Beans and Rice, Los Dos Amigos
Basic beans from scratch
This is pretty much how I make beans anyway, except without salting first. I thought that made beans tough, maybe it doesn't, idk. Anyway, I followed this (except salt) for pinto beans. It worked, but I think the boiling time is too long - after soaking overnight, beans usually take 60-90 minutes to cook for me, and I believe she mentions 2-2.5 hours. (fb)
I've cooked beans many times, but never with kombu. Thanks to faunablues, I had some to add. She says in one portion of the book that the adding salt during cooking making beans tough thing is a myth. Which I believe, because I've always added salt anyway, and never had any problems. I used pinto beans, and soaked them for about 7 hours. I also think the given cooking time is too long (2-2.5 hours), because mine were very done after about 1 hour. I added part of an onion for flavor. (AC)
This was the first time I'd cooked beans, and I think it turned out very well. Definetely tastes better than canned beans! But I agree with the above reviews, the stated cooking time is too long. I cooked the beans for a little less than two hours and they were almost too soft. But I soaked my beans for longer than 8 hours. (eldsjal)
Homestyle refried beans
I decided to make this recipe because I had a bag of oldish pinto beans and a few onions taking up space in a cabinet.  I thought, 'how good could refried beans be?', then I thought, 'it's Sunday, what better do I have to do?'  They are 100% worth the effort!  You can't possibly imagine how deeply flavorful these beans are.  Rich, creamy, almost decadent.  AND...they practically make themselves.  I immersion-blended mine after cooking. (mdv)
I usually add seasoning/stuff to my beans anyway (homemade or not), so these weren't spectacular to me. They are very tasty, though..and I like the consistency of a liquidy bean. Not a recipe I'd follow again, but good. (AC)
A bit boring. I didn't find them very flavorful even though I used home cooked beans, so I added more spices but it still wasn't great. Don't see any reason to use this recipe again. (eldsjal)
Red beans with Dominican style sazon
I really liked the sazon. I omitted the OJ since i was serving this with orange rice.  It was a tasty sauce.  I wasn't crazy about the beans I put in this -- I used canned kidney beans-- and if I make it again I will try it with a different kind of bean.    (thirteenblackbirds)
I used pinto beans because for the life of me I could not find red ones for less than $3 a pound (a crime). Anyway, the sazon has a mild pepper flavor because it is simmered for a while, and though this has orange juice it doesn't really have a distinctive orange flavor (I forgot that it even had it). I still felt like this was kind of plain though, and might be better mixed into other things, such as rice or stew. (fb)
Loved this.  I chose the optional addition of orange juice and that was a poor choice for me, too fruity and sweet.  That's not a reflection of the recipe but personal tastes and I like beans hot and spicy.  I was generous with the hot sauce on this and the orange juice interfered.  I used a poplano pepper instead of a cubanelle She cooks the heck out of the sazon 12 minutes in the fryer and 30 minutes with the beans. Question for the cooks.  I made the recipe pretty much following her instructions and as I was dumping the sazon and juice in the beans for the final cooking I realized I hadn't drained the cooked beans.   She clearly says to drain the beans of the soaking water, and maybe she presumes after cooking all the water would have been absorbed since she's specific about using 4.5 cups.   At this point should I have drained and rinsed the cooked beans?  I had water leftover in the beans, and they cooked quicker than the 1.5 to 2 hours, more like only one hour. (tweety)
Venezuelan style black beans (Caraotas)
Delicious!! The flavor here is perfect (plus more salt). I love the sweetness. Not too sweet, but perfect hint. I think next time I would make the tomato sofrito, instead of adding a tomato, because I couldn't tell it was there. Love these. (AC)
Delicious! Never thought of using brown sugar in beans but it worked so nicely. (intheend)
pretty basic recipe if you ask me.  I loved it though because being Floridian, this is the one Latin dish I've been exposed to over and over again.  I like this version better than the Cuban style I'm used to. I added a jalpeno because beans need heat.   It makes a ton and I'll be eating it for days.  (tweety)
Colombian style red beans
Fantastic!!!  I had made a red bean dish earlier in the week so used two cans of low sodium black beans, didn't add any extra salt because the broth had salt.  I used the slightly-ripe plantain like she suggested for more sweetness, but also added a chopped jalapeno for heat.  I used only 1.5 cups of broth and cut down the cooking time to only 20 minutes...I though 40 minutes would have been too mushy for my tastes.  I had the sofrito in the freezer from making a batch a while back, so this was a very easy dish to make. The combination of swet-hot and spicy was a winner.  (Tweety)
I served this with brazilian styled white rice and am glad I did because it balanced the sweetness from the beans due to using a ripe plantain. I felt like it would be too sweet to serve with plain white rice. Either way, this is a good dish and pretty effortless. Serve it up with some fried plantains on the side and you're good to go. (intheend)
These are pretty good. I used small red beans. I used red pepper in my sofrito so it was quite sweet with the plantain. Make sure you don't cook all the sauce away so you keep them with some juice for the rice. (blinknoodle)
Drunken beans with seitan chorizo
Normally I don't like going through all the effort of making bean dishes from scratch, but this was well worth it!  The beer adds a lot of flavor.  I didn't have any tequila on hand, so I didn't bother adding it.  The only thing I would change would be to add more tomatoes.  We had leftovers for a few days, so the last day, I added some extra tomato, and it was perfect! (kristinv)
the beans were awesome!  Very flavorful, even though I didn't use an authentic mexican beer - it was Sunday, so I used Coors Light....my only complaint is that the chorizo got mushy simmering in the beer for that long - I think I wouldn't add it next time until the very end, so it would stay a bit crispier....served it over Cilantro Lime Rice. (erinmonster)
delicious. i rarely start from dried beans but i think it definitely paid off in this recipe. i used negra modelo beer, no tequila, and no epazote (i subbed some cumin and coriander). also, i added the browned chorizo at the end (on top) because i didn't want it to get too soggy. next time i would mix it in during the final 5-10 minutes.   (thirteenblackbirds)
This turned out awesome! 5 stars (amymylove)
Costa Rican refried rice and beans (Gallo pinto)
Probably the best beans and rice I've had! I didn't even have the Worcestershire sauce to add (will do next time), but everything melded so well. I used a green pepper for the red, and two hot peppers. I also added a splash of sherry wine, and used the vegetable broth. Brown rice, and black beans. Had it with a cucumber, corn, and tomato salad. Yum! (AC)
Influenced by AC's review above, I gave it a goo....it's good..frying the rice gave it a bit of a geasy texture, but it was good...I used olive oil. I used red beans, and Thai chili's, and followed the recipe pretty faithfully, except I left out the salt because I used broth and canned beans that were salted.  (Tweety)
