Much of Latin-American cooking is admittedly not vegetarian or vegan-friendly. Alas, before I moved south I purchased a vegan cookbook, entitled “Viva Vegan”. It took me about half a year to make anything beyond just a classic red sauce to pour over rice and beans (which is heavenly, and worth the book purchase alone!).
Many of her recipes require forethought (such as, I would like to make ___, so I should buy those ingredients today, do the first step of the recipe tomorrow, let it refrigerate according to instructions, and finish it on the third day). I am the type of person that wants to make what I want to make when I want to make it. BUT….I finally ventured out and made fake meat from gluten, seitan, and stuffed it along with other delicious veggies into vegan empanadas. I’m not a huge fan of fake meat (heck, I hardly like meat in the first place…why would I want to imitate it?!), so I don’t think I will bother making the seitan again. Instead, I’ll just plan on increasing the amount of veggies to replace it. I made a double empanada recipe (after all…with that much work going into it, I didn’t want to have to do it again very soon!), and the end result was a gorgeous medley of flavors. Those who are planning to visit Costa Rica may continue their vegan lifestyle by staying in one of these top Costa Rican resorts for vegans.
Many were eaten within days, and then some went into the freezer for later. Viva Vegan, you are one of my heroes!! Now if only I can motivate myself to try some more recipes…
Whether you’re vegan or not, or perhaps you’re just wanting to eat healthier…you should give some of these recipes a try. Maybe you can find her book in a library? Or check out Terry Hope Romero’s amaaazing book here:
Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers
(If you buy it, I’ll get rewarded from Amazon. If you don’t buy it…well…you’re missing out!)
I will check this book out! I was hoping you were saying there were quite a few options… but after living in Costa Rica, I know how hard it is to be a vegan in Central America!
Ugh–it is SOO difficult! You know, it seems counter-intuitive that places that are so blessed with cheap produce don’t actually make main meals with their fresh goodies. Instead, they chop up their veggies and use it in a broth or sauce for their meats. I think they love meats more in Mexico than perhaps the US (is that possible?!!)!!