These vegan enchiladas are delicious and so easy to make. I eat them often. But, I’ll take it one step further and boast a bit, because my non-vegan husband says they look, smell, and taste as good as any beef enchilada he’s ever had.
12 Vegan Tex-Mex Enchiladas (13×9” Baking Dish)
What you’ll need:
Large Non-Stick Skillet
13×9” Baking Dish
Mission Super Soft 5.5” Yellow or White Corn Tortillas (12)
La Victoria or Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce (20 oz can)
Gardein Frozen Plant-Based Crumbles (14 oz package)
Field Roast Chao Creamery Plant Based Queso (1/2 8 oz tub)
Tony Chacher’s Creole Seasoning (1 tsp)
Sea Salt (to taste)
Daiya Cheddar Dairy-Free Shreds (7.1 oz package)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
On stove at medium/low heat, add beefless ground to skillet. Stir occasionally until thawed and warmed through. Add 1/3 enchilada sauce, Queso, and Creole seasoning. Stir until completely mixed. Taste for preference, and add sea salt accordingly. Remove from heat and divide into four sections in skillet. Set aside.
Pour 1/3 enchilada sauce in baking dish and tilt the pan around until the sauce is evenly coating the bottom.
Working with 3 tortillas at a time, wrap in wet paper towel and microwave on high for 40 seconds for pliability. Plop 1/12 of skillet mixture on top. Roll tortilla and place seam-side down in baking pan. Repeat until all tortillas have been assembled and are inside pan, pushing them against one another if necessary to make them fit. Add remaining mixture (if any) to the ends of the enchiladas.
Pour remaining sauce evenly over enchiladas.
Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
Bake 25 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.
Note: If you want to make these the traditional way, you can coat both sides of the tortilla in red sauce before adding the mixture. Keep in mind, you might need extra sauce. That said, I tried it both ways, and I found no difference in taste or texture by skipping this extremely messy procedure.
Vegan Tex-Mex Enchilada Plate
Suggestion: These enchiladas make perfect leftovers. Simply reheat in the microwave until cheese melts. If you feel like adding freshness, place them atop a salad of lettuce, tomato, black olives, green onions, enchilada sauce, and lime juice.
Suggestion: If you’re not fond of corn tortillas, you can substitute flour ones, and then adjust number of enchiladas according to tortilla size.
Suggestion: Add a 4 oz can of diced green chilis to the mixture if you enjoy spicier enchiladas. But, please keep in mind even the mildest brand might be too hot for others.
These nuts are a staple in our household, but they also make great gifts. Although delicious on their own, they’ll add flavor and crunch to salads, trail mixes, granolas, and much more.
What you’ll need:
Mixed Nuts – Kirkland or Planters Brand (2.5 cups)
Vegan Butter (2 tbs. – melted)
Pure Maple Syrup (2 tbs.)
Vanilla Extract (1 tsp.)
Liquid Smoke (1/4 tsp.)
Dried Thyme (1 tsp.)
Cayenne Pepper – Optional (1/4 tsp.)
Preheat oven to 325. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Add nuts to a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over nuts. Coat evenly, and then transfer entire contents onto pan. Bake 25-30 minutes, tossing every 5-10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated or hardened. For ultimate crunch and flavor, let cool completely before eating. Store leftovers at room temperature in airtight container.
Lentils are a vegan staple, because they’re high in protein and make delicious soups and purées. In wintertime when daylight hours are short and temperatures low, lentil soup becomes a warm and welcome comfort. Depending on how hungry you are, this hearty-sized portion can be one or two servings.
Add water and lentils to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a medium soup bowl, add olive oil, tomatoes, olives, and onions. Mix well and set aside.
When lentils are cooked (mostly pink instead of red), drain excess water (if any). Add vegan cheese, smoked paprika, and sea salt. Stir until creamy. Add to soup bowl and mix well.
Growing up, our family didn’t traditionally expect dessert after dinner—something other kids found quite bizarre. So whenever my mom made brownies, the aroma lasted for hours, and the day was beyond special.
For added pleasure, enjoy these chocolatey delights with an iced-cold glass of creamy oat milk.
What you’ll need:
8×8 Baking Pan
Veggie/Olive Oil Spray (minimum amount)
Pre-Packaged Brownie Mix (or dry ingredients from your favorite recipe)
Black Beans (15oz can)
Unsweetened Almond Milk (as needed)
Optional : Walnuts – Chopped (3-4 oz)
Heat oven according to instructions on box/recipe. Lightly spray bottom and sides of pan with oil. Drain and rinse beans and pour them into a blender. Add just enough almond milk to cover. Blend until smooth. Add to a bowl with dry ingredients. Stir until completely mixed.
Setting aside 1/8-1/4 cup chopped walnuts for topping, fold in remaining nuts to brownie mix. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining nuts on top. Bake according to box/recipe. Remove pan and let brownies completely cool. Cut into 64 equal squares.
Refridgerate any unused portion.
Note: My husband absolutely loves these. I bring them to potlucks and am told they’re a cross between brownies and fudge. They’re delicious paired with coffee.
Variation: To make these a bit healthier, add 4 tbs. ground flaxseed to dry mix.
Variation: Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt across the top before baking.
In a microwave safe bowl, heat Gardein at 1/2 power for 90 seconds. Stir in salsa and heat at 1/2 power for 60 seconds. Heat taco shells at 1/2 power for 60 seconds. Fill shells equally with Gardein mixture. Drizzle hot sauce over mixture. Top with shredded lettuce.
Note: Add one more shell if you wish to share.
Note: To transform this into a taco salad, skip the shells and add chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, chopped green onion, and 1/2 cup cooked quinoa.
Place lettuce leaves onto a serving tray, open side up. Mix cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, mangos, mint, and lime juice in a bowl. Disburse mixture evenly into lettuce boats. Add avocado and figs. Try a sprinkle of walnuts and/or a dollop of your favorite salsa on top.
Refrigerate any unused portion.
Note: Leftovers can be chopped into a salad and/or used in a wrap.
Preheat oven to 300. Brush flatbread with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and nutritional yeast on top. Cut into even pieces, and place on cookie sheet without overlapping. Bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
Store any unused portion in a paper sack.
Note: These delicate chips are yummy on their own, or they can be eaten with hummus, kalamata olives and baby arugula. They are also great with salsa.
Variations: Before baking, top with chopped olives. Or, top with other spices. Oregano. Cilantro. Curry Powder. Onion Powder. Garlic Powder. Chili Powder. Etc.
Sweet Variation: Before baking, top with cinnamon and sweetener. Or, top with chopped dried fruits. Apple. Coconut. Dates. Banana. Etc.
Mix ingredients together into a pasty blob. With two spoons, drop 12-15 balls onto a parchment-papered cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees.
Refrigerate any unused portion.
Note: Add spices to kick these up a notch. The photo below shows them with Cajun seasoning.
Note: For a delicious pairing, serve with Vegan French Onion Dip. You’ll find my favorite recipe at Veggie Inspired. Because I like this dip on the thinner side, I follow the suggestion and add more soy milk. Even my non-vegan friends ask how it’s made!
Note: I don’t usually write about calories or nutrition, but this entire batch is around 400 calories and has 28 grams of protein. To me, that sounds like an ideal on-the-go snack.
Vegan Author, Music Enthusiast, Vegan Novel, Katy’s Song
