By now you know that I'm a vegetarian from a family of meat-eaters and I'm married to a carnivore, right? Well you do now :). Of course, I hear a lot of negative opinions about vegetarian diets, but there are actually some people who say they would try if they had more options. Hello! Check out THIS blog, for instance! Sometimes all it takes is a little research, but with this blog post I'm not giving you any recipes; I'm rolling up my sleeves and getting into the "meat substitute" thing.
I was talking to my cousin, Min, last night, and although she loves vegetables, she wouldn't consider a vegetarian diet. Reasons? The same as many others who are reluctant to try going veggie. There aren't many options available for vegetarians, the meat substitutes don't taste the same, they miss the meat, the vegetarian options are tasteless, etc.
I won't pretend to have solutions to all those problems; I know I don't. After all, my husband still eats every animal he possibly can (it seems) despite the faces I make. As for the topic of meat substitutes, I can offer a bit of help there.
There is a vegetarian version of practically EVERYTHING. There are vegetarian hot dogs, shrimps, lamb, chicken breasts, chicken nuggets, fried shrimp, tuna rolls, sliced fish, smoke herring, chicken ham, and lots more that I'm forgetting to mention here and haven't heard of yet. This list excludes soya chunks and actual vegetable products like soya patties or peas loaves and so on. Soy milk is much healthier than any other type of milk I know and it tastes great! My husband and I are addicted to one type which is not only lactose-free, but very rich in iron, as in the highest level of iron I've ever seen in a soy product.
On a completely different note, women, you need to make sure that you're taking iron every single day. If you don't include iron in your diet, ask your doctor about supplements or multi-vitamins with iron in them (yes I know I said multi-vitamins but not all have adequate amounts of iron if they do have iron in them at all). Hmmm.....sounds like another blog topic! *hint hint, nudge nudge*
Back to meat substitutes. The most important thing I can say on that is although such products are advertised as "meat substitutes" don't go in with the frame of mind that it will actually substitute the taste and flavor of the meat. It won't. I personally think the products I've tried tastes better. As someone who has eaten some types of meat before, I know what I'm talking about. Sure everyone has different opinions, but this is mine.
VEGETARIAN FISH
I could not stand fish. I didn't care how it was made or what fancy or simple name it had. I didn't like it. Eel and salmon sushi? Surprisingly: YUM! Cooked fish, as in on my plate as food? Eeeewwwwwww. Then I tried vegetarian fish when I was staying with my uncle and taking care of his family some years ago.
"Um...what am I supposed to do with this?" I asked nervously.
"What do you do with food?" he laughed.
"Cook it?"
"Well go cook it then!"
"I really, really, really, really, don't like fish though," I said doubtfully.
"Just try it." He said as he waved me off and ended the conversation.
And so I did. The first thing I made with veggie fish was curried fish and peas. Ohmigod. Ohmigod. Ohmigod. YUM! I was in love with it! And I mean this was my first time as in I hadn't made curried fish before and I had never even seen veggie fish before. Even after my family forced me to return to seafood and then poultry, I still insisted on eating only veggie fish instead of real fish.
Advantages? First and foremost, no fishy smell! You can make this thing and not walk out of your house smelling like fish, not walk into your kitchen smelling like fish, and not have your niece run to hug you and pull away saying "Aunty, how come you smell like fish?" AND it tastes really, really, really good. Hubby the carnivore loves it, and if he loves it, you should definitely try it!
It's easy to prepare, no scaling the fish, no bleeding fish, no evil fish eye staring at you and following your every move, no tail reminding you of how much alive the fish once was, ohhh and the best part for me and all people who have ever swallowed those fine, little fish bones? NO BONE. YAY!!!
All you have to do is take it out of the packaging. If you want to slice it or cut it a certain way, do it. Season to your liking, cook to your liking, done. You will no longer have to hold your breath when you get your fish out to clean, because you don't have to clean veggie fish. YAY!!!
And veggie fish does not smell like the part of Chinatown with all the fish and seafood out there on ice. You know the part where all the little kids hold their noses and all the adults hold their breaths? That's right, don't pretend I was the only one.
