SeanyJulio

Make delicious champurrado

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Making champurrado

Ingredients:

11⁄2 litres water
1 cinnamon stick
150g Mexican chocolate or any dark cooking chocolate 50g tortilla masa*
200g of piloncillo or another dark brown sugar

*If you can’t buy fresh tortilla masa, make it yourself using the recipe ​here​.

Instructions:

  • Crush the piloncillo sugar and place it in a large saucepan
  • Add the chocolate, cinnamon stick and water
  • Bring to a simmer over a medium-high heat
  • While the mixture is coming to a simmer, combine the tortilla masa with a bit of water until well mixed
  • Add the masa mixture to the saucepan, using a sieve to filter out any lumps
  • Stir well and continue simmering for another 5-10 minutes while the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally

This is perfect for a chilly, rainy evening. For a creamier version, use a plant-based milk instead of water.

Recipe and photo remain property of Sean O’Callaghan and Julio Alcantara and may not be reproduced without permission. © fatgayvegan.com

Atole de cajeta

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Ingredients:

  • 1 litre of plant-based milk
  • 1 cup of vegan cajeta*
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 tablespoons of corn flour (corn starch)
  • 1⁄2 cup of water

*Buy vegan cajeta/caramel if you can find it or otherwise, use ​this recipe​ to make it

Instructions:

  • Empty the plant milk into a large saucepan
  • Add the entire cinnamon stick
  • Warm over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until it begins to simmer but do not boil – Remove the cinnamon stick and remove the saucepan from the heat
  • Add the cajeta and stir thoroughly
  • Add the water to the corn flour and stir vigorously until no lumps remain
  • Add the corn flour mixture to the saucepan and return to a low heat
  • Stir well and continue stirring until the mixture thickens – about 5-10 minutes
  • Pour into cups and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before serving

Atole is a popular and versatile drink in Mexico. Vanilla, chocolate and fruit-infused flavours are popular so experiment with different combinations. Serve with warm tamales for an extra-hearty treat on a cold night!

Recipe and photo remain property of Sean O’Callaghan and Julio Alcantara and may not be reproduced without permission. © fatgayvegan.com

Delicious horchata recipe

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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plain white rice*
  • 4 cups of water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 cup of plant milk**
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
  • 1⁄2 cup of sugar

Instructions:

– Place rice in a large bowl and cover with four cups of very hot (but not boiling) water
– Break up the cinnamon sticks and add them to the bowl
– Allow to cool for about an hour then cover and place in the refrigerator overnight or for at least three hours
– Once soaked, place the soaked rice, cinnamon sticks and water into your blender jug
– Add the plant milk and the sugar
– Blend for at least 11⁄2 minutes, ideally longer, until your Horchata is smooth and there are no chunks of cinnamon
– If your Horchata is very thick, feel free to add some more water or plant milk to it
– Pour over ice and sprinkle with ground cinnamon before serving

* In Mexico, plain long-grain white rice is most commonly used but you can experiment with a mixture of different rices to produce different flavours. Almonds, walnuts and other nuts are sometimes added to the rice before soaking so try different mixtures according to your taste. In Spain, Horchata is commonly made with tiger nuts/chufa.

** We used a vanilla soy milk but any other plant milk will do. If you don’t use a vanilla-flavoured plant milk, you may want to add a teaspoon of vanilla essence to your Horchata before blending.

Recipe and photo remain property of Sean O’Callaghan and Julio Alcantara and may not be reproduced without permission. © fatgayvegan.com

Recipe for gorditas

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Ingredients:

  • 500g corn flour/corn masa – make sure it is the one that says ‘suitable for tamales’ 1 cup of water
  • Salt
  • Vegetable oil
  • Refried black beans
  • Makes approximately 10 gorditas

Instructions:

  • Wash hands carefully or wear food-safe gloves for this recipe
  • Put the corn flour/masa in a large bowl and sprinkle in about 1 tablespoon of salt
  • Add a splash of water and some of the oil and start mixing with your hands
  • Keep adding water bit-by-bit until a solid dough is formed
  • Scoop out a 2” ball of dough and roll between your palms until smooth
  • Make a dent in the middle with your thumbs and place approximately 1 large tablespoon of refried beans into the middle of the ball
  • Fold the sides over and use your hands to create a flat disc-shaped gordita approximately 1⁄2 an inch thick
  • Heat approximately 1” of vegetable oil in a large pan to a medium/high heat
  • Place gorditas into the hot oil and fry for approximately six minutes, turning halfway to ensure that they are golden and crisp all over
  • Remove gorditas from oil and drain on paper towel for approximately three minutes
  • Use a sharp knife to cut the gordita open and fill with your favourite toppings and condiments.
  • We like fresh white onion and coriander/cilantro, topped with salsa verde but anything goes really

Recipe and photo remain property of Sean O’Callaghan and Julio Alcantara and may not be reproduced without permission. © fatgayvegan.com

Making tamales

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TAMALES

Ingredients:

  • 500g Tamale masa/corn flour – make sure it is the type suitable for tamales! 250g solid vegetable shortening
  • 250ml liquid vegetable stock
  • Corn husks
  • Salt
  • Plus whatever fillings you decide to use!

