Mexican Recipes for Vegans

Eating a daily plant-based diet certainly has its benefits. Vegans or vegetarians are more likely to have healthy cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Believe it or not, Mexican food is in no way forbidden fruit for those two groups. Here are some recipes that cater to them.

Lentil Picadillo Tacos

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of brown lentils
• 3 cups of water
• 2 medium tomatoes (about 14 ounces)
• 1½ tablespoons grapeseed oil
• ½ large white onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon of cumin
• ½-3/4 teaspoon of salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• 2 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into ¼-1/2 inch pieces
• 1 large carrot, diced into ¼ inch pieces

1. Sort and rinse the lentils. Place them in a medium saucepan and cover with the three cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until done, about twenty minutes. You just want them to be tender, not mushy.
2. Meanwhile, remove the core from the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes in a blender and puree. It should be just shy of two cups of liquid. Set aside.
3. While the lentils cook, this is a good time to chop and prep all the veggies.
4. When the lentils are done season with a pinch of salt, drain and set aside.
5. In a large deep sided skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot add the onion and saute until soft, about five minutes.
6. Add the jalapeno and garlic. Stir and cook for one minute. Add the cooked lentils and stir everything together. Add the cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir to throughly mix together.
7. Pour in the reserved tomatoes puree. Stir together. Add the diced potatoes and carrot. Stir. Bring to boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and cover.
8. Cook until the potatoes are nice and tender, about fifteen to twenty minutes. Stir a few times during the cooking time.
9. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if using.
10. Serve with warm tortillas.

Vegan Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (260 grams) peeled and chopped (1/2-inch dice) sweet potato
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, diced (2 to 2 1/2 cups)
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup jarred roasted red pepper, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
• 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 (14-ounce) can black beans (about 1 1/2 cups), drained and rinsed
• 2 1/2 cups Homemade Enchilada Sauce (1 batch)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
• 5 to 6 medium/large soft tortilla wraps

For the toppings:

• Cilantro-Lime-Garlic Cashew Cream
• Chopped green onion, red pepper flakes, avocado, and cilantro

Instructions:

• Prepare the Homemade Enchilada Sauce and soak the cashews for the Cilantro-Lime-Garlic Cashew Cream before you begin.
• Lightly grease a large rectangular baking dish (at least 8×12 inches). Set aside.
• Add the chopped sweet potato into a medium pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for nine to fifteen minutes, uncovered, until fork tender. Drain and set aside. You can also steam the potatoes until tender, instead of boiling.
• In a large skillet, stir together the oil, onion, and garlic and sauté over medium heat for around three to five minutes until the onion softens. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Add the chopped roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, cooked/drained sweet potato, spinach, and black beans. Cook for three to five minutes over medium-high heat, until the spinach is wilted.
• Stir in 1/4 cup plus two tablespoons of homemade enchilada sauce, followed by the lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Adjust seasonings to taste, if desired.
• Add 3/4 cup of Enchilada Sauce onto the bottom of your casserole dish and spread it out evenly.
• Scoop 3/4 cup of the sweet potato and black bean filling onto each tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place it, seam side down, in the casserole dish. Repeat for the rest. If you have any leftover filling, you can spread it on top of the tortillas. Spread all of the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas until they are completely covered in sauce.
• Bake the enchiladas, uncovered, at 350⁰F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is a deep red colour and the enchiladas are heated through.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

It would be remiss not to include at least one dessert.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons almond or soy milk

For the sugar dusting:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa, cayenne, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk canola oil, maple syrup, vanilla, milk, and sugar until fully incorporated. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, mixing continuously. The batter will be stiff.

Using the palm of your hands, roll about three tablespoons worth of batter into a small ball. Shape into pancake-like disks and cover one side with the sugar-cinnamon dusting.

On a sheet of parchment paper, place each disk about 1 inch apart, sugar side up.

Bake for about 12 minutes. Makes fiftteen to twenty cookies, depending how big you want them.

This update or recipe is provided by tortilla company Easy Foods Incorporated. Our wholesale tortillas products include corn tortillas, flour tortillas, tortilla chips, and wraps. For more information on our services or brands like Tacomex and Vedgee or private label tortillas, please call 305-928-1593. Our business hours are 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday Eastern time and we are closed on weekends