This was good. I'm surpried I liked it since it had liquid smoke and cumin in it (not a fan, usually). Very hardy and filling. I will make them again (dannibazaar)
I really loved this rice dish! The flavors were awesome... The vegan worchestire and liquid smoke make for an amazing rice recipe. (amymylove)
I used red beans from Venezuela.. mmm. They are fabulous in this dish. I also made sure to use the salsa lizano and was glad I did. This dish isn't strongly flavored and pairs wonderfully with some avocado slices on top. (intheend)
This was really good.  I did not have cilantro so I did not put it in.  The next time I make it the cilantro will be going in. (monkey7)
Love it.  So simple and easy and delicious.  I have made this two times so far and each time I've had to add a lot more liquid than it calls for but apart from that followed the recipe pretty much exactly.  I was usrprised at how much I like this recipe - given that I've made it twice in 3 weeks, it's a good sign. (shelloid)
Gallo Pinto is absolutely my favorite rice dish. I could easily eat this at least once a day for the rest of my life. But those of you who don't use salsa lizano, you're really missing out! I add about 3 tablespoons salsa lizano when cooking, and then top with some extra when serving. I also add a tablespoon of toasted sesame oil along with the beans and spices. This is what makes the perfect gallo pinto! My sister, who has lived in Costa Rica for quite some time always use toasted sesame oil when she makes gallo pinto. Try it! (And don't use quite as much oil for frying if you don't want too much fat). I also use home cooked beans, brown rice, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke instead of 1/2, an extra clove of garlic and more salt. Since I didn't have any cilantro (and don't like it much anyway), I subbed it with parsley and 1/2 tsp coriander. (eldsjal)
excellent. I definitely want to make this again. (thirteenblackbirds)
Classic stovetop long grain white or brown rice
This is a basic rice recipe, but it works well. I like to just keep an eye on it and take it off the heat as soon as the top looks to be getting fairly dry. I've done several versions (vegetable broth, garlic and onion, green onions, almonds, lime, pepper...) (AC)
I've never really liked rice, but since I first tried this recipe I think I love it! I think it's the margarine that does it, plus the half teaspoon of salt, which is more than I've used before when I've cooked rice. (eldsjal)
Cilantro lime rice
I like this. I used key (Mexican) limes, which are a little less bitter than regular limes, and it came out with a nice mild (but noticeable) lime flavor. I didn't use broth (just water), and used the specified amount of salt. Often stuff in v'con would be too salty if I did this, but this was perfect. I think the rice could even suffer more cilantro, but that's just me. I had it with thai curry. (fb)
Delicious! This is P's favorite rice ever, and I really like it. I used a veg. bouillon cube with a bit of soy sauce, and used two limes for zest and juice. I also did 2 green onions, instead of one. I usually do 2 cups liquid with 1 cup rice, but the 1.5 liquid worked just fine. It was absorbed in about 15 minutes, and the rice was actually done. I almost let it go too long! Pretty perfect. Would be great with lots of different things. Simple, quick, delish. (AC)
Very tasty side dish!  I used some sea salt and water rather than broth (amounts specified in recipe).  Served it with the Pan Grilled Vegetables in Chili Lime Beer, and the flavors of the two dishes worked nicely together. (kristinv)
Just what I'd expect and totally hit the spot. (intheend)
This is the second time now than I made the "Cilantro-Lime Rice" and this is a recipe I will be making often. I think 20 minutes cooking time is far too long. 15 would be better as my rice was a bit dry. I still needed the added salt, even though I used veggie broth, maybe the broth cubes I have aren't that salty compared to other brands, I dunno. I also doubled the amount of green onions and cilantro and added about a teaspoon of garlic powder to the recipe. (amymylove)
a bit too much lime for me, but still very good - went well with the Drunken Beans with Chorizo! (erinmonster)
Meh.......I think using brown rice in this recipe didn't work and made it weird.  I also didn't have lime zest so added extra lime juice and over did it. (tweety)
very good. it's an easy way to dress up rice so  I will likely make this again. (thirteenblackbirds)
We've made this a few times.  Pretty good (if not a bit mild) as-written, but a little coconut milk punches the flavor up quite nicely. (subpolka)
Yellow rice with garlic
I like the saffron garlic rice from VCON better than this one. It was still good though so try it and see which one you like better. (intheend)
This uses the annatto, and the rice was delicious. I love the color. The flavor was excellent, but next time I won't add the bit of salt at the end, because my broth was salty enough. I used brown rice, but followed recipe. Great. (AC)
Yummers! I added extra cilantro, this dish is really easy and beautiful too! I think she got the cooking time correct on this rice dish. (amymylove)
Arroz con coco (Savory coconut rice)
I never have much luck with rice dishes where you have to add the exact amount of liquid to cook the rice, and this was no exception.  But it may have been my fault as I hadn't realised I had added coconut cream instead of milk until near the end of cooking.  I did have t add quite a bit more water whilst the rice was cooking as it was really dry but the rice was nowhere near cooked.  I also got a little confused as the instructions mentioned adding 'the white pepper' but this wasn't listed in the ingredients.  So I just added a pinch or so of pepper.  I didn't use raisins in this dish, as I didn't have any, but used the optional fresh pineapple.  Overall, I didn't really like the final dish....it seemed too sweet for a side dish, which is how I was using it.  In fact it reminded me of salty rice pudding.  Won't bother making again. (shelloid)
very good rice. there is white pepper in the instructions but not in the ingredient list, so i just added a pinch.   i added the raisins and it definitely tasted like a dessert.  i've never bothered to toast coconut before and it was a delicious finishing touch.  (thirteenblackbirds)
I also had a problem with the liquid/time. I think this will vary greatly depending on how much coconut cream/liquid you get for the 1 cup. I had to add some extra water, and the rice still wasn't quite done. This wasn't a huge hit overall, but I liked it ok. P doesn't really like coconut rice. I added the pineapple, and that made it better. (AC)
Savory orange rice, Brazilian style
Yummy! I was planning on doing the white rice, but realized I only had brown. I added the juice of a lemon that I had setting out, and ended up with maybe 1/2 cup orange juice (using them up). I did the water because I wanted to taste the flavor, but will try broth next time. Very delicious. We needed more salt than the 1/2 tsp. The rice has a great, simple, robust flavor. I've only recently been able to make (near) perfect brown rice, and this was almost there. I just wasn't patient enough at the end. A great side dish. (AC)
I was afraid there'd be an intense orange flavor, not so. It's actually a nice switch; subtle flavor, and goes well wherever rice goes. I had it with the posoles. (fb)
yummy. nice change from regular rice. will try it next time with brown rice. (thirteenblackbirds)
