Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies

Awesome Nachos

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

Nachos are typically a plate of tortilla chips topped with salsa, cheese, maybe beans, guacamole, ground beef, sour cream. They’re eaten as an appetizer or even a main dish.

This recipe is quite hearty but plant-based and oil-free: baked chips from oil-free tortillas, seasoned beans, salsa, a vegan queso sauce, cashew sour cream, and guacamole.

The queso recipe makes about two cups. Keep some in the fridge to top potatoes, pasta, or other vegetables. Or freeze for later.

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Print Recipe

Awesome Nachos

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 0

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

Queso

  • 1 large potato peel & dice
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup cashews soaked 10 minutes in hot water
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Nachos

  • 6 no-oil corn tortillas
  • 1 can beans, black or pinto or mixed drained & rinsed
  • 1 can tomatoes fire-roasted are best
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin

Guacamole

  • 2 avocados ripe
  • 1 lemon's juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Optional Toppings

  • 1/2 cup cilantro roughly chopped
  • 1 cup tomatoes chopped
  • 1 jalapeno chopped
  • 1/2 cup vegan sour cream

Cashew Sour Cream

  • 1 cup cashews soaked 10 minutes in hot water
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¾ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Queso

  • Boil the potato, carrot, and onion in vegetable broth for 5-7 minutes until soft.
  • Add the remaining queso ingredients and blend until smooth.
  • Taste; add salt and pepper if needed.

Nachos

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Cut each tortilla into 6 triangles; arrange on a baking sheet. Bake about 7 minutes until golden.
  • While they are baking, add beans and tomatoes to a small saucepan; add the seasonings and warm.

Guacamole

  • Scoop out the avocado and mash. Add lemon juice and salt and mix.

Cashew Sour Cream

  • Drain the cashews. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and process until creamy.

Assembly

  • On a large plate, place a generous bottom layer of chips; then alternate layers of beans and queso; finish with sour cream and guacamole. Sprinkle with any or all optional toppings.

Notes

Any leftover queso and cashew sour cream can be stored in the fridge for 5 days. They can also be frozen.
Add spinach, fresh corn, more chopped tomatoes to these nachos. Dig in and enjoy!
 

Snobby Joes

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Sandwiches, Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies , , , ,
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Print Recipe

Vegan Sloppy Joes

Course: Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lunch, sandwich
Servings: 6 sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 2 15-oz cans lentils drained and rinsed
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped

Sauce

  • 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons mustard
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Sauté the onion, garlic, and green pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Add a little water if they start to stick.
  • Add the chili powder, paprika, and cayenne to the vegetables; stir and cook about one minute.
  • Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and mix. Add the lentils, simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors develop.
  • Serve on toast or burger buns.

Notes

This recipe calls for canned lentils but you can easily cook lentils beforehand. One cup dried green or brown lentils to 4 cups of water; cooks in about 20 minutes. Lentils do not have to be soaked.
To make it even more quickly, use a jarred barbeque sauce (read the label to minimize oil). Just simmer the lentils in the sauce for a few minutes to develop flavor.
Very good served with crunchy slaw.

No-oil Baked Tortilla Chips

karenwpullen Recipes, Side Dishes, Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies , , , , ,
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Print Recipe

no-oil baked tortilla chips

Game changer! Crunchy but not greasy.
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 8 corn tortillas look for tortillas with minimal oil.
  • 2 tbsp lime juice about the juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 tsp taco seasoning chili powder, cumin, cayenne, your choice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400.
  • Brush each tortilla with the lime juice.
  • Sprinkle seasoning on top.
  • Stack the tortillas and cut them all into into six wedges.
  • Spread onto a baking sheet so they don't touch. Use parchment paper if you don't like to clean the baking sheet!
  • Bake at 400 degrees for 7 – 8 minutes. Keep an eye on them for the last minute as they brown quickly. Let cool for a few minutes.

Notes

8 tortillas cut into six wedges yields 48 chips. For four people, that’s 12 each.
Make more if you want more! They’re basically just corn meal, which is a healthy-enough grain. Just read the label and get tortillas with no oil if possible.
Or better still, make your own!