Amazing vegan enchilada recipe and thoughts on "Forks Over Knives" from my 10 year old son...

My 10 year old son has really been struggling with our lifestyle change to vegetarianism. Things he has said:

"But Mom, meat is good for you!"

"I hate vegetables!"

"Why don't we eat meat anymore?!"

"Do I have to eat this?!"

and so forth. I have been telling him that we are not eating meat because it isn't good for your body. That is such an abstract idea for a kid though...but he does have family that are no doubt deeply affected by our SAD (standard American diet) diet: his Nana has had a stroke and suffers from Type 2 diabetes. His paternal grandfather died of liver cancer in his late 40's. His own dad ( a huge meat eater) suffers from autoimmune disorders. So I try to reach him by telling him that people can get better or avoid disease by the food they eat!

He knows I read "The China Study" and I recently decided to show him "Forks Over Knives" and told him that it is based on the book and will help explain why we don't eat meat (or drink milk, eat eggs, cheese, etc.) We watched about half of the movie before he scampered away to play but he was already starting to put things together and said:

"Mom, this is scary."

"Why don't they tell us this in the news?" When I explained that McDonald's would not like the news saying that meat can allow cancer (and other diseases) to progress so they wouldn't pay for an ad on any station that would say that, he said: "So they only care about money!"

He is starting to get it. It is slowly sinking in. It makes me happy and gives me hope:we can teach our children to eat better and to do better and we have a responsibility to give them the tools to save the planet before it's too late. We need to do this before we have a population that is too sick and stupid from the non-nutritive disease causing food that we self destruct. Critical mass has been reached. Our children might not outlive us if they don't change the way they eat. If WE don't change the way they eat.

Here is a great talk on TED about school lunches and a great program in Berkeley that should be a model for the entire nation's school lunch program: http://www.ted.com/talks/ann_cooper_talks_school_lunches.html

Hippocrates said, "Let food be thy cure"

Anywho, I made a really yummy dinner tonight and wanted to share:

Aly's Amazing Vegan Enchiladas!

2 cups sliced mushrooms

3 zuchini squash

1 onion

1 green pepper

3 cloves garlic

2 cans black beans

1-2 cups frozen organic corn (NON GMO!!)

10-12 whole wheat tortillas

1/2 cup toffutti cream cheese

1 cup daiya (or other brand) vegan cheese (I used Daiya Mozzerella)

1 TBS cumin

1 tbs garlic salt (to taste)

2 packets organic enchilada sauce mix

2 8 oz. cans tomato paste

Method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Sautee garlic in 1 tbsp. oil for about 1 min then add onions. Stir and let cook until they get transluscent then add the rest of the veggies and 1/4 water. Cook for about 10 minutes until everything is mostly done.

Meanwhile, make enchilada sauce according to directions.

Add 1/2 cup sauce into the veggie mixture and take off heat.

Assemble enchiladas: put 1/2 cup or so of sauce into bottom of 9X13 pan. Take one whole wheat tortilla and spread 1 TBS tofutti on it and a sprinkle of cheese. Then add veggies and 2 TBS or so of sauce. Roll up and place seam side down in pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top all with left over sauce and sprinkle "cheese" on top. You can also add black olives at this point. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Serve with guacamole, salsa, cilantro, and vegan sour cream!

You can omit the tofutti and cheese for an even healthier enchilada. Additionally, you can sautee in just water instead of using oil for an ultimate healthy dish! Play around with whatever veggies and beans you have on hand- this is basically a no-fail recipe. The tofutti really adds a nice creaminess to the dish! Much healthier than traditional enchiladas and still yummy! :)