Hello Dear Steeminas,
I am very excited about this week “Mexican Food” challenge, but before I go on about my entry I would like to thank to @woman-onthe-wing, @gringalicious, @sirwinchester and @englishtchrivy for their ongoing support and generosity and our guest judge of the week @tioluis. It’s been really wonderful experience for me so far and I really appreciate the opportunity to participate in this great challenge.
I love Mexican food and I am an expert on veganized chili and burritos, however, this time I wanted to make something I never made before. On my daughter’s suggestion, I decided to make Casserole Enchiladas and I am happy I did, even though it is quite a lengthy process. The recipe is made of three parts, the filling, the sauce and the cashew cream and it takes little bit of extra time to make it all. Of course, you can skip the sauce and buy already made in the store, or you don’t have to make the cashew cream and use Daiya cheese instead. However, I can’t guarantee it will be as good as it is when you make it all yourself. Not to forget the health benefits of whole food. And while you at it, you can even make more sauce and store it in the freezer, so you have it ready for times when you too busy.
When I was searching the origin of Enchilada, I found lots of varieties dating back to Mayan times and Spanish Inquisition in the area of Mexico Valley. It is very hard to specify origin of my Enchilada recipe, because I made it up based on what I know about Mexican food with help of various recipes on line. In addition, my recipe is vegan.
CASSEROLE ENCHILADAS
Black Bean Enchiladas with Sweet Potato
Vegan – Gluten Free Optional
INGREDIENTS FOR 8
• Black Beans 2cups (canned or cooked)
• Sweet Potato 3 cups (cut into small cubes and steemed)
• Tomatoes 2cups (diced)
• Red bell pepper 1cup ( diced )
• Organic frozen corn 1 ½ cup
• Onion 1 medium size minced
• Garlic 3 cloves minced
• Cumin powder 1tbs
• Chilli powder 1tbs
• Dry chilli peppers to taste
• Himalayan pink salt to taste
• Oil ¼ cup
• Avocado to garnish
• Cilantro 1 cup only the leaves
• Scallions to garnish (sliced)
• Casserole dish
• Tortilla wraps 8
• Wooden toothpicks
PROCESS
• Begin sautéing the onion on heated oil adding garlic few seconds later.
• When they become translucent add the spices.
• Stir for few seconds and add the bell pepper, tomatoes and salt.
• Stir thoroughly, lover the heat and cover with lid.
• Let it simmer for 10 minutes until soft and mushy.
• Add the steamed potatoes, beans & corn.
• Stir thoroughly again and take it off the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Wrap about ¾ cup of the filling topped with cilantro in each tortilla and place them in your casserole dish. You may use toothpicks to keep them from opening. You can take them out after they covered with sauce.
• When ready, pour the Enchilada sauce evenly on top by using spatula.
• With a spoon apply the cashew cream cheese in the middle creating a long thick line.
• Place it in the oven and bake for 40 min and 7 min on broil.
• When ready, garnish with avocado, cilantro, scallions and serve.
ENCHILADA SAUCE
• Tomatoes 2cups (skinned and diced)
• Red bell pepper 1cup ( diced )
• Vegetable broth ¼ cup
• Onion 1 medium size (minced)
• Garlic 3 cloves (minced)
• Juice from ½ lime
• Cumin powder 1tbs
• Chilli powder 1tbs
• Dry chilli peppers to taste
• Himalayan pink salt to taste
• Oil 1tbs
PROCESS
• Begin sautéing the onion on heated oil adding garlic few seconds later.
• When they become translucent add the spices.
• Stir for few seconds and add the bell pepper, tomatoes and salt.
• Stir thoroughly, lover the heat and cover with lid.
• Let it simmer for 10 minutes until soft and mushy.
• Take it off the heat and let it cool down for few minutes.
• When ready, blend all in a food processor until smooth.
