Classic Enchiladas – Vegetable

Ingredients

**These ratios make 10 enchiladas (1 large glass baking pan). We normally double. Enchiladas are a bit of work and they are so delicious, you always wish you had more.

3-4 c enchilada sauce

0.5 c TVP (textured vegetable protein)

0.5 tsp chili powder

0.5 tsp cumin

0.25 tsp paprika

0.25 tsp salt

0.25 tsp smoked salt (or use regular salt)

0.5 tsp onion granules

0.25 tsp garlic granules

1 c black beans (cooked)

1 small white onion

1 poblano pepper

1 small zucchini squash

0.5+ c sliced black olives

4 green onions

10 corn tortillas

cooking oil

Instructions

  1. Combine TVP, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, smoked salt, onion granules, and garlic granules.
  2. Mix TVP and spices with 0.5 c boiling water, stirring until all water is absorbed.
  3. Dice onion and poblano. Cut zucchini into small cubes.
  4. Heat a bit of oil in a skilled. Saute onion and poblano for about 10 minutes. Add zucchini cubes and cook another 5+ minutes, until zucchini is tender.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  6. Prepare your assembly station – you’ll need a plate to roll your enchiladas, a 9×13″ baking pan, and all your filling ingredients (TVP, onion/peppers/squash, olives, green onions).
  7. Spoon a thin layer of enchilada sauce into your pan.
  8. Assemble! Steam your tortilla. Fill with a scoop each of TVP and vegetables, then sprinkle with green onion and black olives. Roll tightly and place in pan, seam-side down. Repeat until pan is full.
  9. Pour enchilada sauce over the pan, making sure to cover all the tortillas completely.
  10. Bake (uncovered) for about 30 minutes, until sauce is bubbling.

Enchilada Pro Tip: Steam your Tortillas!

Posted on by Carley Papi

I used to hate making enchiladas at home because the assembly was such a pain. Whichever method I used to make the tortillas pliable and keep them from breaking would only kind of work – cracked corn tortillas, broken enchilada dreams. Tears have been shed more than once.

As a kid, my mom always dipped the tortillas in enchilada sauce before assembling. This works reasonably well, but is MESSY. You have to either wash your hands constantly or deal with them being covered in a mix of enchilada sauce and filling bits the whole time you’re trying to assemble.

Microwaving or heating in your oven (wrapped in foil) will work. But only so-so. Cracking is not uncommon and it’s hard to keep the tortillas moist.

The best way to prepare your tortillas for enchilada assembly is to steam them. The moist heat makes them perfectly workable. Since discovering this technique, my enchilada woes are a distant (traumatic) memory.

There are a couple simple ways to steam tortillas, with some things you probably already have in your kitchen.

Add 1c water to a small saucepan. Cover with:

  1. Metal splatter screen
  2. Tin foil pierced with a fork

Once water is boiling, place a tortilla on top and steam for 15-20 seconds. Flip and repeat. Voila! It’s ready for filling and rolling. Enchilada perfection!

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

 

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegan butter or oil

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp garlic granules

1 tbsp onion flakes (or 1.5 tsp onion granules)

1 tbsp chili powder

1.25 tsp cumin

0.5 tsp salt

a pinch of cayenne

1 c tomato paste

2.25 c water or stock

 

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, mix tomato paste with 0.5 c water/stock, stirring until clumps are gone.
  2. Make a roux in a small saucepan. Melt butter/oil over medium heat and add flour. Mix and allow to cook for 30 seconds. Slowly add 0.5 c stock, stirring continually. It should thicken almost immediately. Add another 0.5 c stock and stir again.
  3. Add tomato paste mixture, garlic granules, onion flakes/granules, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne.
  4. Stir until it thickens.
  5. Slowly add remaining water/stock, stirring again. Cook down to desired consistency.

 

Flour Tortillas

 

Instructions

3 c flour (all purpose)

1.25 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 c oil

1 c warm water

 

Ingredients

  1. Combine dry ingredients and mix together.
  2. Add oil and mix, breaking apart any large clumps.
  3. Add water. Mix well.
  4. Work the dough with your hands until it is very soft and smooth.
  5. Roll in to eight even balls.
  6. All to rest at room temperature for about an hour.
  7. Flatten with your tortilla press (or rolling pin).
  8. Heat a cast iron skillet (or heavy-bottom pan) over medium-high heat.
  9. Cook tortillas about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side, until they start to bubble and brown.

Fried Rice – Veggie

 

Ingredients

0.75-1 c cooked rice (any variety)

4 carrots, sliced in rounds

4 celery stalks, sliced

0.5+ c edamame (soybeans), cooked

3+ green onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced (if you have it)*

1 small piece ginger (~0.25″), minced (if you have it)*

1 small zucchini squash, cut in half long-ways and then sliced in half-circles

4 tbsp oil, for sauteing

2-3 tbsp liquid aminos (or soy sauce/coconut aminos)

0.5 tsp sesame oil/toasted sesame oil (if you have; a sprinkle of sesame seeds will also work)

0.5 tsp peanut oil (if you have)

2 tsp ficken seasoning (or 0.25 tsp salt + a bit of pepper)

 

*we keep a jar of homemade ginger-garlic paste on hand, which makes this even easier – just scoop about 2 tsp for this recipe

 

 

Instructions

  1. Prepare vegetables. Cook rice, if necessary.
  2. Heat a large heavy-bottom skilled over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of the cooking oil + carrots + celery. Cook for 12-15 minutes over medium, until the carrots and celery begin to get tender.
  3. Add ginger + garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
  4. Add zucchini and cooked edamame. Cook for about 5 minutes.
  5. Add rice. Increase heat to medium-high.
  6. Pour liquid aminos + sesame oil + peanut oil over pan. Sprinkle with green onions and ficken seasoning (or salt + pepper). Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes.