VEGETARIAN LAMB
I've always been against eating four-legged animals since I was about 4-5 years old. Maybe it was because I had two pet goats when I was really little. When it comes to lamb, NO. I don't want it, and I don't want to look at you eating the killed, cooked BABY animal! Unfortunately, I did taste it once. I was somewhere around 12-14 and I was a vegetarian at the time. My aunt and uncle had invited us to a church Christmas dinner. My family was very accepting of other people's views and religions, so we said "sure!".
There were church members dishing out each person's meal after the service. I specifically told the woman carrying my plate that I was a vegetarian, so she bypassed the barbecued and roasted meats and whatnot. As I rejoined my family to eat. I bit into something soft and salty and asked my dad, the expert on meat stuff, what it was.
He laughed so hard his plate nearly fell of his lap. "Lamb" he answered.
"What?" I shrieked (and actually dropped my drink).
"Lamb, child, you didn't hear them talking about Jesus, the lamb of God? You're eating lamb."
I almost fainted.
We left early and I cried my heart out when I got home for the poor lamb (abortion is bad but eating baby animals is cool? WTH???) and for myself, breaking my vegetarianism. So from that heartbreaking experience I can tell you that vegetarian lamb tastes nothing like real lamb, but it tastes great!
You can either make it using it in the large chunks they're packaged in or chop them to your own preference. I almost always chop them to a size I prefer for each meal. Even hubby likes it, and that's a huge compliment! My favorite way to eat this is curried with coconut milk, but I've also tried them in empanadas and stir-fry and it's amazing!
Advantages? Same as the fish, no fresh animal blood or mess to clean up after, no reading about farm animals to kids and thinking about the lamb that went "baa" before it was killed, easy to prepare (take it out of the package, chop if you want, season how you want, cook how you want, and voila!), no bad smell, and great taste!
VEGETARIAN CHICKEN NUGGETS
I'll admit I used to like the chicken nuggets from either McDonald's of Burger King when I was younger (I was too young to remember). I wasn't a regular though and when I found out MacDonald's uses beef fat to fry their fries in (like that signature taste?) I boycotted them. But I also have to admit there was a certain taste about the chicken nuggets I had from a few different places, as if it changed taste the longer they kept in on their heating trays or something.
Surprisingly, hubby was the one who recommended I try vegetarian chicken nuggets. I fried them, microwaved them, and made my own version of "buffalo" nuggets. And I loved them!
I remembered eating chicken nuggets as a child; it was never fulling, and my brothers and I always needed more to feel full and would resort to another meal after to feel as though we had an actual meal all together. After two veggie nuggets, I felt as if I was in the middle of a meal! When I needed a light meal, two nuggets were all I needed!
I mixed and mingled many things with these veggie nuggets and both hubby and i loved it! Just take it out of the package and pop it on the microwave, of deep fry it, or steam them and slice them for a veggie caeser salad, the options are endless!
As an added bonus, if hubby the carnivore recommends it, you know it tastes good! It's incomparable to any other nugget or quick fix meal, it's just perfect!
VEGETARIAN SHRIMP
I used to like shrimps cooked certain ways when I was younger, but was turned off when I learned that shrimps are extremely high in cholesterol.
Hubby and I decided to try vegetarian shrimps recently and have since declared it another definite keeper! Everything you've made with real shrimps, try it with vegetarian shrimps; the biggest bonus is not having to clean them out of their shells and worry about de-veining them.
As with the other products, convenience is still a benefit, just take it out of the package, season depending on your meal, and cook. I've made these veggie shrimps deep fried, stir fried, in steamed rice, with pasta, as cocktail shrimp, and will curry them soon. Easy to prepare, easy to store, easy to keep (not if you're eating them!), and easy to choose! Oh, and no Chinatown fish place smell with this one either :)
CHICKEN HAM
I never liked processed meats as a kid. I would pull the stringy enclosure of my bologna and go "ewwwww" and trade it for a pack of wafers or something at lunch. I even gave away my lunches because I didn't like the smell many processed meats have when they're packed away all day (ewwwwww). Many times, the taste/smell would make me so nauseous I would feel dizzy and upset and would need to lie down or put my head on my knees. But that's just me.
Vegetarian chicken ham? YAY!!! It tastes so good. I made myself famous for my sandwiches in school when I made veggie chicken ham sandwiches for my friends. A big winner with everyone I know who has tried it! My absolute favorite way to make this is to toast some slices until golden brown on both sides, and put some gouda cheese over the toasted slices until it melts. Pop into two slices of bread and YUM!!!
