Portobello Feijoada

 

OK, so it is beginning to seem like I say, "I don't really like soup," and then eat lots of soup. Well, I guess I should say that I don't really like most soups; however, both of the soups I have made from Viva Vegan have been freakin' fantastic. See the amazing awesomeness that was Guatita here. 

For my next jump into stew/soup making madness, I decided to try the Potobello Feijoada, a bean, seitan and mushroom-laced mountain of tasty. I served it up with sliced oranges and super-steamed (because I wasn't paying attention) kale w/sesame seeds and a sprinkle of lime juice.

Potobello Mushroom Feijoada

Ingredients
-. 2 cans black beans, rinsed w/1 1/2 c. of water
- 1 pkg. (or 2 c.) seitan, diced/sliced
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 4 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 jalapeno, diced (not a part of the original, but I added it)
- 1/3 c. veggie broth
- 1/2 lb. portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tsp. liquid smoke
- 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 c. veggie broth

Make it:

1. Put beans and water in small/medium saucepan and simmer until heated and soft (I did this for about 15 minutes or so while I prepped other ingredients and started the soup)
2. Put olive oil and garlic in a large pot and fry for 30 seconds. Add diced jalapeno and sautee for about 5 more minutes.
3. Add 1/2 c. of broth to de-glaze, stirring and bringing to a simmer. Stir in mushrooms, seitan, cumin, liquid smoke, thyme and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. In blender, put about 1/2 to 3/4 the amount of beans in the blender w/liquid (I added too much, you would probably want like 1/4 c. here) and puree the beans.
5. Add the remaining beans from the saucepan to the soup. Add the 2 c. of veggie broth and then the pureed bean mixture. Partially cover and bring to a quick simmer.
6. Lower heat, keep partially covered, and simmer until mixture thickens, about 30-40 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld (and soup to cool!) before eating.

Here is another picture of my bowl of soup up close:

Delicious as is- however, I think it would be even tastier had I not pureed the beans with as much water as I did. Mental note for next time, taken.

What I ate: Super Tasty Viva Vegan-Inspired Edition

I could also have titled this post "Oh snap- time to use up the rest of my aji amarillo paste.....Next day: Oh snap, I am out of aji amarillo paste." Yes, I say "Oh snap" when I am thinking of marinades and pepper pastes. Now that I have been in possession of Viva Vegan for quite sometime, making marinades/sauces/beans with these kinds of flavor profiles seems to come together pretty quickly. This meal was surprisingly simple, nice and spicy, and healthy as well.

Tofu with Aji Amarillo Marinade:

Ingredients:
-1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed for about 30 minutes, cut into pieces
- 2 tbs. of aji amarillo paste (it was a little more, since I was at the end of the jar)
- small palm (1 1/2 tsp-ish) roasted cumin (or regular would be fine)
- small palm (1 1/2 tsp-ish) Mexican oregano, crushed in palm
- 4-5 shakes of Tamari (um, maybe 2 tsp. worth)
- 2 tbs. olive or peanut oil (all out of peanut, so alas, I used olive)
-  juice of one small lime
- 1/2 c. veggie broth

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Whisk ingredients together and put tofu in to marinade for at least 30 minutes.
3. Line a baking dish w/aluminum foil (not necessary, but I find it saves a sticky mess)
4. Put about 1-2 tsp. olive oil in bottom of dish and then add tofu. Pour marinade on top and put in the oven.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or so, until tofu turns golden brown

Ok, so you may be saying, "What else do I see in the picture?" I had about 5 leftover sliced portobello mushrooms that I threw in w/the tofu to cook. Nothing spectacular, but useful!

I served this alongside of (*gasp*) plain brown rice and steamed kale. I squeezed a little lime juice and S&P over the sides and it was good to go.

Aji amarillo is definitely my favorite pepper paste/condiment/marinade maker. I am sad that I am all out....normally, I would rush to the store to get some; however, with the massive snow storm we are expected to get in the next 2 days, I will probably hold off for a week.

