A Whole Lotta Enchilada

San Diego's Old Town is home to the best Mexican restaurants in the city. If any of them were vegan, they'd be hounding me for my enchilada recipe. Hey, it could happen!

I've outdone myself. Yes, I created an enchilada that tastes every bit as good as if it came from your favorite Mexican restaurant. Please understand that I love Mexican food and enchiladas in particular. I had not yet tried creating a vegan one because I wasn't sure how to go about it. So on one especially ambitious day, I began mixing this with that and threw in a pinch of spice and a smidgen of herb and by the time everything was mixed together, it tasted pretty doggone good. So I went ahead and stuffed it into my corn tortilla shells, covered the whole thing with enchilada sauce and a flurry of vegan shreds and stuck it in the oven. Guess what? It was so good I thought I'd been time-warped to Mexico City.

Remember now, I like my food spicy, so if you don't I suggest you cut down either the chili powder or the jalapeno. I recommend you leave some spice in or it won't taste like Mexican food and you'll blame me for blogging a yukky recipe.

I served my enchiladas with a small garden salad and it was just the right amount of food. At least for me. I made extra enchiladas because I like them warmed over the next day. I think they're even better if they sit a bit.

VEGAN ENCHILADAS

10 corn tortillas

1 24 oz. can enchilada sauce, any brand

3/4 cup black beans, drained, rinsed, and slightly mashed.

1/3 cup corn, fresh or frozen

1/3 cup diced zucchini

2 Tbs. chopped cilantro

1/2 cup chopped green onions, both white and green parts

1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1 roasted jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

Mix everything together except for the enchilada sauce. This is enough to stuff 10 corn tortillas. Soften the tortillas in the microwave then fill and roll and place seam side down in a greased casserole dish. Pour the enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with another 1/2 cup of shredded vegan cheddar.

Bake at 450 for 20 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered. Serve immediately.