Vegan Mexican Christmas Recipes

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Orange and Anise Vegan Hojarascas (Polvorones)

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. In the US these are known as Mexican wedding cookies, and are dusted with powdered sugar. In northern Mexico, where I’m from, they are very popular during the Christmas season. You can see them displayed in panadería windows, and are often given as gifts.

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. I This is the mother of all cookie recipes (cue angelic choir). It might just be one recipe, but you can make many different kinds of cookies, I made 3, apricot thumbprint cookies, hojarascas dusted with cinnamon sugar, and pecan hojarascas dusted with powdered sugar. On the other hand, if anise and orange isn’t your thing, you can add ground nuts, dried fruits, or even coat them in chocolate. Our favorite cookie out of the three was a small round one dusted in cinnamon-sugar.

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. I

Now that we live in San Antonio visiting family is so much easier, and I am very happy to be spending Christmas in my childhood home. My mom goes all out on the Christmas decorations, and the kids are so excited about Santa coming and are counting down the days. We are making tamales tomorrow for Christmas eve, and are planning all sorts of games and activities for the children. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. I

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. I

The Recipe: Orange and Anise Vegan Hojarascas

  • I used Earth Balance as a butter substitute, which is salted, so if you use salted butter omit the salt in the recipe.( I did try to make these with coconut oil, but I wasn’t a fan of the result.)
  • The recipe is so simple. You cream butter and sugar, then add the orange zest, anise, and vanilla extract.
  • You can add 1/4 cup of finely chopped pecans if you like nuts, then dust with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar depending on your preferences. ¡Enjoy!

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. I

 

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. I
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Orange and Anise Vegan Hojarascas

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar.
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2 dozen
118 kcal
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 5 oz. (2/3 cup) Sugar, granulated
  • 12 oz. (1 ½ cups) Vegan butter, room temperature
  • 16 oz. (3 cups) Flour, all-purpose
  • 1 tsp. Ground anise seed
  • 1 tbsp. Orange zest
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Cinnamon-sugar:

  • 1 ¼ cups Cane sugar
  • 1 tbsp. Freshly ground cinnamon

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Cream butter and sugar, in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment.
  3. Add vanilla, orange zest, and ground anise. Mix.
  4. Slowly add flour, with mixer at low speed. Mix until well combined.
  5. Line 2 sheet-pans with parchment paper. Roll out dough on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick and cut into desired shapes (you can also roll dough into 1 inch balls and bake them that way).
  6. Place cut dough on sheet-tray, 1 inch apart from each other.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes or until bottoms become golden brown.
  8. Remove from oven. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, dust with cinnamon sugar.
  9. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Chef's Notes

You can add ¼ cup of finely chopped pecans to the dough if you like and eat nuts. You can also use this cookie dough recipe to make thumbprint cookies. Dust with powdered sugar instead of cinnamon sugar for a more Mexican wedding cookies look. 

Nutrition Facts
Orange and Anise Vegan Hojarascas
Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)
Calories 118 Calories from Fat 51
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5.7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1.1g 6%
Sodium 67.16mg 3%
Potassium 15.8mg 0%
Total Carbohydrates 15g 5%
Sugars 8g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A 5%
Vitamin C 0.5%
Calcium 0.5%
Iron 2.75%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Facts
Orange and Anise Vegan Hojarascas
Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)
Calories 118 Calories from Fat 51
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5.7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1.1g 6%
Sodium 67.16mg 3%
Potassium 15.8mg 0%
Total Carbohydrates 15g 5%
Sugars 8g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A 5%
Vitamin C 0.5%
Calcium 0.5%
Iron 2.75%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

 

 

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Vegan Mexican Christmas Menu

Christmas is around the corner, and I’m sure you’ve been looking for options for your Vegan Mexican Christmas menu.  I have crafted this incredible menu for you with the help of some blogger friends, so you han have a feast this Christmas. I wanted the menu to be similar to what a Mexican family might have for their Christmas Eve dinner, so there are some non-Mexican dishes like lasagna on there, because I do  know families that make lasagna for Christmas.

Appetizer/Salad:

Nochebuena Salad

A refreshing salad of romaine lettuce, roasted beets, oranges, jicama, pomegranate, and peanuts.

Macadamia Nut Queso Fresco w/ Pineapple Chipotle Salsa

Make a cheese platter with these macadamia nut cheese. It pairs well with nuts, fruits, and crackers or toasted baguette.

Mexican Hummus with Chiles Toreados

This spicy hummus is perfect for dipping veggies or tortilla chips.

Potato and Spinach Croquettes

They are crispy and golden brown, but warm and satisfying. Great finger food!

Entrees:

Vegan Jackfruit Pozole Rojo

Jackfuit replaces the pork in this recipe with great results. Serve with tostadas, radishes, lime juice, and cabbage.

Vegan Pozole Verde

The green version of pozole is flavored with poblano peppers, tomatillo, and jalapeño.