Don't knock it 'til you try it
Bottom line: give it a try. Your taste may differ from mine and many others, so don't just take for granted when someone says they don't like it. You won't know if you like it or not until you try it. Give it a try! You may surprise yourself and your friends and family.
Also bear in mind that the way something is cooked plays a large part in how it will taste. One person may cook something a way you don't like, but someone else might make it your new favorite food. Stay open-minded, and don't knock it 'til you try it!
Showing posts with label vegetarian lamb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetarian lamb. Show all posts
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Curried Vegetarian Lamb & Veggies, Dhal, and easy Swiss Rice
I know, I know, I've been lazy. Bad AJ. Hear my excuse: busy schedule. That's all I have to say for myself. I still have a busy schedule, but I have a bit more free time at the moment than I did..during...the..last..entry...and I honestly don't know when that was O_o.
So I'm back because Anita requested some veggie recipes for an upcoming period of time and I thought ohmigod someone reads my food blog! and ohmigod a request from a real live person! and so I'm back here with a goofy smile on my face, ready to take on the heat (pun intended) once again.
Throughout this hectic month of May, I haven't stopped cooking, and so I decided I'll focus on the most outstanding meal of the month (hahaha that sounds like an award) first. Just last week I made an easy version of swiss rice, curried vegetarian lamb with veggies, red beans, and dhal (split peas). Here go my explanations.
There are different versions of different kinds of rice. I don't know where I first saw someone throw in some spice or the other into their boiling pot to make their rice swiss, but I've since alternated my spices with my own easy version. I wasn't too eager to try vegetarian lamb at first, but once cooked the right way, it does wonders. For example, with this meal. Red beans should be a no brainer (easy version: I usually drain out the water from the can - yes I get too lazy to soak them overnight - and saute some onions in a couple tbsp of oil, then throw in the beans, stir, simmer, add liquid and salt and pepper to my taste, simmer, and voila) but as my brain is quite tired at the moment, I'll leave the big, long process out of this one. Dhal is also called split pea soup by some. I just know it as dhal, a popular Trinidadian dish. It's also famous for being a prime meal as a soup in bars and as a hangover helper.
HOW I MADE IT
Rice: I put up about 3 1/4 cups of water to boil with a dash of salt and a drop of oil. Once the water was boiling, I threw in the 2 1/2 cups of washed rice and stirred in a tablespoon of ground ginger (fresh ginger works better) and a 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamon (elychee). About 12-15 minutes later, I strained the rice and it was ready to eat!
Curried Veg. Lamb & Veggies: I put about two tablespoons of oil in a hot pot and wait for it to heat up. I mix about 1 tablespoon of curry powder and 1/4 tablespoon of anchar massala powder together, and add it to the pot. Stirring up the curry mix, I wait until all the powder is somewhat grainy and add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and leave it to simmer. While this is simmering, I add 1-2 sliced hot peppers (omit if you don't like it spicy), 2 finely chopped pimientos, and 2 1/2 cups of mixed veggies ( I used corn, sweet peppers, peas, carrots, cauliflower, baby carrots,and string beans) and stir until the sauce thickens. Then add 2-3 cups of chopped veg. lamb (seasoned with salt, pepper, and chopped green seasoning to taste) and stir again. Once the sauce has thickened to the extent that it begins slowly sticking to the pot, I add four-five cups of coconut milk and let it simmer to the thickness I want. Once the sauce has achieved the consistency I want, I add a pinch of salt if necessary, and take off the stove. Done!
Dhal: I wash about 1 1/2 cups of dhal (split peas) first, and add 1 flat teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of saffron, 1 crushed clove of garlic, some chopped green seasoning, and stir. I add some hot water, just covering the top of the dhal, and leave it to soak for about 20 minutes or so, and add it to a pot of boiling water, where I leave it to boil for upwards of 15 minutes until the split peas are soft. Using a wooden swizel stick (ghutney), I swirl and mash the peas to increase the thickness. I leave it to simmer until it has the thickness I want, and take it off the stove. Then I put up a metal ladle (kalchul) on the stove burner, filling it just about half way with oil (I use a good sized one - that's about two tablespoons of oil). When the oil is hot, add about one tablespoon of geera (whole cumin). This process is called patching the geera in the oil. Once the geera browns, add one crushed, minced clove of garlic and 1/4 of an onion, finely sliced. I also add a whole pepper, slashed in the middle, but leave that out if you don't want it spicy. I usually turn this with a metal fork to ensure everything is browned (I love the onions all caramelized-y). Then lift the lid off of the dhal pot very slightly, and sneak the ladle/kalchul in there. That's right, just dunk it in and slam the cover on it (not loudly). The sizzly sound makes me giddy :) Stir it all up with your ladle/kalchul and get ready to serve. If you choose, you can do like my grandmother and boil the dhal with a whole pepper. For all the pepper lovers out there, it's heavenly.
