Vegan Mexican Feast

It was 95 degrees in New York yesterday. We chilled a bottle of rose and I made a little Mexican feast (I know. There should have been beer. We used what was in the house because nobody wanted to make another trip to the store in the heat). Then we settled in for a 3 episode marathon of "Game of Thrones."It was a good night! And decadent!

There was bbq seitan. Wild rice. Sauteed kale. Tomato-watermelon pico de gallo (I owe the inspiration for that one to chef Angel Ramos at Candle 79 restaurant. He made something similar the other day and it was incredible, like everything that he does)!  Chopped pineapple. Daiya cheese and plain soy yogurt. And it all sat on a flour tortilla. It wasn't quite a burrito, or an enchilada, or a taco...which is why I'm choosing to just call it a Mexican feast! I highly recommend you relplicate it! It will make you happy!

BBQ Seitan
1 lb seitan 
1 bottle bbq sauce (most are incredibly sweet so look around for one that has the least sugar)


Shred the seitan and place in tupperware. Mix it with the bbq sauce and marinate for a few hours. Cook on low heat for 5-8 minutes when ready to eat. 




Tomato-Watermelon Pico de Gallo
3 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup yellow grape tomatoes, cut in half (or just more plum tomatoes)
1 cup watermelon, cut into small cubes
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
2 jalapenos, seeded and very finely chopped
1 tablsp. lime juice
salt to taste


Combine everything. Have a few spoonfuls, while you're preparing the rest of your feast!




Sauteed Lacinato Kale
2 heads of lacinato kale 
3-4 big cloves of garlic
3 tblsp. olive oil


Wash, stem and chop the kale. Place in a large sautee pan with a little water and steam until tender. Remove from heat and drain. In the same pan, heat the olive oil and finely chopped garlic. Add the kale and toss well.




Guacamole
I admit, I used store-bought (and it was deeelicious, and nobody complained). But if you're feeling ambitious, this is a good recipe:


3 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and mashed (if you can't find ripe ones you can blend the slightly unripe ones with a little olive oil in a food processor...this is what professional chefs do...I've seen it)!
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 red onion, minced
2 small tomatoes, diced
2 tblsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced


Mix everything well and cover until ready to serve, to prevent browning.




Chopped pineapple
Plain Soy Yogurt
Daiya Cheese
Flour Tortillas, gently heated in a skillet before serving.
These all make great condiments. But the options are essentially limitless. Combine everything the way you like it and ENJOY!!