- Hi, it's Amanda Castillo,
and today, I'm here in Phoenix with my mom.
Everyone, meet Luz.
She goes by Nena.
The very best person and chef you will ever meet.
And guess what?
I convinced her to try plant-based.
So today,
we're going to be making a vegan version
of her famous enchiladas.
Isn't that right, Mom?
- Yes, baby.
- All right, so let's get started.
So Mom, do you love being in the kitchen?
Everything Mexican, she loves to cook.
And what was your reaction when I went vegan?
She loves to cook so much,
so it was kind of like I broke her heart when I went vegan,
because she didn't know how to cook for me anymore.
So I had to cook a lot of things on my own.
But now she cooks for me all the time,
and, I mean, exhibit A,
we're going to be making vegan enchiladas.
And with today,
we're not going to be using meat
like we traditionally do.
We are going to replace meat with soy,
dehydrated soy.
I actually wanted to make jackfruit enchiladas,
but my mom loves soy, and we tested it,
and guys, I kid you not,
it came out tasting so good.
So let's just get started.
You ready?
- Yes.
- [Amanda] Right here,
you guys can see the array of chilies.
Right here, we have guajillo,
pasilla.
This one is called...
- Cascabel.
- [Amanda] Cascabel.
- [Both] Morita.
- [Nena] Chile de Arbol. - [Amanda] And Chile de Arbol.
So what we're going to do is,
we're going to boil all of these chilies together in water.
Then, once they're cooked,
we're going to put it in a blender,
and then that's gonna be our sauce.
So what my mom is doing is,
she's actually ripping off the top part of the chili
and then putting water inside and throughout,
taking out the seeds
to make sure everything is washed very well.
This just makes sure that you're starting
with something that's nice and clean.
So now, we're just gonna boil this for...
For five minutes.
(Amanda speaking Spanish) - [Nena] Mm-hmm.
- So first we're going to add
three cups of water to this
to cook the soy,
and we're gonna actually add some spices to the water
while the soy is boiling,
because this is going to help add a lot more flavor.
So first we're gonna start off with
While that's boiling,
we're gonna go ahead and prep things for the filling.
So right here, we have
We're gonna peel the carrot,
peel the potato.
My mom's much better at it than me,
so I'm gonna let her take charge.
Okay. I will wash.
While my mom finishes chopping,
I'm going to add the soy to the boiling water.
This is two cups going into three cups of water.
This should be enough to fill about 12 enchiladas,
or, if you're a snacker like me while you're cooking,
maybe 10, if you're lucky.
So now I'm gonna get started
to blend up everything to make the chili,
so I'm going to grab these
that have just finished cooking.
And we're going to add everything in here,
including the water.
One garlic clove,
and then one small piece of onion.
I would say this is about, like, an eighth.
Two of these cloves.
Whole cumin seeds.
Three peppercorns.
And one teaspoon of oregano.
Half a teaspoon of salt, but this is gonna vary,
depending on how salty you guys like your food.
I like my food pretty salty.
My mom does not.
So we're gonna start off with half a teaspoon.
Time to blend.
All right, let's go ahead and take a look at this.
Ooh.
You can get such a stronger, smokier, spicier flavor
when you use your own chilies,
instead of just buying enchilada sauce at the grocery store.
And it's so easy!
You guys saw.
It just requires boiling chilies
and throwing it in a blender.
Mmm.
It's been a little over five minutes,
so now I'm going to turn off the soy.
It's looking nice and plump.
Now that this is hydrated and cooked through,
we're going to drain this soy in the sink,
just with a colander.
And on top of that,
we're going to pull out the bay leaf,
the peppercorns, the onion,
any pieces that we're not going
to include in the filling.
Just make sure all the extra water is squeezed out.
We're going to pan-fry this in some hot oil,
and that'll help give it a very great texture,
and it'll also help cook out some of that water
and give it a nice chewier texture
that meat wouldn't normally have.
So I'm gonna let this sit,
and in the meantime,
we can go ahead and cook our chili.
Something that I learned through my mom
and something that's actually very traditional is,
you heat oil on a pan and get it super hot,
and you add in the chili,
and it gives it such a nice flavor.
How long?
Five minutes.
So it's now time to cook and start the filling.
Start off by heating up some oil on a medium-size pan.
My mom likes to cook the onion and the garlic first.
We're gonna let that cook for about 30 seconds
until the onions get translucent
and the garlic starts to get a little golden.
Now we're ready to add the tomato.
So at this stage, my mom also likes to add pepper.
This, I don't really measure.
We just like to add as much as we want.
A hefty amount, 'cause I am such a pepper fan.
And then she traditionally uses chicken seasoning,
or bouillon, I think it's called.
But since we're making vegan,
I'm a fan of garlic salt,
so this is what we're using.
And the chili?
How's it looking?
Is it ready?
Ooh, this looks good.
Now, we're gonna go ahead and add everything else.
Once everything is added in,
I'm gonna go ahead and add the soy as well.
To add more flavor,
my mom likes to add some of this enchilada sauce.
So this is three tablespoons.
Should we taste it for salt, or later?
Here you go.
Oh, cheers!
Mmm!
We love how strong it is with the salt,
so we're just gonna cover it now
and let it cook for three more minutes.
So to start the enchiladas,
first, we're going to heat some oil on a griddle,
and we're going to coat the tortillas
and just make sure they get heated through.
This ensures that the tortillas don't rip or break
when we're rolling them up with the filling.
Also, normal people would burn their hands,
but I think my mom's entire hands are callus,
so she just never gets burned.
We're gonna dip one side,
and then we're gonna add about a spoonful of filling.
And she likes to squish it so it doesn't fall out.
And then tightly roll it.
And add it immediately back onto the stove.
This is by far my favorite way to eat enchiladas
instead of just baking them in the oven.
With this, it just tastes kind of like a taquito,
but with the enchilada flavor.
It's amazing.
Next, I like to top with some cabbage.
This adds a really great crunch instead of using lettuce.
Then, I also love adding some tomatoes.
Onions, too.
And then the avocado.
Now I'm gonna add the cheese.
This is the Follow Your Heart Feta Crumbles.
It literally looks so similar to real Mexican cheese.
Even my mom said that...
She loved this one more than some of the Mexican cheeses
she buys at this grocery store.
Crazy.
Then we're gonna top this with some sour cream.
Extra Picante Valentina.
This is my favorite hot sauce ever,
and I just like to dot this all throughout.
So here we have it, you guys.
Authentic Mexican enchiladas.
Not the typical enchiladas you usually see,
but I swear, these are so good.
And now it's time to taste!
Mami. - Yes!
Okay.
- Let's dig in.
These are a little crunchy,
so it may be a little hard
to cut off a piece with your fork.
- Oh, my God.
That is so good. - Mm-hmm.
- Good job, Mami!
Which ones do you like more,
these ones or regular enchiladas?
Tell me the truth!
This is so good.
These are enchiladas I grew up eating,
and I swear you guys are going to love it.
It's one of my favorite recipes.
This is Amanda and Nena for LIVEKINDLY.
Thank you so much for watching.
Do your parents cook plant-based with you?
Is there a recipe you want to see from us next?
Let us know in the comments below,
and don't forget to like and subscribe.
We'll see you again next time.
Bye! - Bye.