Vegan Menudo

What?? It is possible. This recipe uses textured soy protein to replace the pancita.

Vegan Bacalao a la Vizcaina

A traditional salt cod dish, remade with hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, olives, tomatoes, potatoes, capers, and red peppers.

Espagueti Verde 

Spaghetti in a creamy poblano pepper sauce. It’s just the right amount of spicy.

Lasagna

Lasagna on Chritmas?? Yes, even Mexicans eat lasagna. It makes for a good entree.

Potato Adobo Tamales

Tamales filled with potatoes in adobo sauce. Serve just out of the steamer.

Red Chile Jackfruit Tamales

Jackfruit once again replaces pork in this northern Mexico version of tamales.

 

Dessert:

Buñuelos

Fried dough sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar. For sure a childhood favorite.

Hojarascas (Polvorones)

Also known as Mexican wedding cookies. I like them sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, but you can also do powdered sugar.

Vegan Tequila Truffles

Rich an boozy truffles that are great for gifting.

Strawberry Tamales

If you are not familiar with sweet tamales, you have to try these first.

Chocolate Tamales

Filled with semi-sweet chocolate chips, and pecans.

Drinks:

Ponche

A hot spiced fruit punch. Served with or without alcohol.

Champurrado

Unlike any hot chocolate you’ve ever had. It is thickened with masa or masa harina.

Atole Almendrado

A warm corn based beverage, meant to warm you up this winter.

Vegan Rompope

Mexican eggnog. Also a traditional Christmas drink.

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Vegan Bacalao a la Vizcaína (Mexican Style)

Every country across the world has its own way of celebrating Christmas. Mexico has many wonderful Christmas traditions, but one of the most important is the food. It’s not Christmas without pozole, tamales, buñuelos, or ponche. Another one of those important dishes is this vegan Bacalao a la Vizcaína.

This post contains affiliate links.

Bacalao a la Vizcaína is a braised salt cod dish with tomatoes, garlic, olives, capers, roasted peppers, and potatoes. Depending what part of the country you are in they also add raisins and slivered almonds. For this vegan version I️ have used hearts of palm and artichoke hearts to replace the salt cod. The dish is an adaptation of a Spanish classic, and is mostly consumed in central and southern Mexico on Christmas Eve. Serve it with rice or crusty bread to soak up to the last drop of the stew.

What are some of your favorite Christmas foods? My favorite is without a doubt tamales, and the are super easy to veganize! My favorite Christmas traditions are decorating the tree as a family, pedir posada, and singing Happy birthday to Jesus, and then having the kids kiss little baby Jesus on Christmas Eve. Ok, so there’s a lot of stuff I️ like about Christmas! I️ would love to hear some of your traditions.

The Recipe: Vegan Bacalao a la Vizcaína

I have used one can of hearts of palm and one can of artichoke hearts, but feel free to use one or the other. To give this a fishy flavor you can use dulse flakes or finely chopped nori seaweed. Enjoy!

This vegan bacalao a la vizcaína is an adaptation of a Spanish classic, and is served in central and southern Mexico on Christmas Eve.
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Vegan Bacalao a la Vizcaína

This vegan bacalao a la vizcaína is an adaptation of a Spanish classic, and is served in central and southern Mexico on Christmas Eve.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 3 minutes
Servings 6 Servings
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 10 Plum tomatoes, medium, (3 cups roasted tomato puree)
  • 1 White onion, diced, (about 2 cups)
  • 6 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 can (14 oz.) Artichoke hearts, drained, roughly chopped
  • 1 can (14 oz.) Hearts of palm, drained, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup Sliced, pitted manzanilla olives
  • 1 tbsp. Capers
  • 3 Red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, cut into strips
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1-2 tsp. Finely chopped nori flakes
  • 1 lb. New potatoes, cooked, peeled, cut in half
  • 1/4 cup Parsley, chopped
  • 3 Pickled pepperoni or banana peppers whole or sliced

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven broiler to HI. Place tomatoes on a sheet try and place under the broiler for 4 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to brown and be covered in black spots.
  2. Turn the tomatoes and leave in oven for 4 more minutes. Remove from oven. Using your blender, process until you have a smooth puree. Strain and set aside.
  3. Heat a large pot to medium-low heat and add ¼ cup of water. Add onions and let cook until tender and transparent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 1 more minute.
  4. Pour in tomato puree, and bring it up to a simmer.
  5. Add hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, olives, capers, red peppers, bay leaf, and nori flakes. Continue to simmer for 5-6 minutes. Stir well.
  6. Add parsley, potatoes, pickled banana peppers. Let simmer for 8 more minutes. If the sauce thickens too much, adjust with vegetable stock or water.
  7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chef's Notes

If you are looking for a fishy taste use 2 tsp. of nori flakes. Serve with rice or crusty bread. The pickled pepper can be spicy or mild depending on your preference. In some states they add raisins and slivered almonds, you can add those as well. 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through, and make a purchase. Thank you for your support!

