#cashew cream

Boss Level Vegan Jain Enchiladas

You’ve beat the first level of Mario Bros. 1, 2, and 3. But it’s the second one that gives you trouble. That’s OK. It’s only a video game. But in life, when it comes to matters of the tum-tum you gotta regularly beat yourself and rise to the top of the culinary chain. 

These enchiladas are adapted from our favorite vegan website of all time, Oh She Glows. They continue to take the ordinary, smack it upside the head, shake it around and add some gourmet sense into the equation. 

Basically, it’s bananas. Bonkers. Yummy to the max. Here’s the recipe for Jain friendly audiences worldwide. 

This is really not a recipe for the amateur cook. Only proceed if you are an aspiring chef.

FOR THE ENCHILADAS:

• 2 cups (260 grams) peeled and chopped (½-inch dice) cooking bananas or very ripe plantains (platanos maduros)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 celery stalk, diced (2 to 2 ½ cups)
• 1 cup jarred roasted red pepper, drained and chopped
  
• ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
• 2 cups romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
• 1 (14-ounce) can black beans (about 1 ½ cups), drained and rinsed
• 2 ½ cups Homemade Enchilada Sauce (1 batch)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
• 5 to 6 medium/large soft tortilla wraps

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water, or more if needed

• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  
• Ground oregano powder (you’ll have to take the flakes and ground it)
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir flour and chili powder into the oil; cook and stir until smooth. Gradually stir tomato sauce, water, cumin, oregano powder and brown sugar into the flour mixture, respectively. Reduce heat to low and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.

FOR THE TOPPINGS:

Cliantro Lime Cashew Cream (Red pepper flakes, avocado, and cilantro)

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup raw cashews
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• ½ cup water, or as needed
  
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons avocado
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon oregano powder

Directions:

1. Add the cashews into a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 1 hour. Alternatively, you can soak the cashews in room temperature water for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews.
3. Add all of the cashew cream ingredients into a high-speed blender. Blend on high until a super smooth sauce forms. If using a Vitamix, use the tamper to get things moving. If your blender is having a hard time blending, you can add a splash more water to help things along.

Directions for making the enchilada:

1. Prepare the Homemade Enchilada Sauce and soak the cashews for the Cilantro-Lime Cashew Cream before you begin.
2. Lightly grease a large rectangular baking dish (at least 8x12 inches). Set aside.
3. Add the chopped sweet plantains or cooking bananas into a medium pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 9 to 15 minutes, uncovered, until fork tender. Drain and set aside. You can also steam the bananas until tender, instead of boiling.
4. In a large skillet, stir together the oil, celery and garlic and sauté over medium heat for around 3 to 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
6. Add the chopped roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, cooked/drained cooking bananas, lettuce, and black beans. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat, until the spinach is wilted.
7. Stir in ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of homemade enchilada sauce, followed by the lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Adjust seasonings to taste, if desired.
8. Add ¾ cup of Enchilada Sauce onto the bottom of your casserole dish and spread it out evenly.
9. Scoop ¾ cup of the plantains/bananas 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.
10. 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.
11. While the enchiladas are baking, prepare the Cilantro-Lime Cashew Cream.
12. When enchiladas are ready to serve, add half of the cashew cream into a baggie, snip off the corner, and “pipe” the sauce all over the enchiladas. Alternatively, you can simply spread or dollop the sauce on top of each enchilada. Garnish with chopped cilantro, avocado and red pepper flakes. Serve any remaining cashew cream on the side with a spoon.

Agave Cashew Cream

1 cup cashew, soaked in water over night

½ juice of lemon

4 tbsp agave syrup

8 tbsp almond milk

1. Place all cashew cream ingredients into blender, blend until smooth

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