Best The Temporary Vegetarian A Portuguese Empada Recipes

EMPADINHAS DE PALMITO

Steps:

• For the tartlet crusts: In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, oil, egg yolks and butter. Using a spoon or by hand, mix until the dough is no longer sticky. Take a nub of dough about the size of a large marble, place it in a tartlet pan, and press very thinly to cover the inside (thick enough to cover but not so thin that the pan shows through). Pinch off the dough for a clean edge; set aside. Repeat with remaining dough to make twenty tartlet crusts.
• For the filling: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter and onions, and sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine flour with 1 cup of the milk and whisk until smooth and blended. Add to saucepan, and stir until beginning to thicken.
• Add remaining 1/2 cup milk, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add hearts of palm, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Divide the mixture among the crust-filled pans, and sprinkle with cheese. Place on a baking sheet and bake until tops are lightly golden, about 30 to 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Turn each pan upside down, and the tartlet should fall into your hands upside down and all in one piece. Turn right side up, and serve.

THE TEMPORARY VEGETARIAN: A PORTUGUESE EMPADA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. ln a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add onions and garlic, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, squash, and eggplant, and sauté until tender but have not lost their shape, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, thyme and parsley, and cook until tomatoes soften but do not lose their shape, about 5 minutes. Add red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon flour with 3 tablespoons water. Mix well, and add to the vegetables. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Transfer to a baking sheet to cool until no longer steaming, then place in refrigerator to chill, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
• Place one sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using a 3 1/2- to 4-inch-in-diameter cookie cutter or cup, cut out six disks. Using a 1-1/2 inch cookie cutter, cut out six more disks. Roll all the disks out to 1/8 inch thick.
• Butter or spray a six-cup muffin pan with 3-inch diameter cups. Place a large disk in each of the holders; the dough should overlap the holder by about an inch. Add one sixth of the chilled vegetables to each cup. Place the small circle of pastry on top of the vegetables, and fold over the edges of the larger circle to fully enclose the empada. (It may be possible to pinch together the edge of the large disk of dough without using the smaller disk.) Brush the tops with beaten egg.
• Bake empadas until golden brown, 25 to 40 minutes. Using a knife, gently loosen from the muffin tins. Transfer to plates, and serve hot. If desired, serve with a salad.

VEGAN BROCCOLI SPIGARELLO

Steps:

• Prepare a large bowl of ice water, and set aside. Fill a large pot with water, salt heavily (it should taste like seawater), and bring to a boil. Add broccoli spigarello, and blanch until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, immediately plunge into ice water until cooled, and drain again.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add garlic, cover, and cook until tender but not browned, about 1 minute. Add broccoli spigarello and chili flakes. Stir slowly to gently reheat. Serve hot with, if desired, gnocchi or risotto.

VEGAN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, and flour, whisking until browned and thickened. Slowly stir in 3/4 cup of water and tomato sauce, mixing well. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• For the filling and assembly: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add tofu and cook until brown and somewhat crispy, and its liquid has evaporated, stirring from underneath to prevent sticking, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Once tofu looks brown and cooked on all sides, add two-thirds of the onion and half of the red bell pepper. Stir, and add garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, cumin and chili powder; mix well. Add soy sauce, and mix well. Season with salt to taste. Sauté until the onions and red bell pepper begin to soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if mixture seems parched, but it should be dry, and the tofu should resemble crisped, browned bits of meat.
• While the tofu mixture is cooking, wrap the tortillas tightly in aluminum foil, and place them in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove, keeping them wrapped, and set aside.
• In a shallow 9-by-7-inch casserole (or large enough to hold the enchiladas snugly in one layer), add 1/3 of the sauce to coat the bottom of the casserole. Unwrap the hot tortillas, and place one in the sauce to coat it, then turn it over so that it is coated on both sides. Add one-sixth of the filling, and roll the tortilla tightly. Place it seam side down on the sauce. Repeat to make six filled tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the tortillas, and sprinkle with remaining uncooked onion and red bell pepper. Bake until sauce is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Serve, if desired, with a green salad.