 

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Ultimate Vegan Latino Gift Guide

Christmas time is here and your favorite vegan Latino(a) friend is going to love these gifts!! They are inspired by our love of Latino culture or they are made or curated by Latino business owners and entrepreneurs. It might sound cheesy, but this is the ultimate vegan latino gift guide. Así que ponte las pilas (get it together), and buy this for your significant other.

This post contains affiliate links.

Calaca Red Velour Turban

This one is so beautiful, I wish I could pull it off. Handmade by Mexican-born, San Diego native, Jessica Resendiz. She creates beautiful pieces inspired by her cultura, like this turban inspired by el Día de los Muertos. You can find out more about this gorgeous piece, and much more here.

 

Loly in the Sky Shoes

 

I can’t decide between these two, but Loly in the Sky has a wide variety of vegan shoes and bags that are incredibly fashionable. Founded by Mexican entrepreneurs Lorena and Eduardo Vazquez these shoes are handcrafted in León, Guanajuato. You can find more shoes here.

Vegan Tamales Unwrapped

I couldn’t leave this one out. A practical guide to make vegan tamales step-by-step. There are more than 16 different vegan tamal recipes and over 50 detailed pictures on how to make them. This one is authored by yours truly, me, a Mexican born vegan chef and entrepreneur. Take a look inside Vegan Tamales Unwrapped

Don Ramon T-Shirt

Should I even explain who Don Ramon is? This cool t-shirt is made by No Manches Clothing a company started by two Latino Chicago natives,  Miguel Angel, Chris, and Jorge. Their designs are inspired by culture, humor, and satire. Find more designs here.

Virgencita Vintage Jacket

Oh my gosh! I want all of these gifts. Hint, hint….husband. This jacket is made by Hija de Tu Madre, founded by Paty Delgado. Hija de tu Madre is an online store for Latinx inspired clothes, purses, and accessories. Find more beautiful items here.

Lil’ Libros

Lil’ Libros was started by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein, both CA natives. They have created beautiful bilingual first concept board books, using stories and imagery from Latino culture. They are super cute, and the kids love them. I have the Loteria, and the Virgencita one. Check out the rest of them here. 

Good Mexican Girl Cookies

An artisanal bakery that specializes in vegan and gluten-free selections. They ship to your home, but it is only available in the U.S. Their specialty are Mexican wedding cookies or polvorones. To find out more click here.

Chingona Bracelet

Lisa Ila Rocha, based in L.A design jewelry by Mexican and Native American culture. Her designs are delicate, colorful, and on point. I could probably add like 10 more pictures of her pieces that I really like, but go see them for yourself. Click here.

Petit Vour Vegan Beauty Subscription Box

Ok, so this is not Latino related, but I decided to include it anyway. The simplicity of the concept, and the quality of the products make this subscription service so worth it. Petit Vour curates vegan beauty products in sample sizes and sends them to you every month! The items are also available for individual purchase on their site. Go check them out.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Gift Set

 

This Mexican hot chocolate gift set includes artisanal Mexican chocolate, a wooden molinillo for frothing your chocolate, and a red clay pot to bring it all together. This gift is from Hernán, a company founded by Isela Hernández, who turns out it is from the border town across from where I grew up, Del Rio,TX. She works hand in hand with artisan producers in Mexico to create or curate these products and sell them in the U.S. They also have a really good mole paste that is vegan! Visit her site here. 

Hola Bitches Notebook

These notebook is for your artistic or journaling friend. Hola Bitches is the brand of the Mexican gift shop Artelexia, which was founded by Elexia de la Parra, a Mexican herself. She travels the country looking for unique products for her Mexican gift shop, and she also organizes food tours of Oaxaca and San Miguel de Allende. There are many more great items to choose from here.

Mango Enchilado Bath Bomb

The cutest bath bomb ever! They are made by Brewbles, the creation of Catheryn Estefania Rodriguez Rangel, a 24 year old Xilangx/Mexican Immigrant. They are Inspired by cultura, and the nostalgic memories of her childhood. There are many other options on her site, but go quick because they sell out fast.

Concha Earrings

I love conchas, and what better way to celebrate them than to wear them. They are hand made by Stephanie Figueroa of the Monocled Mermaid shop on Etsy. She is a local San Antonio artist, you can find her here.

 

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The Perfect Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate

It has taken me some time to finally come up with an acceptable vegan version of Mexican hot chocolate. First we tested different types of Mexican chocolates until we found the best one.  Then we tested different types of plant milks, until finally we did it! This creamy, foamy, rich, and delicious vegan Mexican hot chocolate has a hint a cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness.

This creamy, foamy, rich, and delicious vegan Mexican hot chocolate has a hint a cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness.

