Meatless Mexican

This Mexican dinner is for vegetarians and fitness buffs. Its source is Lydia Estrella of East Los Angeles, who qualifies on both counts.

A vegetarian since the age of 8, Estrella stuffs enchiladas with tofu, which eliminates the fat that would come from cheese. She cooks beans with lots of hot chiles, then serves the beans whole in their broth or “refries” them, substituting their cooking juices for oil or lard. And she makes a wonderful chopped avocado salsa that tastes naturally rich.

Her husband, Rudy, who is not on such a strict regime, cooks the rice, using a bit of oil for sauteing in traditional Mexican fashion. Dessert? “Oh my gosh, no,” says Estrella. “Too many calories.”

Menu Lydia’s Tofu Enchiladas

Spicy Pinto Beans

Rudy’s Tomato Rice

Avocado Salsa

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Game Plan

Morning of dinner: Prepare tomato sauce for rice.

Four hours before dinner: Start cooking beans.

One hour before dinner: Assemble and bake enchiladas. Reheat tomato sauce and cook rice.

15 minutes before serving: Reheat beans, if necessary.

Just before serving: Make avocado relish.

Staples

Onions

Garlic

Oil

Long-grain rice

Salt, pepper

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Shopping List

1 (19-ounce) can hot-style enchilada sauce

1 (14-ounce) container soft tofu

1 dozen corn tortillas

1 (7 3/4-ounce) can sliced black olives

Pinto beans

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

Frozen peas

1 bunch green onions

2 medium avocados

1 medium tomato

1 dozen serrano chiles

LYDIA’S TOFU ENCHILADAS

1 (19-ounce) can hot-style enchilada sauce

1 large onion, chopped

2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 (14-ounce) container soft tofu

1/2 cup oil, about

12 corn tortillas

1 (7 3/4-ounce) can sliced black olives

1 bunch green onions, chopped, or more if desired

“Just pretend the tofu is cheese,” says Lydia Estrella. Her husband often makes the sauce, using dried chiles, but when Lydia’s in a hurry, she makes this fast version with canned sauce.

Pour enchilada sauce into saucepan. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and heat 30 minutes on medium heat.

Mix remaining onion and garlic with tofu in bowl until well blended.

Heat oil in small skillet. Dip each tortilla in hot oil until soft. Drain on paper towels. Then dip each tortilla in sauce.

Place 1 tortilla on plate. Just off center, spoon on some of tofu mixture. Top with some of olives and green onions. Roll and place seam-side-down in 13x9-inch baking dish. Repeat until all enchiladas are filled.

Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes. Top with remaining chopped green onions and olives.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

359 calories; 731 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams protein; 2.8 grams fiber.

SPICY PINTO BEANS

2 cups dried pinto beans, not pre-soaked

10 serrano chiles, cut up

Water

1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

These beans are delicious but extremely spicy. If you can’t take the heat, use only one or two of the chiles.

Combine beans and chiles in saucepan. Add water to cover generously. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, loosely covered, until skins of beans loosen and wrinkle, about 45 minutes.

Add salt and continue to simmer until beans are tender, about 3 hours in all.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about:

234 calories; 1,189 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams protein; 4.54 grams fiber.

RUDY’S TOMATO RICE

Oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups canned tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 teaspoon salt

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in saucepan. Add garlic and onion and cook until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and water. Simmer 10 minutes. Keep warm.

Saute rice in 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven until lightly browned. Add sauce, peas and salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until rice has absorbed sauce and is dry and fluffy. Stir with fork to distribute peas evenly if necessary. Taste and add more salt if desired.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about:

262 calories; 778 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.95 gram fiber.

AVOCADO SALSA

2 medium avocados, diced

1 medium tomato, diced

1/2 small onion, diced

1 to 2 serrano chiles, chopped

Salt, pepper

Combine avocados, tomato, onion and chiles in bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Serve at once.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about:

112 calories; 59 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.52 grams fiber.