CHEEZE CASHEW CREAM
Raw Cheesy Cashew Cream without the Cheese
Vegan – Gluten Free
• Raw cashews 1 cup (presoaked for 6 hours and rinsed)
• Nutritional yeast 1tbs (adds the cheesy flavour)
• Garlic powder 1tsp
• Apple cider vinegar 1tbs
• Himalayan pink salt to taste
• Water 1cup (you can add more if needed)
• Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
And here is my pride and joy loving my Enchiladas.........we were all shocked lol. However, their portion was without the hot chili pepper flakes of course, which I made separate for them.
THANK YOU FOR VISITING & BON APPETIT 🍅🌿🍅
https://www.lenasveganliving.com/lenas-vegan-living-blog
Wow! That looks soooo good! And healthy.
I love making things from scratch too 😋
upvoted
Thank you so much Dear @princessmewmew 🌸💖🌸
Hmmm! That looks delicious and exactly as if I would like to have this for dinner! 😋
Thank you so much Dear @pusteblume I'm glad you like and for the upvote 💖😊💖
This post has received a 0.09 % upvote from @drotto thanks to: @banjo.
Thank you 😊
¡Santo guacamole Lena!
These look quite incredible, my friend. I was quite surprised at some of the ingredients, but know from past experience to trust your taste when it comes to blending flavors. You have never steered me wrong. Never. Never.
The whole process does look a little bit longer than most recipes, but, honestly, I am not willing to give up that cashew cream for a few more extra minutes of time. I have to ask the question though. Raw cashews are the only kind that will work with this, right?
When I scrolled down to the picture of the ingredients all mixed together, I knew these were going to be five-star delightful! How do you even begin to add and subtract ingredients like you do?
Does it matter what kind of tortilla I use? I generally get the whole wheat. These look a little different.
I can hardly wait to try these out. I mean it. I have gotten more recipes off @lenasveganliving than any one book. Ever* Thanks for always spending the time, making each and every recipe carefully explained - right down to marking all the measurements on the item, very astute, I would say. English is not everybody's first language and I am sure that it is appreciated.
Thank you again and just know that I look forward to new posts from you. It is like getting a letter from a friend in your mailbox!
Gracias mi amigo!! Buen apetito!!
Upped and Steemed
Where do I begin Dear Denise??? LOL! Well first I must thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and so much love you always sending my way. You know there is no better feeling for a blogger/ foodie like me to get prized from their fans. Of course you are way more than just a fan, you are one of my closest friends online. I wish we will meet someday and have a lovely time somewhere on the beach sipping margaritas (virgin for me lol). What can I say, I am a dreamer.
Now back to my recipe or better say to your questions. About the cashews, yes they must be raw, even though cashews are never totally raw, because they have to go through certain process to be edible. Nevertheless, they are sold as raw, so look for that on the label whether you buy them in bulk or packaged. The tortillas I use are ancient grain, but you can use whole weed or corn, that is totally up to you.
When comes to the ingredients I use, it is not so unusual to me anymore and I am not the only one who uses them. You would be probably even more surprised if you read other vegan recipes. My recipes are combination of what I learned from my grandmother, my own crazy imagination, inspiration from other vegan foodies including my friend in Montreal and the cultures from around the world that I had the chance to observe here in Canada.
So there you go............now I am learning to write essays in a comment section from you lol. XOXO
Yes!! Well done! :)
Thank you again Denise 💚
Saya suka makanan Meksiko dan saya adalah ahli cabai dan burrito veganized, namun kali ini saya ingin membuat sesuatu yang tidak pernah saya buat sebelumnya. Atas saran putri saya, saya memutuskan untuk membuat Casserole Enchilada dan saya senang melakukannya, meski prosesnya cukup panjang. Resepnya terbuat dari tiga bagian, isi, saus dan krim mete dan butuh sedikit waktu tambahan untuk membuat semuanya. Tentu saja, Anda bisa melewatkan saus dan membeli yang sudah dibuat di toko, atau Anda tidak perlu membuat krim jambu mete dan menggunakan keju Daiya. Namun, saya tidak bisa menjamin itu akan sebaik saat Anda membuat semuanya sendiri. Tak ketinggalan manfaat kesehatan dari keseluruhan makanan. Dan saat Anda melakukannya, Anda bahkan bisa membuat lebih banyak saus dan menyimpannya di dalam freezer, jadi Anda sudah siap pada saat Anda terlalu sibuk.