We tried 4 different types of plant milks for this recipe: coconut, almond, macadamia, and soy. I chose not to test rice and oat milk, because I thought they would be to thin and watery. The almond milk was our least favorite, which was a surprise, because I thought it was going to be the best one. The flavor was a little bit bitter, the texture thin, but it did foam up really well. Our next least favorite was the coconut milk. The coconut flavor completely overpowered everything, and the texture was almost too fatty. You could feel the fat coating your mouth, and not in a good way. The foam was average. One of our favorites was the macadamia nut milk. The flavor of the macadamia milk was very subtle, and the texture was creamy without being overpowering. The foam was average. Our favorite out of all of them was the soy milk. This was a complete surprise to me. The soy milk really let the chocolate shine through, the texture was just the right amount of creamy, and the foam was thick and bubbly.

This creamy, foamy, rich, and delicious vegan Mexican hot chocolate has a hint a cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness.

(Just on a side note: The beautiful napkin you see in the picture is from Kari of the site Beautiful Ingredient., a vegan blog focused on bringing in more plant- based meals into your daily life. The napkins are handmade and vegan. You can also find coasters, pot holders, and dishcloths. You can find them on her site or on her shop on Food52.)

This creamy, foamy, rich, and delicious vegan Mexican hot chocolate has a hint a cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness.

The family and I are still enjoying time at my parents’ house and we are having a blast. Christmas and New Years was great, I didn’t realize how much I really missed them, and how far away Hawaii really is. It’s time to get back to work though, and I’ve been busy trying to find the best spot to take pictures and start developing new recipes. I didn’t make any New Years resolutions this time, instead I chose a word to keep me motivated the whole year. My word is perseverance: steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. No matter what this year brings, good or bad, we will persevere. With God’s help of course. How was your holiday?

The Recipe: The Perfect Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate

To make this amazing vegan Mexican hot chocolate we used the TAZA chocolate Mexicano cinnamon tablets, soy milk, and a hand blender to get the foam just right. If you are a traditionalist you can use a molinillo or if you prefer convenience you can use a blender. Serve with these marranitos de piloncillo or these vegan conchas. 

This creamy, foamy, rich, and delicious vegan Mexican hot chocolate has a hint a cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness.
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The Perfect Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate

Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 1 pckg. (2.7 oz) Taza Chocolate Mexicano, cinnamon
  • 2 cups Soy milk

Preparation

  1. In a medium sauce pot, heat the milk over medium heat until just about to simmer.

  2. Chop chocolate, and add to pot. 

  3. Whisk until the chocolate dissolves. Be careful not to overheat the milk.

  4. Remove the pot from the heat and froth with a molinillo, hand blender, or blender. 

  5. Serve while hot and frothy. 

Chef's Notes

You can find several flavors of Taza Chocolate Mexicano, use your favorite. 

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Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese

Are you still looking for a great New Years appetizer? This baked Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great option. It is crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside. It is perfect with a glass of wine, some crackers, and fruit. It will wow even your most skeptical omni friend!

This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.

I bet you didn’t think a vegan version of Brie en Croute could be possible, but it is. Of course, the cheese is nothing like an actual brie, but this homemade macadamia nut cheese works wonderfully.

This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.

It has been a very busy last couple of weeks. We have left Hawaii and are currently in Mexico enjoying time with our family. Yay! There’s no other way to say it, but that Hawaii was not our forever home. We will miss the wonderful friends we made, our amazing homeschool group, and of course the amazing beaches and hikes.

This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.

The main reason for our departure was that the cost of living in Hawaii is incredibly high, which made many things difficult for us. I guess we knew that before going there, but we just didn’t grasp how high it really is. The other thing that was difficult was finding a school for our children. Thus why we decided to homeschool. Homeschooling has many benefits and I did find that I enjoyed it very much, but it didn’t come without its challenges. If you are thinking about moving to Hawaii or you have plans to move there send me an email and I would be happy to go into more detail.

This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.

Overall I am glad we got the opportunity to live in Hawaii and to get to know the culture and the people, even if it was just for a little while. Our future is uncertain as of right now, but I always like to look at our moves as a new adventure, and I really hope this is going to be a great one!

This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.

The Recipe: Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese

Vegan puff pastry was not difficult to find, just check the ingredients to make sure it is made with vegetable shortening instead of butter. If you cannot find it, you can use phyllo dough instead. The quince paste you can find at your local hispanic grocery store as “ate de membrillo” or most mainstream grocery stores carry it in the fancy cheese section. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with any fruit preserve you choose.

This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.
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Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese

Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 1 Puff pastry sheet, defrosted
  • 1 recipe Macadamia nut cheese, (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup Quince paste

Preparation

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.

  2. Unfold the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. 

    This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.

  3. Roll out the puff pastry to a square twice the size of the cheese. 

  4. Cut of the corners to make a sort of circle. 

    This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.

  5. Place the quince paste in the center of the sheet, then place the cheese on top. 

    This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.

  6. Brush the edge of the circle with water.

    This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.
  7. Fold the top and bottom sides over the cheese and trim edges
    This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.