REVIEWS
Best idea ever! I loved it, I loved it, and ohhhh how I loved it! There are no pictures to show you because it all finished very quickly due to greediness. Hopefully, the next time I make this (definitely a new fave!) I'll stop, clamp my watering mouth, and take a few pics to add later on. Right now, use your imagination. The rice was the perfect complement to the sweet, savoury, flavorful, in your face curry, and the dhal and red beans just enhanced it by that much extra. I wanted to drink the dhal alone...I wanted to sit down and eat the curry meal...I wanted to eat the rice and oh the beans and OMG...you must try it! It was HEAVENLY!!!!
As for hubby, Mr. I-automatically-hate-anything-vegetarian-or-healthy could not stop talking about how good it was! He can't wait for me to make it again and interrupted me mid-conversation a few times just to describe how much he loved it. Did I say best idea ever? I repeat: BEST IDEA EVER!!!!
I'm going out on a limb here, but have you heard of engagement chicken and so on? FORGET THAT!!! If you have vegetarian in-laws or new friends or soulmate hopeful or whatever, MAKE IT! They will love you, and they will love this. As a warning to people that advertise their cooking skills: people often expect you to become their personal cook. True story. But I repeat, this meal was THE BEST IDEA EVER!!!
So I'm back because Anita requested some veggie recipes for an upcoming period of time and I thought ohmigod someone reads my food blog! and ohmigod a request from a real live person! and so I'm back here with a goofy smile on my face, ready to take on the heat (pun intended) once again.
Throughout this hectic month of May, I haven't stopped cooking, and so I decided I'll focus on the most outstanding meal of the month (hahaha that sounds like an award) first. Just last week I made an easy version of swiss rice, curried vegetarian lamb with veggies, red beans, and dhal (split peas). Here go my explanations.
There are different versions of different kinds of rice. I don't know where I first saw someone throw in some spice or the other into their boiling pot to make their rice swiss, but I've since alternated my spices with my own easy version. I wasn't too eager to try vegetarian lamb at first, but once cooked the right way, it does wonders. For example, with this meal. Red beans should be a no brainer (easy version: I usually drain out the water from the can - yes I get too lazy to soak them overnight - and saute some onions in a couple tbsp of oil, then throw in the beans, stir, simmer, add liquid and salt and pepper to my taste, simmer, and voila) but as my brain is quite tired at the moment, I'll leave the big, long process out of this one. Dhal is also called split pea soup by some. I just know it as dhal, a popular Trinidadian dish. It's also famous for being a prime meal as a soup in bars and as a hangover helper.
HOW I MADE IT
Rice: I put up about 3 1/4 cups of water to boil with a dash of salt and a drop of oil. Once the water was boiling, I threw in the 2 1/2 cups of washed rice and stirred in a tablespoon of ground ginger (fresh ginger works better) and a 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamon (elychee). About 12-15 minutes later, I strained the rice and it was ready to eat!
Curried Veg. Lamb & Veggies: I put about two tablespoons of oil in a hot pot and wait for it to heat up. I mix about 1 tablespoon of curry powder and 1/4 tablespoon of anchar massala powder together, and add it to the pot. Stirring up the curry mix, I wait until all the powder is somewhat grainy and add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and leave it to simmer. While this is simmering, I add 1-2 sliced hot peppers (omit if you don't like it spicy), 2 finely chopped pimientos, and 2 1/2 cups of mixed veggies ( I used corn, sweet peppers, peas, carrots, cauliflower, baby carrots,and string beans) and stir until the sauce thickens. Then add 2-3 cups of chopped veg. lamb (seasoned with salt, pepper, and chopped green seasoning to taste) and stir again. Once the sauce has thickened to the extent that it begins slowly sticking to the pot, I add four-five cups of coconut milk and let it simmer to the thickness I want. Once the sauce has achieved the consistency I want, I add a pinch of salt if necessary, and take off the stove. Done!
