V is for Vegan: Chocolate Smoky Tofu Mole in Tacos with Grilled Calçots

If nothing else, the inside back cover of V is for Vegan featuring a black and white collage of author Kerstin Rodgers in her punk rock finest – from Chelsea haircuts to bleach-blonde pixies and faux feather boas sold me on this eclectic collection of vegan recipes.

This acid-pink hardcover book features 150 recipes inspired by all parts of the globe and plenty of info to get a newbie vegan started. The photography is mouth-watering, the graphic design is fun and the end result is a really fun book that will get lots of use even by veteran vegans.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that
if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive compensation.

Vegan Mole Tacos

By BakeandDestroy Published: March 9, 2016

Yield: 4-8 Servings

From the author: In Oaxaca, they have all kinds of mole, a kind of paste or thick sauce—yellow, green, red—but a chocolate mole is one of the most unique. This chocolate mole with smoked tofu is as satisfying as any meat dish. Calçots are a Catalan dish of very young leeks simply broiled, slightly blackened and dressed with olive oil. A great combo for tacos. The typically Oaxacan sauce will make double the amount you need for the tofu, so either freeze half, or if you have more guests, double the amount of tofu. You can serve this as tacos or just as a stew with rice.

Ingredients

2 1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion diced
3 garlic cloves minced
2 oz vegan dark chocolate
8 ¾ oz whole tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 dried ancho chilies
2 dried chipotle chilies
2 Tbs vegetable bouillon powder
1 3/4 cups blanched or ground almonds
2 Tbs strong agave nectar
14 oz firm smoked tofu drained and cut into 1-in cubes
1 pack calçots, young leeks or scallions trimmed
14 corn tortillas
sea salt

Instructions

To serve: Slices of avocado A fistful of alfalfa sprouts Sprigs of cilantro Lime wedges
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic until soft, then add the chocolate, tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, and allspice. Cook slowly over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes while you prepare the chilies.
Meanwhile, split all the dried chilies and discard the seeds, then briefly toast the chilies in a dry skillet until soft. Place in a 1 pint [½ L] heatproof pitcher with the vegetable bouillon powder. Fill up the pitcher with boiling water and leave to soak for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Put the almonds, the chili and stock mixture, the cooked sauce, agave nectar, and 1 Tbsp salt in a powerful blender. Starting on a low speed, process together, increasing the speed as you go, until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a deep, wide skillet.
Add the tofu cubes to the sauce and poach until the tofu expands slightly and the sauce is bubbling but not boiling.
In the meantime, roast the calçots, young leeks, or scallions in a dry skillet or directly over a flame, turning them, until soft and slightly blackened around the edges (this makes them sweet).
To serve, place some of the tofu pieces and the chocolate mole in the tacos and fold so that the opening is upwards. Tuck in a leek or scallion and a few avocado slices. Top with alfalfa sprouts, the calçots, and cilantro. Season with salt and squeeze over some lime juice.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by ReciPress