Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Part 14

want these too hot)

2 teaspoons coriander seeds, smashed (see help for

crus.h.i.+ng on page 112)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground c.u.min

teaspoon salt

About 2 tablespoons water

1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

If you don't have a pastry cutter, use two b.u.t.ter If you don't have a pastry cutter, use two b.u.t.ter knives tightly held together to cut the shortening into the flour.

THE cooking time sounds like forever but if you roast the squash and prep your ingredients while the dough is chilling, it should take about 2 hours from start to finish, with lots of doing nothing in between. You can also prepare the dough and roast the squash a day ahead, and then all you have to do is prepare the filling and bake, so you can have them ready in less than an hour.

PREHEAT THE oven to 400F.

Prepare the pastry: Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the shortening by the teaspoon, but you don't need to be precise about this. You just want to add it in small chunks. We add the shortening in three batches and then cut it into flour with each addition. Cut in the shortening until the dough is crumbly and pebbly, as if you are making a piecrust.

Combine the vinegar with cup water. Add to the dough in three batches, gently mixing it in with a fork, until the dough holds together when pinched. If need be, add up to cup more water.

Gather the dough into a ball and knead very gently a few times until it holds together. Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour, then roll out the dough into a rectangle about 8 inches long and 5 inches wide.

Place baking parchment on a cutting board (Make sure the parchment is bigger than the cutting board because you are going to use it to roll out the dough later). Gently lift the dough onto it. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, roast the squash: Cut it in half lengthwise and use a tablespoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy parts. Place face down on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, until it is easily pierced with a fork. When the squash is cooked, remove it from the oven and place on a plate, cut side up, to cool. Keep the oven at 400F if you are making the empanadas now. In the meantime, begin making the filling.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and the jalapenos in the olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, peel the skin from the squash and cut the squash into -inch chunks.

Add the coriander seeds and garlic to the pan and saute for a minute more. Add the c.u.min, salt, and a few splashes of water (about 2 tablespoons). Add the squash and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often to coat. It's okay if the squash doesn't retain its shape perfectly. Add the black beans and heat through. If the mixture looks dry, add a few more splashes of water. Lastly, add the lemon juice and the maple syrup, and stir. Turn off the heat and prepare the empanada dough.

Grease a baking sheet and set it aside. Now grab your dough from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Slide the dough off the cutting board, keeping the paper underneath it. Roll out the dough into a 9 12-inch rectangle. Trim the edges to make it an even rectangle. Slice the dough into 3-inch squares-four cuts across and two cuts lengthwise.

Take a square and roll it out a bit more, to about 6 inches square (but you don't have to be precise about it). Arrange it so that a corner is pointing toward you. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the lower half of the dough, leaving about inch of s.p.a.ce at the bottom point. Fold over the dough so that it is in the shape of a triangle. You may need to pull it a little bit, just do so carefully so as not to rip it. Pinch together the seams with a fork or your fingertips and place on your baking sheet. Continue forming the rest of the empanadas.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm!

PANKO-STUFFED MUSHROOMS.

MAKES ABOUT 20.

TIME: 45 MINUTES.

These little guys are different from your run-of-the-mill Italian-style stuffed mushrooms since they're flavored with Asian-y stuff: sesame, mirin, and scallions. Panko is a j.a.panese bread crumb that stays crispier than the kind we usually use. Daikon provides a little crunch but you can sub water chestnuts or maybe celery if you roll that way. We like the way DIY-toasted sesame seeds look on these because they provide some color contrast, but you can buy them toasted if you prefer. Black sesame seeds would look cool as well.

22 big mushrooms (they sometimes are called "stuffing mushrooms"), washed and patted dry

1 tablespoon peanut oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup finely diced daikon

3 tablespoons mirin

teaspoon salt

teaspoon ground white pepper

1 cups panko

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, plus extra for greasing the pan and garnish

2-4 tablespoons water

cup finely chopped scallions, plus extra for garnish

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

To toast sesame seeds: Preheat a small pan over medium-low heat. Pour in the sesame seeds and toast them, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Once they are browned, immediately remove them from the pan to prevent burning.

PREHEAT THE oven to 350F.

First, remove the stems from the mushrooms. An easy way to do this is to cup one in your writing hand, stem up, and gently but firmly twist and pry the stem out. Then use a small spoon to remove any remaining stem. Do not discard the stems; chop them up small and set them aside. It's common to break a mushroom or two, which is why the recipe calls for twenty-two mushrooms but stuffs twenty. If one breaks and can't be used, just chop it up along with the stems. If you have a mushroom stem-removing talent and manage not to break any, then finely chop the two extras anyway.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in the peanut oil and saute the chopped mushroom for about 3 minutes, until some moisture has released. Add the diced daikon and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer.

At this point, lots of moisture should be released from the mushrooms. Add the mirin, salt, and white pepper, and cook for about 2 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the panko in -cup batches and stir, alternately adding the sesame oil and splashes of water (up to 4 tablespoons) until all the bread crumbs are moist. The mixture should be crumbly but, when you press some between your fingers, it should hold together. Mix in the scallions and adjust the salt to taste.

Grease a baking sheet with a little sesame oil. Stuff each mushroom with the filling and place on the baking sheet. To stuff them, place a little of the filling into the mushroom crevice and then add another tablespoon on top of that, pressing firmly to form a mound.

Bake for 20 minutes. To serve, sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the mushrooms and drizzle with a little sesame oil, if desired. Garnish with extra chopped scallions. If you are going for a fancy plating, place a few mushrooms on a handful of raw spinach leaves.

BUCKWHEAT BLINI.