Flautas Ahogadas translates to "drowned flutes". Flour tortillas are filled with seasoned vegan chicken and cheese, then rolled and fried to a perfect, golden crisp. They are served in a pool of refreshing and bright tomatillo sauce, then slahered in vegan crema, and topped with garnishes - making these the perfect appetizer for a party, or an easy and delicious dinner the whole family is sure to enjoy!
Ingredients
Tomatillo Verde Sauce
1 LB tomatillos, quartered
1 large white onion, quartered
1 Anaheim pepper, cut in half
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and cut in half
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 TBS avocado oil
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Sour Cream Crema
½ cup vegan sour cream
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Avocado Crema
1 avocado
½ cup vegan sour cream
½ cup fresh cilantro
1-2 cloves fresh garic
2-4 TBS non-dairy milk
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt, to taste
Flautas
1 (about 10.5 oz) bag of vegan chick'n strips
1 TBS avocado oil
1 tsp each - ground cumin, mexican oregano, kosher salt, and chipotle chile powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
12 flour tortillas
¾ cup vegan cheddar shreds
½ cup vegan mozzarella shreds
Vegetable oil, for frying
Toothpicks, for securing flautas
Chopped Cilantro, for garnish
Diced red onion, for garnish
Thinly sliced romaine lettuce, for garnish
Chopped tomatoes, for garnish
Instructions
Tomatillo Verde Sauce
Preheat oven to a medium or high broil
Place tomatillos, garlic, pasilla pepper, onion, and jalapeno in a large bowl. Toss with 2 teaspoons avocado oil, ensuring all the tomatillos and vegetables are lightly coated with oil. Place in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil in the middle rack of the oven until the vegetables are soft and slightly charred, about 17-20 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool, about 15-20 minutes.
Once cool, add all the ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Trasfer sauce to a medium saucepan and simmer on low heat, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cover and keep warm.
Sour Cream Crema
In a smal mixing bowl, whisk ingredients until well combined. If it seems too thick, add a bit of non-dairy milk until you reach desired consistency. Asjust seasonings. Set aside.
Avocado Crema
Add avocado, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk, and lemon juice to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, Taste and adjust seasonings, adding a pinch of salt and more non-dairy milk one tablespoon at a time until you reached your deisred taste and consistency. Set aside.
Flautas
In a pan on medium heat, add avocado oil and vegan chick'n strips. Season the strips with cumin, oregano, salt, chipotle powder, and smoked paprika.
Using the back of a wooden spoon, break up the strips once they are warmed through, and continue to cook them according to package directions.
Transfer seasoned chick'n to a large bowl with cheddar and mozzarella shreds, mixing to thoroughy combine the chick'n with the cheese.
Meanwhile, heat about a ½" inch vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Working with one tortilla at a time, add about 3 tablespoons of the chick'n and cheese mixture in a line down the center of the tortilla.
Roll tightly and secure crosswise with toothpicks.
Once you've rolled all your tortillas, transfer them to the hot oil gently with tongs and fry them seam side down, about 5-6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer flautas to a paper towel lined plate, remove toothpicks, and repeat until all the flautas are fried.
To serve, add about ½ cup of tomatillo sauce to a shallow bowl. Gently place flautas on top of the sauce and drizzle with each of the cremas. Top with cilantro, red onion, lettuce, and tomatoes and serve immediately.
ENJOY!
Notes
1. If you don't have a high speed blender, you may have to use a fine mesh strainer to filter out any seeds or remnants left from the peppers.
Recipe by Eat Figs, Not Pigs at https://www.eatfigsnotpigs.com/vegan-chickn-flautas-ahogadas/