Whether you’re a vegan by choice or simply looking to mix up your meals with something that’s lighter, healthier, tastier and a departure from your daily routine, it’s sometimes daunting to break out of your culinary box.
A few years ago, I planted six different varieties of heirloom tomatoes and waited patiently for most of the summer for the fruit to mature. When the temperatures got hot, many of them decided to ripen at the same time. I had a hard time keeping up with the tomatoes. I had to find different ways of using them, besides in salads, omelets and other obvious options.
So I dipped back into my Tex-Mex past. I loved Tex-Mex food during my years living in Austin, Houston and Fort Worth, Texas. I love the flavors and the use of tomatoes and fresh ingredients in those dishes.
So I decided on a healthier and low-carb version of an enchilada that’s suitable for someone who might be diabetic, as my spouse is. I call it a deconstructed enchilada, because instead of wrapping up ingredients in tortillas, I simply use a corn tortilla as a base for the dish. It’s easy to make, tasty, and can be done in 30 minutes.
If you want to bulk it up, you could even add black beans or pinto beans to the dish, but take into account if you’re diabetic that adding beans will affect the amount of carbs in the dish substantially.
Vegan Tex-Mex deconstructed enchiladas
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 tablespoons cooking oil, plus 2 tablespoons set aside
4 corn tortillas
4 cups spring salad mix, rinsed
1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cups vegan “meat” crumbles
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tomatoes roughly chopped into cubes
1 cup vegan cheese, grated
Cilantro for garnish (optional)
Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add tortilla and cook for a minute or two until the tortilla softens, and turn and cook a minute or two on the other side. Repeat with the second tortilla. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the pan and repeat with the third and fourth tortilla. Place each tortilla on a separate plate, and add 1 cup of spring salad mix on top of each tortilla.
In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil over high heat. Add diced onions and cook until onions begin to turn translucent. Add diced bell peppers and vegan crumbles, ground cumin, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the crumble is thoroughly heated. Turn off heat, add tomatoes and toss.
Divide the mixture into four portions, and top each plated tortilla with a portion. Sprinkle grated vegan cheese on top, garnish with cilantro, and serve.