Easy Vegetarian Spanish & Latin American Snacks For Your Next Gathering
As culinary traditions around the world continue to evolve, there has been a reckoning towards global cuisines that use familiar ingredients to cook up unique yet delectable dishes.
Spanish and Latin American cuisines, for example, have a plethora of vegetarian preparations that are perfect for the festival season, especially in a country that has a significantly large number of vegetarians.
Here are the recipes for vegetarian snacks you can make for your next party or gathering.
Patatas Bravas
A traditional Spanish appetisers or tapas, Patatas Bravas are essentially crispy fried potatoes that are served with a spicy tomato sauce.
Ingredients:
Filling:
500 g potatoes, peeled and cubed
50 ml olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt to taste
For the sauce:
200 g fresh or canned tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt, sugar and pepper per taste
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°C
Dress the cubed potato generously in a rub made with olive oil, smoked paprika, and salt.
Once the potatoes are evenly covered in this marinade, spread them out on a baking sheet and bake them until the outside crust turns golden and crispy.
For the sauce, begin by heating olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and sauté for a few minutes on medium heat, then add the canned or fresh tomatoes, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Finish the sauce off with a few granules of sugar.
Serve the potatoes with the sauce drizzled on top.
Spinach Empanadas
Another classic Spanish snack item, these savoury pastries feature a creamy filling made with spinach, cheese, and spices.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
250 g all-purpose flour
100 g butter, chilled and cubed
1/2 tsp salt
60 ml cold water
For the filling:
300 g fresh spinach, washed and chopped
100 g feta cheese, crumbled
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Combine the flour and salt with a fork, and start adding a few cubes of butter to the dry ingredients and mixing it into the flour. Repeat this process a few times till all the butter has been added. The dough will have a crumbly texture.
Gradually add water into the mix until the dough comes together, after which let it rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.
To make the filling, take a pan with olive oil and bring it up to medium heat. Then add the garlic and saute it till it browns slightly. Then add the spinach and wait till all the water has been released from it. Once the spinach has wilted, crumble in the feta cheese, salt and pepper.
As the mix cooks, roll out the dough and cut circles of around 5-6 inches into the pastry. Scoop a spoonful of the mixture out and place it right at the centre, and fold the sides, sealing the edges with a little water.
Bake the empanadas at 180°C for 20-25 minutes, until the crust becomes golden.
Other than these elaborate snacks, you can also make savoury bites like Elote (Mexican Street Corn), made by slathering a grilled corn with a mix of cheese, mayonnaise, lime and chilli powder, Guacamole and Tortilla Chips, Ceviche de Mango—a mango salad made with mango, cucumber, lime, red onion and Churros with chocolate sauce.
These are simple recipes that do not require any cooking for the most part.
