"Yuca al Mojo" Cassava with Garlic Sauce

Cassava or Yucca is known as "Yuca"(eu-kah) in Spanish and belongs to the Tropical Veggie Root family like sweet potatoes and yams. People from Latin America and the Caribbean cook Cassava in many different ways. The most famous dishes in Puerto Rico are "Yuca" fritters and boiled "Yuca al Mojo" (moh- ho). This starchy veggie has a mild flavor so try to combine it with spices or curries. If you live in the United States or Canada you can find Cassava in the freezer isle at an Asian grocery store or Hispanic/Latino market. Yucca is a good source of Carbohydrates for people on a gluten-free diet. So next time you throw a dinner party, surprise your guests with this tasty Puerto Rican style dish. Enjoy it guys. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Watch the Chef!!!


Recipe: (2 servings)

Boiled Veggie:
2 Cassava or Yucca
Do not defrost the Cassava. Place it in a pot with cold water. Bring it to a boil until tender.

"Mojo" Sauce:
1 onion
1 orange pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup vinegar
3 slices of elephant garlic
3 or 4 bay leaves
sea salt to taste
black peppercorns
red pepper flakes

In a saucepan pour cooking oil and olive oil. Add onions and orange peppers. Pour vinegar and add bay leaves, black peppercorns, garlic and red pepper flakes. Add sea salt to the mixture and heat it up for 15 to 20 minutes until the veggies are cooked.

Filling:
2 thick tomato slices (add ground pepper, put it in pan and sauté until the slices have browned.)
1 avocado ( cut it in slices)

Balsamic Reduction:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp organic molasses
1 tsp organic ground ginger
red pepper flakes to taste

In a saucepan pour balsamic vinegar, molasses syrup, add ground ginger and red pepper flakes. Heat it up and stir until the liquid turns into a glaze.

"Coquito" Coconut Rum Punch!!!

Celebrate Christmas and New Year with a glass of "Coquito" (Coh-ki-toh).

This recipe is very easy to make you just combine the ingredients, blend them, store the mixture in a glass bottle and refrigerate it for a few hours. Top with nutmeg or cinnamon.

Ingredients:
1 can Coconut milk
1 can Cream of Coconut
1 cup Almond milk
2 cups Bacardi rum

Green Pigeon Pea Soup

A few days ago I had cravings of my favorite Grandma's soup "Asopao de Gandules" Green Pigeon Pea Soup, and we decided to make the dish and share the recipe with all the people that enjoy a flavorful meal on these days of low temperatures and rain. Warm up your body with this Puerto Rican style veggie soup which is very low in Saturated fat, Cholesterol, a good source of Protein and Fiber. (nutritiondata.com)


How to make "Asopao" (soup)


Recipe: (serve for 6 to 8 people)
1 Carrot
1 Celery stick
1/2 red pepper
1/2 white onion
1/2 red onion
1 1/2 cup diced potato
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 cup diced pumpkin
2 cans of green pigeon peas
1 cup of Corn kernels
4 cups of water
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 tbsp cummin
1 tsp chili powder
1 veggie bouillon cube
sea salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot, add white onions, red onions, garlic and celery , sauté for 2 minutes, add the red pepper and corn, sauté for another 3 minutes, add potato, pumpkin, carrot and cummin, stir all the mixture, add cilantro, green pigeon peas and the veggie bouillon cube, pour 4 cups of water, add the chili powder and Sea Salt, stir for a 1 minute and if it taste good let the soup cook for 35 minutes.
Serve with white rice and green salad...

Vegan Coconut Pudding "Tembleque"

It's time for sweets!!!

If you are looking for a recipe easy to make, Gluten-free, Soy-free and Dairy- free this classic Puerto Rican dessert "Tembleque" (taym-BLAY-kay) is what you need for this season of festivity.

The main ingredient is Coconut milk which is rich in electrolytes that keep your body hydrated. This type of milk is low in Cholesterol and Sodium, a good source of Calcium and has anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. (organizedwisdom.com)

Everybody in Puerto Rico has delicious creamy Coconut Pudding in the fridge at Christmas.





