Cookbook Shelf: Viva Vegan!

Latin recipes are known to be heavy on spice, as well as beef, chicken, seafood, cheese, and eggs, which are all no-nos in a vegan diet. But is it possible to recreate meat-and-dairy-free versions of classic dishes without losing their delicious essence?

Enter Terry Hope Romero’s vegan-centric cookbook, Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers. The vegan chef and co-author of Veganomicon, is back with another cookbook, this time focusing specifically on Latin food.

Romero’s Venezuelan roots, and experience working New York’s Bachué restaurant, gave her the know-how to “veganize” Latin American meals that rival their non-vegan counterparts, all while remaining 100% animal-free. Her mouth-watering recipes, spanning 285 pages with colorful photos, are so tasty you won’t miss the usual meat or dairy ingredients. Her use of herbs, spices, vegetables, legumes, and fruits that are essential to Latin cooking, shows you how to prepare vegan fare without compromising flavor and authenticity.

Alternative twists on your favorite meals include: Potato-Chickpea Enchiladas with Green Tomatillo Sauce, Chocolate Mole Veggie Tamales, Taquitos with Chorizo and Potatoes, and Vanilla-Coconut Flan. Other recipes range from salsas and condiments, to drinks and desserts, to one-pot stews.

Viva Vegan! also contains a helpful section, useful for everyone from beginner cooks to professional chefs. Within, Romero familiarizes readers with the Latin vegan pantry, must-have kitchen tools, and helpful cooking tips and techniques. Not only could this cookbook convert even the most hard-core carnivore to veganism, it gives you the knowledge you need to work your way around the kitchen.

Here are two recipes from the book to wet your palate!

Creamy Corn-Filled Empanadas (Empanadas Humitas)

• 1 Wheat Empanada Dough, cut into 6-inch rounds
• 3 tablespoons nonhydrogenated vegan margarine
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives (sub: garlic or green onions)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (crumbled)
• 5 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed and drained if frozen; 6 to 8 ears, if fresh)
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2/3 cup soy creamer (sub: heavy cream substitute or nondairy milk)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
• Pinch cayenne
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup soy creamer or nondairy milk for brushing

Get the full recipe.

So Good, So Green Dipping Sauce (Green Aji Sauce)

• 1-3 fresh green chiles such as jalapeño or serrano (seeds removed for less heat)
• 2 cloves garlic (chopped coarsely)
• 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 pound romaine lettuce (about 1⁄4 of a large head), leaves chopped coarsely
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (lightly packed)
• 3 whole green onions (trimmed and chopped)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
• 2-4 tablespoons water

Get the full recipe.