Chow! (Man, I crack myself up.)
I have been a seagan for just about a year and a half. it really is ok to laugh and say to yourself, ‘How ridiculous!’ I do it a lot too, but I find there is no better description for what I am because I eat fish, while doing my best to avoid dairy and non-swimming animals.
Making the choice to restrict my diet has made eating out a bit more difficult, but learning to live mostly on a plant-based diet and fiddle with new foods at home has opened up an entirely new repertoire of goodies! I’m by no means a nutritionist (well unless you count those few classes in college–a far too long time ago), a trained chef, someone who pretends to know all there is to know about food, or really anything you should take too seriously.
I am a Mom. I have limited time to cook. And I like to make healthy and nutritious dinners that my family will actually eat. That, and I get multiple calls and text a week asking for new recipes or ways to simplify or substitute. And to be fair, I am a self-proclaimed ‘wing-it’ cook, so I can essentially never make the same thing twice. Putting the recipes here will help with all that too.
Now I realize some of my recipes will sound far-fetched and you’ll wonder, ‘What in the world is that ingredient?!’ Don’t worry. I began that way too. BUT, there are a few things you will need to have on hand for most recipes because, well, they’re pretty essential in creating the right consistency, providing adequate nutrients, and aiding in making everything taste oh-so-yummy! I promise to do my best to only have 1-2 ‘weird’ ingredients per recipe so you won’t have to run out and buy them all at once. IF you would like to make that one trip to the store and be prepared ahead of time (because let’s face it, multiple trips to the grocery store sounds not so appealing), here is what I suggest you purchase:
- Nutritional Yeast Flakes (I buy the honking 10 oz. tub because I use them a lot)
- Miso Paste (White or Chickpea will do)
- Soy Sauce (GF soy is available somewhere for those that require it)
- Coconut Oil
- Raw, Uncooked Cashews (These can be found in the bulk aisle. Often the recipes that call for them use between 1-2 cups, so I purchase a nutty amount of these)
- Tempeh — this freezes really well, so if it’s on sale, buy it!
- Coconut milk
- Unsweetened original vegan milk such as almond milk (found in the baking aisle at the store)
- Canned beans: black, chickpeas, pinto
- Canned tomatoes: crushed and in garlic or oregano or both
I will warn you that I use a lot of canned beans (chickpea, black, etc.) and canned tomatoes as well to simply my life, so you might as well stock up on those non-weird items as well. I hear that if you have the time to soak your beans, they not only taste better, but they’re also easier on the pocketbook.
So now that you’re officially hungry, let’s begin!
VEGAN ENCHILADAS
serves 8 * 20 min prep * 25 min cook time * Gluten-Free option
For the cheese sauce topping:
- 2 c. raw cashews (soaked overnight–OR if you have a mighty vitamix, try and soak for at least 4 hours)
- 1/4 c. nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 T. miso paste
- 1 T. coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 C. hot water
*For pizazz, add 1/4 tsp.+ cayenne before blending
Add all the ingredients into a blender and let it rip on high for 3-5 min, scraping the sides every minute or so to make sure you get all the morsels of deliciousness in there. The consistency should be nice and creamy when it’s ready.
For the filling:
In a large bowl, combine:
1 – 15 oz. can of black beans
1 – 2.25 oz. can sliced black olives (about 1/4 C. if you want to slice them yourself)
1 C. of fresh spinach — stems removed
1 Large tomato, finely chopped (or that leftover pasta sauce you need to use)
1/2 tsp salt
2 gloves of garlic (or about 1 T. of the pre-prepped stuff)
2 T. nutritional yeast flakes
Optional add-ins: 1/2 C. sliced mushrooms, 1/4 C. diced onion, 2 T. cilantro, 8 oz. cubed tempeh, 1/2 C. broccoli sprouts, 1/4 C. red bell pepper, a generous amount of vegan cheese (Follow Your Heart makes a great shredded parmesan), really you can add whatever you’re currently having a taste for–well, except meat and dairy. No big deal.
Mix all your ingredients together and try not to drool directly into the bowl.
Putting it all together:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees (because everything is already cooked, you basically just want to heat it all and get the juices of the veggies to mingle)
- Bust out a 9″x13″ pan (or thereabout), as well as 12 tortillas (use
corn if you want to stay GF) - Spread about 1/2 C. of your cheese sauce on the bottom of the pan you’re welcome to add some avocado salsa, regular salsa or tomato sauce to the mix too–whatever you have lying around that you need to use)
- Fill each tortilla with approximately 1/2 C. of your filling, roll it, and place seam side down into your pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Pour cheese sauce over all your tortillas and cover the dish with foil.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until you just can’t take it anymore.
- Sprinkle with full cilantro leaves, avocado chunks and a dusting of paprika before serving if you’re concerned with presentation.