Thank you 😊
Elegant images, detailed instructions, delicious final product and darling grandsons! That's a grand slam in my book @lenasveganliving and a winner! Good luck with the contest, my friend! Upv & Rsd🥑🍅🌯🍅🥑
Thank you so much Nina and I am sorry for the late response, I've been extremely busy with the Fruits and veggies and now Iron Chef contest. But I didn't see your #fruitsandveggiesmonday entry. I hope I didn't missed it , or you were not able to join this week?
No problem at all - I am guilty too of not being able to reply to comments sometimes for a few days. Your recipes keep getting better and better, if that's even possible. Thank you for inspiring myself and so many Steemians to eat healthier. You are right about my #fruitsandveggiesmonday entry this week - sadly this was the first time I missed posting since your challenge began. I had photos taken and everything ready but it was the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. We had a family barbeque and dinner gathering Monday. Then my mother visited late in the evening and had to wait for a big thunderstorm to blew over before driving back home in the city. I was going to post Tuesday then did not because I was unsure of the rules for posting cutoff times. Thank you for checking, my friend! I'm ready for the next one @lenasveganliving😉💯
No need to explain Dear Nina, I understand, so dont take my little pokes too seriously lol. I know life is unpredictable and too busy. But I always love to see your entry, so I'm looking forward to this Monday and I am glad that u okay 💚🍒🍐🍎🍍🍓🍌🍉💚
By the way, Nina thank u so much for telling off to that troll. I muted him so i didn't see his redicules insults, but I wasnt able to see what u wrote neither. However, I was checking the conection for my recipes to Steemit from Instagram and that way i was able to see it, becase i was loging in as non Steemian. Its wierd, though, becase I am signed in on my phone and if I log in with Chrome I am Steemian, so I dont see the coments. I hope I did not confuse u tok much. The main thing is that I really appreciate it . You wrote it very well 💖💖💖
Yumminum! Hey, I want you to know I mentioned you in a post because I noticed you're really good about tagging your photos with the Steemit logo, your name, date, etc. Here's that post: Printable Tagging Cards. Cheers!
Thank you so much, I am glad you like it. However I am tagging my posts only for the Culinary Challenge and I like to keep it black and white with my logo, just the way they are 😊
Cool, yeah, just wanted you to know I tagged you in that post. Your work is perfect as is.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it 😊
I love enchiladas and your take on them looks so delicious! Great recipe Lena!!
Thank you so much Dear @jaymorebeet I am happy you like it. I really appreciate your support 🍅💚🍅
Looks great Lena!!
Thank you so much Shaun 😊
That looks delicious ! :D
Thank you so much Alexa 😊
Im definitely going to make this!!Looks delicious!
Thank you so much, I am glad you like it 😊
You should try Swiss Enchiladas. They're so yummy!
Thank you I will look into it 😊
A lot of love went into these enchiladas and they look delicious!!!
Thank is so true, thank you so much Dear @sbear678 😊
Thanks for the recipe !
My pleasure, I am glad you like it and thank you too 🍅🌿🍅
Youre welcome !
Hm, yummmy. Health food...
Looks delicious! Thank you for the recipe! Have a great Wednesday, Lena!
Thank you so much Remco, I am glad you like it 😊
How good it looks, delicious
I do not have much time to cook now, well neither for that nor for anything, all day running from here to there
Happy beautiful day
Thank you so much Dear Txatxy 😊
Just acknowledging your entry.. I don't have time to comment today but I will get round to it! Thanks :-)
No problem @woman-onthe-wing, thank you for stopping by 😊
Lena that enchilada sauce is making my mouth water, it looks so rich and tasty and full of nutrition, yum! You do right to encourage homemade sauces, as store-bought are mostly stuffed with artificial poisons and even the 'natural' ingredients such as tomatoes are usually GMO, or grown with pesticides, and probably old so lacking nutrition too... yuk, no thanks, give me your homemade sauce any day!!! May I ask, do you ever make homemade tortilla wraps too?