  8. Press the side edges over the center of the cheese and press to seal.

    This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.

  9. Flip the wrapped cheese so it is seam-side down on the baking sheet. 

    This Puff Pastry with Quince and Macadamia Nut Cheese is a great vegan appetizer, crispy on the outside, and sweet and savory on the inside.

  10. Decorate with the pastry scraps, if desired. ( I did a flower)

  11. Brush with water

  12. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  

Chef's Notes

You can find the recipe for macadamia nut cheese here.

Vegan puff pastry was not difficult to find, just check the ingredients to make sure it is made with vegetable shortening instead of butter. If you cannot find it, you can use phyllo dough instead. The quince paste you can find at your local Hispanic grocery store as "ate de membrillo" or most mainstream grocery stores carry it in the fancy cheese section. If you can't find it, you can substitute with any fruit preserve you choose.

 

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Vegan Tequila Truffles

Hola! I am Jeni from the blog Thyme & Love and I am so excited to be writing a guest post here on Dora’s Table! Before I share my recipe for these delicious and easy Vegan Tequila Truffles, I thought that I would give a little background about myself and my recipe inspiration.

These Vegan Tequila Truffles are rich, creamy, chocolaty and simple. They are easy to make and perfect for the holiday season.

I first discovered authentic Mexican food when I started dating my Husband Hector, who is from Mexico City. I immediately feel in love with the cuisine and culture of Mexico. I grew up in the Midwest and ate a pretty typical American diet. There wasn’t much variety and we never had true authentic Mexican food. I learned a few recipes and the basics of Mexican cuisine from Hector’s Mom Adela. Since I was already Vegan when I met Hector I began to research Mexican recipes that were naturally Vegan or that could easily be made Vegan.

 

These Vegan Tequila Truffles are rich, creamy, chocolaty and simple. They are easy to make and perfect for the holiday season.

I love traveling to Mexico as much as I can, especially to Mexico City. It is the first place that I visited in Mexico and it holds a special place in my heart. After Hector and I got married, we decided to move to Mexico City for awhile. It was one of the greatest experience of my life. On my blog, you’ll find that many of my recipes are inspired by Mexico.

Now, let’s talk about these Vegan Tequila Truffles. When Dora asked me to share a holiday recipe with you, I immediately knew that I wanted to share a Mexican inspired truffle recipe. Truffles are easy to make and perfect for the holiday season.

These Vegan Tequila Truffles are rich, creamy, chocolaty and simple. They are easy to make and perfect for the holiday season.

The Recipe: Vegan Tequila Truffles

The truffles start by melting dark chocolate in warmed coconut milk. You want to look for chocolate that is at least 70% cacao. After most of the chocolate has melted, the rich ganache is infused with Mexican vanilla and tequila. It is completely optional but for a little kick add chili powder to the ganache. I like to use guajillo chili powder.

After chilling the fridge for a few hours, the truffles are rolled into balls and then coated in cocoa powder.

You’ll find these Vegan Tequila Truffles to be rich, creamy, chocolaty and simple.

These Vegan Tequila Truffles are rich, creamy, chocolaty and simple. They are easy to make and perfect for the holiday season.
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Vegan Tequila Truffles

Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Author Jeni Hernandez

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Coconut milk, full fat
  • 12 oz. Vegan Dark Chocolate at least 70% Cacao, finely chopped
  • 1 pinch Sea Salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Mexican Vanilla Extract
  • 2 tbsp. Tequila
  • ¼-½ tsp. Chili Powder, optional
  • 1/4 cup Cocoa powder, for dusting

Preparation

  1. In a medium saucepan heat the the coconut milk over medium heat. When the milk comes to a low boil add the chopped chocolate and continually stir until about ¾ of the chocolate has melted. Turn off the heat and add the pinch of salt, vanilla, tequila and chili powder if using. Keep stirring until all of the chocolate has melted. 

  2. Pour the chocolate into a loaf pan or shallow dish. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the chocolate is almost solid. If the chocolate is still wet in some spots continue chilling until firm. 

  3. Once the chocolate is chilled and firm, prepare a dish with the cocoa powder for rolling. Use a tablespoon sized scoop to scoop out small balls; I like to use a cookie scoop. Scoop out the tablespoon size balls then gently use your hands to roll into a round ball shape. Toss in cocoa powder to coat and shake off the excess. Transfer to a cookie sheet or pan lined with wax paper. Continue until all the chocolate has been scooped out. Depending on the size of the scoop, you should get about 14-16 truffles. 

  4. Enjoy the truffles right away or store in a tightly covered container in the fridge. Let the truffles come up to room temperature before serving, about 10-15 minutes. 

Chef's Notes

It is completely optional but for a little kick add chili powder to the ganache. I like to use guajillo chili powder.

