The Mediterranean Vegan

You can order croquetas at pretty much every bar in Spain, though they are usually made of ham and cheese or fish. A vegetable variety is rare, but the most common types include mushroom, spinach, and eggplant/aubergine. This recipe is for spinach croquetas, but you can replace the spinach with whichever vegetable you fancy! Note: this recipe requires around 2 1/2 hours of refrigeration. Makes 10 croquetas What you need: 2 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp margarine (or 2 tbsp more olive oil) 4 tablespoons flour 1.5 tsp salt 1.5 cups soy milk 2 cups fresh spinach or other vegetable 1 cup water 1 cup breadcrumbs Spanish croquetas are made of béchamel sauce mixed with filling. So first you will need to make your béchamel. In a medium sized pan, add the olive oil and butter until hot. Add the flour and salt and mix until a smooth paste forms. Add the soy milk and whisk on medium heat until it thickens (around 15 minutes). Then add the spinach and cook for another 5-7 minutes. If using another vegeta...

Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup from the region of Andalusia in the south of Spain, though it is consumed throughout the Spanish state. It is primarily served in the summer as a refreshing meal during hot months. Some people consume it with a spoon and others drink it from a cup. Many also add pieces of bread into the soup upon eating. Serves 4-5 What you need: 10-12 ripe tomatoes, peeled 1/2 cucumber, peeled 1/2 red bell pepper 2 cloves garlic 1/3 baguette bread (soaked in water) 1.5 tsp salt 1/2 cup olive oil Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the whole tomatoes for 5 minutes and remove. This makes it very easy to peel the tomatoes. The skin will come right off. In a blender or food processor, add all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. After blending, you are going to need to run all of the gazpacho through a strainer (ideally a bouillon strainer). Get a big bowl or jar ready and strain all of the soup into the bowl. You can serve immediately but usually people like to re...

This is a very typical and easy Catalan dish. Escalivar in Catalan means to "cook in hot ashes" and refers to its traditional method of preparation, where it is grilled on an open fire. While this method is still in use, many people now make it in the oven. You can find escalivada in pretty much every bar and restaurant in Catalonia. It is usually served as a tapa on top of bread. What you need: Eggplants/Aubergines Red bell peppers Sweet onions Tomatoes Olive Oil Salt Preheat the oven to 500 F (260 C). Brush the whole vegetables with olive oil and set them on an oven tray. Place in oven for 35-40 minutes, turning twice while baking. The vegetables should be charred when you take them out. Let them cool and remove the skin and seeds of all the vegetables. Slice into strips, drizzle with a lot of olive oil and salt and serve.

Trinxat, meaning "chopped and shredded" in Catalan, is a potato pancake fried in olive oil. This dish comes from the Pyrenees, where Catalans prepared it for cold winters. Serves 3-4 What you need: 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped 1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 tbsp olive oil 1.5 tsp salt In a large pot, boil the chopped potatoes and cabbage for 30 minutes. In a small pan, fry the minced garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil until lightly browned. Strain the potatoes and cabbage in a colander and place them in a large bowl. Mash the potatoes and cabbage with the garlic until smooth. Form the mashed potatoes into patties and fry in a non-stick pan in olive oil until browned on both sides.

These "wrinkly potatoes" are from the Canary Islands, where they were originally cooked in sea water. They are served with both a cilantro green sauce and a spicy chili pepper sauce called mojo. Serves 2 What you need: for the potatoes 20 baby new potatoes 1/2 cup salt for the red mojo 10 cloves garlic 1/4 cup wine vinegar 3 dried red chili peppers 1 cup olive oil 1/2 tsp cumin 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp salt for the green mojo 10 cloves garlic 1/4 cup wine vinegar 1 cup olive oil 1/2 tsp cumin 1 tsp salt 1 cup fresh cilantro In a large pot, bring water and 1/2 cup salt to a boil. Add the baby potatoes and simmer for 15-20 minutes. If the potatoes are not floating, add more salt to the water. Drain the potatoes, leaving about 1/4 cup of salt water in the pot. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and shake around until the salt hardens on the potatoes. Turn off the heat, cover the potatoes with a kitchen towel and let sit for 5-7 minutes. For the red and green mojo sauces, add all of the ...

