52 Easy Lunch Ideas to Brighten the Workday

Vegan Rellenos de Papas

published about 1 hour ago

Credit: Photo: Amber Gress; Food Styling: Krystal Rack; Prop Styling: Vanessa Vazquez

Rellenos de papas — fried mashed potato balls stuffed with ground beef — are a popular Puerto Rican street food. When I was 7 years old, my grandmother, who was born in Puerto Rico, made me my first relleno de papa and I instant fell in love. And who could blame me? The warm hug of the mashed potatoes combined with the savory meat filling was incredibly delicious.

Fast forward to 2016, when I became a vegan. Traditional rellenos de papas were off the menu, but I was determined to keep this taste memory alive by creating a vegan twist on my childhood favorite. With a few tweaks (vegan butter, plant-based egg for dipping), I was able to make the potatoes vegan. The filling took a little more work, but I brought in meaty oyster mushrooms to stand in for the beef and cooked them with sofrito and sazón to infuse the filling with Latin flavor. For a more traditional beef texture, you can also use plant-based meat for the filling.

Credit: Photo: Amber Gress; Food Styling: Krystal Rack; Prop Styling: Vanessa Vazquez

If you’re new to rellenos de papas, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind when you make them. The mashed potatoes should be completely cool and stiff enough to mold with your hand. Press each ball into your hand, creating a disk, then spoon your filling in the center of the disk. Be sure there isn’t too much filling because the ball will be hard to close and too big to eat. You’re looking to form a ball about the size of a tennis ball.

When it’s time to fry, grab a pot or a skillet with high sides. You’ll be frying in four cups of oil, so you want to have plenty of room for frying so the outside of each relleno de papa is a light golden-brown. If you want to make them ahead, stuff and shape the balls, then refrigerate or freeze them. If they’re frozen, let them thaw in the fridge before breading and frying. Once they’re fried, serve them hot and watch them disappear!

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Vegan Rellenos de Papas Recipe

The best part about these rellenos de papas? They're completely vegan.

Yield Serves 8 large potato balls

Prep time 35 minutes

Cook time 1 hour 10 minutes

• shellfish-free
• dairy-free
• low-carb
• fish-free
• alcohol-free
• peanut-free
• pork-free
• sugar-conscious
• tree-nut-free
• egg-free
• red-meat-free

Per serving, based on 8 servings. (% daily value)

• Calories 1329
• Fat 127.1 g (195.5%)
• Saturated 17.2 g (86.1%)
• Carbs 48.0 g (16.0%)
• Fiber 3.9 g (15.6%)
• Sugars 2.0 g
• Protein 6.1 g (12.1%)
• Sodium 882.5 mg (36.8%)

Ingredients

For the potato mixture:

• 3 pounds

  russet potatoes

• 1 tablespoon

  plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 6 tablespoons

  vegan butter

• 1/4 cup

  plus 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

• 1/2 cup

  JUST EGG plant-based liquid egg substitute

For the filling and deep frying:

• 1 pound

  fresh oyster mushrooms

• 1/2

  medium bell pepper, any color

• 1

  large clove garlic

• 4 cups

  plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

• 2 tablespoons

  green sofrito, such as Goya Recaito

• 1

  (.17-ounce) packet sazón seasoning, preferably Accent

• 1 teaspoon

  kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon

  freshly ground black pepper

• 8

  pitted green olives (optional)

Instructions

Make the potato mixture:

1. Peel and cut 3 pounds russet potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place in a large pot, add 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, let 6 tablespoons vegan butter sit at room temperature.

2. Drain the potatoes very well and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the potatoes to the pot. Add the vegan butter, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, 1/2 cup Just Egg, and the remaining 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Let the mixture cool completely.

3. Divide the potato mixture into 8 equal portions (about 6 ounces or 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons per portion). Roll each portion into a rough ball and refrigerate while you make the filling.

Make the filling:

1. Prepare the following, adding each to the same medium bowl as you complete it: Trim 1 pound oyster mushrooms. Pulse in two batches in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, about 20 pulses per batch. The mushrooms should resemble the texture of cooked ground beef. (Alternatively, finely chop by hand.) Trim and cut 1/2 medium bell pepper into small dice. Finely chop or grate 1 large garlic clove (1 teaspoon).

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the mushroom mixture (reserve the bowl), 2 tablespoons green sofrito, 1 packet sazón, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushroom mixture is tender and all of the moisture is evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes. Return the mixture to the reserved bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Assemble and fry the potato balls:

1. Cut 8 pitted green olives in half if desired. Working with 1 potato ball at a time, set on a work surface and press into the ball to form a cup shape (you can use the bottom of a 1/4-cup measuring cup to form the indentation). Pick up the ball, spoon in 1/4 cup of the mushroom filling, and press 2 olive halves into the filling if using. Gently reshape the potato mixture to completely cover the filling and form into a neat, firm ball. Place on a plate. (At this point, you can coat and fry them, or refrigerate them and then coat and fry later. The colder and firmer they are — at least 2 hours — the easier they are to fry.)

2. Heat the remaining 4 cups vegetable oil in a 10-inch high-sided skillet over medium heat until 375ºF. Meanwhile, line a plate with paper towels or fit a wire rack over a baking sheet. Spread the remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch on a plate. Roll the potato balls in the cornstarch one at a time to thoroughly coat. Return to the plate.

3. Fry in 3 batches: Add the potato balls to the oil and fry until light golden-brown on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip them over with 2 spoons and fry until browned on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potato balls to the paper towels or rack to drain. Let cool slightly before serving.

Lyana S. Blount

Contributor

Lyana S Blount is an African American and Puerto Rican Bronx Native trying to make a change in her community. She is paving the way making vegan comfort food in the very way our mommas, nanas and abuelitas made, but better! Black Rican Vegan is a small business pop-up located in the Bronx NY that puts a vegan twist on soul food and Puerto Rican cuisine to vegan desert areas. Black Rican Vegan offer delivery and pick up service and pop-ups through NYC and other states. The Black Rican Vegan concept was born during the Covid pandemic; something that started as a hobby evolved into full blown business showcasing her passion of creating many traditional dishes but with a vegan twist. Lyana’s goal is to offer more vegan options and an alternative way of eating in food desert areas. With the demand of vegan eats across the country, BlackRican Vegan has taken to the road and has hosted pop-up events in NYC, Miami and most recently Los Ángeles. Her social media has a following of over 40K hungry vegans, and meat eaters, across the U.S. and parts of the Caribbean. BlackRican Vegan hopes to pass the vegan plate from coast to coast and beyond. When asked what’s the most satisfying part of making her meals, Lyana says “I put lots of love and careful attention in each item. I hope my clients enjoy my work as much as I enjoy creating it for them. “

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Source : food