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Vegan Chorizo Chestnut Stuffing

This vegan chorizo chestnut stuffing is a great option for your vegan Thanksgiving this year. The chorizo adds a vegan Mexican twist on the traditional stuffing. It is spicy, savory, and filled with sage, chestnuts, and aromatics. Many years ago my husband told me that Thanksgiving was the only meal I wasn’t allowed to mexicanize, since it was an American tradition, but one year I added chorizo to the stuffing instead of sausage and it was a big hit. We have prepared it like this ever since. This is the first year however, that I made a vegan version and it was also a huge success! (My husband is not vegan and can sometimes approach vegan food with caution.)

This vegan chorizo chestnut stuffing is a great option for your vegan Thanksgiving this year. It is spicy, savory, and delicious.

This vegan chorizo chestnut stuffing is a great option for your vegan Thanksgiving this year. It is spicy, savory, and delicious.

Thanksgiving has never really been my holiday. I guess because we don’t have it in Mexico, so I have only just started celebrating it. I do however enjoy the company. This year we will be celebrating with one of the families from our homeschool group. The group has been incredibly supportive and helpful. Without them I don’t think I would’ve lasted this long. Oh homeschooling! It is beautiful and difficult at the same time, but I know we made the right choice for our family at this time.

This vegan chorizo chestnut stuffing is a great option for your vegan Thanksgiving this year. It is spicy, savory, and delicious.

We are gearing up for Christmas here at home and the blog. Next week I will finish photographing the rest of the recipes for the year so I can enjoy some time off for Christmas with the family. My two year old is so excited for Christmas this year, that every time we see a Christmas decoration she gets all giddy and starts jumping up and down while screaming ” Christmas, it’s Christmas!”. My 7 yr. old can’t stop talking about all the pokemon Santa is going to bring him. All I want for Christmas is to enjoy my family in Mexico. It has been one year since we were there, so you can imagine how much I miss them. I hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends this year!

This vegan chorizo chestnut stuffing is a great option for your vegan Thanksgiving this year. It is spicy, savory, and delicious.

The Recipe: Vegan Chorizo Chestnut Stuffing

I have used sourdough bread, but any bread will do. You can buy your vegan chorizo or make it with this recipe, which is the one I used. You can also use any unsweetened plant milk, but I used homemade almond milk. The chestnuts you can roast them yourself or buy the already packaged ones. Enjoy!

This vegan chorizo chestnut stuffing is a great option for your vegan Thanksgiving this year. It is spicy, savory, and delicious.
5 from 1 vote
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Vegan Chorizo Chestnut Stuffing

Servings 6 servings
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 1 (7 cups) loaf Sourdough, bread, cut into large cubes
  • 1 Carrot, large, chopped
  • 2 Celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 Onion, yellow, chopped
  • 8 oz. Vegan chorizo (see note)
  • 1/3 cup Roasted chestnuts, chopped
  • 1 tsp. Sage, fresh, chopped
  • 1 Flax egg (1 tbsp. groung flax seed + 2 1/2 tbsp. water)
  • 1 cup Almond milk, unsweetened
  • 1 cup Vegetable stock
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.

  2. Spread cubed bread on a sheet pan and toast in oven, about 5 min. Set aside.

  3. Puree carrot, onion, and celery in a blender or food processor until it becomes a fine pulp.  Set aside.

  4. Set a large sauté pan to medium heat and add chorizo. Cook vegan chorizo stirring frequently until slightly brown, about 5-7 min. Remove from pan and set aside.

  5. Add vegetable puree to sauté pan, reduce heat to low, and cook until almost dry, about 7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

  6. In a large bowl combine chorizo, vegetable puree, bread, 1/3 cup of chestnuts, and chopped sage.

  7. In a medium bowl combine 1 tbsp. ground flax seed and 2 ½ tbsp. of water and let sit for 5 minutes. Pour in vegetable stock, salt, and almond milk and whisk well. Pour this over bread mixture and fold to combine.

  8. Place mixture in an 8 x 12 baking dish, and bake for 30 min. uncovered, or until top is golden brown.

Chef's Notes

I have used sourdough bread, but any bread will do. You can buy your vegan chorizo or make it with this recipe, which is the one I used. You can also use any unsweetened plant milk, but I used homemade almond milk. The chestnuts you can roast them yourself or buy the already packaged ones.

 

 

This vegan chorizo chestnut stuffing is a great option for your vegan Thanksgiving this year. It is spicy, savory, and delicious.

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Jackfruit Vegan Pozole Rojo

Pozole is a hearty, spicy, satisfying Mexican soup. It is said to be a hangover cure, which I cannot confirm, but it is certainly a special occasion dish and is often served on Christmas and New Year’s. There are three varieties most commonly served: rojo, verde y blanco. Traditionally pozole is made with pork shank, trotters and shoulder, but of course, this will no longer work for us, so I have created this jackfruit vegan pozole rojo recipe just for you.