I used orange juice from concentrate so I don't think the flavour was as intense as it should have been. After sauteing the onion and garlic, I must admit I threw everything into my rice cooker for good results. Mild orange flavour only. (blinknoodle)
We really liked this!  I only made it because I didn't want plain rice with my dinner and this was the only recipe I had all the ingredients for.  Like fb, I was concerned this would be overly orange (or too much like dessert rice!), but it really wasn't.  I used broth not water and I think that helped it to be savoury, rather than a sweet dish.  Like I normally find when I'm cooking rice with the exact amount of water to be absorbed, I did need to add more water to ensure my rice was properly cooked, but no too much.  Definitely a keeper of a recipe. (shelloid)
Brazilian style white rice
Good rice. Pretty standard way to make rice, with added onion and garlic. Good. Sometimes a person just wants some white rice! I fluffed in nut. yeast and cilantro. (AC)
I loved this rice! It pairs up beautifully with the feijoda but really it would work great with anything. (intheend)
Vegan Asado: Tofu, Tempeh, and Seitan
Chimichurri baked tofu
The strongest flavored tofu ever. I think one could easily use half as much chimichurri for this amount of tofu, as it winds up pretty garlicky. Like, the garlic flavor remained with me for over a day. Because it's so strongly flavored, it's probably better to have this in small pieces with something else, like rice. (fb)
fb was right about this dish, it's a dish that is heavily flavored but it wasn't overpowering when I served it along side gallo pinto. Even though it's strong, I really enjoyed it and wouldn't change anything about it. (intheend)
Tofu chicharrones
interesting mix of flavors, the smokey taste is strong and good.  It was too greasy and next time I'll use less oil and just scramble it.   I had to use a lot of paper towels to degrease it.  I didn't use frozen tofu as I didn't plan ahead.  I crumbled the tofu.  I made it specifically for the dish below. (tweety)
I didn't use as much oil as directed, but my pan wound up being dry for the last batch. It certainly gets crispier with more oil. I'm not sure what "real" chicharrones taste like, but this was like little chewy, crispy, greasy pieces of bacon. It's definitely worth freezing and pressing the tofu for this, otherwise it would just be smoky tofu. It went well in the yuca/cabbage salad, but would probably go well anywhere. I'm not likely to make it again any time soon though, because of the amount of prep and the greasiness.  (fb)
Zesty orange mojo baked tofu
Yummy! I didn't like this quite as much as the Latin baked tofu, but it's still really good. I like the method of double baking with two marinades. I added some extra lime juice. The flavor is more subtle than I was expecting (I was expecting BAM flavor), but it's really delicious. I would indeed call it zesty. I think I would recommend grating the garlic in (like the Latin baked) instead of just chopped. (AC)
Really strong orange flavor here. In fact, it probably doesn't need the zest or as much zest. I really liked it though, and was a nice change of the typical tofu flavor - savory and citrus. I'd make it again. (fb)
I thought the "Zesty Orange Mojo Baked Tofu" could have gone a little easier on the orange peel (I googled it and 1 orange zest equals about 2 tablespoons, I think only 1 tablespoon would have been better) but other than that it was delicious. I also grated the garlic because to me, it is much easier than mincing it or chopping it small. (amymylove)
This has a heavy orange taste but I was loving it! I could see this going into a wrap or a sandwich. I didn't use all the oil recommended as I felt it would be excessive. I used half of it (I think that was 1 1/2 tbsp) and it came out just fine. (intheend)
Unlike intheend, I thought the orange taste got lost, but I did cut down the orange zest as one reviewer suggested. I made a double batch of this and I thought squeezing all those oranges (and limes!) was a lot of work for little payoff since the citrusy taste got lost. I really like the method she uses of baking the tofu halfway and then pouring the marinade over, because I can mix up the marinade while the tofu is in the oven. This gives me a head start on cooking the tofu, and it means dinner is on the table sooner.  However, even though she doesn't use that much more oil than other baked tofu recipes, I think the oil in the marinade separates more easily and the tofu can seem oily and greasy in the end. (This is true for the Latin Baked tofu too). DH liked it so will probably make again. (jkl)
This is the first time my tofu had a good flavor.  I did not use the orange zest because I was lazy but next time I think I will.  It has a nice orange flavor with out it though.  (monkey7)
What made this meh for me is that it calls for soy sauce and then a teaspoon of salt which made it way too salty for my tastes.  But it's my fault because she says "or to taste" and I should have left it out.  I got a sense of deja vu eating this so I'm going to see if I reviewed it already.  (tweety)
Latin baked tofu
This tofu is amazing. It's our favorite baked tofu, ever! My tofu block was 19 oz, so I just increased the initial oil and soy sauce by 1/2. She "warns" that the marinade will almost cover the tofu, and it did. It seemed like a lot of marinade, but was pretty much perfect. However, I cooked mine the initial 20 minutes, did the marinade, and then cooked maybe 15-20, and the marinade was already really thickening. My tofu didn't need the full 30, and the marinade was all perfectly soaked in. The flavor is amazing, and my tofu texture was perfect. Love, love. (AC)
Quite good.  I'm not as gaga over it as AC, but it's definitely delish.  I used white whine and didn't quite have 1/2 so diluted the 1/3 cup I had with water and it was good that way.  Very interesting mix of flavors.  I give it an A! (tweety)
i liked this but my husband did not. we usually eat tofu in small cubes in other dishes, and I don't think he liked this dish because it was so blatantly tofu.   I thought it got better in the fridge after a day or two eaten cold and I may use it this way next time for sandwiches. (thirteenblackbirds)
It's all right. Tastes fine, but not so great that it's worth the effort of baking tofu. Maybe grilling it stovetop? (fb)
This is the most perfect tofu in the history of life.  Something about the cooking method really helps the tofu absorb the flavor.  I eyeballed and substituted my way through the whole recipe and it was still 10/10.  I served this with the Homestyle Refried Beans from this book, kale simmered in adobo sauce (my recipe), coconut-garlic rice (my recipe), and a very non-authentic (and delicious!) blueberry cobbler from JOVB.   (mdv)
It owns. I don't use that much oil though- I did the first time and felt it was excessive. (intheend)
This was tasty and easy to prepare.  I would have liked the tofu to be a little firmer, but it's OK as is.  I used half the oil called for.  I'm not even sure that much was needed. (veggydog)
I had high hopes, but it really wasn't anything spectacular - oh, and I burnt it a little bit - 30 minutes on the second round is a bit too long in my opinion - it dried out pretty badly, but if it hadn't, I can see a glimmer of hope in this recipe.....served with Messy Rice. (erinmonster)
This tofu is bomb... I plan on making it again this weekend! Perfect texture (amymylove)
Baked tofu with salsa de mani

