vegan cooking

this dish is dedicated to a friend of mine, chewy.

my mom makes the BEST enchiladas. so greasy, so delicious! whether it was green chile and chicken or red sauce and cheese, enchilada night was always a special one in our household. it’s still a special night in mine these days, however, instead of chicken and cheese, i use much fresher and healthier ingredients. it takes about 10 minutes to put together and is sooo satisfying.

you’ll need:

1 package of corn tortillas (i ended up using 9 regular sized yellow corn tortillas in a large glass baking dish)
1 can of TJ’s mexican red sauce (NOT the enchilada sauce - that stuff has chicken fat and broth in it!)
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen or fresh yellow corn kernels
1 small can of tomato paste
3-4 stalks of fresh green onions
1/2 a bunch of fresh cilantro
3-4 cloves fresh garlic
spices to taste - cayenne, cumin, paprika, oregano

garnish - vegan sour cream, hot sauce, black olive slices

preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

chop the onions, cilantro, and garlic, and mix in a large bowl with beans, corn, spices, and tomato paste until well incorporated. pour about half of the bottle of red sauce into a shallow dish, along with an equal amount of water. lightly brush a layer of this along the bottom of your baking dish. one by one, dip the tortillas in the sauce and water until covered, then place in the pan and fill with 2 or 3 spoonfuls of the bean filling. it helps if you close them up with toothpicks or skewers, but if you place them in the pan correctly they hold each other together. i find it helpful to sort of crease the tortillas along the spots that i want them to fold.

when you’ve filled your pan, pour the rest of the bottle of sauce over the whole thing (along with any leftover sauce & water). distribute it as evenly as you can with a spoon or brush.

just let it bake for about 30-35 minutes, and that’s it! seriously! they’re done when the edges are a little crispy (but not burnt).

serve with a dollop (i love that word. dollop!) of vegan sour cream and hot sauce. i usually put some sliced olives in there too, but i’m out right now. damnit.

mmm. makes great leftovers, too!