How to Cook Plant-Based Meals for Meat Eaters (and a taco recipe)

I have received a few emails from readers asking for my best tips on making vegetarian and plant-based (or vegan) meals for meat-eaters. After posing the question to our Facebook community, it definitely sounds like this is an area many of you are interested in learning more about. And, since I’m in a “mixed eating” relationship myself, I’m always curious about how other couples manage different eating preferences. So, here goes!

First, let’s start with a little background on this: I’ve been with my partner, Ashley for seven years. Ashley was/is a meat eater and when we first met, was a huge skeptic of anything known as a vegetable. When we began dating, I was also a meat eater, but was working my way towards a healthier diet without processed foods. 

A year into the relationship, I began cutting meat and animal products out of my life as well as processed foods and refined sugars. I started eating a greater variety of vegetables, more whole grains, and a variety of legumes. shley was completely supportive of my decision to change my diet and we soon began to find new places to eat out together that could accommodate both of our eating styles. We both discovered that we preferred veggie burgers to the real thing and that there were a variety of plant-based meals that were able to satisfy us both. Even though Ashley was supportive of my dietary changes, she clearly told me that she had no intentions of changing her diet. I strongly believe that the food we chose to eat is a personal choice so although I wished Ashley ate a little healthier, I tried my hardest to respect her food choices.

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Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole

Some people have "life lists." You know, things you want to do before you it's too late. But me? I have a food list: things I want to make and eat before it's too late! And boy, it is getting awfully long these days.

I decided to tackle one small item today: enchiladas. A friend and classmate of mine (the amazing Wendy!) made some awesome enchiladas earlier this week that inspired me to try my own batch. I also just happened to have some corn tortillas lying around (thanks LeAnne!).

I adapted this recipe from Paul McCartney's "Ob-La-Di" enchilada recipe. I had never made enchiladas before, but these were amazing. Instead of rolling individual enchiladas, I used the tortillas as layers, similar to how you would use noodles in lasagna. The result? A delicious and easy enchilada "casserole."

I topped it off with some tofu "sour cream" and fresh cilantro. Usually I'm not a big fan of vegan sauces made from tofu, but this "sour cream" was delicious. It even got Ash's seal of approval -- which, as you know, means everything. :) Enjoy!

This makes about 9 servings.

For the Sauce

• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 4 Tbsp. water
• small bunch cilantro, chopped
  

For the Filling

• 1 cup black beans
• 1 cup pinto beans
• 1 cup cooked sweet potato, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder or 1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/3 cups salsa
• 1 cup steamed kale
  
• 6 tortillas

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Place all the sauce ingredients, except for the cornstarch, in a small pot and cook over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch and cook until the sauce thickens.

In the meantime, prepare the filling: Mix the beans, onion, sweet potato, kale, cumin, garlic, pepper, and salsa.

Fry the tortillas in a bit of olive oil for a couple of minutes.

I used a 6"x6" baking dish. Add a little sauce to the bottom of the dish. Add 2 tortillas (you might have to rip one into a couple of pieces to make it fit.) and top with a bit of the filling. Add more sauce. Repeat these steps for another layer. Top the final tortillas and top with more sauce. Bake for 35-45 minutes.

For the "sour cream" (Adapted from the Veggie Table)

• 1/2 block tofu
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 3 Tbs canola oil
• Salt to taste
  

Process all of the ingredients in the food processor until smooth. Transfer to the covered container and refrigerate for up to four days.