Vegetarian Vegetable Soup #1

 
Recipe for one variation on vegetable soup.   

prepare soup stock

in olive oil, saute 1 yellow onion and 6 cloves of chopped garlic

add several carrots chopped into large pieces

add several stocks of celery also chopped

add a handful of dried shitake mushrooms

add two bay leaves 

add several dozen pepper corns

add about 8 cups of water and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes

strain the stock, discard the vegetables and put half of it in the freezer

keep half for the rest of the recipe

in a clean soup pot, saute several cloves of garlic 

1 teaspoon paprika

add the soup stock

add about a dozen romano beans chopped roughly

add several dozen snow peas chopped roughly

add a handful of chopped broccoli 

add a can of cannellini 

3/4 small can of tomato paste

4 or so large fresh shitaki mushrooms sliced

fresh oregano, fresh thyme, fresh basil 

add dried oregano, basil and thyme

several bay leaves

salt and pepper

and simmer for 15-20 minutes

variations: 

cook the cannellini from scratch

use fresh tomatoes sauted in olive oil 

roast an anaheim pepper, remove the skin and seeds, chopped

add one small chopped carrot 

add one stalk of celery chopped

add juice of 1/2 lemon

Vegetarian Pseudo Pozole

Recipe for a vegetarian pseudo pozole:

1 anaheim
1 poblano/?
1 jalapeno
roast & skin peppers

1 onion, shredded
6 cloves of garlic
saute in olive oil

1 can red enchilada sauce (hot)
put peppers & 1/2 the saute onion in blender with enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup water 

4 cups soup stock
in pan with 1/2 onion saute
2 cans garbanzo beans
add teaspoon cumin seed
add fresh oregano
add pinch of cinnamon

put pepper mix into the main pot
salt and pepper
cook for 15 minutes

garnish with avocado, radishes, lime juice, cilantro, cheddar cheese

Vegetarian Oatmeal Banana Muffin Things

Not vegan unless butter substitute is used.

4 bananas 

2 tsp vanilla

1 pinch salt

1 measuring unit brown sugar

2 units oatmeal

2 units flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

2 tsp baking powder

3 tablespoons flaxseed meal

1/2 of an orange, juiced

1/2 unit water 

3 tablespoons water (for flaxseed meal)

3/4 stick of butter or substitute.

Prepare flaxseed meal 15 minutes in advance with tablespoons of water in separate container.  Combine everything in a blender or food processor until completely mixed.  If consistency is not right add oatmeal and flour in equal amounts.  Bake in small cake pan(s) (see picture) at 375 for 18 minutes.  Serve warm and with butter if appropriate.

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Bachelor Vegetarian Cooking Internet Style

draft

This book is for single people of whatever gender who for reasons of circumstances beyond their control (or within their control, whatever) cook for themselves more or less every day and on a budget.  I have done this for 25 years and I know something about it. 

 

- who should read this book

- required ingredients

- special diet requirements 

 - etc

Authentic Southern Vegetarian Sweet Potato Pie

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This recipe is completely authentic except that it isnt.

1. We use the Trader Joe's frozen to-be-baked crust and a glass pyrex pie baking dish.  2. Bake about 2.5 - 3 lbs of sweet potatoes at about 450 F for over an hour or until the sweet potatoes are squeezable.  Use a baking dish.  Insert a knife or fork into each sweet potato so it doesnt explode.   3. In a dish combine the (cooled) sweet potatoes with 1 cup sugar, vanilla, some corn starch, the peel of one orange, the juice of 1.5 - 2 oranges, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.   Mix well.  Add cornstarch until you get the consistancy you are willing to live with for the rest of your life.  Is it sweet enough?  Too sweet? 4. Cook bottom of pie crust in oven for 10-12 minues at about 400 F. 5. Let pie crust cool a little bit and then add filling. 6. Make the executive decision about whether you want a crust top to your pie and add it if so.  7. Bake for about 30 minutes but do not let the crust burn. 8. Be careful not to burn the sh*t out of yourself.

Segue from National Security to Vegetarian Tamales

You may ask what is the relationship between a recipe for vegetarian tamales and national security, not to mention story structure in theme parks.  The answer is clear: there is no relationship whatsoever.  As part of my experiment in poverty, I never eat out (way too expensive) and make all my own food and the result has been a real improvement in my cooking skills.   One thing we noticed is that good vegetarian tamales are a rarity.   The following recipe is the result of about 10 experimental tamale episodes over the last year.   I wrote it down to remember it, and post it here so I can find it again.  I hope you, or someone, finds it useful.  No doubt it will change over time.   

