< PreviousNostalgic Food That Brings Me Back Home 15 GRANDMA’S RELLENO DE PAPA (CONTINUED) COCINANDO Make the Potato Mixture Peel and cut the potatoes into 1-inch (1.3-cm) pieces. Place them in a large pot, add 1 tablespoon (18 g) of kosher salt and enough water to cover the pieces by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, let the vegan butter sit at room temperature. Drain the potatoes very well and let them cool slightly for about 10 minutes. Return the potatoes to the pot. Add the vegan butter, cornstarch and 2 teaspoons (12 g) of kosher salt. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Let the mixture cool completely. Make the Filling Prepare the following vegetables, placing each in the same medium-sized bowl. Trim the oyster mushrooms. In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse them in two batches, about 20 pulses per batch. The mush- rooms should resemble the texture of cooked ground beef. Alternatively, finely chop the mushrooms by hand. Trim and cut the bell pepper into a small dice. Finely chop or grate the garlic clove. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the vege- table oil over medium-high heat until simmering. Add the veggie mixture (reserve its bowl), sofrito, Sazón, salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushroom mixture is tender and all the moisture has evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes. Return the mixture to the reserved bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Assemble and Fry the Potato Balls Cut the green olives in half, if using. Gather your cooled potatoes. They should be completely cool and stiff enough to mold with your hand. We are going to be creating the potato balls that house our mush- room filling. Roll the cooled potato mixture into eight equal-sized balls. Set a potato ball on a work surface and press into it to form a cup shape (you can use the bottom of a ¼-cup (60-ml) measuring cup to form the indentation). Pick it up and spoon in ¼ cup (60 ml) of the mushroom filling, and then two olive halves (if using) into the filling. Be sure there isn’t too much filling, because the ball will be hard to close and too big to eat. You’re looking to form a ball about the size of a tennis ball. Gently reshape the potato mixture to cover the filling and form it completely into a neat, firm ball. Place the ball on a plate. Repeat to stuff each of the other balls. At this point, you can coat and fry them, or refrigerate them and then coat and fry later. The colder and firmer they are—at least 2 hours in the fridge—the easier they are to fry. Heat the remaining 4 cups (946 ml) of vegetable oil in a 10-inch (25-cm) high-sided skillet over medium heat until 375°F (190°C). Meanwhile, line a plate with paper towels or fit a wire rack over a baking sheet. Spread the cornstarch on a plate. Roll the potato balls in the corn- starch, one at a time, to lightly coat them. Fry in three batches: Add the potato balls to the oil and fry until light golden brown on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip them over with two spoons and fry until browned on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Use a slot- ted spoon to transfer the potato balls to the paper towels or rack to drain. Let them cool slightly before serving.Nostalgic Food That Brings Me Back Home 15 GRANDMA’S RELLENO DE PAPA (CONTINUED) COCINANDO Make the Potato Mixture Peel and cut the potatoes into 1-inch (1.3-cm) pieces. Place them in a large pot, add 1 tablespoon (18 g) of kosher salt and enough water to cover the pieces by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, let the vegan butter sit at room temperature. Drain the potatoes very well and let them cool slightly for about 10 minutes. Return the potatoes to the pot. Add the vegan butter, cornstarch and 2 teaspoons (12 g) of kosher salt. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Let the mixture cool completely. Make the Filling Prepare the following vegetables, placing each in the same medium-sized bowl. Trim the oyster mushrooms. In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse them in two batches, about 20 pulses per batch. The mush- rooms should resemble the texture of cooked ground beef. Alternatively, finely chop the mushrooms by hand. Trim and cut the bell pepper into a small dice. Finely chop or grate the garlic clove. