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Cheese and Potato Enchiladas

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tofu veggie enchiladas 7yYou are probably looking at this picture and thinking, “are those peas?”

tofu veggie enchiladas 6yAnd guess what?  Your eyes are not failing you.  These enchiladas do, in fact, contain peas.

tofu veggie enchiladas 10yNow before you go thinking that I am crazy (or maybe you still will or already do…), hear me out.

My hometown is rather small and does not have a whole lot going on when it comes to the restaurant scene.  But one gem of a restaurant that is in existence (and has been for as long as I can remember) is a place called Vel’s Amigos, or “Amigos” as most people refer to it.  Amigos serves absolutely fantastic Mexican food and they are quite known for their soft shell tacos and cheese enchiladas.  Their cheese enchiladas essentially include potatoes, peas, and a whooooole ‘lotta cheese.  Basically, they are amazingly delicious.  Even the meat-eaters know that the cheese enchiladas are the way to go.  I grew up eating potatoes and peas in my cheese enchiladas and I am not going to stop now.

tofu veggie enchiladas 5When I decided to develop a recipe for vegan “cheese” enchilada loosely based off of the ricotta “cheese” in my Vegan Vegetable Lasagana recipe, I knew that they would have to include potatoes and peas.

tofu veggie enchiladas 12Cheese and Potato Enchiladas
Vegan

Makes four enchiladas

Ingredients

For the “cheese” filling:

1/3 of a 14 oz block of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/4 cup red pepper hummus (or any “spicy” hummus)
1 TB nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
fine sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

For the enchiladas:

1 medium russet or Yukin gold potato, diced
olive oil cooking spray
fine sea salt
black pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
1/3 cup canned sweet peas (I highly recommend canned and not frozen)
4 whole wheat tortillas
8 oz red enchilada sauce (I like this brand)

Directions

1. To prepare the potatoes, heat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Place the diced potatoes onto the baking sheet.  Generously spray the potatoes with cooking spray and sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Roast the potatoes for approximately 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through, or until golden brown.

2. While the potatoes are roasting, prepare the “cheese” filling.  Crumble the tofu into a medium bowl.  Stir in hummus, nutritional yeast, and seasonings until well-combined.  Gently fold in peas.

3. Once both the potatoes and the “cheese” filling are prepared, change the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.  Heat the torillas in the microwave for approximately 30 seconds to soften them.

4. Divide the “cheese” filling into four even portions and fill each tortilla with it.  Top the filling with the potatoes (one forth of the batch in each enchilada).

5. Roll the tortillas tightly and place into a baking dish that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray.

6. Top the enchiladas with the enchilada sauce.

7. Bake the enchiladas for approximately 15 minutes.  Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

tofu veggie enchiladas 2Put a fork in it  (and by “it” I mean “them” because you are going to want to eat more than one).

But don’t just stop there.  Dig in and eat every. last. bite.  I also won’t judge you for licking the plate.  Please tell me that I am not the only person who is guilty of doing so in the privacy of their own home.  Now if only I could do so at restaurants without being judged…

tofu veggie enchiladas 13yThe “cheesy” filling combined with the sweet peas and the spicy enchilada sauce makes for the perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness.

tofu veggie enchiladas 8yHave I turned you into a pea lover yet?  How about tofu?

If not, you know I am going to keep on trying!

P.S. To let you in on a fun little secret: I photographed these enchiladas the day after I made them and while they were still cold.  It made cutting into them and keeping the ingredients intact a lot easier.  Give this trick a try the next time you are photographing similar types of food.  No one will be the wiser.  This will also prevent you from having to eat cold food because you will be heating it up after your photography session.

What is one of your favorite foods or restaurants from your hometown?