Makes approximately ten tamales/serves three or four people

Instructions:

For the dough/masa

  • In a large bowl or saucepan, soak corn husks in very hot water for about 5 minutes
  • In an electric mixer, use the flat beater/dough hook attachment at a high speed to soften the shortening for a few minutes until it is very smooth
  • Reduce speed and add the Tamale flour
  • Slowly pour in the vegetable stock and add the salt
  • If needed, add some extra water to get the right consistency in the dough. You want the dough to be sticky but not too sloppy

To make the tamales

  • Take a softened corn husk and spread approximately two tablespoons of dough in a flattened patty in the centre
  • Add your fillings (approximately 1 tablespoon) on top
  • Gently roll the edges of the corn husk over the fillings and fold the end over to enclose
  • Tie the tamal together either with strips of corn husk or pieces of string

Cooking instructions

  • Steam the tamales either in a pressure cooker or a traditional steamer. In a pressure cooker, they will take approximately 30 minutes or 11⁄2 hours in a traditional steamer.
  • Once cooked, allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before opening – they will be very hot inside!

Filling suggestions

In Mexico, tamales are filled with a seemingly endless combination of ingredients, but common vegan tamales are:

  • Spinach and huitlacoche (a type of edible corn fungus)
  • Mushroom and salsa verde
  • Black beans with salsa verde and vegan cheese

Note – this is a recipe for savoury tamales but sweet tamales are also very popular. This requires a sweetened dough so look out for a future video for sweet tamales!

Recipe and photo remain property of Sean O’Callaghan and Julio Alcantara and may not be reproduced without permission. © fatgayvegan.com

Make frijoles charros

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of cooked black beans 1 cup sliced vegan sausage 1⁄2 cup of seitan
  • 1⁄2 cup of sliced vegan ham
  • 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
  • 1 Morita chile
  • 1 can of dark beer
  • Fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped onion and avocado to serve

Makes approximately four cups/serves four

Instructions:

  • Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large, deep frying pan and add mushrooms
  • Soften over a medium/high flame then add the vegan meats
  • Cook for a further few minutes until hot, then add the beer and the chile
  • Cook on a high heat for approximately 10 minutes
  • Add the beans and their liquid, turn heat to medium and cook for a further 10 minutes
  • Serve in a bowl topped with onion, avocado and coriander/cilantro

Serve on its own or as a starter. Perfect for cold winter nights!

Recipe and photo remain property of Sean O’Callaghan and Julio Alcantara and may not be reproduced without permission. © fatgayvegan.com

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Make chilaquiles

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Ingredients:

  • 1 large bag of totopos/corn chips
  • 2 cups of cooked Salsa Verde (see our recipe for raw Salsa Verde and cook well)
  • 1 cup of refried beans (see our recipe for these)
  • Vegan sour cream (we used the Tofutti brand)
  • 1⁄3 cup of finely sliced white onion
  • Half a ripe avocado, sliced

Makes approximately one large plate/serves two

Instructions:

  • ­ If not already warm, heat the salsa verde in a medium/large saucepan ­
  • Stir in the totopos/corn chips and stir until they are well covered
  • Spoon totopos/salsa verde onto a large plate
  • Add warmed refried beans
  • Add a couple of tablespoons of vegan sour cream
  • Place the finely sliced onion on top
  • Finally, add the avocado to finish

This recipe is for Chilaquiles Verdes (Green Chilaquiles). You can also make Chilaquiles Rojos (Red Chilaquiles) using our Salsa Roja recipe instead of the Salsa Verde. Optional toppings can include anything, but frequently Chilaquiles are served with fried mushrooms, cheese, cilantro/coriander etc.

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Recipe and photo remain property of Sean O’Callaghan and Julio Alcantara and may not be reproduced without permission. © fatgayvegan.com

Make agua de Jamaica

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Here’s the recipe!

Makes approximately two litres

Ingredients:

1 cup of dried Hibiscus/Jamaica flowers
2 cups of water
1 Cinnamon stick
1⁄2 a cone of Piloncillo (or approximately 1⁄2 cup of other sweetener)

Method:

● Wash the Jamaica flowers well
● Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan
● Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes ● Strain and allow the liquid to cool for a few minutes
● Pour into a large jug and dilute approximately 1 part syrup to 10 cups of water
● Serve over ice
● ¡Salud!

You can try many variations of this water. Fruit is often used instead of the Jamaica flowers and you could experiment with different spice combinations such as ginger and star anise.

Recipe and photo remain property of Sean O’Callaghan and Julio Alcantara and may not be reproduced without permission. © fatgayvegan.com

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How to cook black beans

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You can support the making of these videos and get early access and downloadable PDF copies of the recipes by becoming an FGV patron – click here.

Here’s the recipe!

Makes approximately two cups/serves four

Ingredients:

  • 500g of dried black beans
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1⁄2 of a large white onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dried epazote or 4 tbsp fresh chopped epazote
  • Dried chipotle chiles*
  • Salt to taste

*These are optional, depending on how spicy you want your beans. We added two to infuse a rich, smoky flavour into the beans. The chiles will break down during the cooking process.

Instructions:

  • ­Rinse beans well under cold running water
    ­
  • Soak overnight or for at least 6 hours
    ­
  • Rinse beans again and place in a large saucepan with enough water to cover them by about 2” ­
  • Bring to the boil and add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the salt**
    ­
  • Reduce the beans to a medium heat and boil for approximately 1.5 hours. Try a couple of beans at this point to see if they are sufficiently cooked. They should be soft right through
    ­
  • When beans are cooked, add approximately 1 tablespoon of salt

**Do not add salt until the end of the cooking process otherwise it will prevent the beans from absorbing enough water to cook properly.

Black beans are ubiquitous in Mexican cuisine. Served either on their own, with rice, refried, inside tacos, as a garnish on tacos etc, they can be used in an infinite number of dishes.

Recipe and photo remain property of Sean O’Callaghan and Julio Alcantara and may not be reproduced without permission. © 2016 fatgayvegan.com

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