Dhal: I wash about 1 1/2 cups of dhal (split peas) first, and add 1 flat teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of saffron, 1 crushed clove of garlic, some chopped green seasoning, and stir. I add some hot water, just covering the top of the dhal, and leave it to soak for about 20 minutes or so, and add it to a pot of boiling water, where I leave it to boil for upwards of 15 minutes until the split peas are soft. Using a wooden swizel stick (ghutney), I swirl and mash the peas to increase the thickness. I leave it to simmer until it has the thickness I want, and take it off the stove. Then I put up a metal ladle (kalchul) on the stove burner, filling it just about half way with oil (I use a good sized one - that's about two tablespoons of oil). When the oil is hot, add about one tablespoon of geera (whole cumin). This process is called patching the geera in the oil. Once the geera browns, add one crushed, minced clove of garlic and 1/4 of an onion, finely sliced. I also add a whole pepper, slashed in the middle, but leave that out if you don't want it spicy. I usually turn this with a metal fork to ensure everything is browned (I love the onions all caramelized-y). Then lift the lid off of the dhal pot very slightly, and sneak the ladle/kalchul in there. That's right, just dunk it in and slam the cover on it (not loudly). The sizzly sound makes me giddy :) Stir it all up with your ladle/kalchul and get ready to serve. If you choose, you can do like my grandmother and boil the dhal with a whole pepper. For all the pepper lovers out there, it's heavenly.
REVIEWS
Best idea ever! I loved it, I loved it, and ohhhh how I loved it! There are no pictures to show you because it all finished very quickly due to greediness. Hopefully, the next time I make this (definitely a new fave!) I'll stop, clamp my watering mouth, and take a few pics to add later on. Right now, use your imagination. The rice was the perfect complement to the sweet, savoury, flavorful, in your face curry, and the dhal and red beans just enhanced it by that much extra. I wanted to drink the dhal alone...I wanted to sit down and eat the curry meal...I wanted to eat the rice and oh the beans and OMG...you must try it! It was HEAVENLY!!!!
As for hubby, Mr. I-automatically-hate-anything-vegetarian-or-healthy could not stop talking about how good it was! He can't wait for me to make it again and interrupted me mid-conversation a few times just to describe how much he loved it. Did I say best idea ever? I repeat: BEST IDEA EVER!!!!
I'm going out on a limb here, but have you heard of engagement chicken and so on? FORGET THAT!!! If you have vegetarian in-laws or new friends or soulmate hopeful or whatever, MAKE IT! They will love you, and they will love this. As a warning to people that advertise their cooking skills: people often expect you to become their personal cook. True story. But I repeat, this meal was THE BEST IDEA EVER!!!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Vegetarian Empanadas (healthier too)
During the previous week, one of hubby's friends, K, invited us to join him and his girlfriend, L, on a lime (basic hang out session in Trinidad) going up to Toco (a beautiful and famous beach higher up on the island, and quite far for most Trinis. We agreed to wait on a plan, and so, by yesterday morning, (Easter Sunday) hubby and I sat in the back galeria waiting for word of whether any such plan would happen, and where the change of plans would take us.
As the morning quickly turned into afternoon, we all finally agreed on going Mayaro instead, as it was much too late to even attempt the Toco drive, especially with just us four at such a late hour.
Throughout the anticipation though, I had a different plan to consider. As the only vegetarian on board, I and I alone would have to organize something entirely different for me if we were going to cook on the beach for three meat eaters.
As I got lost in my thoughts (once again), I reminisced upon the cuisine of Brooklyn, somewhere I had lived for seven years as a child. As a result of such thoughts, I began craving the old neighborhood food of different cultures. I thought of the big Italian pizza place down the street, the Italian icees sold by carts on every corner, the Spanish snow cones (mango flavored with condensed milk = yum!) on every other corner, and the Mexican empanadas.
Once I got to the subject of empanadas, my brain did something like this: Empanadas. Mmmmm. I want some. I need some. I should have some. Trinidad doesn't have empanadas. *sigh* *gasp* I could...MAKE...empanadas! But wait...I don't have a recipe...I don't have the slightest clue how they do it! Hmmm...the guy on the corner of Fabco shoes used to pat out his dough, fill it with chicken or beef, mark the edges, and dunk it in oil...it wouldn't take too long to fry too...oh yeah...I can do this!