I love the sound of the flavours - black beans, sweet potato, corn, cumin... mmmmmmmmm. I also love that this is an original recipe too, and you adapted the dish to suit a vegan diet which will please all your followers again (and many of mine too when they see this!) It's really interesting to know you dated enchiladas back to Mayan times... oldies are the besties!
Although making this dish is a lengthy process, I'm sure we can all agree it's worth it! Your photos are incredible - I hope you know that - and I think your food photos are amongst the best food photos on Steemit. They're amazing quality, and you have an artist's eye for composition too, so you always show your food in its most delectable light! Good luck :-)
Thank you so much Dear @woman-onthe-wing you are always so kind. I am very grateful for your supprt and such a wonderful comment. It's funny you asking about the Tortillas from scratch, I was actually thinning to make them for the challenge, but since I never made them before, I was afraid I will not have enough time. I will definitely make them in the future, but I am thinking to make them raw. For that I will need dehydrator, which is in my bucket list right next to a professional camera and Vitamix, soon as I make lots of money on Steemit lol 😁
Ha, yes, we're all hoping for prices to rise again! Oh well, we continue to enjoy ourselves in the meantime by cooking and posting and having the pleasure of admiring our fellow Steemian's culinary skills! And one day, when you're rich and famous after publishing 'Lena's Lovely Lunches Cookbook' you will remember us little people and throw us a few scraps! hehe :-)
Are u predicting my future Dear @woman-onthe-wing? lol. That would be nice except i will always take care of my Stermit friends generously. But thank u so much for having fait in my succes. 💖💖💖
Congratulations on 3rd place @lenasveganliving! Truly deserving of a win, this is such a wonderful dish and presented so magnificently!
Thank you so much Dear @woman-onthe-wing I really appreciate it. You made my day again 🌸💖🌸
Congrats on 3rd Place in the challenge. Super well done food post, fantastic
Thank you so much Dear @gringalicious I really appreciate your support 😊
Amazing!
Thank you so much 😊
I know it's been played out for a very long time now, but I can't resist for the off chance someone may have missed it. I have known people personally who have said these exact same things to me!
This is just plain rude!!!
I am a fan of irreverant humor. Rodney Dangerfield almost made me choke to death laughing years ago.
In defense of this video, I have had more than a few people say things almost exactly word for word as some of the things highlighted here. I'll never forget my good friend Sparky who first tried to sell me (a half Italian) on the idea of meatless sausage. She said it word for word 15 years before this video was even a thing. So if it's offensive, it's because sometimes humor hits a little to close for comfort. I learned how to cook from guys who make Gordon Ramsey look like a big softy, so I'm not offended so easily.
Well I was expecting apology, because what you are doing is bullying and spamming. So please take my friendly advice and stop bothering people because it's not good for your reputation.
I'm sorry you are so offended. I don't pretend to know why. That video is funny and the humor is rooted in truth. I've experienced it myself. I'm a chef. I'm a little rough around the edges, but I never spam. If my opinions are wrong or if I base a conclusion on partial/false information, then I'm open to hear why. Calling me a bully and a spammer just elevated you to the level of name calling. You have personally attacked me for simply speaking my mind. Who's the bully now? I post a funny video hoping to make folks laugh, and you proclaim it OFFENSIVE! No explanation as to why you disagree with anything contained therein. You don't like it so it's offensive. I say you owe me the apology, and your readers for making an issue out of a non issue.
And since you have shown your true colors, I'll quit with the pleasantries. That recipe is more pretentious than you are. What a whole lot of hassle to make a mediocre at best faux enchilada. You sweat some veggies and grind some nuts to project depth to what boils down to corn and beans wrapped in a pale substitute for a real tortilla. You see, good food doesn't need to reinvent the wheel. I said seitan would add a depth of texture. You tell me you don't like it because... gluten. I say pure rubbery gluten meat substitute would be a vast improvement on this crap recipe. You're not fooling anybody who know's what's what.
I agree with you, Lena!
