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Inspired by Amy’s frozen dinner, Black Bean and Vegetable Enchiladas, (All of Amy’s frozen dinners are great!),

    three would-be gourmets taste-tested a copy-cat recipe that proved to be very good — almost as good as Amy’s.

 

The recipe is below, in case you do not have one for enchiladas or have never tried a mole sauce (a spicy sauce often containing cocoa, Mexican by design).  The cocoa powder mellows out the heat and other sharp flavors, and this could be the secret ingredient that accounts for the exquisite taste of Amy’s enchilada sauce.

 The only problem we had was in keeping the tortillas from breaking when they were folded around the finely diced vegetables. There may be corn tortillas available that don’t break as easily.  One recipe suggested warming and oiling the tortillas before covering them with sauce.  That may help, but it would add calories.

 Anyway, a really yummy vegetarian recipe without wheat or dairy is something to treasure. 

SAUCE

• 4        tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4     cup tapioca flour (or 2 tbsp rice flour)
• 3        tbsp chili powder
• 1 – 2   tsp cumin
• 1/2     tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 4        cups water
• 1        8-ounce can tomato paste
• 1        8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 2        tsp garlic powder
• 1        tsp onion powder
• 2        tsp cocoa powder
• 1        tsp salt

Heat the oil, flour and chili powder together in a large pot. Allow to cook for a minute or two. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a slow simmer. Stir well to combine. Allow to cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more spices as desired.

ENCHILADAS

• 1/4     onion, diced
• 1        carrot, diced
• 1/2     zuchinni, diced
• 1/2     can black olives
• 1/2     red bell pepper, diced
• 8        oz frozen corn kernels
• 1/2     block firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2     can black beans, drained
• 10-12 corn tortillas

Using a food processor for quickest results, finely dice the onion, carrots, zucchini, olives and bell pepper. To this mixture add the corn, tofu, black beans and 1/3 of the enchilada sauce and combine well.

Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the vegetable mix into each corn tortilla. Roll them and place them in a baking pan, seam side down. When the pan is full, spoon 1/3 of the enchilada sauce on top of the wrapped tortillas – being sure to cover all of the edges!

Bake 30-35 minutes at 350° or until done, spooning the remaining 1/3 of the enchilada sauce over the top, halfway through the cooking.

Before filling, the corn tortillas may be oiled or dipped in sauce to soften them.

Meatless Mondays Catching On

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a meatless Monday resolution on Tuesday, April 6, 2010. The measure declared every Monday as “Vegetarian Day” and urged restaurants, grocery stores and schools to offer more plant-based options. The city by the bay known for touting innovative cuisine and healthy lifestyles became the first Meatless Monday city! The resolution passed by San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors ensured that residents will gain greater access to healthy, meatless options while learning about the connection between what they eat and their health.

In November 2012, the City of Los Angeles declared all Mondays to be “Meatless Mondays,” citing actions by the Baltimore City Public School System, Oakland Unified School District, along with other school districts in Arlington VA, Oneida NY, and Longmont CO, as well as the cities of San Francisco, Takoma Park MD, and Annapolis MD, Marin County CA, and the Council of the District of Columbia.

 

 

 

Tags: enchiladas, Meatless Monday, mole sauce, vegetarian