Enchiladas With Cheese Sauce

What's a girl to do when she was raised in the Midwest and in farm country to boot? One would think my palette went strictly toward meat and potatoes at every meal. Well, that's exactly how it was until I moved to Southern California at the ripe old age of sixteen. The first new cuisine I discovered was Mexican. It's been a favorite ever since. And while I've learned to love Italian, Thai, Korean, Indian, and cuisines from many other countries, it is Mexican food that I most often crave. At least once a week I just have to have my fix.

This week I wanted enchiladas. Those lovely oblong bundles created out of a  flour tortilla filled with all manner of goodness, then covered with a rich, red sauce, then topped with  cheese and baked into melting goodness. I began drooling just thinking about them. So I got out my vegan cookbooks, found a recipe I could live with and made the changes I knew would please my own palate. I made enough for leftovers. Doggone if they weren't even better the next day. I hope you'll give these a try. Then let me know how you liked them.

ENCHILADAS WITH CHEESE SAUCE

1 package soft tofu, drained and crumbled into a bowl

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed, and mashed with a fork

2 Tbs. chili powder

2 tsp. liquid smoke

1 tsp. garlic powder

6 shakes of Tapitio sauce

2 pinches of red pepper flakes

Drain the tofu and crumble with your fingers. Add the spices to the bowl and set aside to "marry."

Mash the beans and cook in a skillet just until they soften a bit. Add a small amount of vegetable broth to keep them from sticking.

Add the beans to the tofu and spice mixture. Mix everything together. Fill 8 flour tortillas with the tofu mix. Roll each filled tortilla into an oblong and fit them into a baking pan. Pour the enchilada sauce over them and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

ENCHILADA SAUCE

I used a 15 oz. can of store bought enchilada sauce, but I perked it up by adding 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa and a big pinch of pasilla pepper seasoning, then whisked it while I heated it gently on the stove. The cocoa brings a great added depth of flavor to an otherwise ordinary sauce. When the sauce had cooled just a bit, I poured it over the enchiladas ready to go into the oven.

CHEESE SAUCE

1 cup non-dairy milk

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

2 Tbs. flour

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash of red pepper flakes

pepper to taste

Whisk everything together in a saucepan set over medium heat. Stir until the mixture thickens and resembles a true cheese sauce. Pour over the enchiladas just before serving.

Because these enchiladas are so filling, I served only a single side of red rice, often called Spanish rice. 

The recipe serves 3-4, depending on how hungry everyone is and how many sides you offer.

Many thanks to The Happy Herbivore for the recipe,
though I tweeked it to fit my own tastes.