My New Tortilla Press is Very Useful:)

So, I finally bought a tortilla press at San Marcos, the local Mexican grocery. And man, oh man, am I glad I did!! I knew I was going to make a big Mexican-style feast for my roomie and I (and I did)--but I was so excited when I got it that I made tofu asado tacos that night:)

First of all, it's super easy to use. Follow the directions on the bag of masa (yes, I made corn tortillas, I have yet to make flautas with it, but I will surely post pics when I do).

First, take the divided ball of masa dough and place it on the back half of the tortilla press (and make sure to line both sides w/folded plastic wrap):

Then, press!

I used these tortillas to make tofu asado tacos. I took the tempeh asado recipe from Viva Vegan! and used pressed tofu instead:

Tofu Asado: 

--1/3 c.veggie broth
--3 tbs. lime juice
--1 tbs. tamari
--2 tbs. peanut oil
--2-3 cloves crushed garlic
--1/2 tsp. cumin
--1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano

Marinate for at least 15 minutes, then grill, pan fry or bake (I baked them in the toaster oven in extra sauce...)

Assemble the tacos w/what ever you want. I used some of the refried beans (again, a Viva Vegan!) recipe, sliced tomato and they were super good!

Yep, that's my cellphone next to the tacos. I was carrying everything from the kitchen into the living room in one trip and forgot to take it off of the plate before snapping the picture.

So, onwards to the enchilada awesomeness........

As I said above, I made the refried beans the night before (and they are excellent heated up!) You could, of course, always buy canned as well.

The enchiladas had a red chile sauce and Latin-style shredded seitan filling (recipe here).

Red Chile Sauce:
--mix of chiles (I used about 4 ancho chiles and 3 guajillo chiles) pan toasted for a minute and soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes;
--2 tbs. peanut oil
--2 cloves garlic, chopped
--1 small onion, diced (my roomie is allergic I left them out and put in some scallions)
--dried oregano and cumin
--1 can diced tomatoes
--2 c. veggie broth

1. Combine the oil, garlic and onion (if using) in saucepann and heat over medium heat for about a minute;
2. Stir in spices and coat, then pour in chiles, tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, veggie broth and simmer;
3. Put in a blender and blend.
4. Return to saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes.

To Assemble:
 (have an assembly line ready to go: shallow pan with sauce, filling, pan you are going to cook the enchiladas in)
1. Put some sauce in a shallow pan as well as the pan you are going to bake your enchiladas in;
2. Take a tortilla and dredge in the sauce;
3. Fill the tortilla w/2-4 tbs. of filling (depending on how large your tortillas are) and roll them tightly;
4. Continue with other tortillas until they are all done.
5. Pour on chile sauce over the top, making sure to really coat everything (about 1 to 1 1/2 c.).

To Bake:
1. Preheat oven to 350F;
2. Wrap pan tightly in aluminum foil and bake for about 20-25 minutes;
3. Uncover and bake for another 8-10 minutes.

For the Rice:

--1 1/2 c. brown rice;
--3 c. water
--3-4 cloves minced garlic
--1/2 tsp. tumeric
--saffron (I just tossed some in, since it is soooooo cheap at San Marcos!)
--1 tsp. peanut oil
--1 tsp. Earth Balance or other butter substitute.

I made mine in the rice cooker; however, you could make it in a pan and just follow the directions on the bag of rice.

Right before serving, chop up some scallions and throw them in! 

I served mine with refried black beans and yellow garlic rice w/scallions:

Fresh before the oven!

Ready to eat!

Un Poco de Todo....Parte Dos

Considering I have finally gotten a laptop, here are a few pics and brief descriptions of Latin-style inspired things I have made in the period between my first post and the last post:

Quick Red Bean Posole topped w/Curdito marinated in red wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar and Crunchy Corn Tortillas:

Anatto-tinted Corn and Black Bean Empanadas w/Curdito and Guacamole:

Sauteed Peppers and Latin Style Shredded Seitan Sopes topped w/Pine Nut Crema and Scallions, served w/Curdito and Guasacaca (thick avocado spread/salsa):

I was in a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE Viva Vegan! style food kick this summer. Since this time, I have mostly eaten very simple meals (mostly due to having less than $20 to spend each week on groceries). I am thinking about making some vegan Latin food later this week or next week (mole enchiladas perhaps). Since, I have missed eating food like this. A.LOT.