And so I rushed over to the kitchen as I began processing my own way of creating these fried goodies.
HOW I MADE IT
I put some frozen vegetarian lamb and dried soya chunks to soak in hot water. While that soaked, I put about one cup of flour in a medium sized bowl, leaving some extra on hand to knead the dough. I added about 3/4 of a teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 cup of whole wheat bran, a dash of salt, a dash of sugar, and about 1/2 cup of cornmeal. I mixed all the dry ingredients together, and poured about a cup of lukewarm water as I began kneading it into a dough.
I put the dough aside and drained the water out of the soya chunks and veggie lamb with my hands before washing with flour and water and draining again about three times. I brought the bowl over to my cutting board and diced everything.
I got some pimiento peppers from my little garden (you can replace with jalapenos or any other flavorful pepper without a bitter taste), as well as some green seasoning like chive, podina, and culantro (any green seasoning you have on hand works). I finely chopped the pimientos and green seasoning and put a large saucepan on the stove on medium to high heat.
I started off with a roux once the pot was hot, adding two tablespoons of flour to about two tablespoon of melted butter already in the pan and began mixing with my wooden spoon. I added the pimientos, green seasoning, and 3/4 cup of mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn, string beans) followed by about a tablespoon each of chili powder, paprika, oregano, and maggi seasoning (or any bouillon cube). I mixed this together, threw in the soya and veggie lamb, and covered the pot for a minute. Then I uncovered the pot and mixed everything together as I added about a 1/4 cup of water. Then I added a large dash of salt, black pepper, and brown sugar.
I turned the heat down to medium to low, covered the pot, and put the dough on a floured counter as I began patting it down to a circle. I took a spoon and cut the circle into eight, and put the pieces aside. Each piece was now triangular shaped, so I took the three corners of each piece, and pushed it together, and then down, to begin forming a ball.
I patted each ball down to make a small to medium sized circle and took my filling off the stove. I gathered the filling to the center of the pot and then divided it into eight as well, and filled each circle with filling.
I then closed each circle over the filling, forming a semi-circle, and sealed the outer edges on both sides with a fork. I fried each empanada in a small frying pan with soyabean oil at medium to low heat once the oil was hot enough to start, and left them for one minute on each side.
Once taken out, I placed them on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
REVIEWS
K and L were kind enough to buy KFC for everyone once the plan to cook on the beach was squashed (mashed potatoes & gravy and fries for me), so the empanadas were not needed, especially as I was too excited taking pictures of the beautiful scenery as well as hubby and K playing football (soccer), to actually eat there.
I remembered the empanadas quite a while after we got home, and just around the time I was planning on going to bed. Remembering the empanadas made me so hungry I didn't bother reheating them and as I had taken up the most browned one, the crust had hardened as it cooled throughout the day and I ate everything but the crust. An hour later I ate from the rest of properly fried ones and ate most of the crust, but I think it would have been better if I microwaved it first. I remembered this morning that the empanada man used to serve his hot, straight out of the oil, onto a heating rack. Regardless, I loved it! The inside was juicy and packed with flavor, so I didn't need the oyster sauce I made to go with it.
Hubby tried one last night as well, and his eyebrows raised as he nodded in agreement and mumbled something that sounded like "mmmhmmmm this is good". He microwaved one this morning after it was refrigerated overnight and shared the same sentiments, with the exception of the crust beginning to harden once it cooled down.
I will definitely make these again, but next time I'll make sure everyone has it straight out of the frying pan, just like the empanada man does it in Brooklyn.
P.S. I returned to the area about a year and a half ago and he's still there. I'm guessing having them hot really does do wonders for the business ^_^
As the morning quickly turned into afternoon, we all finally agreed on going Mayaro instead, as it was much too late to even attempt the Toco drive, especially with just us four at such a late hour.
Throughout the anticipation though, I had a different plan to consider. As the only vegetarian on board, I and I alone would have to organize something entirely different for me if we were going to cook on the beach for three meat eaters.