I was inspired to make this after trying a very terrible version at a local vegan restaurant with my friend Ines. Unfortunately it was my first time trying this delicacy, so I didn't have much to compare it to. After making this recipe, I now know what real arroz con leche should taste like...and its amazing! Serves 4 What you need: 1/2 cup white rice 4 cups soy milk 1 tsp cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick 2 slices orange peel 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract In a small pot, add the soy milk, rice, cinnamon, and orange peel and bring to a boil. When it starts boiling, reduce to low-heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for around 45 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Top with more cinnamon and serve hot!

This vegan casserole dish comes from the island of Mallorca, Spain. It is served in almost every restaurant, so if you are ever in the area you have a vegan staple available to you. The recipe calls for a lot of frying, so get make sure you have a lot of oil available before you begin to chop. Serves 4-6 What you need: 1 large eggplant(aubergine), sliced 1/2 inch thick widthwise 1 green bell pepper, chopped into 2-4 large chunks 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 2-4 large chunks 2 medium size potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick widthwise 1 medium size zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch thick lengthwise and then halved 1.5 cup tomato sauce (you can try this simple tomato sauce ) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp parsley 5 cups olive oil for frying Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Fill a large pan with the five cups of olive oil and bring to high heat on a stove. Chop and slice all of your vegetables before frying. To decrease bitterness of the eggplant, salt lightly after slicing and strain in a colander for 30 minu...

Here is a recipe for the Valencian classic arròs al forn, which means "oven rice." Typically this is made with a variety of sausages and other meats, so this recipe leaves out the meat and substitutes the beef stock for vegetable broth. Serves 3-4 What you need: 3.5 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, chopped down the middle once and with skin 2 tomatoes, 1 sliced and 1 grated 2 cups cooked chickpeas 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp salt 2 1/2 cups short-grain rice, uncooked 1 pinch saffron 5 1/2 cups vegetable broth, hot 1 potato, sliced 1/4 inch thick (.5 cm) Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Typically you would use a ceramic dish for this. You'll need a pan that can go on the stove-top as well as the oven. If you don't have one, first follow the instructions for the stove-top and then move the ingredients to an oven-safe pan. In a large pan on medium-high heat, sauté the onion and garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil for 7 minutes. Add the grated tomato and chickpeas and saut...

This recipe comes from Madrid, but patatas bravas can be found throughout Spain. They serve these fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce at every bar and restaurant, and most vegetarians depend on this dish when there aren't any other veg options. Serves 2-3 What you need: for the brava sauce 1/2 onion, finely diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tbsp olive oil 2 dried cayenne peppers 1 tsp paprika pinch of saffron 2 cups crushed tomatoes, canned 1 tsp sugar 1 tbsp flour 1 tbsp water 1 tsp vinegar salt for the allioli 8 cloves garlic 1 cup olive oil salt for the potatoes 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped olive oil salt Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Peel and chop potatoes and add to boiling water for around 7 minutes. This tenderizes the potatoes before frying them. In a saucepan on medium heat, fry the garlic and onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil until the onions are translucent. Stir in the crushed cayenne pepper, paprika, and saffron. Add the 2 cups crushed tomatoes and 1 tsp of ...

Migas are a typical dish throughout all of Spain. Each region has a different way of making it. The region of Extremadura had the most veg-friendly version, so I decided to go with that. Instead of chorizo, which is a key ingredient to migas, I used mushrooms. The recipe is perfect if you have some stale bread laying around that you don't want to throw out. Serves 2 What you need: 1 baguette (preferably stale) 2 cups mushrooms, sliced (I recommend a darker mushroom) 3 cloves garlic (cut in half lengthwise, with skin left on) 1/2 red pepper, diced 1/2 green pepper, diced 6 tbsp olive oil 1.5 tsp salt pepper Break the baguette into a few pieces and place in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with water until it rises just above the bread and let sit. The water will soak into the bread within a few minutes. In a large skillet, sauté the peppers, garlic, mushrooms, and 1/2 tsp salt in 3 tbsp olive oil until lightly brown (around 15 minutes). Move the vegetables onto a plate. Strain the bread ...

