Vegan Enchiladas: Our Family's Favorite

There is no photo here because when the four of us are together there are never any leftovers with this recipe! I have found that the most important thing is to use La Victoria enchilada sauce and Tumaros Healthy Flour White Tortillas. Some of the amounts I use vary, but this is what we had last night.

It takes about 30 minutes to put everything together (that includes time to cook the rice), and takes another 45 minutes to bake in a 350 degree oven.

1 cup uncooked medium-grain white rice
2 teaspoons vegetarian Better Than Bouillon vegetable base
2 cups water
1 chopped onion
3 large cloves of minced garlic
1 cup reconstituted textured vegetable protein, or two cups finely-chopped mushrooms (You can substitute ground beef if you like).
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 oz. tomato paste (about half of a 6 oz. can)
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
1 package of eight Tumaros Healthy Flour White Tortillas
2 10 oz. cans of Mild Victoria Enchilada Sauce
Olive oil
Natural Unsweetened Apple Sauce

Sour Cream (or soy yogurt)
Shredded cheese (for those who eat cheese)

Combine the rice, water, and vegetable base in a pot with a lid, and simmer it for about 20 minutes. While the rice is cooking, using a large heavy pot, cook the onion in a tablespoon or two of olive oil, and when it is a little bit brown, add the garlic. Brown the TVP or mushrooms, and saute for a few minutes, until everything is soft (or the meat is browned). Add the chili powder, the tomato paste, the cooked rice, and the beans. Add the frozen corn, mix everything together, and remove the pot from the heat.

Pour a generous amount of olive oil into a rectangular glass baking dish (enough to cover all the surfaces). Open up the two cans of enchilada sauce, and pour them into a large measuring cup (at least that's what I do). Stack up the tortillas, and you are ready to assemble the enchiladas.

Using a large tablespoon, put some enchilada sauce on a tortilla, and rub it around. Add a few tablespoons of filling (you can use a lot--there's plenty of filling), roll it, and put the rolled enchilada seam-side down into the baking dish. Repeat this with the rest of the tortillas, until your baking dish is full. Pour the remaining sauce in the seams between the enchiladas and over the top. Cover very lightly with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

The foil is bound to stick to the tops of a couple of the enchiladas. Remove it slowly and carefully, perhaps with the help of a spatula or a knife, and serve these with apple sauce, sour cream, yogurt and/or cheese. For a bit more heat you can also use La Victoria Salsa Brava.

Variations: I sometimes add chopped green pepper to the onion and garlic. I sometimes use basmati rice or jasmine rice rather than medium-grain white rice. Sometimes I double the beans, and sometimes I add a bit of Salsa Brava to the filling.