Tofu in sofrito

Mojo oven roasted seitan
This is tangy and delicious! It stays nice and juicy. (intheend)
Freakin amazing I love the marinade! Will make again! (amymylove)
I liked this marinade....wasn't overpowering, but made the seitan nice and juicy....but I think I'd cook it a bit longer next time, or use a higher heat.... (erinmonster)
I liked this!! I used some of a carton of OJ, instead of fresh but I bet it would be heaps better with fresh.  I also used the red seitan, not the white, but yeah it was good.  I found that after the stated cooking time there was quite a lot of marinade left, but that's good as I tend to like things saucy.  Will make again. (shelloid)
This wasn't my favorite. It might have been because of my white seitan recipe problems (see review), but this was just so so. I was expecting to love it, but it didn't pop for me. (AC)
Peruvian seitan and potato skewers (Seitan anticuchos)
I kind of stir-fried this in a cast iron rather than grilling or skewering. Smoky, tomato-y, heavy. Definitely serve with a grain and (non-potato) vegetable! I'd make it again. I think it's a good recipe to try aji panca with, because the flavor comes out well and is fairly central. (fb)
I made this with both the red wine vinegar and malt vinegar variation.  I definitely prefer the malt vinegar, because it's more flavorful.  This is an easy meal if you make the seitan ahead of time.  I did all my grilling on an indoor grill, which worked well.  Try to make the seitan chunks and potato chunks similarly sized so that both can get contact with the grill ridges for some lovely grill marks.  (My potatoes were too big...and the seitan didn't even touch the grill.)  I also tried this "free-form" in a skillet, and it helped to crisp up the seitan better than the grill.  Any way you make it, this dish is awesome! (kristinv)
Wow this recipe is flippin' fantastic! I included all veggies that were optional (Red bell pepper, onion, and small waxy potatoes) and because of this, I thought the recipe could use a little more marinade for the potatoes, but it was still to die for! I also don't have a barbecue so I just broiled these puppies for 10 minutes, flipping them halfway. I plan on making these again ASAP! (amymylove)
I make this ALL THE TIME... usually leaving out the potatoes and just doing the bell pepper, onions and Red Seitan (amymylove)
Wow!  Super good recipe.  The first time I had it was when I was at oww's so I thought it was amazing just coz she made it.   Then I made it at home and used kumara instead of potato and it was great.  I made it again last night with potatoes, seitan, onion and mushroom - and yes the potatoes are awesome in this - much better than the kumara which was great anyway.  I didn't bother with skewers and just stir fried it all together until the onion was just cooked.  I think the only other change I made was the chili powder.  I don't have any fancy schmancy chili powders, so just used a much smaller amount of my super hot chili powder (not the same stuff as US chilli powder).  Total win of a recipe and easy to make.  Will go into my regular meal rotations. (shelloid)
Malt vinegar
I definitely prefer the malt vinegar, because it's more flavorful.   (kristinv)
Latin shredded seitan
Flavor was delicious and soaked into the red steamed seitan. It was very tasty! (intheend)
tasty.   Not a "wow" but nothing bad to say about it either.  Again, the softeness of it bugged me slightly, but I'm more about taste than texture in food anyway.  (tweety)
I loved this!!  I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but with so few ingredients I wan't expecting too much, but yeah it was good.  I did add maybe a couple of table spoons more of chopped canned tomatoes as it was a little dry.  I think it would be good with chilli flakes in too to give it some kick.  Will definitely make again and try the other variations! (shelloid)
Cuban ropa vieja style

Venezuelan mechada style

Mexican chile braised seitan

Chipotle adobo seitan

Puerto Rican picadillo style

Seitan saltado (Peruvian seitan and potato stir fry)
I liked the way the baked fries came out, but it would probably be way easier to use frozen (though it'd be higher in fat - but this recipe is already pretty high in fat!). I subbed aji amarillo with aji panca, used the "red seitan" (I think it went well). I used red onion (according to my "expert" this is what Peruvian restaurants always use), and I ... forgot the garlic. Oops. Anyway, my boyfriend says that usually the fried are mixed & fried with the rest of the stuff at the end, and the red onion is usually pretty chunky and still a little crispy rather than thinly sliced and fully cooked. We liked it, though it was pretty salty. Next time I'll probably use frozen fries and pre-made seitan (faster), *not* forget garlic, use aji amarillo, and less soy sauce. Maybe even half soy sauce. All in all, it's similar to anticuchos (potatoes and seitan, similar marinade). (fb)
Straight up, this dish blew me away. Potatoes and seitan in a sauce with a little kick totally rocks. The only thing I did different was to use veggie broth instead of wine since I don't have any. (intheend)
I had red seitan in my freezer ready to go and was intrigued by the above review and thought I'd give it a try.  I agree, this dish is freakin' good.  Probably nowhere in this town is aji amarillo paste so I just used a jalapeno.  Otherwise I was faithful to the recipe.  I did not follow her serving instructions and instead mixed the potatoes in with the seitan mix at the very end.  My only complaint is that it called for six tablespoons total of oil and I wished I'd cut that in half. (tweety)
very good.  next time i would maybe try to add more of sauce (a little veg broth) because combining with the fries at the end made mine slightly on the dry side. (thirteenblackbirds)
Tempeh asado
I changed this by using fake chicken instead of tempeh. It came out great - limey & oregano-y. The seasonings were absorbed well and grilled well without getting too sticky.  (fb)
The marinade was good, but the finished product was okay. I thought I was going to have access to a grill but had to pan-fry instead. Next time I'll let it sit in the marinade longer and hope to cook it more thoroughly on a grill. (andini)
Ancho chile tempeh asado