This Valencian plato is eaten all over Spain. It is a variation on the Spanish paella , using noodles instead of rice. Serves 3 What you need: 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 zucchini, diced 1 tomato, shredded 15 mushrooms, sliced 3 tbsp olive oil other vegetables (optional) 1 (7 oz) package short vermicelli noodles 5 cups vegetable broth 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp parsley 1 pinch saffron In a paella pan (or similar shaped pan), sauté the peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms in the olive oil for 20 minutes. Add the shredded tomato and sauté for another five minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, and parsley. Add the dry noodles to the pan and mix in for 1-2 minutes. Add the 5 cups vegetable broth and 1 pinch saffron. Make sure the broth rises slightly above your other ingredients. Leave on medium heat for 17 minutes without stirring. Take the fideuà off heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary. Your fideuà is ready!

The word empanada comes from the Spanish and Portuguese word empanar, meaning to wrap in bread. Traditionally these pastries are stuffed with tomatoes, garlic, and meat or fish. I substituted the meat for tofu and vegetables for this recipe. You can also try it with vegetable protein (tvp) for a more authentic texture. Serves 6 What you need: for the filling 1/2 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bell pepper, diced 1/2 zucchini, diced 10-12 mushrooms, sliced 1 package tofu, crumbled 1 tsp parsley 1 tsp salt 1.2 tsp pepper 2 cups crushed tomatoes 2 tsp sugar 1.5 tbsp olive oil for the dough 3 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1.5 sticks margarine 1 egg replacer 4-5 tbsp water for frying 2-3 cups olive oil In a medium-size pan, sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until clear and golden. Add the diced bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, and tofu and sauté for another 10-15 minutes. Add the spices and crushed tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add the sugar and s...

After numerous attempts at making the perfect tomato sauce, and with the help of a friend, I finally have a recipe that never fails. Enjoy. What you need: 1/2 yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, diced 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil 28 oz can crushed tomatoes 1/2 large zucchini, diced (optional) 1 shredded carrot (optional) 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt oregano parsley In a medium size pan on medium heat, sauté onions and garlic for 15-20 minutes or until onions are clear and golden. If using zucchini and carrot, add to pan and sauté until soft (around 7 minutes). Add a pinch of oregano and parsley to the vegetables and stir. Add the can of crushed tomatoes and 1 tsp of salt. Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. During the last 5 minutes, add the sugar. The longer you cook tomato sauce, the thicker it will become. If its not as thick as you like after 30 minutes, give it another 10 minutes for the perfect tomato sauce.

This bittersweet spinach dish comes from Catalonia, the northeastern region of Spain. Serves 1-2 What you need: 300g Spinach (1 package) 1 head of garlic, diced 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup pine nuts 1 tbsp olive oil In a large pot, fill with water and bring to boil. While waiting for the water to boil, sauté garlic, 1/2 cup of raisins and 1/2 cup of pine nuts in 1tbsp of olive oil until the raisins have puffed up a bit and the pine nuts are browned. When the water starts to boil, add the fresh spinach to the water until slightly wilted. Drain the spinach in a colander and run cold water over it. Press the spinach to drain all the water out and add to the pan with raisins,garlic, and pine nuts. Sauté until the spinach is hot and serve.

Pa amb tomàquet is one of the most simple foods in Catalan cuisine (and in my opinion, one of the best!) What you need: Bakery Bread, sliced Ripe Tomatoes Olive Oil Garlic (optional) Salt Preparation : There are a few variations when making pa tomàquet . Some people make this dish by toasting the bread. The other option is whether or not to use garlic. Usually it comes down to how much effort one wants to put into making this easy appetizer. I recommend both! To make this traditional Catalan dish, toast the bread to your liking. Cut the clove of garlic in half and rub it's midsection onto the bread. Then, cut the tomato in half and rub it onto the bread until it is coated red. Last, drip some olive oil and sprinkle a bit of salt onto the bread and serve! While many people add sausage or meats to their pa tomàquet , roasted red pepper and roasted eggplant/aubergine (called escalivada ) are also a common addition to this oh so simple tapa .