College Vegetarian Cooking_ Feed Yourself and Your Friends - Megan Carle [32]
Vegetable Empanadas
Vegetable Empanadas
You can make these empanadas whatever size you want. If you want to have something a bit more substantial, you can make them bigger and have fewer of them, or you can make them smaller and take them as an appetizer to a party. Either way: yummy. –J
Serves 4
2 zucchini
1 onion
2 potatoes
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper
2 prepared piecrusts
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Trim and discard the ends of the zucchini and cut into ½-inch pieces. Peel the onion and potatoes and cut into ½-inch pieces.
Place the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, onion, and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the juice from the tomatoes and add them to the pan. Add the crushed red pepper and cook for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes are warm. Season with salt and pepper.
Lay the piecrusts on a flat surface and cut each one in half. Spoon one-fourth of the vegetable mixture into the center of one half circle of dough. Wet your finger and dampen the entire edge of the dough, then fold the dough over and press all around the edges with a fork to seal. Cut a slit in the top of the dough and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown, and serve immediately.
Food Trivia:
Here is some silly trivia about onions: Consuming nearly 67 pounds per year, Libyans eat more onions per capita than any other country. In comparison, we Americans gobble down a measly 20 pounds per person each year. My only hope is that they use a proportionate amount of breath mints.
Barbecue Tofu with Onion Rings
The secret to this recipe is the second layer of flour on the tofu. It makes for a nice thick layer of batter that stays crispy even once the barbecue sauce is on it. The tricky part about his recipe is the frying. Even though you only use an inch or two of oil, be sure to use a big, deep pot or pan just in case it splashes, and use a long spoon or spatula, preferably slotted, to turn the onion rings and tofu because it hurts like heck to burn yourself with hot oil. And please don’t be scared off by these tips; frying is really pretty easy as long as you take the proper precautions, and your tastebuds will definitely be happy with the end result! –M
Serves 4
1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu
2 large onions
1 egg
¼ cup water
2 cups flour
Salt and pepper
Canola oil for frying
½ cup barbecue sauce
Drain the tofu and cut it into ¼-inch-thick slices. Lay the pieces between several paper towels, top with a heavy pan, and let stand for 15 minutes to press out any excess water.
Peel the onions and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Place the onion rings in ice-cold water until ready to use.
Beat the egg and water together in a shallow bowl. Place 1 cup of the flour in a shallow bowl. Season the flour heavily with salt and pepper and stir it in.
Pour about 1½ inches of oil into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat until very hot (about 350°F). (A tiny drop of water added to the pan should immediately cause the oil to bubble up.) Dip the tofu into the flour, then the egg, then the flour again. Carefully place the tofu into the oil using a slotted spoon and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Remove the onion rings from the water and blot lightly on paper towels. Place the remaining 1 cup of flour into a large resealable bag and add some of the onions. Shake until they are