Sunday, October 23, 2011

Vegan MoFo Day 23: Corn Crusted Pumpkin-Potato Empanadas

Pumpkin-Potato Empanadas

Holy cow these are so good. When I saw this recipe in Viva Vegan, I knew I had to make it. Pretty much anything is delicious if it's wrapped in dough. These were no exception to the rule. The filling is a combination of boiled pumpkins and potatoes cooked with a flavorful sofrito. So simple and so delicious! And the dough is even simpler, just some precooked masarepa corn flour mixed with water and salt. I found the flour at a local Latin market in the section with cornmeal and masa harina.

Pumpkin-Potato Empanadas

NOTE: I made and photographed these when I went to my mom's house for a visit, so the kitty wasn't available for a picture. But this guy was! This is Junior, he's 3 years old and he lives at my mom's house (where I used to live as well). He's always so good when he's posing for my stupid pictures.

Empanada
Makes about 20 dog-paw sized empanadas (for size comparison, the kitten is about the size of Junior's head)

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Vegan MoFo Day 22: Pumpkin Roundup

October is really flying by. Can you believe there's less than 10 days left? I keep seeing all the other MoFo participants posting great pumpkin dishes and I want to try them all, but there's not enough time to do them all on my MoFo, so I'm going to post a few of my favorites now in case I don't get a chance to make them myself. I haven't been able to keep up with all the posts, so please don't be offended if you don't see yours here because I may not have seen it!

Pumpkin Spiced Hot Cocoa made with DIY Pumpkin Syrup by A Vegan Food Snob

This Self-Glazing Pumpkin Cupcake at Phoenix Dreaming is pure genius. The glaze was formerly fudge!

Check out the creamy goodness of this Pumpkin Spinach Quiche by West Philly Vegan.

 Pumpkin Spice Sticky Bread by Oh, Ladycakes. OMG I want this in my mouth!

This Pumpkin Barley Risotto by Anchors & Feathers looks so creamy and delicious.

 Pumpkin French Toast Casserole at Unhealthy Vegan looks like a great dish for a fall brunch potluck.

It's hard to believe that these Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes from Meet the Shannons actually exist outside of my dreams.

These Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Pancakes from Vegan Guinea Pig look amazing.



Vegan MoFo Day 21: Pumpkin Pie!

I'm way late in posting yesterday's entry. My internet decided to stop working (Only on my computer, as luck would have it. My roommates had fine connections). Last night was a friend's birthday party. I volunteered to bring pumpkin pie. I used the recipe from Vegan Pie In the Sky (it's the same as the one in Voluptuous Vegan, but without the pecan topping).  I thought maybe my high fructose corn syrup intake was a little low these days, so I used Rich Whip instead of making the Rad Whip from VPITS. It whipped up so quickly and easily and has a great taste that I may be likely to use it again in the future.


I've always been nervous about making my own pie crusts, but I knew the right thing to do was conquer my fears and make my own crust. I don't know what I was apprehensive about. It worked out great. I'd even go as far to say it was easy. The crust was sitting on the table while I made the filling. And of course, the unattended food was a kitty magnet resulting in a cute, tiny paw print in my crust.

pie1

Check out my purty scalloped edge, too!

The pie was a big hit at the party. Many omnis confirmed that this pie is as good as, if not better than, the non-vegan pumpkin pies they've had. The texture was perfect and the crust was amazing. I was surprised by how easy it was. Basically, you just have to measure everything, mix it up in a food processor, and pour it into a crust.

pie5
So pretty!

pie6
Makes one kitten-sized pie, of course.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Vegan MoFo Day 20: Calabacitas

I apologize for my absence yesterday! I chose to skip the day in order to go to a PPK meetup. Veg_Eric happened to be on the NY section of his LA to DC motorcycle trip and I couldn't miss the chance to go to dinner with him and doncherryfan. We went to Red Bamboo and had some amazing food (ending with Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Shortcake and Brownie Bottom Cheesecake).


Today, I made a recipe from Viva Vegan. Every time I make something from this book, it's fantastic and there are still so many recipes I haven't tried! Today's dinner was Calabacitas. It's a squash saute made with Calabaza Pumpkin, zucchini, and tomatoes, cooked with the sublime flavors of oregano, cumin, and lime juice. I love the combination of summer and winter squash here. You have to try this recipe!


Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Vegan MoFo Day 18: Stuffed Poblanos


About a week or two ago, I went to a local Latino grocery store to get the corn tortillas and salsa I used for the enchiladas (they're always better tasting and cheaper) on day 11. While I was there, I saw that the poblanos were on sale for 99 cents a pound, so I picked up a few to stuff.

I created this mainly to use up some of the leftovers I had in the fridge, so it calls for leftover chili. If you didn't make chili recently, you can use a canned chili or just some beans and tomatoes; it's a pretty versatile recipe. For the vegetables, just use a mix of whatever you have on hand. I used a small handful of frozen peas and a small head of fresh broccoli.

1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 cup mixed veggies
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup leftover pumpkin chili
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
A few pinches of cinnamon
4 poblano peppers
1 cup daiya (Pepperjack is my fave, but if you use cheddar or mozz style, I won't judge you)
vegetable broth, as needed

Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet, preferably cast iron. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add in jalapeno and veggies. Cook until all the vegetables are tender. If it starts to stick now, or at any point during cooking, just add a couple of splashes of vegetable broth and mix around. Add the rice, chili, pumpkin, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, another 5 minutes to let the flavors blend. Taste for spices (it may need more cinnamon or salt, depending on the chili) and let cool.

Meanwhile, cut a T shape into each poblano, hold it open to remove the seeds. Repeat with each pepper. Hold the pepper open once again and spoon in the filling. It should be very full so that it stays open with the filling poking out a bit. Place in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle daiya over each pepper and bake 30-40 minutes, until cheese is melted and peppers are soft.


Makes enough filling to stuff 4 kitten-tail-long peppers