You guys! This is my favorite new cookbook! It is going to be a challenge the likes of which I have not seen since I started cooking vegan. Eddie Garza, a brilliant vegan chef, has put together Salud Vegan Mexican with 150 recipes – from tamales to churros. So much of this book is foreign to me and thus I have no idea what I will be making!
I started with an easy one – palm heart cauliflower ceviche which is not only fantastic but ridiculously easy. Just chop and drop. I’ve never eaten ceviche so I have nothing to compare it to but I served it to some omnivores who said it was the best ceviche they ever had!
Now, did you catch that I said there is a recipe for churros?! I have not had churros in forever but recently my son came home from school asking for churros because the rest of the kids got them for a special treat and there was no vegan option. I was at a loss but then this book arrived and voila! So I made them and they are easy and fantastic.
As for the rest of this book? Well, I have a lot of work to do but I am totally inspired. There are so many recipes I want to make – garbanzorizo, tofu huevos, sopes, mole, migas, chilaquiles – and on and on! Plus, I will have to check my versions of enchiladas, tortillas, chimichurri and whatever else to see if I am even close to the real thing!
Thank you Eddie Garza for making my vegan boy’s dreams come true and for the best new vegan cookbook I have seen in a long time!
Follow me on Instagram where I will be sharing photos of what I make. If you want the recipes, you will have to buy the book. But, lucky for you I got permission to reprint the ceviche and churros! Enjoy.
Palm Hearts and Cauliflower Ceviche
SERVES 6 • PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES, PLUS 1 HOUR TO CHILL
Ceviche, a dish known for its refreshing flavors and unique textures, now comes to you in an entirely plant-based form, thanks to hearts of palm and cauliflower. Various kinds of seafood have found their way into differ- ent ceviches over the years, but for this recipe, I go for multilayered hearts of palm. Hearts of palm can mimic both scallops and calamari rings when the center of the palm heart is separated from its outer ring. By chopping raw cauliflower into small pieces, we are able to pack a soft crunch into the dish, ensuring that this new ceviche delivers on both texture and freshness.
Palm Hearts and Cauliflower Ceviche
Ingredients
- 2 large Roma tomatoes diced into cubes
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 jalapeño chiles seeded and chopped
- 1 cucumber diced into cubes
- 1 cup finely chopped cauliflower
- 1 14-ounce can hearts of palm, drained, centers pushed out, cut into slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 avocado peeled, seeded, and diced
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeños, cucumber, and cauliflower. Mix well.
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Add the hearts of palm, olive oil, and lemon juice, and mix.
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Add the avocado, season with salt and pepper, and toss gently.
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Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Recipe Notes
This hearty ceviche recipe is served best on its own, or with saltine crackers.
Churros with Spiced Mexican Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
CHURROS
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
- 4 cups vegetable oil divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
SAUCE
- 1 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips 6 ounces Mexican chocolate roughly
- chopped or broken into small pieces
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste Pinch of salt
Instructions
CHURROS:
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In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine the water, 1 cup of sugar, salt, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Bring to a boil, then promptly remove from the heat.
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Add the flour and stir with a sturdy wooden spoon, making sure all the flour is completely mixed in. Check to make sure there are no pockets of dry flour hiding in your dough.
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Allow the dough to cool for a few minutes, then place it into a cloth piping bag with a large star tip on it. The large tip ensures you are not working too hard to squeeze the dough out.
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Pipe out your churros, about 4 inches long, onto a nonstick or wax paper–lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Cold churro dough is easy to handle and fries better.
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In a large pot, bring the rest of the vegetable oil to 350°F, using a thermometer to keep an eye on the oil temperature. This is very important for getting a nicely fried churro. You may have to adjust the heat on your stovetop to keep the oil at a constant temperature during frying.
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Slide a few churros into the oil. Make sure to leave enough room for them to float around in the pot. Fry the churros until they are golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes each.
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Remove the churros from the oil with a slotted spoon or tongs. Let them drain on a rack over a baking sheet or on paper towels.
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Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss the churros around in the bowl, a few at a time, to coat.
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Serve drizzled with Mexican Spiced Chocolate Sauce.
SAUCE:
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Bring the coco- nut milk and almond milk to a boil over medium-high heat, then promptly remove from the heat.
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Whisk the chocolate chips and pieces of Mexican chocolate a little at a time into the hot milks, until everything is melted and combined.
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Stir in the cayenne and salt.
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Keep warm on the stovetop next to the heat but not on a direct flame.
Recipe Notes
COOKING TIP: The churro dough will keep in the piping bag for a couple of days in the refrigerator if you aren’t making them all at once.
Great recipe 🙂