Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies

Chili Cheez Fries

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes, Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies , , ,

Chili Cheez Fries are a great game-day snack: crispy French fries topped with a chili and my queso sauce. It’s easy to make this a plant-based no-oil dish!

I make a quick chili using this recipe with kidney beans instead of lentils.

Here’s the recipe for the queso sauce.

French fries are typically cooked in oil, and potatoes love to soak up oil. This method creates crisp matchstick potatoes.

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Print Recipe

Crispy Baked No-oil Potato Sticks

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Vegan
Servings: 0

Ingredients

  • 2 Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons salt for soaking
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch matchsticks. Leave the skins on, or peel.
  • Soak the potatoes in a bowl of water with the 2 Tbs salt for at least 30 minutes.
  • Drain them, and dry thoroughly.
  • Place in a bowl, sprinkle with cornstarch and paprika. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, as separated as possible.
  • Bake for 15 minutes. Take out of the oven, turn them over, bake another 10 minutes.
  • Remove from oven, add salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Notes

Soaking in salt water removes starch and water from the potato, so that it crisps up better. Cornstarch also helps with the crispness.
I like to use a little paprika to color the potatoes golden. You can use other herbs and spice–cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika–if you wish.
These are best served right out of the oven.

Carrot Dogs & Chili Sauce

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Sandwiches, Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies , , ,

Hot dogs are a distinctly unhealthy food. Made from slaughter “by-products”, they contain saturated fat and sodium, contributing to higher cholesterol and blood pressure numbers. The main reason to avoid them, though, is the increased cancer risk they pose. Processed meats are classified as a Group 1 carcinogen.

So what’s one to put in a bun that’s equally juicy, salty, and smoky?

Carrots! Shaped like a hot dog, marinated overnight to taste like a hot dog, grilled, and served with all the toppings.

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinating Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 20 minutes
Print Recipe

Carrot Dogs

Boiled carrots are marinated then grilled.
Course: Main Course, Snack
Servings: 4 carrot dogs

Ingredients

  • 4 carrots
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup vegetable broth or water
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

  • Cut the ends from each carrot to make it the same length as a hot dog bun. Round off the ends. Boil the carrots for about 10 minutes until they can be pierced with a fork but are not soft.
  • Combine the other ingredients to make a marinade.
  • After the carrots are cooked, put them in a container and cover with the marinade. Marinate 8 – 24 hours in the refrigerator.
  • Carrots can be grilled or sautéed in a frying pan. Serve in a hot dog bun with your choice of toppings.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Print Recipe

Chili Sauce

Course: Main Course, Sauces and dressings, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 0

Ingredients

  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 can lentils, drained or 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils
  • 1 16-oz can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add a tablespoon or two of water if they start to stick.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
  • Simmer 7 – 10 minutes to combine flavors.

Notes

This chili sauce is great for carrot dogs, other vegan hot dogs,  or chili cheese fries.
It would also be good mixed with cooked macaroni.

Strawberry Shortcake with Whipped Aquafaba

karenwpullen Breakfast, Desserts, Recipes, Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies , , ,

Make biscuits without butter? Whipped topping without cream? Absolutely!

Print Recipe

Strawberry Shortcake with Whipped Aquafaba

Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Servings: 0

Equipment

  • stand mixer

Ingredients

Biscuit

  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • ½ cup almond flour You can grind almonds in a food processor to flour consistency.
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 dash nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup plant milk unsweetened
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Strawberries

  • 3 cups sliced strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Whipped Aquafaba

  • 1/2 cup aquafaba Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. Look for low-salt.
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar Or to taste.

Instructions

Biscuit

  • Make sour milk by mixing the vinegar with the plant-based milk; let sit for a few minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 450° F.
  • Mix all the dry ingredients together and add the soured milk.
  • Drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake for 11 minutes until browned.

Strawberries

  • Add the sugar to the strawberries and let sit so that they release some juice.

Whipped Aquafaba

  • Using a stand mixer, whip the aquafaba until it is foamy. The main reason for the stand mixer is that the liquid needs to be mixed for ten minutes.
  • Add the cream of tartar and whip another five minutes. It should be fluffy.
  • Add the vanilla. Continue to whip and add the sugar slowly.
  • Whip another 5 minutes. Ten minutes total seems like a long time but it is necessary in order to get the topping to stay fluffy.

Notes

To assemble, split a biscuit in half. On the bottom half, layer strawberries and whipped topping. Add the top half then more strawberries and topping.
The whipped aquafaba will stay foamy for perhaps an hour but eventually will lose its fluff.  It can be frozen, however.
This recipe makes a lot of whipped topping – at least 4 cups. So freezing some is a good option to have.