it warms through in about 6 – 7 minutes on medium heat). Add 1 cup of sauce and mix well, add sugar (the sugar takes away some of the acid that the tomato sauce contains but doesn’t take away from it’s flavor).

Once heated through, remember that it’s a lasagna so you don’t want the soy crumble to be too saucey. Add additional spoonfuls of sauce if you think it’s necessary but remember that it needs to be spreadable yet with a thick consistency or the lasagna will come out watery.

Once noodles have been drained it’s time to build. Add 1/4 up the pasta sauce to the bottom of the pan and add layers of pasta, meat and divide the Ricotta cheese into three parts which you will distribute evenly among every layer, top with 1/4 of shredded cheese, repeat once and the final layer will consist of noodles, meat, ricotta cheese and remaining 1/2 cup of cheese (or maybe a bit more). Set the oven to broil and since everything is cooked and warm you want to keep an eye on it just until the cheese starts to turn golden brown. Once done remove from oven and allow it to rest for five minutes.

Dig in! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Filed Under: Entrées, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: ,

CTO aka Chief Taco Officer

May 5, 2011 by 4 Comments

Photo MikeHipp

Since it is Cinco de Mayo and we somehow manage to all be Mexicans on this day, I thought it would be great to share a recipe for your Cinco de Mayo parties. At VegLatino we know the true meaning of Cinco de Mayo isn’t to get inebriated on libations of the margarita kind.

I asked our friends on Twitter and Facebook what are some veggie inspired Cinco de Mayo recipes and here is what they said:

@icaoberg : Tofu chorizo and cheese dip of course.

@IsasBread : A Mexican Pizza-Black Beans and mango salsa as a pizza topping. Peace n Loaf.

@Dolcezza305 : I used to make a bangin veggie wrap. whole wheat, tofu with goya adobo, black bean hummus, hot sauce, lettuce, tomato, and carrot

@ChicaVegan : Throwing a whole vegan event : @VegCincoDeMayo

Folks will be eating lots of spicy food that they may regret in the morning. So here is a simple recipe from the CTO or Chief Taco Officer.

Ingredients

1 Can of Loma Linda Vege-Burger
1 Box of 18 taco shells (any brand)
1 Packet of Taco Seasoning
2 Garlic cloves. 1 for the Vege-Burger Soy Mixture and one for the Topping
1 Tomato
1 Red Onion
1 White Onion
1 Green Pepper
1 Can of Corn
2 scallion stalks

1/2 teaspoon of lime juice (fresh or from concentrate)
3 leaves of Cilantro chopped
2 tablespoon of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup of Water
Vegetarian Soy Cheese
Salsa

Dice the garlic clove and toss it in the pan with Olive Oil. This should be done in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Put the Vege-Burger mixture in and all of the dry ingredients from the Taco Packet Mixture or Your own Spice Mixture.

Since the Vege-Burger mixture is already brown in color, you don’t need to cook it too long. Sautee all ingredients and add 1/2 cup of water. Put on simmer and cook for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally, tasting to add more salt or dry ingredients, and making sure you still have some of the liquid in the mixture.

While the Vege-Burger mixture is cooking, chop the tomato, garlic clove, green pepper, red onion, white onion, scallion, and cilantro leaves. Add the lime juice and canned corn. Mix and set in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to vegetables.

Assemble your tacos to your liking. The recipe shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes.

Filed Under: Entrées, Holiday, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , ,

Canoas with Vege-Burger

February 26, 2011 by 2 Comments

This #SabrosoSaturday we bring you a sweet and savory treat all in one. I think this is the quickest entrée you can make using a microwave, a ripe sweet plantain, butter, and soy crumbles. You can make the canoa in the oven but it will take a little longer. Canoa in Spanish means canoe. The first time someone suggested I make my partner this dish, I had never eaten or even heard of a canoa before.

For those who don’t know what a canoa is, it is a sweet plantain split down the middle and filled with protein. Since this is VegLatino, I used Worthington Loma Linda Vege-Burger products as the filler. The good thing about this product is that you don’t have to drain any fat since it is not meat. You can use this in lasagna, tacos, or even stuffed cabbage. You can make this as a sweet dish but I prefer to make it with a tomatoe-based filler. All of my recipes are for two people because for the time being there are only two of us who eat. I have yet to make a canoa for JuanGa or Daniela, our two-month old daughter.

