So Corny: Empanadas Humitas!

Last night's dinner, yet again, featured fabulous Vegan Latina tester recipes from the talented Terry Hope Romero! Since I am still craving that corn like crazy, it was the star of last night's dinner again!

These are the Empanadas Humitas, aka Creamy Corn Empanadas, and, as the name suggests, they basically consist of a creamy corn filling inside a flaky, tender pastry crust. I cannot tell which part I love more, the filling or the crust, but for now I will just say I love them both equally! Awesome in a little of the So Good, So Green Dipping Sauce I mentioned a few days ago (another VL tester recipe, of course.)!
And an inside shot...so naughty...I served them up with Tofu Chicharrones, which is Terry's veganized version of the traditional pork chicharrones, which is kind of like fried fat back from pork (ew. i know. but trust me the cruelty-free version is the bomb.)....these are so smoky and chewy and wonderful! They tofu is frozen, thawed, and pressed, which gives these little bits of yum a nice mouthfeel. I ate this plain for dinner, but I want to make lots of this in the future to put in tacos and such.
The other side dish I made was the Braised Brazilian Shredded Kale tester recipe. Fresh kale is braised with onions and liquid smoke for great flavors, and comes out with an amazing texture from the fine shredding technique. This would be an awesome side dish to any Latina-themed meal, but it went especially well with this little VL feast!

Corn Porn: Tempeh Tostadas! Mexican Corn!

Fresh, local sweet corn is one of my favorite things about summer!! Corn is so perfect because it is so tasty, so versatile, and so easy to prepare! Of course, looking for local and/or organic corn is ideal for both health and environmental sustainability, but that is easy to find here in Missouri!
I am trying to do a lot of recipe testing for Terry's Vegan Latina cookbook this week, and corn is a huge staple in Latina cooking, so this seasonal delight is showing up on my plate often! No complaints here!

Dinner last night was pretty corn-happy:

Fresh organic corn! Turned into..

A Vegan Latina tester recipe: Mexican Side-Street Corn! Fresh corn is roasted and smothered in all sorts of spices and lime juice! whoa!

Another VL tester recipe: Tempeh Asado! The vegan version of the traditional (and cruel.) carne asada. Tempeh marinated in awesome spices and lime juice, then pan-grilled. It was soooo flavorful!! Tempeh is so wonderful for soaking up flavors and holding on tightly to them until they meet your tongue! The Tempeh Asado is perfect for tacos, burritos, or any Mexican-themed meal...

So I put mine in tostadas for dinner last night! I needed to use up the rest of my tostadas, so Tempeh Asado Tostadas were a great opportunity to reduce my waste. The corny flavor and crunch texture of the tostadas went perfectly with the chewy, savory, tangy tempeh...and some fixings like avocado, red onion, tomato, and local salsa, of course!

And I had some leftover Latina tester So Good, So Green Dipping Sauce which made the feast complete! BTW I moved to Kansas City last week (from Columbia...not too far away)! This was one of my first meals in my new apartment! yay! That made this meal all the more special!

And if you are in KC or thereabouts, holla at me and we can make/eat/demolish some food together or ride bikes or just cause some old-fashioned vegan mayhem in the city! yay!

Black-Eyed Pea and Corn Cakes

Who doesn't love a good fritter?? Well, I certainly do...which is why I was so excited when Bianca of Vegan Crunk posted a fritter made of black-eyed peas (yum) and corn (double yum) as a tester recipe for her Cookin' Crunk cookbook! These little gems are served with a Roasted Red Pepper Creme as a garnish, which compliments them oh so well. These Black-Eyed Pea and Corn Cakes can be served as an appetizer or along with a few sides as a main dish! Can I just say how deeply I am in love with corn?? wow.

I served them as a main dish, with some awesome organic coleslaw on the side....what a great hot summer night's dinner!

Crunk Testing and A Perfect Breakfast!

I have some amazing recipes for the Vegan Crunk cookbook, Cookin' Crunk, testing project to share with you! I must warn you, though...these look really tasty, so don't try to eat your computer! Just enjoy the pics and wait for the book to come out so you can enjoy them at home for reals! Tempeh Bacon,

getting ready for BLT deliciousness

Granny's Corn Casserole,

served with smoky baked tofu and greens

Now for a wonderful winter-time breakfast: Breakfast Apples and "Sausage." This dish is inspired by one of the menu items at my favorite breakfast place in Columbia, Cafe Berlin. It is a combination of veggie sausage (I used my vegan andouille sausage, because the cafe uses real, local andouille meat sausage, red onion, garlic, apples, spices, and maple syrup. Sooooo flippin good! It was pretty easy to recreate and I was so pleased with the sweet and savory combination of the dish!! Breakfast is served!

Breakfast Apples and "Sausage" (serves 2)

1 tsp olive oil (can also use vegan margarine if you are feeling adventurous)

1 cup red onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large organic apple, sliced thinly

1/4 cup REAL maple syrup

1 cup water

1 Tbs cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 vegan sausage links, sliced (or 1/2 block diced tempeh for a gluten-free meal)

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the sliced red onion and saute 5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add in the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the sausage slices, apple slices, cinnamon, chili powder, and cayenne. Saute for 2-3 minutes until apple begins to soften. Add the maple syrup and water, then turn the heat up to medium-high. Bring to a light boil, then add the salt and pepper, cover and turn to low. Cook on low heat for 5 or so minutes, until the apples and onions are softened and the liquid is almost fully reduced. Remove from heat and serve!

--This is GREAT with a few slices of toast slathered with sweet potato butter or some raspberry jam!! And don't forget the coffee!--