Vegan Enchiladas

Most of my readers know me and know that I have a new little baby. You probably think that my neglect of this blog is because of this baby, and you may assume that I have not been cooking. I admit that having 4 little ones has been a big adjustment and I am the busiest that I have ever been in my life, but I am cooking. However, the majority of my cooking lately has been vegetarian and vegan. I am actually cooking a ton, but, I just don't feel like most of my readers want vegan recipes. I hold the recipes on this blog to a standard of awesomeness that I feel each recipe should have. It has to be good, really good. It has to be something that I would make over and over. I just can't say that about many of the vegan meals I have been cooking. They aren't spectacular. They are simple and good, but I just feel like they aren't worthy of being on this blog. Then tonight I made these enchiladas. They were so dang good that I don't think any carnivore would miss the meat and cheese in these. My enchiladas usually are nothing but meat and cheese. The link there shows a video of a guy making these. It is such a bizarre recipe with potatoes and marinara sauce! I was so skeptical. We ended up having my brother, his wife, and my dad here tonight. I was nervous that this was going to be a flop. Everyone loved them. I LOVED them. Who would have thought such odd ingredients would add up to such goodness?! If any of you want vegan recipes, let me know. Until there is a demand, my additions to this blog may be fewer than in the past. (However, I did have to bake for a friend this weekend and made a great dessert. I'll try to blog about that one soon.) I don't preach vegan. I am not a vegan. I am just trying to eat better. I do have to say that I feel much better eating this way. So if you want a meal that you can feel good eating then give this one a try! It got two thumbs up from all of my crowd!

VEGAN ENCHILADAS
12 corn tortillas
1 cup onions
1 cup potatoes
1 cup canned beans, your favorite kind
1 cup zucchini, diced
1 cup olives, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon Lawry seasoning
2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
2 cups spaghetti sauce, from a jar
Non-stick spray (optional)

These enchiladas are cholesterol free and very low in fat. They have a special taste because of the potatoes in the filling and the addition of spaghetti sauce

Boil or steam the potatoes until almost done, but still firm, If you want to, peel the skin off with a knife while the potatoes are still warm. Dice the potatoes into small cubes. Next, sauté the onions in oil until transparent. Add some of the salt, oregano, and Lawry spice to the onions while they are cooking. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked potatoes, the beans, the zucchini, the olives, and the sautéed onions. Season with salt, oregano, and Lawry spice to taste, and mix well. You can use any of your favorite seasonings.

Next, combine the enchilada sauce and spaghetti sauce in a bowl and mix well. If you want to make the corn tortillas softer before rolling the enchiladas, heat a drop of oil in a non-stick skillet and cook them briefly on each side, one at a time. Transfer them to a plate.

Grease or use non-stick spray to lightly coat a large ovenproof baking dish. You are now ready to roll your enchiladas. One at a time, spread a spoonful of the sauce on a corn tortilla, fill with 1/4 cup of the vegetable bean mixture, and roll up each tortilla. Place them in the baking dish, seam side down. Alternatively, you can dip each corn tortilla in the sauce before you add the filling, making sure that you coat each side of the tortilla with sauce. After all the tortillas are filled and rolled and in the baking dish, cover them with the red sauce, adding as much sauce as you like.

Bake in the oven at 350º for 20-25 minutes if you leave the dish uncovered. For a softer enchilada, cover the dish with foil on top and then bake for 45-50 minutes. Garnish with lettuce, tomatoes, and avocados and enjoy!