Tempeh asado with Oaxacan style mole

Yellow chile grilled tempeh (With aji amarillo)
So, I know I don't like tempeh. But I made this anyway. Though aji amarillo is pretty spicy, this wasn't so much (then against I could be misinterpreting "heaping" tablespoon). Other than that it pretty much is... tempeh. I had it with leftover maple-balsamic-hot sauce from AVK to give it more flavor. (fb)
I saw that this recipe didn't work well with tempeh so I used seitan in it's place. I let it marinate for 30 mins and then cooked the seitan in my cast iron to get it to brown. I threw in all the extra marinade afterwards and cooked it all the way down. This is a total winner! (intheend)
Pan fried tempeh with sofrito
On a whim I bought a block of tempeh even though I generally don't like it. I used it in this recipe and it kicked ass! I used vegetable broth instead of wine but it was still so tasty. The tempeh really absorbs the sauce. (intheend)
I bought tempeh to try this recipe and still firmly believe tempeh tastes like ass (amymylove)
I was wary of this because tempeh tends to absorb lots of grease when fried.  Steaming for this recipe is essential.  That said, this was a pretty tasty dish.  I cubed the tempeh because that's how I roll with tempeh and I was generous with the oil for frying, trying not to be fat-phobic.   After frying the tempeh I put it on a paper towel and used the wine to deglaze the frying pan (after emptying out the extra oil) which is using the wine out of order, but I proceeded and knocked about five minutes off the cooking time and it was all good. I'll have to look and see when I reviewed the sofrito because I'm still using that batch that I had frozen at that time and it was good. (tweety)

Super Fantastico Latin Soups
Creamy potato soup with avocado (Locro)

Cuban black bean soup
Pretty good. I wound up puréeing nearly the whole thing and letting it simmer a little more. It's slightly sweet, and faintly tastes of the vegetables in it so that it's really mainly a black bean thing (almost like refried beans). I like black beans, so I just ate it with white rice and nothing else. (fb)
I don't actually remember making this, but I've written "Excellent!" next to it in the book and noted that I added some smoked paprika to it. Hmm...I'll have to make that one again! (andini)
Thickened

Black bean soup habanero

Hearty pumpkin and cranberry bean stew (Porotos granados)
A great fall stew! From start to finish with dried cranberry beans, it takes quite a while, but there is a lot of downtime, as THR points out in her intro to the recipe. All that paprika gives the broth a nice color. The only thing is that with the partially pureed corn, the stew is kind of ... well ... ugly. (You probably know what I mean.) That doesn't stop it from being yummy! Pumpkin, tomatoes, and chile, oh my. (tmarkeim)
Sancocho (Vegetable, roots, and plantain soup)
I subbed kabocha for calabaza again, and it came out well, a little bit sweet. To me it's kind of plain, but could probably be adjusted with more lime juice and some chile. I also might pre-cook the yuca next time, only because I always manage to miss some waxy stuff or the central fiber, and it's hard to take out once it's already in a stew. (fb)
Sweet potato chipotle bisque
I made a third of this recipe but used one whole chipotle with sauce (the full recipe calls for a chipotle, so I tripled it). Like this, it's reasonably spicy. It would probably be pretty mild with the called for amount. I usually don't like *too much* sweet potato, so I liked making this spicy and having the addition of potato to mellow it out. It gets pretty thick, to the point it could be a sweet potato-chipotle spread. I'll probably use this to use up sweet potatoes in the future. (fb)
Quinoa corn chowder with limas and aji
Not a whole lot of liquid here, which is fine; I think I prefer it that way. I used gandules instead of limas, and used half aji amarillo and aji panca since I had both on hand. It's a little bit sweet, spicy, nutty (toasted quinoa), and all over a good, easily likeable stew. It's not really like corn chowders I've ever had, and the amount of "cream" added doesn't really make it creamy, it just kind of mellows it out. I used coconut cream as the heavy cream substitute.  (fb)
This is a thick stew that is hearty and incredibly tasty. I used aji amarillo and it had the perfect amount of heat for sensitive people in my family. This was the first time I've tried butter beans and I really liked them. I will definitely make this again. (intheend)
I really liked this. A thick stew more than a soup but that's the way I like my soups! I didn't use the aji paste, just chili flakes. A mellow, light yet creamy soup (I used unsweetened almond milk). I didn't use any toppings but they would likely make it even better. (blinknoodle)
Tropical pumpkin soup

Potato kale soup with sizzling chorizo
(mustard greens) OMG this was fantastic.  Again, I followed the recipe precisely using red onions because that was all I had, and mustard greens.  I think the mustard greens was good choice here because it have it as she says "a uniquely piquant" flavor. I think 3 tabelsppons of annato-infused oil to fry three links of seitan chorizo sausages made them too greasy.  I put them on a paper towl to aboserb the excess grease. She does offer that you can just use sprayed oil for sauteeing them, and that's what I'd recommend. I think the soup would be good without the sausages, but with them it was fabulous.  (Tweety)
Delicious. The chorizo really brings it up a notch. I love how healthy and filling the soup is. Next time, I will finely shred my kale though. I added around 3/4 lb to use up my kale and it worked out fine. (blinknoodle)
Holy crap this soup is so good!!! I can't wait to make it again!!! I hogged it all to myself even though I wanted to try it on coworkers... Make it! But then again, potato and kale soup, seems to always be foul proof... I might try it without the "Chorizo" if I'm in a hurry to see if it is still as magical (amymylove)
Loved this just like everyone else did. I loved how nothing had to be sauteed- just thrown in a pot and let it go (besides the seitan of course). (intheend)
this soup is amazing! i've made it without the seitan which makes it super quick... 3 coworkers i slang food to are hooked on it... shit's bomb! i am making another batch this weekend sans the seitan (amymylove)
Chard or collards