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the vege- table oil over medium-high heat until simmering. Add the veggie mixture (reserve its bowl), sofrito, Sazón, salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushroom mixture is tender and all the moisture has evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes. Return the mixture to the reserved bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Assemble and Fry the Potato Balls Cut the green olives in half, if using. Gather your cooled potatoes. They should be completely cool and stiff enough to mold with your hand. We are going to be creating the potato balls that house our mush- room filling. Roll the cooled potato mixture into eight equal-sized balls. Set a potato ball on a work surface and press into it to form a cup shape (you can use the bottom of a ¼-cup (60-ml) measuring cup to form the indentation). Pick it up and spoon in ¼ cup (60 ml) of the mushroom filling, and then two olive halves (if using) into the filling. Be sure there isn’t too much filling, because the ball will be hard to close and too big to eat. You’re looking to form a ball about the size of a tennis ball. Gently reshape the potato mixture to cover the filling and form it completely into a neat, firm ball. Place the ball on a plate. Repeat to stuff each of the other balls. At this point, you can coat and fry them, or refrigerate them and then coat and fry later. The colder and firmer they are—at least 2 hours in the fridge—the easier they are to fry. Heat the remaining 4 cups (946 ml) of vegetable oil in a 10-inch (25-cm) high-sided skillet over medium heat until 375°F (190°C). Meanwhile, line a plate with paper towels or fit a wire rack over a baking sheet. Spread the cornstarch on a plate. Roll the potato balls in the corn- starch, one at a time, to lightly coat them. Fry in three batches: Add the potato balls to the oil and fry until light golden brown on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip them over with two spoons and fry until browned on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Use a slot- ted spoon to transfer the potato balls to the paper towels or rack to drain. Let them cool slightly before serving.16 Black Rican VeganNostalgic Food That Brings Me Back Home 17 LUZ’S CORNED BEEF HASH Serves 4 Between 1999 and 2005, I lived in a two-family home on Gleason Avenue in the Bronx. The owners of the home—Luz, a woman who could have been my grand- mother, her husband, and all four of her adopted chil- dren—lived downstairs. I quickly became friends with her daughters Delores and Shanice, and since they were downstairs, I hung out in their home almost every single day. Because they had a big family, they always had snacks and Luz would always cook Puerto Rican food. Of course, I took part in eating those delicious meals. One meal I will never forget her serving me was corned beef hash that had corn and french fries in it, served over white rice. It was such a simple dish, but so tasty and flavorful. I later learned that this was a poor man’s dish because a package of corned beef hash was about two dollars and serving it over white rice quickly became a full meal. But nothing about it felt poor to me. This meal brings me back to Luz’s home filled with love and food. It was so easy to quickly feel like part of the family during my time there. You can use any vegan meat substitute you’d like. The corned beef flavors are going to come from the seasonings and potatoes. Now, let’s get started. COMPRA LIST ½ cup (120 ml) water 1 large russet potato, diced finely Pinch of salt 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil 2 tbsp (30 ml) Sofrito (page 147) ¼ cup (40 g) finely chopped yellow onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 lb (455 g) vegan beef (I use Beyond Meat® or Impossible™ brand) ¼ tsp ground mustard ¼ tsp ground allspice ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground paprika ¼ tsp ground coriander 11 ⁄⁄88 tsp ground cloves 11 ⁄⁄88 tsp ground cardamom ¼ tsp Adobo (page 151) ¾ tsp (½ [4-g] packet) Sazón or my homemade Sazón (page 152) (optional) 1 (8-oz [225-g]) can tomato sauce 2 tbsp (13 g) manzanilla olives 1 cup (150 g) corn kernels (optional) Cooked white jasmine rice, for serving Avocado slices, for serving (continued) Photo of Luz, sent to me by her daughter. 16 Black Rican VeganNostalgic Food That Brings Me Back Home 17 LUZ’S CORNED BEEF HASH Serves 4 Between 1999 and 2005, I lived in a two-family home on Gleason Avenue in the Bronx. The owners of the home—Luz, a woman who could have been my grand- mother, her husband, and all four of her adopted chil- dren—lived downstairs. I quickly became friends with her daughters Delores and Shanice, and since they were downstairs, I hung out in their home almost every single day. Because they had a big family, they always had snacks and Luz would always cook Puerto Rican food. Of course, I took part in eating those delicious meals. One meal I will never forget her serving me was corned beef hash that had corn and french fries in it, served over white rice. It was such a simple dish, but so tasty and flavorful. I later learned that this was a poor man’s dish because a package of corned beef hash was about two dollars and serving it over white rice quickly became a full meal. But nothing about it felt poor to me. This meal brings me back to Luz’s home filled with love and food. It was so easy to quickly feel like part of the family during my time there. You can use any vegan meat substitute you’d like. The corned beef flavors are going to come from the seasonings and potatoes. Now, let’s get started. COMPRA LIST ½ cup (120 ml) water 1 large russet potato, diced finely Pinch of salt 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil 2 tbsp (30 ml) Sofrito (page 147) ¼ cup (40 g) finely chopped yellow onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 lb (455 g) vegan beef (I use Beyond Meat® or Impossible™ brand) ¼ tsp ground mustard ¼ tsp ground allspice ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground paprika ¼ tsp ground coriander 11 ⁄⁄88 tsp ground cloves 11 ⁄⁄88 tsp ground cardamom ¼ tsp Adobo (page 151) ¾ tsp (½ [4-g] packet) Sazón or my homemade Sazón (page 152) (optional) 1 (8-oz [225-g]) can tomato sauce 2 tbsp (13 g) manzanilla olives 1 cup (150 g) corn kernels (optional) Cooked white jasmine rice, for serving Avocado slices, for serving (continued) Photo of Luz, sent to me by her daughter. 