This jackfruit vegan pozole is a hearty, spicy, and satisfying soup. It is an adaptation of my grandmother's recipe, perfect for the holidays

This is an adaptation of my grandmother’s famous recipe. Every Christmas for as long as I can remember my grandmother would make two of the biggest pots of pozole and menudo I have ever seen. The adults would salivate over it, talk about how good it was going to be, and would go over to the kitchen and stir the pots to see how much longer it would be until they finally had their pozole. One year I decided I was going to see what the big deal was, and I waited until the kitchen was empty. Then I went over to the pot and grabbed the ginormous ladle. I gave the whole thing a stir and almost fainted and threw up all over myself at the same time! (I must have been about 8 yrs. old.) When I stirred the pot a couple of pork trotters rose up to surface and I swear I saw a pig snout, but I might of imagined that. After that, it took me years to give pozole a try, but I eventually became one of those salivating adults waiting for the pozole to be done each Christmas.

This jackfruit vegan pozole is a hearty, spicy, and satisfying soup. It is an adaptation of my grandmother's recipe, perfect for the holidays

Now that I no longer eat meat it was only natural that I made a vegan version of this dish. Originally, I was going to make this with mushrooms instead of jackfruit, since I know jackfruit is not easily accesible to many. However, when I went to the grocery store I discovered that here in Hawaii button mushrooms are $8.00 a pound! I quickly decided instead to pay about $5 for two cans of green jackfruit. I am so happy with the result and I know you will be too. It is just as I remember it, so deeply satisfying.

This jackfruit vegan pozole is a hearty, spicy, and satisfying soup. It is an adaptation of my grandmother's recipe, perfect for the holidays

The Recipe: Jackfruit Vegan Pozole Rojo

I have used canned hominy to speed things up, but if you have access to dried hominy you can use that instead. (Dried hominy takes about 2 hours to cook.) Pozole is all about the toppings. Serve with dried oregano, diced white onion, lime wedges, sliced radishes, and shredded cabbage. My grandma used to serve a salsa macha on the side as well for the ones who wanted more heat. Here is a recipe from Mexico in my Kitchen that is very similar to my grandma’s, only she used chile piquín instead of árbol. Enjoy!

This jackfruit vegan pozole is a hearty, spicy, and satisfying soup. It is an adaptation of my grandmother's recipe, perfect for the holidays

This jackfruit vegan pozole is a hearty, spicy, and satisfying soup. It is an adaptation of my grandmother's recipe, perfect for the holidays
4.82 from 11 votes
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Jackfruit Vegan Pozole Rojo

Vegan Jackfruit Pozole Rojo, a spicy soup made with dried chiles, hominy, jackfruit, and veggies. 

Course Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword jackfruit, vegan pozole
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 1 can (29 oz.) White hominy, drained, rinsed
  • 3 quarts Vegetable Stock
  • 5 Chile guajillo, dried, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 Chile ancho, dried, stemmed and seeded
  • 5 Chile de árbol, dried, stemmed and seeded
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • ½ Onion, white
  • 1 tbsp. Vegetable oil (optional)
  • 2 cans (20oz./ea) Young green jackfruit brine, drained
  • 1 Zucchini, medium, cut into dice

Toppings

  • 1 White onion, small, minced
  • 6 Red radishes, sliced into batons
  • 2 tbsp. Oregano, dried
  • ½ Green cabbage, cored, thinly sliced
  • 4 Limes cut into quarters
  • 1 bag Corn chips or tostadas

Preparation

  1. In a large pot, combine the vegetable stock and hominy and bring to a LOW simmer.

  2. While the hominy is simmering, remove stems and seeds from the chile ancho, arbol, and guajillo. Rinse and place in a medium pot with water.
  3. Bring pot to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 min.
  4. Drain chiles, but reserve 1 ½ cups of the chile water. Place chiles, garlic and onion in the blender, add the chile water and blend until smooth. Strain.
  5. To prepare the jackfruit, drain the jackfruit, rinse, and pat with paper towels. Cut out the core of the jackfruit (tip of the triangle pieces), and cut pieces in half. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a large sauté pan set to medium heat. Add the jackfruit and cook for 3 -4 minutes on each side or until it begins to brown. Pour the chile sauce over the jackfruit and reduce heat to low-medium. Simmer for 10 minutes or until jackfruit begins to break down and the sauce has thickened slightly. Use a fork to shred the jackfruit as it cooks down. Season with salt and pepper.

  6. Your hominy should still be simmering very slowly. Scoop out one cup of the hominy-vegetable stock mixture and blend until smooth. Pour this back into the pot with the hominy

  7. Raise heat to medium-low, and add the zucchini and shredded jackfruit with sauce. Let simmer for 8- 10 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

  8. Serve your pozole with all of the toppings on the side.

Recipe Video

Chef's Notes

If you don’t have access to jackfruit you can use 2lbs. of mixed mushrooms or soy curls instead. You can substitute the zucchini with chayote with excellent results. If you like your pozole really spicy serve it with this salsa macha from Mexico in my Kitchen

 

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Vegan Chocolate Tamales

It’s that time of year again, when the cold starts creeping in and we yearn for nice mug of hot chocolate and a tamal. If you have never tried a sweet tamal you are in for a treat.  These vegan chocolate tamales are made by beating vegan butter and sugar, adding corn masa flour, ground Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, and warm almond milk. It is filled with bittersweet chocolate chips and chopped pecans. The best tamal is a warm tamal just out of the steamer, and the scent of cinnamon and the melted bittersweet chocolate interior of this tamal will surely conquer your tastebuds.