California Muffin

 

Ingredients

English muffin

1/2  avocado (per full English muffin)

Sprouts – any variety

Salt + Pepper

 

Instructions

  • Toast English muffin. Rinse sprouts and avocado.
  • Top with avocado. I like it lightly smashed, but not too mushed.
  • Pile sprouts on your perfect snack.
  • Top with salt + pepper.

Vegan Pizza

**In my opinion, Miyokos Mozzarella is a must-have for vegan pizza. But substitute another variety of vegan cheese if needed, if preferred, or if you can’t find Miyokos near you!

 

Ingredients

Pizza crust (we always home make it, takes about 3 hrs to rise)

Sauce – pesto or tomato sauce work great!

Vegan cheese (we use these two)

—Miyokos Mozzarella

—VioLife Parmesan

Toppings of choice – our favorites:

—green pepper

—red onion

—roasted tomatoes

—artichokes

–-pepperoncinis

—black olives

—mushrooms

—roasted red peppers

 

Instructions

  1. Coat dough lightly with oil.
  2. Spread sauce.
  3. Add cheese/toppings.
  4. Bake according to crust directions.

Classic Vegetable Soup

 

Ingredients

2 leeks, sliced thin

0.5 yellow onion (or any color), diced or sliced in thin quarter-moons

3 ribs celery, sliced

3-4 carrots, sliced in rounds

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium-large tomatoes/4-5 roma tomatoes, roasted (OR 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes)

2 c green beans (frozen or fresh), chopped in 1″ or smaller chunks

0.75 c frozen corn

0.5 c frozen peas

10-12 c vegetable stock (or water + 1 tsp salt)

3 tbsp oil or vegan butter

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme

0.25 c cooking sherry (if you have it)

 

Instructions

  1. Prepare vegetables. If using fresh tomatoes, dice and roast them with a little oil + salt + pepper (at 425 F for about 25 minutes). Best roasted in a 1″+ thick layer – so use a smaller pan/dish. If using fresh green beans, par-cook them (we almost always use frozen).
  2. Heat oil/vegan butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add leeks + onion +celery + carrots. Saute over medium/medium-low for 20+ minutes, until carrots are starting to become tender. Reduce heat if vegetables begin to brown a lot.
  3. Add garlic. Cook for 5+ minutes, until the garlic potency has decreased some.
  4. Add stock. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
  5. Add tomatoes + green beans + corn + peas + basil + thyme + sherry. Return to a boil, then simmer for 25-30 minutes.
  6. It’s soup!

Naan (Flatbread)

 

Ingredients

0.25 c warm water

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp salt

0.75 c cashew-hemp milk (or other plant-based milk)

1 c unsweetened cashew yogurt (or other non-dairy yogurt)

4 c flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 c oil (we use safflower usually)

+herbs or garlic as desired

 

 

Instructions

  1.  In a small bowl, combine water + honey + salt. Stir to dissolve.
  2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until it is well mixed and forms a semi-sticky dough. Add more flour by the tbsp as needed.
  3. Cover the bowl and let sit in a warm environment for 1 hour.
  4. Spread a large piece of parchment paper on your counter. Sprinkle with flour. Coat your hands with flour. Sprinkle the dough with flour.
  5. Divide dough in 8 pieces and form in to balls.
  6. Roll out thin. Really as thin as you can, they will thicken as they cook.
  7. Heat a heavy-bottom skillet (cast iron if you have it) to medium-high. Reduce heat to medium.
  8. Cook for about 1 minute on each side – until dough bubbles, starts to brown, and is smells too good not to eat.

Ficken Wild Rice Vegetable Soup

 

Ingredients

1 bunch carrots (rainbow or regular), sliced in rounds (~0.25″ thick)

1 small-medium or 0.5 large purple onion, sliced in thin strips (sub in another color if needed)

4 ribs celery, sliced

2 leeks, sliced very thin

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2+ mushrooms, sliced/halved (any variety – wild mushrooms give a stronger mushroom flavor, portobello/cremini/button are milder)

0.25 c dried mushrooms, chopped (any variety – wild mushrooms give a stronger mushroom flavor, portobello/cremini/button are milder)

1 lb potatoes, cubed (1/2″)

0.5 c dry wild rice, cooked

0.25 tsp dried thyme

0.25 tsp dried/rubbed sage

2 tbsp ficken seasoning (or equivalent vegan chicken bouillon)

1 bunch rainbow chard (or other mild greens), removed from fibrous stalks and roughly chopped

12 c vegetable stock or water

salt

pepper

oil or vegan butter, for sauteeing/roasting

 

Instructions

  1. Prepare vegetables. Cook the wild rice.
  2. Toss potato cubes with 1 tsp oil + salt + pepper. Roast at 425 for 20-25 minutes, until tender.
  3. Melt oil/butter in large soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots + onion + celery + leeks. Saute for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low.
  4. Continue cooking for 15-20 more minutes, until carrots start to get tender.
  5. Add garlic + fresh mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes.
  6. Add stock/water + dried mushrooms + thyme + sage + ficken seasoning. Turn heat up to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
  7. Add roasted potatoes and cooked wild rice. Simmer for 20+ minutes. Cover the pot if the water level starts to go down too much.
  8. Stir in chard and cook for 5 minutes.
  9. Taste for salt and add more as needed.