Early in November, I asked Hector what where some of the traditional Mexican recipes that his family made during the Christmas Holidays. I was surprised by some of his answers. I am slowly learning that his family isn't super traditional when it comes to Holidays. They like to do their own thing. For instance, Hector's Mom only made tamales one time for Christmas. That is it! I thought it was traditional that most families made tons of tamales during December.  He mentioned that sometimes they would make tinga for Christmas. I thought tinga? I knew that tinga was a traditional recipe that usually uses shredded chicken in a tomato base sauce with chipotles and sometimes tomatillos. It is served with tostadas or tortillas. I never would have thought that tinga would be made at Christmas. Well at least is Hector's family they make tinga every so often.

I made a vegan version of tinga a few years ago when we where living in Chicago. From what I remember, it came out too liquidly. It was still tasty, but too much liquid for my taste. Every since Hector told me about serving tinga at Christmas, I knew that I had to remake my original vegan version before this Christmas.

For this vegan version, I used seitan as the replacement for shredded chicken. I really love using seitan when I am trying to recreate some of Hector's childhood favorites.The sauce is really easy to make and perfect for an easy weeknight meal. You don't have to make your own homemade seitan. It is easy to make; however store-bough seitan is really good. I happen to really love using  Upton's Naturals Seitan when I'm back home in the U.S.

Hector couldn't believe how much this recipe tasted like the authentic meaty tinga. I love veganizing traditional recipes that Hector grew up eating. It makes being vegan a little easier when you have that same authentic experience as you did growing up.

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Vegan Tinga Tostadas

Yield: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

A classic and popular Mexican dish- Tinga. This version uses seitan to keep it vegan friendly. Serve with tostadas and your favorite garnishes! I love adding fresh avocado slices on top.

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Ingredients

• 4 Roma Tomatoes
• 3 Tomatillos
• Water
• 1 Pound Seitan, homemade or store-bought
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
• 1 Medium White Onion, thinly sliced into slivers
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• ½ teaspoon Thyme
• ½ teaspoon Mexican Oregano, crushed between your fingers
• 1 ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Chipotle in Adobo Sauce {just the sauce, no chipotle peppers}

For Serving:

• Tostadas
• Avocado Slices, optional
• Shredded lettuce, optional
• Chopped Cilantro, optional
• Lime Wedges, optional
• Your favorite garnishes!

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, place the tomatoes and tomatillos. Cover with water. Over Medium heat, bring them to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes skins just start to soften, about 10-12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes and tomatillos to a blender. Add ½ cup of the cooking liquid to the blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, thinly slice the seitan lengthwise into thin strips. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium hight heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the seitan in an even layer. Don't over crowd the seitan. If your pan isn't large enough, you might have to do 2 batches.
3. Cook the seitan until its starts to lightly brown, turning every few minutes. It should take about 8-12 minutes for the seitan to brown. Be careful not to burn. If your pan is too hot, lower the heat. Once cooked, transfer the seitan to a plate or bowl. Set aside.
4. In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds.
5. Add the reserved tomato and tomatillo sauce to the skillet. Add the cumin, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and adobo sauce.Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Stir everything together. Cook until the sauce has reduced, about 10-12 minutes.
6. Add the browned seitan and cook until most of the sauce has been absorbed by the seitan, about 5-10 minutes.
7. Serve with tostadas and topped with your favorite garnishes!

Did you make this recipe?

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