Making vegan tamales doesn't have to be complicated. With over 50 detailed pictures, this ebook will guide you step-by-step in the tamal making process.

For the last 3 months I have been working like crazy to deliver our latest project in time for Christmas. I have poured my heart into this project and I am excited to share it with you. On Dec 12th we will be releasing our first e-book: Vegan Tamales Unwrapped. This book contains over 18 different vegan tamal recipes for you to enjoy this Christmas season, with a step-by-step picture guide to making the dough, wrapping the tamales, and placing them in the steamer. The recipes include both savory and sweet tamales.

This vegan latino gift guide is inspired by our love of Latino culture, they are made or curated by Latino business owners and entrepreneurs.

In the next following weeks I will be sharing with you some of the recipes found in the book. I hope you like them!

The Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Tamales

If you would like to make these tamales with fresh masa, replace the masa harina with 2 lbs. of fresh masa.

tamales chocolate
5 from 1 vote
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Vegan Chocolate Tamales

Vegan Chocolate tamales filled with roasted pecans and chocolate chips.

Course Dessert
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword chocolate, pecans, vegan tamales
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings 18 tamales
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Vegan Butter room temperature, 8 oz.
  • 1/3 cup Sugar granulated
  • 4 cups (1 lb. 2oz) Masa harina
  • 1.5 tsp. Baking powder
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 1/2 cups Mexican chocolate ground, 9 oz
  • ½ tsp. Cinnamon, ground
  • 2 cups Almond Milk, unsweetened, warm
  • 2 cups Water, warm
  • ½ cup Pecans, chopped
  • 2 cups Chocolate chips, bittersweet
  • 30 Corn husks dried

Preparation

  1. Soak the corn husks in hot water, in a large pot or in your kitchen sink. Place a plate over them to weigh them down so they are completely submerged. Let them soak for at least an hour.
  2. Chop the Mexican chocolate into small pieces and grind to a powder in the food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can grate the chocolate with a standard kitchen grater.
  3. Beat the butter and sugar, on medium-high speed, with an electric mixer, until the butter has doubled in size and is nice and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and beat for 1 minute to incorporate into the butter.
  4. Add half of the masa harina then add the almond milk. After it is completely incorporated, add the other half of masa harina and water. Beat at low speed, until thoroughly mixed. It should have the consistency of a thick cake batter. If necessary add more water until you reach that consistency.
  5. For lighter and fluffier tamales, let the dough rest for an hour in the refrigerator. Remove the dough from the fridge and rebeat it, adding enough liquid to get it to the consistency it had before.
  6. Remove the corn husks from the water and set on paper towels.
  7. To set up your steamer, fill the bottom with water making sure the water is not touching the steamer rack. Line the rack and sides of the steamer pot with corn husks. Set aside.
  8. Pull 24 pencil thin strips off of the corn husks and set aside. Take a husk and dry off the excess water on it with a paper towel. Place the husk in your hand with the tapered side away from you and the smooth side up. Using a spoon, spread 2-3 tbsp. of the dough (¼ inch thick) onto the corn husk, forming a 3 - 4 inch square. Leave a border of at least 3/4 inch on each side of the square.
  9. Place 5-10 chocolate chips, and a sprinkle of chopped pecans in the center of the dough. Bring the two long sides of the corn husk together, this will cause the masa to surround the filling, and roll them in the same direction around the tamal. (If the husk is too small, fold one of the long sides towards the center, and then fold the other long side on top.) Fold down the empty tapered section of the corn husk, forming a closed bottom. This will leave the top of the tamal open. Tie with a corn husk strip to secure the bottom of the tamal.
  10. Place the tamal in the steamer vertically leaning against the side of the steamer, with the folded part of the tamal on the bottom. Repeat this process until you run out of dough and all the tamales are in the steamer. Cover them with a layer of corn husks. If the steamer is not full, fill the empty spaces with more corn husks. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Turn heat down to medium and cook for 40 minutes. Check the tamales, when they separate easily from the corn husk it means they are done. If they are not done, steam for 10 more minutes and check again.
  11. Remove steamer from the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Uncover and let cool. Don’t be alarmed if the tamales seem really soft. As they cool, they will firm up.

Recipe Video

Chef's Notes

If you would like to make these with fresh masa, replace the masa harina with 2 lbs. of fresh masa. You can also use 8 oz. of coconut oil or 8 oz of cooked, unsweetened pumpkin to replace the fat.

 

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