Soy Milanesa with Avocado Pesto (Milanesas Rellenas con Pesto de Avocado)

Milanesas (beef or chicken) are one of the favorite dishes in Argentine cuisine. Not a very glamorous dish, milanesasare meant to be everyday comfort food. And though they may lack style, they are certainly unforgettable.

My memories of this dish are endless. As a child my mother prepared the best beef and chicken milanesas on planet Earth. And so as part of the ritual, when she comes to visit us in America, she leaves us a tower of delicious frozen milanesas in the fridge. Here, however, is a super tasty and lighter version of milanesas, made with soy and whole wheat flour, rather than chicken or beef. Stuffed with an avocado pesto sauce, this recipe is different, healthy, and tasty. In fact, these milanesas can be filled with whatever stuffing you have on hand, so make it fun and personal!

After these adjustments, I think these milanesas just might have the edge over beef or chicken milanesas. Ideal for vegans and for those who observe Lent during the Easter season, if you have guests who respect this tradition, perhaps this is a recipe that they will appreciate!

Ingredients

Avocado pesto sauce

2 tablespoons pine nuts

3 garlic cloves

1 avocado

1 bunch of cilantro

1 teaspoon of lime juice

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Salt and fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

5 tablespoons olive oil

Soy Milanesas

10 ½  oz soy flour

9 oz  whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons wheat germ

Pinch of dry oregano, and aji molido (if you do not  find aji molido use crush red pepper)

Salt and black pepper

7 ½ oz water

1 or 2 tablespoons whole milk

1 egg

4 garlic cloves

Coating for schnitzels

1 egg

1 hand full of fresh parley

1 clove garlic

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

7 oz organic bread crumbs

Procedure for the dough

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Add the dry ingredients and dry spices in a bowl

3. Peeled and chop garlic cloves

4. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add the chopped garlic

5. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for some seconds

6. Add the cooked garlic to the flour preparation

7. Stir in the water, milk and the egg

8. Knead the dough until the dough becomes uniform

9. Roll the dough with a rolling pin up to a height of 1/4 inches

10. Cut dough into circles, approximately xx inches in diameter

11. Place a teaspoon of pesto in the middle a dough and top it with a second dough   12. Close the borders with your fingers so will not spill it when you cook them.

12. Bring to boil water in a saucepan, add the circles for 2 minutes and allow to cool

13. Meanwhile, chop 1 garlic clove a hand full of parsley

14. Beat the egg and add the chopped fresh garlic and parsley

15. Season with salt and pepper

16. Pass each schnitzel through the egg mixture

17. Roll in the organic bread crumbs

18. Bake with olive oil at 350 F for 10 minutes each side

19. Enjoy!

Procedure for the avocado pesto sauce

1. In a food processor add the pine nuts and the garlic cloves until the nuts are chopped finely.

2. Add cilantro, avocado, lime juice, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

3. Lastly, add the olive oil and process the ingredients until you get a smooth consistency.