18 Black Rican Vegan LUZ’S CORNED BEEF HASH (CONTINUED) COCINANDO In a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat, combine the water, the potato and a pinch of salt, and allow it to simmer until the potato is tender, then drain and transfer the potato from the pan to a bowl and set aside. To the same pan, add your olive oil and lightly fry your sofrito, onion and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes. When the onion is tender, add your vegan beef. If it is in a brick, smash it into crumbles. In a small bowl, combine your ground mustard, allspice, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, cloves, cardamom, adobo and Sazón (if using), and stir. Slowly add the seasonings evenly throughout the meat. You may not need to use the whole bowlful, so pour in the seasoning mixture bit by bit to your liking. The more you put in, the stronger it will taste. Then, add your tomato sauce, olives and corn (if using), and allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add your potato and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste as you cook to see whether you want to add more of your seasoning mixture. Serve the vegan corned beef over the white rice with some avocado.18 Black Rican Vegan LUZ’S CORNED BEEF HASH (CONTINUED) COCINANDO In a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat, combine the water, the potato and a pinch of salt, and allow it to simmer until the potato is tender, then drain and transfer the potato from the pan to a bowl and set aside. To the same pan, add your olive oil and lightly fry your sofrito, onion and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes. When the onion is tender, add your vegan beef. If it is in a brick, smash it into crumbles. In a small bowl, combine your ground mustard, allspice, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, cloves, cardamom, adobo and Sazón (if using), and stir. Slowly add the seasonings evenly throughout the meat. You may not need to use the whole bowlful, so pour in the seasoning mixture bit by bit to your liking. The more you put in, the stronger it will taste. Then, add your tomato sauce, olives and corn (if using), and allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add your potato and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste as you cook to see whether you want to add more of your seasoning mixture. Serve the vegan corned beef over the white rice with some avocado.Nostalgic Food That Brings Me Back Home 21 Makes 8 PASTELILLOS Pastelillos are meat-filled pastries that are very pop- ular among many Hispanic cultures. They are made differently in many countries. Most people know them as empanadas, but I grew up calling them pastelillos. My family would fill them with all kinds of meats, such as chicken, seasoned beef or shrimp. My favorite was beef. All my local Hispanic restaurants would have these under the food warmers in the window for a dollar. I always loved when my mom made them. When I first went vegan, pastelillos were the first dish I veganized because there was no way I was going to sacrifice them. It is one of my favorites and my brother’s favorite, and after making them for my friends and family, they quickly became a lot of other people’s favorite. I love to make a puff pastry type of dough for them because they come out superflaky and delicious. You can fry them or bake them, and you can literally stuff them with anything. Pastelillos are so versatile and easy to make. Let’s get it started now. COCINANDO In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk them together. Using the large side of a grater, grate the butter into the dry mixture. Using your hands, combine the vegan butter and the flour mixture, forming large grains of sand, but do not overmix. If the butter begins to warm up, put the bowl into the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes, then continue. Add the olive oil and gradually add the ice-cold water, using your hands to form the dough into a ball. The dough should be firm and not too sticky. