Baby steps...

The most important thing for me is when it comes to change is making it work for me. That means without judgement, or expectation other then a progress toward better health I take one step at a time towards my goal. With that in mind the dish I'm sharing today is a homemade dish I've enjoyed since high school that I recently shared with some friends. It is a dish I have made only one or twice this last year for my husband, but it was perfect to share with my friend for where she is on her journey to better health.

Since introducing more raw living food into my diet several friends have asked me about what I am eating. They have also shared their own health journeys and the changes they have made in their diet or how they prepare the foods they eat. One dear friend shared her journey surviving cancer and the choice she has made to eat a strictly vegan diet. One of her obvious big challenges is preparing food that does not double her work yet satisfies her family that up until her transition point several years ago was eating a diet that included a wide variety of meats. One dish she shared that was her husbands favorite that she could not bring herself to fix was enchiladas. Even if prepared vegetarian, enchiladas are loaded with cheese, and making them vegan had failed miserably with every variety of soy or non-dairy cheese she had tried. That was until she talked to me. I prepared the following enchiladas for her and her family and the response was outstanding.

If you are on a journey to better health and are starting with just transitioning away from meat and animal products then here's a recipe for you. I am also excited to say that I have found my own new recipe to follow my commitment to raw food preparation. I have prepared a raw enchilada recipe since returning from Living Light Culinary Arts Institute and have enjoyed the scrumptious raw enchiladas served at the Living Light Cafe in Fort Bragg, CA.

But sometimes you need baby steps. So here's to good food (Vegan Enchiladas) and "baby steps"!

Vegan Enchiladas

There is not an absolutely precise recipe for what I combine together for this dish. This is simply a rough ratio of how I combine the ingredients. Here is the recipe shared in photos with some brief guides on amounts and preparation details.

The basic ingredients:
• 3-4 zucchini
• 6 carrots
• 1 medium onion
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• enchilada sauce (enough to dip the 2 dozen fried tortilla into)
• 3 small cans mild green peppers
• 2 dozen organic corn tortilla
• 100% pure olive oil
• 1 tsp (+/-) cumin
• 2 tsp (+/-) oregano
• 2 tsp (+/-) chili powder
• 1 tsp (+/-) salt
• 100% pure olive oil (enough to coat the pan for sauteing the onions and other veggies)

Here are the initial ingredients in a 12" deep saute/frying pan

Here is my setup when I'm ready to put them all together.

I fry the tortillas and layer paper towels between to absorb the extra oil. With this setup everything is in reach as dipping the tortillas gets your fingers messy pretty quick.

Dip each corn tortilla in the enchilada sauce so that both sides are nicely coated. Then place a good helping of the veggie filling in the middle of the tortilla and roll it closed turning it so that the ends come together on the bottom.

This recipe should fill 2 - 9x12 glass baking dishes and I am generous with the filling so that each bite has good texture and taste.

Before baking it, add a little enchilada sauce to the top to keep the top of the tortillas moist while warming.

Bake it in a 350° oven for 15-20 min depending on if you are pulling them out of the frig. All they need to do is warm it to a nice eating temperature as all the ingredients are all cooked and there is no cheese to melt.

Garnish with fresh tomatoes and cilantro and some additional warm enchilada sauce. You can also top with black olives, red pepper flakes, etc.

And last but not least, enjoy in good health!!