For the Love of Corn: Arepas, Pupusas, Tortillas, and More
Pupusas stuffed with black beans and plantains
I suck at making pupusas, but these were still good. The beans wind up being pretty garlicky (can't complain), and while it's unusual to use plantains as a filling, it worked well. I used beans & plantains separately (it was just easier); the plantain ones were easier to form, because the bean mixture kept finding a way out. Also, the dough does in fact dry out a lot as you work with it, so I'll probably start with it stickier next time. (fb)
I used daiya in the filling and am so glad I did! I've had pupusas preveganied and these where SO much better! Everyone was raving about how delicious these are. I already have other fillings lined up to try. (intheend)
Homemade soft corn tortillas
I don't have a tortilla press, so I used a rolling pin with plastic wrap, and formed some by hand. They came out pretty well, and I made both thin and thick ones. The dough was easy to handle, didn't stick too badly and didn't crack. So then the next time I made tortillas, I decided to free style it and just add water until the right consistency (i figured it must be easy if the recipe is so simple and came out so well...), but yeah, i should use the proportions stated. Hah. (fb)
Not exactly unique to Romero, but I would encourage anyone to try making their own tortillas! (Especially if you can learn from someone who knows what she's doing) (andini)
Whole wheat flour tortillas with chia
A good homemade tortilla. I did them without chia seeds (didn't have any) but I will definatly be making these again. Very easy and good. (dannibazar)
I thought I had whole wheat flour, but it turned out to be bread flour, so I made these with all purpose. Super easy to mix up and roll out! Very easy to work with dough. I was able to get mine thin enough, and everything. I love the chia seeds in there. The only thing I would recommend is definitely make these right before you are going to serve. I tried to keep mine warm in a warm oven wrapped, but they did dry out a bit and get crispy. Still really good. (AC)
Taquitos with chorizo and potatoes
I was fairly certain that the taquitos would somehow fall apart on me while frying, but they all held together! Frying them first seal side-down really helped. However, some filling spilled out from the ends, but I think that's kind of inevitable. The chorizo gives a really strong flavor to this, so I could eat only 1, maybe 2 at a time. They freeze well. (fb)
Flauta

Vegan cheese instead of chorizo

Chorizo spinach sopes
Simple. I used TJ's soyrizo (about 3/4 package for 1/2 recipe), frozen spinach instead of fresh, and sopes from a tortilleria instead of making them (I'm lazy). So, it was easy to prepare. The lime makes the otherwise plain spinach quite likeable. We had these with a little soy sour cream. (fb)
Black eyed butternut tostadas
I like butternut squash! And black-eyed peas. The mix was pretty mildly flavored, a little tangy, and it gets kind of muted out with other tostada toppings (we used sour cream, salsa, cilantro, and shredded lettuce). I didn't really mind that though; it would probably make it easier to sneak in a vegetable. I made my own tostadas as outlined in the book, which was pretty easy and they stayed fresh while kept in foil after a day. I also made chips the same way, which is unrelated, but tasty. (fb)
Chipotle, seitan, and potato tacos
I was in a hurry and used store bought, chicken-style seitan strips for this recipe.  The seitan and potatoes were really good!  I topped the tacos with lettuce, pickled jalapenos, cilantro and a cilantro-lime creama made from soy yogurt.  I'll definitely be making these again sometime soon. (kristinv)
I used red seitan and vegetable broth instead of beer. This was divine and even won over my very picky omni brother. I topped it with shredded cabbage and the cashew crema. (intheend)
Arepas (Venezuelan and Colombian style tortillas)
Kinda like tortillas, kind of like a dense bread. With their thickness, they still seem kind of under done even after coming out of the oven, but the inside solidifies much more upon cooling (just wait!). Nice alternative to tortillas, but I wouldn't go searching high and low for masarepa just to make them. (fb)
I really enjoyed the flavor of these, and I made a couple that were really good, but I need more practice with the forming/cooking method. The dough is super simple to make (I used the PAN that fb sent me!), but I guess I ended up making them in between the Venezuelan and Columbian methods. I didn't want to do the baking part, but still made them a bit too thick. I couldn't use them to stuff anything inside, but they tasted good as a bread. Definitely definitely use the cast iron. I'm always timid to use my skillet, because I don't like the seasoning on it, but mine didn't stick at all, and it it does leave the nice crust. I tried a couple in a different skillet to quicken the process, but they didn't get done at all on the outside. I will make these again. (AC)
Colombian style arepas

Colombian grilled arepas with corn and vegan cheese
Greasy goodness. I used daiya and fresh corn. Adding cheese and margarine to the dough really makes it less like a tortilla and more like a grilled tamale or something. They're very rich, and it's hard to eat more than one at a time. (fb)
so I was probably doomed from the start since I used Mexican masa flour instead of Columbian or Venezualen, but that's all I could find....I cooked them on our big griddle and they took forever - and this was the thinner version!  I wasn't impressed, so I don't know if it was the flours fault or what... (erinmonster)
Colombian arepa con chicharron

Arepas stuffed with oyster mushrooms and pimiento peppers

Arepas with sexy avocado tempeh filling (Avocado pepiada arepa)