Here is the recipe: (3 servings)

3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup Almond milk
Dissolve the cornstarch in the milk,
once all the clumps of the cornstarch have been smoothed,
mix in the saucepan with the other ingredients...
--------------------
3/4 cup Coconut milk
1/4 cup Almond milk
1/2 cup Organic sugar
pinch of salt

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan including the cornstarch mixture, cook it on medium heat, stir it constantly,
keep stirring, don't stop, stir, stir, keep going, until it gets thick!!! remove from heat, pour in ramekins or a mold, refrigerate for several hours, sprinkle with ground cinnamon... Enjoy it

Vegan "Pastelon" Ripe Plantain Casserole w/ soy meat

Another classical Puerto Rican dish!!!
This recipe is usually made with ground beef and cheddar cheese. The dish is also very popular in Dominican Republic and Cuba. Plantains grow best in regions with tropical climates and warm temperatures. They are a good source of potassium and vitamins A and C, high in fiber and carbohydrates. You can find them in different colors: green, yellow or black.










Recipe: 6 to 8 portions
If you don't find black plantains in the grocery store buy them green and wait until they turned black...

3 ripe plantains
8 oz- ground soy meat
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1/2 red chili pepper
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
8 button mushrooms
2 pinch saffron
1/4 tsp cummin
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter (Earth Balance)
1 tbsp Smart Balance oil

"Cheese" Sauce
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast powder
1/2 tsp dehydrated onions
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp-dill
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
*mix all the ingredients and blend them...

egg replacer (1/2 tbsp w/ 2 1/2 tbsp water)


Preheat the oven 350'

Heat oil and butter in a shallow pan, add veggies and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes...
Add soy meat and saffron to the mixture of veggies, stir to cook them uniformly until the meat is ready to serve...

Peel the ripe plantains, cut them into long slices,
Layer a round baking pan with half of the ripe plantains, add the soy meat then the egg replacer and cover with the remaining ripe plantains, add the nutritional yeast sauce. yum!!!

Put the baking pan in the oven.... bake for a few minutes until golden brown...

Vegan "Mofongo" Mashed Green Plantains w/ deep Fried Tempeh

"Mofongo" is a traditional puerto rican dish made with mashed green plantains and pork. We modified it and prepared the recipe with delicious Tempeh (fermented soybeans) and a flavorful "Criolla" sauce.





Mashed Green Plantains (2 servings)
2 green plantains
1 cube of veggie stock
Add salt and ground pepper to taste
Smart Balance Omega oil (for deep frying)

Peel the plantains, cut them into 1 inch chunks, fry them in hot oil until golden, drain and dry the pieces on paper towels, crush the chunks with a flat bottomed bottle and add the veggie stock to taste, place the pieces in a ramekin or a small soup cup so you can shape them, fry the plantains balls to make them crispy outside and soft inside, do not overcooked them and you'll have a wonderful Caribbean dish...




Criolla Sauce:
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1/4 purple onion
1/4 white onion
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
1/4 green onions
1/4 veggie buillon (w/sea salt and herbs)
1 cup organic plum tomato sauce
1/4 fresno chili pepper
salt and ground pepper to taste


Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir them until the bottom gets brown not burned
then reduce the sauce until a good consistency not too runny not too thick....
serve with your "mofongo"

Deep-Fried Tempeh:
1/2 pack of tempeh (soy cake)
cut them into 1 inch-strips, season with sea salt and pepper
fry them in hot oil (Smart balance omega oil)
drain and dry them on towels
voila' ready to serve!!!

Our Mission

Post videos with the most delightful recipes so that viewers can really enjoy our vegan journey.

Why Vegan Ricans?

Vegan because we don't need dead animal flesh inside our bodies it depletes our vitality, our mental powers and make us feel exhausted. We don't want to support factory farms and their unnecessary process of killing millions of animals for food.

"Ricans" because we're native Puerto Ricans people who were born and raised in the Caribbean island, Puerto Rico "La isla del Encanto" which means "The Island of Enchantment".

check this video!!!


The Vegan Video from Tracie Russell on Vimeo.