Vegan recipe for enchiladas
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt to taste
- 4 tortillas
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 red pepper chopped
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 2 roma tomatoes chopped
- 1 cups quinoa uncooked
- 1 package spinach trimmed and chopped
- 4 ounces green chiles
- 15 ounces black beans preferably low sodium
- 1 cup picante sauce
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce (i like spicy!)
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and cheddar daiya cheese or vegan cheese of your choice
- Carbohydrate 82.3436990147898 g
- Cholesterol 11.44125 mg
- Fat 9.84443721177658 g
- Fiber 16.8598416503439 g
- Protein 21.0203249985562 g
- Saturated Fat 3.43415980766044 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (444g)
- Sodium 998.741463260124 mg
- Sugar 65.4838573644459 g
- Trans Fat 1.27932121137477 g
- Calories 490 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- In a 2 quart pot, bring 1.5 quarts of water to a boil and put the quinoa in. Cook until the quinoa is soft and translucent.
- In a small pot, heat up the enchilada sauce. Mix the Daiya cheese and stir until cheese has melted.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, red pepper and garlic, stirring often for 3-5 minutes.
- Add spinach and cook, stirring often, until spinach is wilted.
- Add quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, spices, green chiles, oregano and picante sauce and cook, stirring often, until mixture is hot.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide filling among the tortillas, wrapping them into little burritos.
- Pour 1/3 of the enchilada/cheese sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Place burritos into the baking dish, side by side, seam side down. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top.
- Sprinkle with some vegan cheese (if desired) and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.
Quinoa must be boiled in an excess of water rather than simmered in a precise ratio to ensure the grains hydrate evenly without turning gummy. When cooking grains like quinoa for a high-moisture filling, draining them thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve prevents excess liquid from leaking into the tortilla and compromising structural integrity. Managing moisture at every stage of preparation separates a cohesive bake from a soggy casserole.
Sequencing and Thermal Control
Operating efficiently in the kitchen requires overlapping tasks without sacrificing focus on heat management. While the quinoa boils in a two-quart pot, heat olive oil in a separate large skillet over medium heat to soften the aromatics. Sweat the onions, garlic, and red peppers for three to five minutes until the onions become translucent and release their natural sugars, building foundational depth before the greens are introduced. Adding the spinach leaves immediately after this initial sauté allows residual heat to wilt the greens quickly, shrinking their volume so they integrate cleanly with the black beans, green chiles, and spices without pooling water in the pan. Warming the red enchilada sauce in a separate vessel lets plant-based cheese melt smoothly into the liquid before assembly, ensuring an even distribution of fat and flavor across the dish. Pouring one-third of this sauce mixture into the bottom of a baking dish prevents the tortillas from sticking while baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the rolled tortillas seam-side down to keep them from unravelling when the remaining sauce is poured over the top.
- If the quinoa appears waterlogged after boiling, press it gently against the sides of the sieve with a spatula to extract trapped moisture.
- Bake the assembled dish uncovered for twenty-five to thirty minutes until the edges bubble vigorously and the top is set.
- Ensure the baking dish is pre-greased with sauce or oil to prevent the bottom tortillas from tearing when portioning.