Traditional petits pois
I tried cutting the arepas 3/4 of the way, but they pretty much just split open anyway. But it doesn't really matter. I left out the jicama, and used vegan ham instead of tempeh. It basically winds up a regular-ish "chicken" salad, which goes very well with avocado and arepas. A little heavy, but I don't think too many arepas are eaten at once anyway. Even after stuffing the arepas, I had quite a bit of filling left over, so I just used it for sammiches. And it was tasty. (fb)
Savory fresh corn pancakes (Cachapas)
I used fresh corn, and I think it was worth it, because it actually held together (I have less faith for frozen corn) and had that fresh corn flavor. I had some plain, and tried one with melted tofutti cheese in the middle omelet-style like suggested, and though they are good and sweet by themselves, they are sooo much better with cheese in the middle. I used both mozzerella and cheddar style, and the cheddar style is better here. The cachapas themselves are a little bit cakey, savory pancake, and kind of remind me of okonomiyaki, except I can actually make these. Success. Also, I didn't need as many ears of corn as stated for the volume needed, and the ears I was using were actually pretty small-medium, just FYI. (fb)

Drinks
Creamy horchata
I did half the recipe, which actually yielded only 12 oz of liquid in the end (according to the recipe, it should be 3 cups. Uh... yeah. Maybe that's including the ice you serve it with?). Anyway, it's pretty thick, thicker than other horchata I've had (but they tend to really vary), so it could probably be thinned out with more almond milk or even water. I used vanilla almond milk, but it wasn't too too sweet. She mentions that some testers kept the rice as a chunky rice pudding, and sure enough there's a considerable amount of (tasty) rice left after straining... it would be a waste to toss it. I didn't use lime zest, and used some powdered clove instead of whole. The cinnamon stick I used was well over 3", but it wasn't overpowering or anything. Definitely worthwhile to get cinnamon sticks rather than subbing powdered. (fb)
Agavelicious horchata

Real brown sugar limeade (Agua de papelon)
omg tasty. I don't think I've used panela/piloncillo before, and I was all skeptical about how it has more "nutrients" than other forms of sugar, but I could really taste something of that nature here. Sort of like a B vitamin tablet (but not nasty or anything) with molasses. Anyway, this has a mild lime taste, nothing too tart. It could probably be watered down even more and be fine. I'll definitely make this again, as it was easy, "nutritious," and tasty.  (fb)
This is quite different! (thank to fb for the panela) I used 1/2 of the sugar amount, but it still seemed like it was going to be pretty sweet. Like fb said, the sugar has a different flavor...not exactly SWEET, but molassesy + a deep sweet. Personally, I think the recipe needs way more lime juice and water. I kept adding lime, but felt like it could use more. For a limeade, I want LIME. There wasn't really a tart flavor at all. Anyway, we both liked it, and I really like the panela. Neat that it has protein and iron!  (AC)
Tropical fruit shake (Batido)

Merengada

Truly tropical banana smoothie

Real hot chocolate

Richer chocolate

Toddy caliente

Simple syrup

Sangria

Fruity brandy

Wine, or Grand Marnier

More simple syrup

Mojito

Michelada (Spicy, salty, ice cold beer)
This may have been the most horrible thing I've ever tasted.  I know a lot of people like Micheladas, but for some reason, I think spicy and drinks do not go well together.  I should have realized this was a bad idea, because I hate Bloody Marys. (kristinv)
Desserts and Sweets
Churros
So delicious! These made reminisce about the days I used to drive down to Tijuana and get stuck at the border trying to come back. I always bought churros and I have seriously missed them as a vegan. Make these now! (intheend)
We ate this faster than they took to make. The sugar/cinnamon didn't stick well after draining; I'm sure there's some sort of timing to get that down (hot, but not oily). The dough also had a hard time getting through my pastry bag; I got a few good churros and then the bag split. It was a disposable one, so maybe another would have help up more, but... eh. Anyway, I fried the rest as thin logs and circles, and they cooked fine. Crispy on the outside, chewy and soft on the inside, not very sweet without sugar; I liked them. Aside from the whole pastry bag thing, they're pretty easy to make for something deep-fried. (fb)
Chocolate para churros
I grew up drinking Mexican chocolate with just milk and chocolate so I decided to try this "thicker" version. It was good as always. Now if you want a really good drink to have with your churros, try making some champurrado (recipe here: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Recipes/Hot-Beverages-655/Mexican-Champurrado-369.aspx). (intheend)
Sopaipillas with orange flower agave honey

Un dulce de leche
Living in the UK, I had problems sourcing the brown rice syrup needed for the dulce de leche.  All I could find was a jar of rice syrup (it didn't say brown or otherwise), but the recipe cooked up just fine and tasted yummy.  It goes almost solid in the fridge, however, and I wouldn't recommend heating it up in the microwave because when I tried that, I just ended up with a bubbling ball of greasy mess! (onlyme)
Crepes with un dulce de leche and sweet plantains
I had a nightmare with the crepes and ended up not spreading them out too much so I'd have a thicker edge to get my spatula under but they tasted nice enough and had a good consistency.  I'm not sure what the chickpea flour added to the recipe and as I'm not keen on its taste, I think that next time I'll just replace it with regular flour.  I didn't bother with the plaintains, I just wanted pancakes with dulce de leche! (onlyme)
Crepes a la mode

Coconut tres leches cake
I didn't use alcohol, and it was deelicious. It's not even *that* strong of a coconut flavor, it's more mild, and goes really well with the citrus/vanilla thing. I've never had "real" tres leches, but this is my favorite cake second to chocolate. Really close second. The cake stayed moist for a long time thanks to the syrup. (fb)
So good! I made this specifically for my mom, because she had been talking about an omni version she loves. This turned out so well, and she loved it. She said the only thing was she wished it was a bit gushier..which sounds gross to me. I thought the texture was perfect-still very moist and cool cake with the syrup inside. I actually used quatro milks! Vanilla almond milk, unsweetened almond milk, hazelnut milk, and coconut milk. I did the coconut extract for the cake, some creme de cacao for the alcohol, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and orange extract for the topping. I didn't garnish with any fruit, but don't skimp on the coconut! Time intensive, but one of my favorite cakes. (AC)
Fresh mango and guava bread pudin

Simply arroz con leche
Waaay too thick for arroz con leche. I'm thinking that might be my fault, though, because the same thing happened with the horchata. Oh well. Also, the clove and allspice were fine, but I've never seen arroz con leche with that before. I wound up watering down individual servings with soymilk. It was good, but I think I'll try another arroz con leche recipe next time. (fb)
Arroz con leche with saffron

Arroz con leche de coco

Sweet coconut corn pudding (Majarete)

