I've been thinking about Mexico lately as the autumn slowly sinks in. I long for the beach, the balmy air and the smell of Mexican flavours. We were there in 2017 at this time. Although we eat plant based, we managed to cook and prepare our own food. The vegan scene in the parts of Mexico where we were, was not a thing at the time. There was a vegan chorizo ground meat substitute in a supermarket that we tried eventually. We were surprised that it was quite flavorful. This time I am making my own to put in a taco.
The best way to make it as authentic as possible, is to use dried Mexican peppers. To me this is a must for optimal taste, but if you want a quick fix, powdered chili and spices would do the trick. In this case I've used guajillos, anchos and pasillas.
These dried peppers are fairly mild but are flavorful. The guajillos have more heat. Generally the smaller the chili the hotter.
Usually the peppers are toasted first making sure they don't burn, while turning them. It doesn't take long.
After toasting them, soak them in boiling water until they are soft enough to blend. Blend them to a paste using a little water or the soaking liquid. I try to use as little liquid as possible so not to dilute the flavor. We will add more items to the mixture though.
Vegan chorizo
1 brick tofu crumbled
3 pasilla chilies
3 ancho chilies
3 or 4 guajillo chilies
1 onion 4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or cider
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 or 2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup to balance the acidity(optional)
Fry the onions, garlic, and seasonings in a pan then add vinegar and tomato paste.
Blend this into the pepper paste adjusting the salt and seasonings.
I used a mix of tofu and textured soy protein but you could use just one or the other or add ground nuts, lentils instead or mushrooms or anything that would substitute the texture of the ground meat.
I just crumbled the tofu by hand. I didn't want to use a processor in case it went too smooth.
I find that mixing the dried soy protein, gave it a meatier texture.
Add the sauce to the tofu mixture and coat thoroughly.
Once the two have been mixed, saute onions in oil
Add the mixture to the onions and cook a while longer mixing the onions in the mixture.
I made my own tortillas because I'm not a fan of store bought. I'm not a fussy eater but there is a distinct difference for me. Since I have a tortilla press and tortilla flour(Maseca), I simply and quickly made my own.
After mixing the flour with salt I trickled in warm water slowly kneading and stopping the water when I got a smooth play doh (modeling clay) consistency. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
I used to use two plates which worked but this tortilla press makes things easier and faster. Of course buying tortillas would make it even faster.
Tortillas
2 cups masa harina tortilla flour
1/2 to 2 cups warm water
Pinch of salt
Heat a flat pan or griddle to medium high and gently place the tortilla in the middle. Wait for around 30 to 40 seconds (I don't really time it), then flip it. Leave it for around a minute and flip it again. Press the middle or sides and hope for a puff. I don't ever get a full inflation but there is a little which is good enough for me.
There are probably thousands and thousands of salsa recipes in Mexico and Latin America, and the world, with different variations and combinations of ingredients. I have chosen a very delicious, simple and basic Salsa Verde using tomatillos. These are fascinating to me as I've only discovered them in recent years and I've been around for quite sometime. They look like green tomatoes but they are not and have a different taste, although acidic like a tomato. Usually this salsa is not very spicy in my experience but I have added a good amount of jalapenos to kick it up a notch.
Tomatilla salsa
8 to 10 tomatillas
3,4 or 5 jalapenos or serranos
4 to 5 cloves garlic
1/2 chopped onion
Handful cilantro
Juice of a lime
Salt to taste
After taking the husk off the tomatillos, put them and the jalapenos and garlic in the oven to roast. You could put an onion in with it but I am adding raw onion later. I put them in on 350F.
When they are nice and roasted remove them from the oven. When they have cooled off blend them to your desired consistency with salt, lime juice and coriander.
I kept the onion in dices to add a little texture and bite.
This is a nice thing to have leftover. I use it for many things even if it's not Mexican inspired.
A common topping for tacos is pickled onions which can be made easily with onions salt and vinegar. I used red wine and cider but any kind would do.
Even though tofu has no flavor, it really took on the chorizo flavor after crumbling and adding the chili pepper mixture.
There was lime in the salsa but I still enjoy a squeeze of fresh lime on my tacos and any thing else that would suit it.
The only thing difficult in this making of plant based chorizo, is having the dried peppers available. I just happened to have a Mexican grocer a few steps away. These peppers can be ordered on line I'm sure.
Traditional Mexican cooks may make this differently using different methods and variations of ingredients, They may even take hours if using meat. Each region, family etc. may have their own version. There is also chorizo from different parts of the world like Spain and Portugal. I have had Portuguese chorizo which I used to like. I didn't like one more than the other. They have differences from what I remember after so many years.
I am a Canadian without a specific traditional food culture background. So with that said, I couldn't be happier with the results.
Thank you for stopping by and have a great day.