 

Ingredients

2 Ripe Plantains

1 small onion

½ green pepper

½ head of garlic finely diced

1 tomatoe chopped

Half spoon of capers

1/2 can of Vege-Burger (soy product)

¼ tsp of Salt

¼ Pepper

Pinch of Oregano

2 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 8oz can of Tomatoe Sauce

1 cup of water

Soy or Regular shredded Mozzarella cheese

Instructions for Microwave Cooking

In a sauté pan heat the olive oil on medium. Finely dice the garlic. Chop the onion, tomatoe, and green pepper. Add the capers. Sauté the vegetables and add the Vege- Burger; break it up with your cooking spoon. Add the salt, pepper, and oregano. Add the tomatoe sauce, water, and simmer all the ingredients. Taste for seasoning and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Take the two plantains and cut the tips. Leave the skin on and cut the plantain from end to end with out splitting the plantain into two separate halves. Place in a microwave safe dish for five minutes. Start to cook the plantains and depending on how ripe the plantains are you will see how quickly the plantains will start to open.

At the two-minute mark stop the microwave and take them out of the microwave. Be careful because they will be hot. Use the butter to coat the inside of the plantain. Separate the skin a little to coat the outside of the plantain with the rest of the butter. Put the plantains back into the microwave and watch for the plantains to get softer and split completely. Take them out of the microwave and carefully remove the skins. Add the soy filling down the middle and top with the shredded cheese.

Total cooking time is about 25 minutes.

Attribution Photo Credit by Evil Jess

Filed Under: Entrées, Puerto Rican, Recipes, Sabroso Saturday, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: , ,

Vegetarian Piñon by @wilobenet

February 5, 2011 by 4 Comments

To kick off our First Vegetarian Friendly Sabroso Saturday (#SabrosoSaturday) we want to share a Puerto Rican Classic improved to be Vegetarian by whom I consider to be Puerto Rico’s most talented Chef Wilo Benet.

Piñón

Ripe Plantain and Soy Ground Meat “Lasagne”

Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 ounces steamed green beans, cut into pieces

vegetable oil for frying

6 ripe plantains, peeled

4 cups picadillo (recipe below.)

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 eggs, beaten (If ovo vegetarian substitute by egg substitute)

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a frying pan, heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil to 350°F. Slice the plantains lengthwise into quarters. Add to the hot oil, in batches, and fry for about 4 minutes until golden on both sides. Remove from the oil, and set aside to drain on paper towels.

2. In a bowl, combine the picadillo with the green beans, mix well, and set aside.

3. Prepare the piñón: Oil the bottom and sides of a 7” x 11” baking dish with the olive oil.

Arrange a layer of the fried plantain slices on the bottom of the baking dish. (You may have to cut some plantain slices into smaller pieces to fill in any empty spaces). Press down with your hands. Add the picadillo mixture on top and spread into an even layer. Pour ¾ of the beaten eggs over the layer of meat, and prick the surface of the meat with a fork so that it absorbs the egg. (The egg holds the piñón together for even slicing). Arrange a layer of the remaining plantain slices on top (You may have to cut some plantain slices into smaller pieces to fill in any empty spaces). Pour in the remaining eggs over the plantains, and with a rubber spatula spread into a thin layer.

4. Place the piñón in the oven, and bake for about 40 minutes, until the egg has cooked, the meat is heated through, and the surface of the piñón is golden and springy to the touch.

5. Remove the piñón from the oven, slice as you would a lasagne, and serve.

Picadillo

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. olive oil

½ cup sofrito

½ small onion chopped

1 cubanelle pepper chopped

½ cup of Goya spanish tomato sauce

3 cups of ground soy meat already reconstituted

½ cup slivered almonds

1 tsp. of adobo

3 tbsp. of chopped cilantro

Steps

  1. In a skillet at medium to high temperature heat the oil and stir in the, sofrito, onions and peppers. Stir occasionally until the onions are translucent.
  2. Add the soy meat, tomato sauce, almonds, adobo and cilantro and continue cooking in medium temperature until all the flavors are all well incorporated and the excess liquid has been evaporated.
  3. Reserve aside for the Piñon.

This Recipe was shared with us by our good friend Wilo Benet. If you would like to see more of Wilo’s Recipes which can be modified to vegetarian feel free to buy  his book Puerto Rico True Flavors.

More About Wilo (photo credit – wilobenet.com)

Puerto Rican Chef Wilo Benet is owner of two restaurants, Pikayo – his fine dining and flagship restaurant — opened almost 20 years ago; and Varita a wood-burning rotisserie concept, which craftily places Puerto Rican comfort food front and center. Both restaurants offer menu and personalized vegetarian options.

Benet has redefined Puerto Rican cuisine and in the process has put the Island’s enchanting flavors on display for the whole world to admire.

Benet has participated on the Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern”, appeared as a guest judge on the season finale of the fourth season, and as a contestant in Bravo TV’s new series “Top Chef Masters”, a spinoff of the award-winning show, “Top Chef”.

What other Recipes with Sabor would you like to see?

Filed Under: Entrées, Puerto Rican, Recipes, Sabroso Saturday