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or overnight. COMPRA LIST 1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda Pinch of salt 11 ⁄⁄33 cup (75 g) vegan butter, cold 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil ¼ cup (60 ml) ice-cold water Must-Have Picadillo (page 148), for filling (optional) Neutral oil, for frying Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Cut it in half. Using a rolling pin, roll out one-half of the dough until it is wide and thin enough to carve out four 4-inch (10-cm) circles. You can use a circular cutter, small bowl or a knife to form the four circles (let’s get creative here). Do the same for the other half of the dough. You should have eight circles in total. Use waxed paper or plastic wrap to stack the dough circles on top of one another, making sure there is paper between each disk. You can use the dough right away or store it in the refrig- erator until you’re ready to fry it. You can use any filling for this dough—try my Must-Have Picadillo (page 148). Add the filling before frying and fold the pastelillos into a half-moon shape (you can do this with one disk). Seal the edges with a fork. Then, simply fry in a large pot of hot oil until golden brown and warmed through. ¡Buen provecho! Nostalgic Food That Brings Me Back Home 21 Makes 8 PASTELILLOS Pastelillos are meat-filled pastries that are very pop- ular among many Hispanic cultures. They are made differently in many countries. Most people know them as empanadas, but I grew up calling them pastelillos. My family would fill them with all kinds of meats, such as chicken, seasoned beef or shrimp. My favorite was beef. All my local Hispanic restaurants would have these under the food warmers in the window for a dollar. I always loved when my mom made them. When I first went vegan, pastelillos were the first dish I veganized because there was no way I was going to sacrifice them. It is one of my favorites and my brother’s favorite, and after making them for my friends and family, they quickly became a lot of other people’s favorite. I love to make a puff pastry type of dough for them because they come out superflaky and delicious. You can fry them or bake them, and you can literally stuff them with anything. Pastelillos are so versatile and easy to make. Let’s get it started now. COCINANDO In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk them together. Using the large side of a grater, grate the butter into the dry mixture. Using your hands, combine the vegan butter and the flour mixture, forming large grains of sand, but do not overmix. If the butter begins to warm up, put the bowl into the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes, then continue. Add the olive oil and gradually add the ice-cold water, using your hands to form the dough into a ball. The dough should be firm and not too sticky. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or overnight. COMPRA LIST 1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda Pinch of salt 11 ⁄⁄33 cup (75 g) vegan butter, cold 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil ¼ cup (60 ml) ice-cold water Must-Have Picadillo (page 148), for filling (optional) Neutral oil, for frying Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Cut it in half. Using a rolling pin, roll out one-half of the dough until it is wide and thin enough to carve out four 4-inch (10-cm) circles. You can use a circular cutter, small bowl or a knife to form the four circles (let’s get creative here). Do the same for the other half of the dough. You should have eight circles in total. Use waxed paper or plastic wrap to stack the dough circles on top of one another, making sure there is paper between each disk. You can use the dough right away or store it in the refrig- erator until you’re ready to fry it. You can use any filling for this dough—try my Must-Have Picadillo (page 148). Add the filling before frying and fold the pastelillos into a half-moon shape (you can do this with one disk). Seal the edges with a fork. Then, simply fry in a large pot of hot oil until golden brown and warmed through. ¡Buen provecho! 22 Black Rican Vegan Makes 8 Much like the Pastelillos (page 21), alcapurrias are a delicious handheld treat using root vegetables. They are a labor of love but one that is very worth it. These were often purchased from local street vendors in my neigh- borhood or at the Puerto Rican Day festival in New York City. My family didn’t have many of the high-tech tools we have now in the kitchen, so we used a grater to grate the green banana and yautia (taro root) for the masa. Now, I use a food processor to reduce the prep time and they come out just as good. Veganizing them was as sim- ple as just replacing the meat filling. My savory Must- Have Picadillo (page 148) is perfect for alcapurrias. COCINANDO Start by making achiote oil, which is a way to flavor and color food without using Sazón packets. In a small pot over medium heat, combine 1 cup (240 ml) of the vegeta- ble oil and the annatto seeds. Allow the oil to heat up. As it gets hot, it will activate the color of the annatto seeds. Stir occasionally. You do not need to bring this to a boil—you want to stir and heat enough that the oil turns into a deep orange-red color. Once that has happened, remove