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{ 28 comments… add one }
  • Liz @ I Heart Vegetables May 27, 2014, 6:43 am
    Extra veggies?! Count me IN! These sound totally delicious!
    • ClnEatingVegGrl May 27, 2014, 1:35 pm
      The more veggies the better!!!
  • Kelly @ hidden fruits and veggies May 27, 2014, 6:50 am
    We're very guilty of photographing leftovers. I got sick of fighting against foods that were cooling (especially with sauce like these! The texture changes as it cools, so any attempt at food styling goes out the window) -- so sometimes, I'll make an entire dinner that we're not actually going to eat until the next day, just for the sake of photos! I'm loving that you put peas in your enchiladas -- I'm not a huuuuuge fan of peas, but I think this is a great way to ease more of them into my diet and hopefully acquire a taste for them.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl May 27, 2014, 1:37 pm
      The CRAZY things we learn when photographing food!!! ;) And yes, you should try the peas. I am a pea lover, but for those who aren't this is probably the way to go!
  • Becky @ Olives n Wine May 27, 2014, 7:00 am
    Great photography tip! And I'm a huge pea fan. Frozen peas are my favorite - I could eat them for every meal, haha ;) Becky @ Olives n Wine recently posted...#37 Treat Yourself TuesdayMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl May 27, 2014, 1:39 pm
      I LOVE hearing that there are so many other pea lovers out there! I used to think I was the only one ;)
  • Alexis @ Hummusapien May 27, 2014, 8:40 am
    Mmmm! I use a combo of hummus and tofu in my skinny vegan lasagna and it's cray how much it tastes like cheese! I love how you put peas in everythang.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl May 27, 2014, 1:44 pm
      I LOVE using hummus/tofu to make "cheese." It is SO crazy what you can do with tofu! And yes... peas are a MUST in everything ;)
  • Joanna @Makingmine May 27, 2014, 9:12 am
    Eleanor would dig these - she thinks peas go in everything ;) Joanna @Makingmine recently posted...Lady Grey Photography {+ giveaway}My Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl May 27, 2014, 1:49 pm
      Eleanor is one smart cookie! Peas DO go in everything... mostly ;)
  • Melanie @ Beautifully Nutty May 27, 2014, 9:43 am
    Of course there are peas in there---why shouldn't there be! From one fellow pea lover to another. =)
    • ClnEatingVegGrl May 27, 2014, 1:49 pm
      I am so glad that there are SO many others out there is totally GET my pea obsession!!
  • Dana @ Dana's B.S. May 27, 2014, 8:25 pm
    So one time, I was hanging out with some friends in Austin. And I was starving. So a friend suggested this food truck that has the "best tacos ever". Obviously, I wanted to go. I ordered the veggie taco. Turns out, it came with shredded lettuce, a few tomato chunks, and what appeared to be something from a bag of frozen mixed veggies: corn, lima beans, tiny carrots, and peas. And that's it. It was the worst. But now, you may have convinced me to try peas in Mexican food again. Dana @ Dana's B.S. recently posted...Award Winning Mango Habanero SalsaMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl May 28, 2014, 7:37 pm
      Oh. my. gosh. Those sound like the WORST "veggie" tacos ever!! I promise these enchiladas are better!! ;) haha
  • Tara | Treble in the Kitchen May 28, 2014, 3:39 am
    Ya know, I've never been a pea LOVER, but I definitely don't have a problem if they are in something delicious...and these look pretty tasty :) Tara | Treble in the Kitchen recently posted...Memorial Day Weekend 2014My Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl May 28, 2014, 7:38 pm
      I bet you would like them in these!! :)
  • Katie @ running4cupcakes May 28, 2014, 2:39 pm
    You are SO smart - I love that you photographed this dish cold. Such a great idea. :)
    • ClnEatingVegGrl May 28, 2014, 7:39 pm
      Yeah I had no idea how I came up with that idea, but it worked!!
  • Alan June 13, 2022, 8:01 pm
    Are you from Fort Madison?!
  • Alan June 13, 2022, 8:07 pm
    You are from Fort Madison! Me, too. You probably don't remember El Zarape, but their potato and pea enchiladas were even better!
  • Gail August 14, 2022, 1:06 pm
    Yes! El Zarape! I loved their potato and pea enchiladas! Been trying to duplicate them for years. This recipe may really help!
  • Michelle March 25, 2023, 9:22 am
    I didn't know there was another kind of enchilada. I have to have peas and potatoes in my enchiladas. Haven't been to Amigos in a long time but missing Pancho Villas right now. And yes, El Zarape's was the best!!
  • Michelle March 25, 2023, 9:25 am
    I didn't know that there was another kind of enchiladas. I have to have peas and potatoes in my enchiladas and I am not a pea lover. I haven't been to Amigos in forever, but missing Pancho Villas right about now. And yes, El Zarape's was the best!!
    • Joe April 17, 2023, 8:43 pm
      Rural Lowell, IA. El Zarape was great mex. Sahara Bowl had the best authentic Tijuana street tacos.
  • Debra May 17, 2023, 12:03 am
    Hey hey Fort Madisonites.!!Its crazy I hit on the recipe, reading through it . I was a frequent diner at El Zarape's I've only had tacos at Amigo's . Miss El Zarape's no doubt
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