One of the very few advantages of living in southern california is access to inexpensive and fresh ingredients for Mexican cuisine. Authentic and traditional Mexican tamales are not vegetarian as they are made with lard, chicken or other broth, and often pork or other meat for the filling. There may in fact be an authentic vegetarian Mexican cuisine, but it is not one that is well known north of the border. The following is a combination of many recipes found on the Internet and modified to be vegetarian (defined as no meat but some dairy). To make it pure vegan, substitute more corn oil for the butter and use another filling ingredient for the cheese (e.g. steamed potato).

Tamales are made with various types of fillings and this recipe is suitably vague on that topic. It is assumed that when the tamales are assembled that there will be a corn husk, a layer of masa, a layer of green sauce and then a filling which might be: some cheddar cheese and a slice of hot pepper, or some pinto beans, or a slice of pepper and some steamed potato. Many variations are possible.

This recipe makes enough for 10 - 12 tamales.

Time required: about 2 hours to make the ingredients and assemble, about 2 hours to cook.

Equipment required: blender, steamer, string or twine

1. Masa

1-1.5 teaspoon cumin seeds (or powder)

1-1.5 tblspoon ground red pepper

1-1.5 cups of corn oil

1/2 stick of butter or substitute corn oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups water

2 cups masa harina

1 large serrano or jalapeno pepper chopped fine (optional)

1 cube concentrated vegetarian soup stock (optional)

1.1 Combine masa harina, cumin, salt, red pepper and corn oil in a bowl

1.2 Microwave water, butter and soup stock for a minute or two, stir, add to bowl

1.3 Mix thoroughly adding corn oil or water if too dry

1.4 Let sit for at least 30 minutes and add more water or corn oil if too dry

1.5 One possibility is to use some of the green sauce to moisten the masa

Note: I have found that I keep adding more water and corn oil to get the masa moist enough. You will see what I mean.

2. Green sauce

1 lb or so tomatillos with their paper wrapper removed

1 or 2 serrano or other hot pepper

1 medium onion

1 or 2 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bunch cilantro (optional)

2 or 3 tablespoons corn oil

2.1 Boil tomatillos and hot peppers (whole) for 10 minutes until they change color, dump water

2.2 Roughly chop tomatillos and add to blender

2.3 Clean peppers (chop off end, decide how many seeds, etc you want to keep), add to blender

2.4 Roughly chop onion and garlic and add to blender

2.5 Wash and destem about 1/3 of the bunch of cilantro and add to blender

2.6 Pulse blend, it doesnt have to be too smooth

2.7 Heat corn oil to pretty hot and add the contents of the blender. It should sizzle

2.8 Turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes or so

2.9 Put aside until assembly

3. Filling

The filling is highly improvisational. It might be cooked pinto beans, or it might just be roasted chiles and some cheese, or potatoes that have been steamed or microwaved and cut into vertical slices. Everything has to fit unobtrusively into a tamale so think about pieces being 1/4 " x 1/4 " by 2 "s for example. During assembly, these will be combined with the green sauce.

4. Corn Husks

These are the large dried corn husks found in mexican supply stores or most s. california markets in the back where they keep the mexican spices.

4.1 Soak in hot water for about 1/2 hour or more.

5. Assembly

1 piece of string about 2-3 feet long for each tamale

1 or 2 corn husks, soaked for each tamale

Green sauce

Fillings

5.1 Lay out 1 or 2 corn husks on board (overlapping)

5.2 Add with spatula a layer of masa

5.3 On top of that add green sauce and your filling of choice

5.4 Roll up and fold corn husk and secure with string

5.5 Place in steamer

5.6 Repeat for each tamale
5.7 Your first tamales will look weird but taste fine.
5.8 You must practice and develop your technique.

6. Steaming/Microwaving/Etc

6.1 Place some sort of plastic bag over the steamer, or use a pressure cooker

6.2 Steam for several hours, being sure not to let the steamer dry out

6.3 When you get tired of waiting for the steaming to be done, microwave them for a few minutes.

7. Serve with ... 

7.1 If tamales are dry then something went wrong with the masa or the steaming

7.2 Serve with homemade salsa, I use salsa fresca because it is easy and fool proof

7.3 For those who are not vegetarian, sour cream is a also a good addition along with the salsa.
7.4 Depending on how spicy you make these, the sour cream can be used to cool them down.
7.5 Salsa and sour cream are the traditional ways of moistening a tamale that is dry.

8. Other Notes

8.1 You will be amazed at how much moisture the masa will absorb. .

8.2 All ingredients can be prepared in advance but be aware that the green sauce in particular seems to lose spiciness every day it is kept in the icebox.
8.3 My life would be a lot easier if I had a real steamer or a pressure cooker.
8.4 There is a real art to making these things look beautiful.
8.5 Tamales last several days in the icebox and can be frozen for a long time.