the pot from the heat and let the oil sit until it is cool enough to pass through a strainer. Strain the oil into a bowl. Now, you have achiote oil! If you have leftover oil, store it in a jar on your shelf for up to 2 months. Peel the green bananas and green plantain and cut them into small disks about ½ inch (1.3 cm) wide. Use a potato peeler to peel the yautia and then chop it into small pieces. In a food processor, combine the banana, plantain and yautia pieces with a little less than ¼ cup (about 55 ml) of achiote oil and process until you get a masa consistency. If you are not familiar with masa, it should be blended enough that it’s almost like a paste batter. You COMPRA LIST 4 cups (946 ml) vegetable oil, divided ¼ cup (40 g) annatto seeds 4 green bananas 1 green plantain 1 medium-sized yautia (about ½ lb [225 g]) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano Waxed paper or banana leaf, for molding Must-Have Picadillo (page 148) Mayo ketchup (page 30), for serving should have no clumps or hard pieces—if so, continue to process further. If your food processor isn’t strong enough to process everything at once, process in smaller batches. Pour the masa into a bowl and add your salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and oregano. Stir to combine. Use a piece of waxed paper or a banana leaf to mold your alcapurrias. With one hand, hold the paper or leaf, and use your other hand to add ¼ cup (55 g) of masa, spreading it into a small oval. Add a small dollop of picadillo to the center and add one more ¼ cup (55 g) of masa over the filling until you cover it evenly. Repeat until all the masa is used. In a skillet, heat the remaining 3 cups (706 ml) of vegeta- ble oil to 375°F (190°C) and gently add the alcapurrias, two at a time—you don’t want to overcrowd the pot. Fry them on both sides, about 5 minutes per side, making sure to fry them thoroughly. Serve with my mayo ketchup. ALCAPURRIAS22 Black Rican Vegan Makes 8 Much like the Pastelillos (page 21), alcapurrias are a delicious handheld treat using root vegetables. They are a labor of love but one that is very worth it. These were often purchased from local street vendors in my neigh- borhood or at the Puerto Rican Day festival in New York City. My family didn’t have many of the high-tech tools we have now in the kitchen, so we used a grater to grate the green banana and yautia (taro root) for the masa. Now, I use a food processor to reduce the prep time and they come out just as good. Veganizing them was as sim- ple as just replacing the meat filling. My savory Must- Have Picadillo (page 148) is perfect for alcapurrias. COCINANDO Start by making achiote oil, which is a way to flavor and color food without using Sazón packets. In a small pot over medium heat, combine 1 cup (240 ml) of the vegeta- ble oil and the annatto seeds. Allow the oil to heat up. As it gets hot, it will activate the color of the annatto seeds. Stir occasionally. You do not need to bring this to a boil—you want to stir and heat enough that the oil turns into a deep orange-red color. Once that has happened, remove the pot from the heat and let the oil sit until it is cool enough to pass through a strainer. Strain the oil into a bowl. Now, you have achiote oil! If you have leftover oil, store it in a jar on your shelf for up to 2 months. Peel the green bananas and green plantain and cut them into small disks about ½ inch (1.3 cm) wide. Use a potato peeler to peel the yautia and then chop it into small pieces. In a food processor, combine the banana, plantain and yautia pieces with a little less than ¼ cup (about 55 ml) of achiote oil and process until you get a masa consistency. If you are not familiar with masa, it should be blended enough that it’s almost like a paste batter. You COMPRA LIST 4 cups (946 ml) vegetable oil, divided ¼ cup (40 g) annatto seeds 4 green bananas 1 green plantain 1 medium-sized yautia (about ½ lb [225 g]) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano Waxed paper or banana leaf, for molding Must-Have Picadillo (page 148) Mayo ketchup (page 30), for serving should have no clumps or hard pieces—if so, continue to process further. If your food processor isn’t strong enough to process everything at once, process in smaller batches. Pour the masa into a bowl and add your salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and oregano. Stir to combine. Use a piece of waxed paper or a banana leaf to mold your alcapurrias. With one hand, hold the paper or leaf, and use your other hand to add ¼ cup (55 g) of masa, spreading it into a small oval. Add a small dollop of picadillo to the center and add one more ¼ cup (55 g) of masa over the filling until you cover it evenly. Repeat until all the masa is used. In a skillet, heat the remaining 3 cups (706 ml) of vegeta- ble oil to 375°F (190°C) and gently add the alcapurrias, two at a time—you don’t want to overcrowd the pot. Fry them on both sides, about 5 minutes per side, making sure to fry them thoroughly. Serve with my mayo ketchup. ALCAPURRIASNext >