As I got lost in my thoughts (once again), I reminisced upon the cuisine of Brooklyn, somewhere I had lived for seven years as a child. As a result of such thoughts, I began craving the old neighborhood food of different cultures. I thought of the big Italian pizza place down the street, the Italian icees sold by carts on every corner, the Spanish snow cones (mango flavored with condensed milk = yum!) on every other corner, and the Mexican empanadas.
Once I got to the subject of empanadas, my brain did something like this: Empanadas. Mmmmm. I want some. I need some. I should have some. Trinidad doesn't have empanadas. *sigh* *gasp* I could...MAKE...empanadas! But wait...I don't have a recipe...I don't have the slightest clue how they do it! Hmmm...the guy on the corner of Fabco shoes used to pat out his dough, fill it with chicken or beef, mark the edges, and dunk it in oil...it wouldn't take too long to fry too...oh yeah...I can do this!
And so I rushed over to the kitchen as I began processing my own way of creating these fried goodies.
HOW I MADE IT
I put some frozen vegetarian lamb and dried soya chunks to soak in hot water. While that soaked, I put about one cup of flour in a medium sized bowl, leaving some extra on hand to knead the dough. I added about 3/4 of a teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 cup of whole wheat bran, a dash of salt, a dash of sugar, and about 1/2 cup of cornmeal. I mixed all the dry ingredients together, and poured about a cup of lukewarm water as I began kneading it into a dough.
I put the dough aside and drained the water out of the soya chunks and veggie lamb with my hands before washing with flour and water and draining again about three times. I brought the bowl over to my cutting board and diced everything.
I got some pimiento peppers from my little garden (you can replace with jalapenos or any other flavorful pepper without a bitter taste), as well as some green seasoning like chive, podina, and culantro (any green seasoning you have on hand works). I finely chopped the pimientos and green seasoning and put a large saucepan on the stove on medium to high heat.
I started off with a roux once the pot was hot, adding two tablespoons of flour to about two tablespoon of melted butter already in the pan and began mixing with my wooden spoon. I added the pimientos, green seasoning, and 3/4 cup of mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn, string beans) followed by about a tablespoon each of chili powder, paprika, oregano, and maggi seasoning (or any bouillon cube). I mixed this together, threw in the soya and veggie lamb, and covered the pot for a minute. Then I uncovered the pot and mixed everything together as I added about a 1/4 cup of water. Then I added a large dash of salt, black pepper, and brown sugar.
I turned the heat down to medium to low, covered the pot, and put the dough on a floured counter as I began patting it down to a circle. I took a spoon and cut the circle into eight, and put the pieces aside. Each piece was now triangular shaped, so I took the three corners of each piece, and pushed it together, and then down, to begin forming a ball.
I patted each ball down to make a small to medium sized circle and took my filling off the stove. I gathered the filling to the center of the pot and then divided it into eight as well, and filled each circle with filling.
I then closed each circle over the filling, forming a semi-circle, and sealed the outer edges on both sides with a fork. I fried each empanada in a small frying pan with soyabean oil at medium to low heat once the oil was hot enough to start, and left them for one minute on each side.
Once taken out, I placed them on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
REVIEWS
K and L were kind enough to buy KFC for everyone once the plan to cook on the beach was squashed (mashed potatoes & gravy and fries for me), so the empanadas were not needed, especially as I was too excited taking pictures of the beautiful scenery as well as hubby and K playing football (soccer), to actually eat there.
I remembered the empanadas quite a while after we got home, and just around the time I was planning on going to bed. Remembering the empanadas made me so hungry I didn't bother reheating them and as I had taken up the most browned one, the crust had hardened as it cooled throughout the day and I ate everything but the crust. An hour later I ate from the rest of properly fried ones and ate most of the crust, but I think it would have been better if I microwaved it first. I remembered this morning that the empanada man used to serve his hot, straight out of the oil, onto a heating rack. Regardless, I loved it! The inside was juicy and packed with flavor, so I didn't need the oyster sauce I made to go with it.
Hubby tried one last night as well, and his eyebrows raised as he nodded in agreement and mumbled something that sounded like "mmmhmmmm this is good". He microwaved one this morning after it was refrigerated overnight and shared the same sentiments, with the exception of the crust beginning to harden once it cooled down.
I will definitely make these again, but next time I'll make sure everyone has it straight out of the frying pan, just like the empanada man does it in Brooklyn.
P.S. I returned to the area about a year and a half ago and he's still there. I'm guessing having them hot really does do wonders for the business ^_^
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