Roasted Chili and Black Bean Corn Vegan Tamales

Ingredients:
Masa:

15 corn husks
1 1/4 cups corn tortilla flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup (use veggie stock for less fat and calories)
olive oil

Chili Filling
2 Anaheim chilies
1/2 white onion, chopped
3/4 cup fresh corn
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or olive oil

Black Bean Filling
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
Olive oil to sauté garlic
One can black beans, drained
1/2 medium-sized onion, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
* Additional olive oil to cover bottom of large skillet completely

Lime wedges (optional)
Tomatillo salsa (optional)

Prepare Masa: (the dough)
Submerge the corn husks in hot water, placing a weight on top of them to keep them submerged. Let soak for 30 minutes and then rinse. Cover with a damp towel and set aside.

Whisk together the corn flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly pour in the water, mix slightly, and then let stand for 5 minutes. Add the 1/2 cup shortening and mix together using a spoon or an electric mixer. Set aside.

When ready to assemble, stir the cooled filling (see below) into the corn flour mixture. Place one corn husk at a time on a flat work surface and scoop 1/4 cup of the filling into the center. Fold the narrow end up to the center, then fold both sides together to enclose the filling. Tie the tamales closed with strands of corn husk.

•Stand the tamales up in a large steamer or colander with the open end up. Steam for 35 minutes, or until the filling is firm.

•To serve, slice open the corn husk (or completely remove the husk) and top the filling with sliced red onions, fresh lime juice, and tomatillo salsa.

For Chili Filling:

Roast the chilies on medium-high heat until the skin is charred. Place the chilies in a plastic bag, twist closed, and let sit for 10 minutes. Gently remove the skins, the stem, and the seeds. Chop the pepper flesh and set aside.

Heat the tablespoon of shortening (or some olive oil) over medium heat. Add the white onion and sauté until tender. Add the chopped chilies and the corn and cook for about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely before adding to the corn flour mixture.

For Bean Filling:
Sauté the garlic in olive oil on medium heat, add beans, onions, sautéed garlic, and salt, for about 5 minutes.

Add mixture into a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Set aside to cool until ready to use.

Makes 15 tamales

Original recipe from Vegcooking.com

Crispy Fried Tofu

1 block firm tofu

4 tablespoons (60 ml) soy sauce

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed or mashed to a paste

Canola, sunflower or some other kind of healthy vegetable oil for frying (but not olive oil)

6 tablespoons (90 ml) nutritional yeast flakes

4 tablespoons (60 ml) flour

1 Take out the block of tofu and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into bite-sized cubes.

2 Combine the soy sauce, olive oil and crushed garlic together in a small bowl. Combine the flour and yeast flakes together on a flat plate. Pour enough oil into the skillet to cover the bottom of the pan, and heat on medium heat.

3 Roll each tofu cube in the soy sauce mixture and then in the flour and yeast mixture. The coating will stick to the tofu. When the oil is hot, put one of the cubes in the pan. If it starts bubbling right away, the oil is the right temperature.

4 Fry tofu cubes until they’re golden brown. This will only take a few minutes. Drain cubes on paper towels and continue until all the tofu is done this way. Serve hot with a crisp salad.

Makes two servings.

Recipe from Luisa D’Amato and the record.com

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 cups flour
* 1 1/2 cups cold water
* 3 tbsp shortening (Earth Balance has a vegan one!)
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 2 large bunches green onions, sliced
* oil for frying
* soy sauce for dipping
*vineger for dipping

PREPARATION:
Mix together the flour and water until a dough is formed. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for a few minutes. Place in a bowl, cover and set aside for 30 minutes. minutes.

Roll out the dough to a 1/8 inch thickness.

Spead a thin layer of shortening on the top, sprinkle with salt, and then press a layer of green onions into the dough.

Roll into a ball, then roll out a small ball onto a floured surface to a 1/8 inch thickness, pushing any green onions that escape back into the dough.

