Torticas de Morón

I finally got to make my torticas!!

Torticas de Morón are a Cuban speciality and are very popular in Cuban bakeries. Cuban cooking is a fusion of African, Carribean and Spanish cuisines, and so has a variety of immensely flavorful elements to draw from!

The predominant flavors of these cookies are lime, rum, and cinnamon. The non-vegan recipe calls for eggs and butter/lard, which I replaced with vegan-margarine and applesauce (to keep the cookies moist). They came out light and fluffy and aromatic... the perfect compliment to a bright sunny day and the red chilie & tomatillo tacos I made. Mmmmm...

Torticas de Morón

(small cakes from Morón)

3 cups flour

pinch salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cups vegan sugar

1 4oz package of unsweetened applesauce

1 cup vegan margarine
3 tbsp lime zest
3 tsp rum extract (or regular rum if you have it around)
guava paste (a common Latin ingredient, it can usually be found in the Goya aisle)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Mix the flour, salt, baking power, and cinnamon together. Add the sugar, lime zest, lime juice, rum extract, softened butter, applesauce. Mix by hand once the dough starts to form.

3. Separate the dough into 3 sections, refridgerating the ones you aren't using.

4. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface. Cut into 2 1/2-inch rounds (they should be about 1/3 of an inch thick). Line them up on parchment paper over the baking sheet. Parchment paper is AWESOME and requires little-to-no clean up. (Which is obviously why I use it).

5. Cut the guava paste into small pieces and press them into the tops of the cookies. Bake for 14 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned.

6. Lastly, let cool for about 5 minutes and enjoy! I topped mine with powered sugar because Cuban desserts are supposed to be muyyyyy muyyyyyyyy dulce!

Cilantro-Lime Tofu Tacos! (quick dinners)

I just got back from my latin dance class... and of course I had to come home immediately after and have tacos and beer! This is a quick dish you can cook up in less than twenty minutes.

Cilantro-Lime Tofu Tacos

Taco filling:
(1) I used pre-cut supermarket veggies (onions and peppers), sauteed them in an 1 tbsp of sesame oil (sesame oil doesn't change its molecular structure when heated to high temperatures, thus it stays safe for your heart!). Sautee for about 7 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
(2) Add one 12oz package of firm cubed tofu into the pan, smash with a fork

(3) Top with 8 oz of cilantro-lime salsa. I used Frontera brand, they're great. It's got roasted tomatillo & green pepper. This flavoring will give the tofu a more "chickeny" taste, there's also a great cumin & tomato variety that will give the tofu the "ground beef" flavor we all love in tacos!

(4) Cook for 7 minutes, remove from heat.

Guacamole:

I also whipped up a quick guacamole with an avocado, 1/2 white onion, 1/2 tsp garlic, pinch salt, pinch cracked black pepper, 1 tbsp lemon juice. Throw in the food processor and you're done.

Other toppings:

store-bought fresh salsa

1/2 can of corn, seasoned with a bit of cracked pepper and lime juice

Tortillas:

2 low-carb whole wheat tortillas, burnt over the grill (you could just use your stove too!)


PS. Bud and Bud-Light are vegan-friendly beers!