Life’s gotten busy. I mean, really, REALLY busy this fall. Amidst the frenetic jerking to and fro that comes with organizational changes at work, the bleating of panicked graduate students immersing themselves in the world of research for the first time, the ominous drumbeat of my own doctoral research project, the drama-filled evenings of parental existence, the past several months have certainly not been boring! But I have managed my fair share of quiet evenings, whether the occasional evening of unusual teenage tranquility or the always calming presence of JoDee’s company, surrounded by pets and topped by blankets, books in hands. Yes, the autumn of 2013, has been an interesting one, to be sure.
Nor has the past few months been ones of tremendous experimentation on the culinary front. Life’s requisite juggling act prompted a retreat to the dozen or so most favorite (or most expedient) recipes I have mastered over the past year of my Vegan Slide.
Not that I’m complaining, mind you, for the menus I’ve experienced and grown to love this year have been fantastic. And I’ve grown fond of the dishes that have become regular staples in my home. (And I’ve had JoDee’s fabulous experimentation to fill the void, as well….let’s be honest!)
That said, there’s that occasional moment where you are desperately searching for a quick and easy meal, that serendipitous moment when you stumble upon something so easy, yet so incredibly delicious that all feels simply perfect. Well, it happened to me several weeks ago. Out of the blue. Unannounced, and totally unexpected. In the end, the girls absolutely loved it. I was astounded by the simplicity, combined with the powerful taste. And JoDee’s first comment was, “You’ve GOT to blog about this!”
So, here it is…Quick. Easy. To die for!
Adapted from Alicia Simpson’s Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food, an early Christmas present from JoDee’s brother and his family, I present to you……Chick’n Enchiladas. (Did I say, “To die for?”)
¼ cup diced white onion
24 oz canned Old El Paso enchilada sauce
1 pkg Beyond Meat Chick’n strips
2 cups shredded Daiya Pepper jack cheese
2 cups shredded Daiya Cheddar cheese
1 tbsp canned diced green chilies
5-inch corn tortillas (this makes a difference, so don’t use flour tortillas)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Place the chick’n strips into your food processor and pulse several times, which slightly shreds the strips. In a mixing bowl, combine the onion, 1 cups of each type of cheese, the (now) shredded chick’n, and the green chilies. Using your microwave, heat approximately five tortillas at a time for about 30 seconds (this makes them a bit softer and easier to roll without tearing). Lightly oil the bottom of a 2 ½ quart casserole dish and coat slightly with enchilada sauce. Time to begin rolling!
The smaller tortillas can’t hold a lot of filling, but don’t despair. Within each, spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of your mixed filling, then rolling from one side of the tortilla. Place the rolled tortillas seam down into the bottom of your casserole dish. Continue until you have no more room in your dish. Them pour the remainder of the enchilada sauce onto your rolled tortillas. With the remaining cheese-chicken mixture, sprinkle atop the dish, and top that evenly with the rest of your pepper jack and cheddar cheese.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes, before removing the foil. Then, bake for an additional 10 minutes (the cheese should be melted at this point). Remove from oven…and serve.
Trust me on this one. If you’re even enjoyed Mexican food, you are going to instantly fall in love with this one. Your kids will love it. Your significant other will love it. And you’ll have one more simply and quick recipe to add to your arsenal of possibilities for those times when, well, life just gets a bit hectic!
Yep, just a little bit of Zen….Mexican style!