@ryeis1 Do you realize this is an official entry to the Steemit Culinary Challenge hence the use of the hashtag #steemitcullinarychallenge, as well as the detailed images with required signages contained therein and step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the vegan enchilada dish? Thousands of Steemians searching on the #steemitcullinarychallenge hashtag are reading your ridiculous, unwanted comments and forming a not-so-pleasant opinion of you based on your relentless badgering of @lenasveganliving who has asked you repeatedly and politely to back off. What don't you understand???? GO AWAY, TROLL!
In the spirit of full disclosure. It occurred to me after I was finished that the following could be misconstrued as combative or critical. This was not my intention. I was just typing the thoughts as they occurred to me. My opinions, no more or less, are just that and not meant to attack, insult, or berate anyone else for their convictions and/or choices. So here are my uncensored thoughts:
As a chef, I've always been fond of the challenge vegetarian and vegan cuisine offers. Some of my best meals have been a result of that one person in the party who has no problem going out with friends only to become indignant when they discover the menu consists of items that sell the best (contain animal products of some kind). You know what? It's my duty to give them what they want, not to judge their diet or convictions. Personally, as the father of 9 children and owner of 3 pets, I can say with confidence that animals do not demand the same level of dignity as humans. On the other hand, I also understand why one would think they do. For me, the ability to reason why is what gives human kind the upper hand in the value of life department. As long as an animal is not abused, it doesn't have the capacity to ask itself why it exists to provide food for us. Nor can it imagine a better life for itself. An animal that is frightened at the time of slaughter can lose up to 25% of its usable weight, so keeping the animal calm and unaware is a very important part of the process. Morally, I say eat all things in moderation. That's how we have evolved as a species. We are the ultimate scavengers. I also never heard of any vegans in impoverished nations where famine is more than just a word to describe something that happens somewhere else to "other" people
Now that I've done the very thing vegans are regularly accused of doing and made a complete hypocrite of myself, I love vegetarian cooking the best. Vegan, I feel is far too limited for acceptable ingredients, but I've always relished the challenge. There have been many occasions where the rest of the table would send back their menu items in exchange for the veg/vegan dish I had concocted on the fly! These instances are bitter sweet as you can imagine, but in the end, that's what keeps the chefs showing up day after 18+ hour day.
As far as the recipe here, I think some seitan cut into fajita sized pieces would add a whole new dimension in texture while making it more accessible to our carnivore cousins who normally just smile and nod when served "rabbit food."
Thank you for your comment, but I have nothing to add, since I am no longer participating in VEGAN advocacy this way. I enjoy creating whole food vegan recipes and I am pass the stage of using meat substitutes. In addition to that, I was never a big fan of seitan, because it's made of pure gluten and lots of people have celiac disease. My goal is to advance towards raw, at least 80%. Nevertheless, If you would like to participate in this challenge you are welcome, it is not purely vegan, it is for everybody. Feel free to show us your magic and in the meantime, please save your time writing long unsupportive comments on vegan posts, because it's completely futile, as much it would be if I try to convince you to go vegan lol. This is not a Facebook. We are here to supprt each other and grow a peaceful community without prejudice. Wish you all the best 😊
I understand that. I write for myself first and foremost, so it's never a waste of time. That long winded thing up there is just me hashing out an idea in a way that had never occurred to me before. The written equivalent to thinking out loud.
You know, I have very few standardized recipes that I draw from. Most of what I produce is either spontaneous or an extension/re-imagining of classical recipes. I may take up the challenge now that I'm aware of it.
Also, thanks for not straight up calling me an opinionated idiot. I appreciate the tap dance. It shows respect even for the lower forms! :D
You may not waste your time, but you are wasting my.
Oh yeah. I waste your time expressing my opinions in a thoughtful manner when "you're a hack" would have sufficed. You're just a true font of grace and sacrifice aren't you. I'm glad I rained on your parade of presumption. I have never misrepresented who I am, but you sure exposed your true colors with just the slightest little hint of not kissing your rose scented behind. This must be difficult for you with how meticulously crafted your lofty self image has been until now.