vegan mofo: mom's first vegan meal

my mom is pretty chill about my vegan diet.  my pops was whipping up chicken enchiladas for the family and my mom went out of her way to make vegan ones for me.  this was a couple years ago, but i kept the picture because it was awesome and it was made with some serious love.

status: heart warming.

why i'm including it:  don't get a lot of vegan meals cooked for me, and this was just a act of foodie love by my mom.  plus she introduced me to a vegan cheddar that actually melts!

would i make it again:  i would, but i'm waiting on mom to make it again.  hint hint, mama.

cheesy stacked enchiladas

in restaurants, enchiladas are usually wrapped up as individual tortillas stuff with yuminess. but i was taught this stacked version, that you cut more like a pie, and is actually how i prefer my enchiladas. this is just a bean and cheese recipe, but you could layer different veggies, like avocados or mushrooms, to put it over the top.

• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 can vegetarian/vegan refried beans
• 3 cans tomato sauce (8 oz. each)
• 1 block vegan cheddar (like vegan gourmet)
• most of a fajita/burrito seasoning packet**
• handful of black olives, sliced (optional)

for the cheese sauce:

• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt/pepper mix
• 2 teaspoons vegan butter ( i use smart balance)
• 1 tablespoon fajita/burrito seasoning mix**

start by mixing up your cheese sauce ingredients in a bowl. the butter should be at room temperature or slightly heated ensure through mixing. **use one tablespoon of a fajita or burrito seasoning packet. in a separate bowl, mix 3 8oz. cans of tomato sauce with the rest of the seasoning packet.

in a 1½ quart round baking dish, lay down one tortilla and spread 2 spoonfuls of refried beans on top. then layer about 1/4 of the tomato sauce and 1/4 of the cheese sauce. lay down another tortilla and keep layering in this manner until you reach the top. finish with a layer of tomato sauce, and sprinkle shredded vegan cheddar on top. i like mine topped with sliced black olives.

bake at 350°f for about 20 minutes, or until cheese and sauce is bubbly. allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

potato enchiladas

a few years ago, i bought a can of potatoes, and it changed my potato life. they are in the canned vegetable section, and just look like baby peeled potatoes. they are super quick to heat up and throw in anything (like my previous kraut & potato recipe). i used them here to make potato enchiladas.

• 1 can whole potatoes
• 1/2 can re-fried beans
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons burrito or taco seasoning
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 block (5 oz.) vegan gourmet pepper jack cheese
• 14 oz. enchilada sauce
• 4 or 5 8" whole wheat tortillas
• vegan sour cream & black olives (optional)

in bowl, mash up potatoes, beans, onion powder, garlic, burrito seasoning, nutritional yeast, and salsa. heat up each tortilla in the microwave for about 10 seconds right before you fold them up - it makes them more flexible for rolling. put two scoops of the potato mixture into the middle of the tortilla and fold one side over the mixture. then fold in the sides, and finish rolling up the enchilada. continue with the rest of the tortillas.


place the enchiladas in a glass baking dish, and pour enchilada sauce over the top. spread the shredded pepper jack cheese over the top, and add the black olives if you want. bake in the oven at about 360f° for about 15-20 minutes... pull out when the cheese starts to melt and the enchilada sauce is bubbly. use a spatula to serve, and top with sour cream if you please!