Fry in 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a skillet. Cook for approximately 3 minutes on one side then flip and cook for 2 more minutes before placing the pancakes onto a paper towel-lined plate. Salt to taste and serve immediately.

Pour some soy sauce and vineger into small plate or bowl for dipping. Add chili sauce too for a kick!

courtesy of Jolinda Hackett

Gnocchi Ingredients

4 large potatoes (Idaho)
2 cups flour (or less)
Pinch or two of sea salt

Directions

1. Bake potatoes until soft.
2. Let cool until just “slightly” warm.
3. Scoop out potato pulp from skins and mash potatoes with an old-fashioned metal potato masher. Note: Do not use an electric mixer–this will over process the potatoes–and make them gluey. (Potatoes have naturally occurring gluten).
4. Add sea salt.
5. Add flour a little bit at a time. The key is that the mixture should resemble play-dough (not be too thick or too thin). If you have too little flour: the gnocchi will fall apart, but too much flour: the gnocchi will be too heavy.
6. Roll out dough into long ropes.
7. Slice into small pieces (thumb sized is fine).
8. Press each segment with a fork for a fancy touch.
9. Set gnocchi aside while you boil water or make sauce. It’s fine to let gnocchi sit out for an hour or two whilst you do other stuff.
10. The gnocchi need only cook for a few minutes. They’ll float to the top when done. Serve immediately with sauce of your choice.

Mushroom sauce

Ingredients

1 pound gourmet mushrooms, finely chopped (portabella, oyster, shiitake, etc.)
1-2 Tablespoons margarine (I prefer Earthbalance)
1-2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch salt (you may not need it if the margarine is salty)

Directions

1. Melt margarine in a heavy saucepan, low-medium temperature.
2. Slowly stir in flour. Note, if you dump the flour in, it will clump.
3. Add mushrooms, garlic, and pinch of salt (if preferred). Gently sauté.
4. Slowly add wine. Heat sauce through.
5. Serve over gnocchi, pasta, or mashed potatoes.

Walnut sauce

Ingredients

2 cups chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons margarine (I prefer Earthbalance)
2 Tablespoons orange juice
2 Tablespoons (or more) exotic jam (my uncle used pomegranate)

Directions

1. Melt margarine in a heavy saucepan, low-medium temperature.
2. Add remainder of ingredients and gently cook for 10 minutes.
5. Serve over gnocchi and pasta. I even found the walnut sauce was good with pita.

courtesy of spoofygirl.blogspot.com

INGREDIENTS

o 4 japanese eggplants
o Oil for frying or grilling
o Dengaku (sweet miso sauce)
o 1/3 cup mild white miso
o 2 T mirin
o 3 T sugar or other sweetener

METHOD
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Heat the oil to 375F/190C, or until the eggplants dropped in the hot oil first sink but fairly rapidly float to the surface. Fry until golden brown, then drain on absorbent paper (alternatively, the cut side of the eggplants can be brushed with oil and grilled on the hibachi or bbq grill, or under a broiler until tender). Mix the remaining ingredients to make the dengaku and spread on top of each eggplant. Serve immediately.

thank you vegan food.net

INGREDIENTS

o 1 1/2 to 2 cups dashi (vegetable or mushroom stock)
o 4 T soy sauce
o 3 T mirin
o 1 T sweetener (sugar, maple syrup, brown rice syrup etc)
o 1 onion, sliced
o 8 oz / 230 g seitan ‘chicken’ pieces or marinated / baked tofu
o 8 oz / 230 g silken tofu
o 5 T cornstarch or arrowroot
o Dash of turmeric for colour (optional)
o 5 to 6 cups cooked, hot rice

METHOD
Place the dashi (stock), soy sauce, mirin, sweetener, and onion in a skillet and simmer gently over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the seitan pieces and continue to simmer gently, stirring occasionally until the onions are very tender. There should still be enough liquid in the pan to come up part way in the seitan. Puree the tofu, cornstarch and turmeric in a blender until smooth. Pour into the simmering mixture, but do not stir. Swish the pan around a bit to allow some of the liquid to come over the tofu.

