Welcome to the first episode / blog post of my new series: Back of the Pantry. I always have canned or shelf stable items in my pantry. I usually have a half eaten can of something in my fridge too. So I’m on a mission to get creative and use the ingredients I’ve already got in my fridge and pantry before making another unavoidable run to the grocery store. I think this is a great way to save money, time and your food! Let’s make it and eat it before it spoils.
Enchiladas are the best! They are so versatile and fun to cook. You can turn this recipe into a cooking event for the whole family to partake in. You can also add your favorite flavors and ingredients to this dish. So depending on what you’ve already got in your fridge or your pantry, you don’t have to use my recipe to a T. Get creative and use what you’ve got!
Vegan Enchiladas
Course: RecipesCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Medium4
servings20
minutes25
minutesDude, fiesta time is going vegan! These enchiladas are bursting with flavor so bright, they’ll make your taste buds do the salsa. Fluffy tortillas wrapped around a fiesta of black beans, roasted veggies, and a smokey sauce that’ll have you saying “holy guacamole!” Forget boring TV dinners, these enchiladas are a flavor explosion that’s good for you and good for the planet.
Ingredients
1 large red bell pepper (or 2 medium sized), halved
2 tomatoes (red or yellow), whole
1 hot pepper (long pepper or jalepeno), halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, freshly squeezed
Cilantro, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 Jamaican sweet potato (or yam)
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can of corn, rinsed & drained
Hot sauce
4 tbs olive oil
Salt & peppers
Seasoning: 1/2 tsp: cayenne, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, garlic powder, onion powder
Tortillas
1/2 cup water
Directions
- Add 2 tbs olive oil to a skillet and set on high heat.
- Scorch tomatoes, bell pepper, hot pepper and garlic in the skillet on high heat.
- Once veggies are scorched on all sides, transfer the veggies to a high-speed blender.
- Add water, 2 tbs olive oil, salt, hot sauce, a handful of fresh cilantro and 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon juice the blender.
- Blend on high for 30 seconds, or until you have a smooth consistency. Set aside.
- In a large pan, add olive oil over medium to high heat.
- Add the Jamaican sweet potato (yam), onion to the pan and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
- Add minced garlic and seasoning blend to the pan and sauté another 2-3 minutes.
- Add black beans, corn, cilantro and 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon juice to the pan and sauté for additional 2 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add roasted veggie sauce to the previously used skillet and bring to a simmer.
- While the sauce is simmering, start to assemble the enchiladas.
- Add as many enchiladas to the skillet with the sauce as possible.
- Pour the reminding sauce over the enchiladas, covering them as much as possible.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.
- Once baked, remove them from the oven.
- Remove the enchiladas from the skillet to a serving plate and top with your favorite toppings such as guacamole, corn salsa, salsa verde, cheese, cilantro, sour cream, etc!
- Devour & enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- Jamaican sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes are not the same thing. You can use any type of starch for the filling in this recipe.
- You can use red or yellow tomatoes. The yellow tomatoes I used were from local farmers and tasted delicious in this recipe. I’d recommend trying heirloom or slicing tomatoes for a slightly different taste than roma or plum tomatoes.
- I’m obsessed with corn salsa right now. I will drop the corn salsa recipe this week, it’s amazing!