As I mentioned in my last post, spending a week in New Orleans really elevated my excitement towards food to another level. While there, I tried dishes I’d never even heard of before and fell in love with coffee all over again. (Curse you, Café du Monde). When I returned to Tuscaloosa and found myself daydreaming about NOLA, I recalled this small notebook that I’ve had nestled in the back of my desk drawer for years. About four years ago, I jotted down a recipe for Maque Choux (pronounced mock shoo) that I discovered in my old college’s library. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of the cookbook (which was fairly dated) or author now, but I do know that other recipes included “Creole Rice,” a “Cajun Bloody Mary,” and “Stuffed Nectarines” braised in Southern Comfort. Needless to say, I was charmed even then.
Of course, the original recipe for Maque Choux wasn’t vegan (in fact, original incarnations of the dish often included bacon fat). But it was vegetarian. By substituting vegan margarine for butter and non-dairy milk for regular milk, I knew I’d be able to make a version that was pretty damn delectable. Of course, it only took me four years to do so, but I’m really excited to share it with you guys nonetheless. I decreased the butter in the original recipe and used paprika instead of cayenne pepper, but this spin on Maque Choux still has a sweet, distinctly southern flavor. Another favorite thing about this version is that it’s actually quite unique: while most versions of Maque Choux involve whole corn kernels, this recipe asks you to puree them so that the end product is closer to scrambled eggs. Preferring a bit more of a bite to my dishes, I opted for something in between.
Ingredients:
(Serves 2-4)
-3 TB vegan margarine
-1 medium onion, diced
-1 green bell pepper, diced
-1 large tomato, diced
-3 cups of fresh corn (frozen is okay too, just make sure to defrost beforehand)
-1/2 cup non-dairy milk (almond, soy, coconut, etc.)
-1/2 tsp paprika
-salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Melt 2 TB of vegan margarine in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and soften for about 5 minutes, or until translucent.
2. Add bell pepper and tomatoes and leave to cook while you prepare the corn.
3. Combine the non-dairy milk and half of the corn kernels into a blender/processor and blend into a thick (but still fluid) paste.
4. Stir both the whole corn kernels and corn paste into the pan and let simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes, stirring regularly.
5. Stir the remaining 1 TB of vegan margarine into the mix and season to taste with salt, pepper, and paprika. Enjoy with toast for breakfast or with rice and beans for lunch or dinner. And don’t forget the hot sauce. (I used Louisiana’s own Crystal).
the fair table 