Chef Wendell: Vegetarian enchilada casserole
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Fall weather has arrived and colder weather makes us crave rich, heavy comfort food. Here is a full-flavored, vitamin-packed comfort meal that will fill your belly and warm your bones on a chilly day. Get back to the kitchen and make a big batch, portion and freeze much of it for healthy future meals. Discover how easy it is to make your own taco seasoning when you control the ingredients.
1st segment: We can eat what we like. Just substitute a few ingredients. Exploring packaged taco seasoning ingredients, prepping casserole and discussing ingredients health virtues.
2nd segment: Why we crave hardy dishes in cold weather. Pull finished product from oven. Portion extra for the freezer.
- Proud of you! The majority of people are trying to eat healthy.
- When the weather gets cold, we seek hardy, filling dishes: Comfort food.
- Familiar comfort foods make us feel warm inside.
- Hardy foods, often high in calories and fat, break down more slowly in the digestive tract, releasing a steady flow of energy to the body and raising internal body temperature.
- No one wants to give up their favorite food.
Substitute this for that:
- Making simple ingredient substitutions, you can create health.
- Full fat dairy cheese for non-dairy cheese.
- Hamburger or sausage with non-meat alternative
- Less grease for more veggies and fiber
- Add omega-3 seeds, fiber and protein with chia and flax
- Beans are a super-healthy food,
- Make your own spice mix rather than store-bought.
What you’ll need for homemade taco seasoning:
- 2 teaspoons hot chili powder
- ½ tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp. cumin powder
- ½ tsp. oregano
- Pinch black pepper
- Pinch cayenne pepper or more to taste
- Pinch red pepper flakesMix everything into a ball jar or lidded container.
What you’ll need for spicy enchiladas casserole:
- 1/2 cups vegetarian ground beef substitute, or crumbled tempeh
- taco seasoning (Homemade recipe below)
- 2-15-ounce cans enchilada sauce
- 3 chipotle peppers in sauce, chopped with sauce
- 15 to 18 soft tortillas
- 8 oz. spinach leaves
- 2 15-ounce cans pinto or black beans, drained
- 2 cups vegan cheese (grated)
- 3 tbsp. chia or ground flax seed
- 2 Poblano peppers
- 1 4-ounce can green chilies (chopped)
- 1/3 cup Greek olives (sliced)
Don’t forget to:
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Chop and mix the chipotles peppers and chopped green chilies in with the enchiladas sauce.
- Combine the ‘Meat’ with the taco seasoning and combine well. (recipe for seasoning below)
- Lightly grease a 8 x 8 baking pan. Spread about 3/4 cup chipotle enchilada sauce on the bottom of the baking pan. Next, place a layer of 5 or 6 corn tortillas on top of the sauce.
- Spread the beans, poblanos and a layer of cheese on top of the tortillas. On top of this, spread another generous layer of chipotle enchilada sauce, then more corn tortillas. Next, spread spinach, mock meat and olives on top of the tortillas, more cheese.
- Spoon another layer of sauce over this, and then the rest of the corn tortillas, then sauce and more cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and bake for 15 to 20 more minutes.