One of our neighbors introduced us to a non-vegetarian version of this dish. We loved the flavor of the spices she selected and wanted to make this in a vegetarian version to share with all of you. If your garden is offering an abundance of zucchini, squash, peppers, tomatoes, etc. this dish is perfect for highlighting any number of these vegetables in it.

The word enchilada, in this case, is somewhat misleading, since our dish does not contain any tortillas, but calls for rice instead. The dish nevertheless tastes just like a typical enchilada dish and offers an easy solution for us gluten free folks. I am sorry to say, but it has been our experience that commercially produced gluten free tortillas just don’t hold out as well during the cooking process. Instead, we used the following ingredients for this dish:

New Mexico Vegetable “Mock” Chili Enchilada:

• 2 large organic zucchinis, finely cubed
• 2 organic green chilies (with seeds), finely chopped
• 1 organic red bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 cup of chopped tomatoes (about 4 large tomatoes)
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed
• 3 sprigs fresh oregano, finely cut
• 1 handful fresh basil leaves, finely cut
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. chili powder, medium strength
• 1/2 tsp. paprika powder
• 1/2 tsp. Himalaya salt
• approx. 3 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 3 oz. Pepper jack Cheese, shredded
• 3 cups of brown rice, cooked in 6 cups of water