Cover the pan and simmer until the tofu is firm to the touch, about 7 minutes. Divide the rice into 3 donburi (large, deep bowls). Lift out the mixture with a spatula and top each bowl with some. Pour additional sauce on top.

courtesy of vegan food.net

Spinach Mushroom Quiche
From 101 Cookbooks

For the crust:
1/2 cup rolled oats
3 tbsps sesame seeds
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or whole spelt flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsps sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly milled black pepper
1/3 cup unflavored soy milk or water
1/3 cup light sesame oil or pure olive oil plus more for brushing the pan

For the filling:
7 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
10 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tbsps dry white wine or water
1 1/2 tsps coarse sea salt
3 garlic cloves, slice crosswise into 1/8-inch rounds
10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
Pinch hot red pepper flakes
1 pound firm tofu, rinsed and patted dry
2 tbsps freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 pounds fresh spinach
Paprika for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350F. To make the crust, spread the oats and sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 minutes. Transfer the toasted oats and sesame seeds to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper, and process until the oats are finely ground. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy milk and oil. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the dry ingredients to form a dough. Lightly brush a 9-inch or 10-inch tart pan with oil. Put the dough in the tart pan. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the dough and press down evenly, making sure to fill in the fluted sides of the pan. Trim the tart of any excess dough and refrigerate while you make the filling. To make the filling, in a wide saute pan over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and mushroom, raise the heat to high, and saute for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and shaking the pan until the vegetables are caramelized. Add the wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and continue to cook until dry. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the vegetables into a mixing bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes or until the garlic is golden. Do not let
the garlic brown or it will become bitter. With a rubber spatula, scrape the garlic oil into the bowl of a food processor. Crumble the tofu into the bowl of the food processor. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and puree until smooth. With a rubber spatula, scrape the puree into the mushroom-onion
mixture. Remove and discard the tough stems of the spinach. Wash the leaves in a large bowl with several changes of cold water. Transfer the spinach to a pot and cooke, covered, over high heat for several minutes, just until wilted. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to arrest the cooking. Drain well and squeeze
dry. Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and chop fine. Add the spinach to the rest of the filling and stir well to combine. Fill the tart shell with the tofu and vegetable mixture and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Dust with Paprika. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes,until firm. Let the tart cool for 8 to 10 minutes before
slicing and serving. 4 to 6 servings. From: Peter Berley’s The Modern Vegetarian, Regan Books (October 1, 2000)

Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 1/2 cups cooked dried soybeans or canned soybeans
1 medium green apple, cored, peeled and cubed
1 cup water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Spay a large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno and cook until crisp-tender, approx. 5 minutes. Add potatoes and all spices and cook for 5 minutes. Add soybeans, apple and water and heat to boiling.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Remove cover and continue cooking until liquid is absorbed. Add lemon juice and cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 Servings
Serving Size: 12 ounces

1 pound portobello mushrooms, cut into 3/4 inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1 small red onion, cut into wedges and separated
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and cut into wedges
2 small yellow squash, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 medium carrot, sliced
3 cups cooked rotini pasta
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced

Herbed Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon crushed mustard seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use. Can also be used for pasta or as a marinade.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms and onion and saute until tender. Combine vegetables and pasta in a shallow baking dish and mix well. Pour vinaigrette over pasta and vegetables and toss to coat. Refrigerate for an hour.

Makes 6 Servings
Serving Size: approx. 12 ounce

12 ounces TSP or TVP crumbles*
1/2 cup reduced fat/cholesterol egg substitute
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
Nonstick cooking spray

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Form into 6 patties. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat until hot. Add burgers and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Burgers can also be grilled. Serve on buns with your favorite condiments.

Makes 6 Servings
Serving Size: 1 patty (appox. 3 ounces)