Dulce de batata (Sweet potato sweet mash)
delicious and very sweet. (thirteenblackbirds)
Brown sugar

Rum or brandy

Toasted coconut

Chocolate orange spice cake with dulce de batata
I made this cake in one of those paper pans (star-shaped), so I had some difficulty getting it to bake all the way through in the time provided (I think it wound up with an extra 7-10 min, but didn't burn). Good, rich, moist, and has the perfect amount of orange (doesn't taste weird, bitter, or soapy, and some orange chocolate things sometimes do). I am afraid of the calories in this cake with all that cocoa and oil, but I'll probably make this again. I didn't make the dulce de batata. (fb)
I made just the cake part of the recipe, halving the recipe to fit an 8x8 pan. I love the flavour of the cake a lot. There is just a subtle hint of orange-y-ness, which I like (I used only juice, no rind) and the spices were nice. The cake is moist...just plain good. (dannibazaar)
Fresh papaya lime sorbet

Sweet corn ice cream
I made this with fresh corn. It tastes good (I think it's better with some cinnamon), but it's still hard for me to get over eating corn stuff as ice cream. Because the corn was fresh, I couldn't purée it completely, which probably doesn't help. Still, a sweet, creamy treat. (fb)
I made it with fresh corn too as FB did... I really thought this was gross, I tried to save it with extra cinnamon and sugar... It was just gritty and disgusting, will not attempt again. (amymylove)
Buttery cookies with thick dulce de leche filling (Alfajores)
1.the cookies are tasty. Relatively simple, a little citrusy, easy to cut into shapes. 2. the dulce de leche stuff is good, a bit gooey (despite the full amount of cooking time), tastes a little like the brown rice syrup, but still very enjoyable. I've not had "real" dulce de leche before, so I can't compare. But these would be a nice, "fancy" cookie to make for others, but I'd have to get the filling a little less gooey first; it oozed over the sides of a couple cookies. I used a regular-sized start-shaped cookie cutter, and yielded fewer cookies than stated. They're probably intended to be smaller shortbread rounds. (fb)
Thick dulce de leche filling
good, a bit gooey (despite the full amount of cooking time), tastes a little like the brown rice syrup, but still very enjoyable. I've not had "real" dulce de leche before, so I can't compare. (fb)
Chocolate drizzled alfajores

Guayaba alfajores

Vanilla coconut flan
Orgasmic and life changing. Best flan EVER. (intheend)
Finally flan!!!  I loved flan before and now I love it even more.  I can't wait to try the Tres Leches. (larisuena)
Cafe con leche flan
I did the microwave method for the caramel, but I was making half the recipe - it was kind of burnt at 4:45 - not smoking, but it tasted too bitter. I remade it, instead for 4:15 (I checked it before then and it wasn't caramel yet), and while it didn't burn it hardened completely. Sigh. Maybe somewhere around the 4:00 mark it's caramel but will stay liquidy. Anyway, it might be worth doing stovetop even though it takes longer. I used espresso powder, and the flan portion came out way darker than the pic - i wonder if she used instant coffee for that, or if the espresso measurement is off (the flan didn't come out very sweet). Since the flan is poured into the caramel-lined container while hot, the caramel on the sides liquefied and stayed that way, but the caramel on the bottom of the bowl didn't so much; I had to pry it off eventually. And finally, the end product wasn't that great. I've never had flan before, though. It was just kind of like an agar dessert, nothing too special. However, the caramel is tasty. I might try the vanilla/coconut one anyway to see if that turns out differently. (fb)

Love this book! I think I can trust that everything in the book will at least be tasty, if not DELICIOUS. Made a great meal! Some recipes can look a little daunting, but just read ahead, and prep.

Pine nut crema
This is so delicious! It was about my favorite part of the whole meal. I was a little bitter buying pine nuts, because they are so expensive, and I've never loved them more than any other nuts, BUT the $6+ 1/2 cup was worth it for this. It gets much smoother than a cashew cream, and the flavor is perfect. I put lots of dollops on top of the spicy tortilla casserole, and had some leftover for topping. I tried to broil it, but my pine nuts got done before anything happened to the crema. I don't know if I love it that much more when it's baked, but I love it, period. Will make again.

The only guacamole recipe I ever make
I was slightly skeptical when I made this, because it doesn't have any garlic! I usually make my guac with garlic, and no onion, but this actually came out tasting quite similar. I used 1 jalapeno, and it was spicier than I wanted for guac. Pretty tasty, but I'll use my regular recipe.

Cilantro citrus vinaigrette
Really good! I used 1/2 an orange for juice, and some added zest. I think I used 1/3 cup oil instead of 1/2, and it worked fine for the cabbage salad. I used the mustard powder. A good, simple vinaigrette.

Classic cabbage
Easy cole slaw type salad.  Used the cilantro citrus vinaigrette, and they worked really well together. I never know the best way to shred cabbage, so I just diced it pretty small, and grated carrot. Tomato is good in it. A nice, light side.

Spicy tortilla casserole with roasted poblanos
Yes, fantastic! Really, really loved it. I definitely recommend spreading the steps out over time, so you can just assemble or bake. I think it's really important to have great, fresh corn tortillas. I got some great, handmade ones, and they were delicious. Spend the extra money! I didn't peel the white potatoes, used 2 jalapenos (I think I even seeded them, which I don't usually do, and the sauce was still spicy..but not too spicy), and otherwise followed the ingredients. The sauce can be made ahead, the pine nut crema can be made ahead, chiles can be roasted/sliced, potatoes can be boiled ahead. The sauce itself is great, and could be used for a runny salsa type thing. Very fresh. The pine nut crema is superb, and you can't skimp on that. I do recommend seasoning the potatoes and/or roasted peppers, because I didn't..and the filling was lacking in salt. The potatoes def. need salt. I also wanted a little more sauce..but it did make a lot (seemingly). I did the pine nuts on top, and they browned before the crema could broil. So good, though! Worth it all.

http://hphotos-sjc1.fbcdn.net/hs658.snc3/32519_10150173855935533_507120532_12477250_1173475_n.jpg

Casserole in forefront, with cabbage salad on back right. I forgot to take pics of our actual dinner! It was quite a spread.