Cheezy Nachos-a healthy option with no added fat!

2.1K

So, who doesn’t love nachos? When I was transitioning to plant-based I thought that I would really miss the one thing that most people think they can’t live without… cheese.  Funny thing was, I didn’t, at all…  It certainly is inconvenient to not eat cheese as so many foods, especially at restaurants contain cheese, but I have to say I don’t miss the taste of cheese.   In fact, now that I use alternatives, such as the sauce in this recipe, nut cheeses and nutritional yeast,  I think if I did eat cheese again it would be a big turn off.  It is just so loaded with artery clogging fat and it leaves a grease trail on your fingers and anything it comes in contact with.  Just think of what the grease on pizza looks like when you reheat it in the microwave.   I’d rather keep that out of my body!   Cheese is loaded with fat, cholesterol, hormones and sodium.  These are all things we don’t really need extra of.   If you would like to learn more about how cheese negatively affects our health and why it is called “dairy crack”, click here.

Here is a one minute video by Dr. Barnard, during which he explains the fat content of cheese (it’s 70% by the way!) and other animal products and an easy trick to naturally lose weight and get healthier.

I love to try out alternatives to animal products and make tasty, everyday dishes plant-based.  I am taking this Nacho appetizer to a friend’s house tonight and hopefully will win over some huge cheese fans. 🙂  I fed the blog ‘prop plate’ to my two teens and they both scarfed it down.  That is always a good sign.  This dish would be a great addition to any function where you need to make a fun appetizer dish to share.  Honestly, I don’t even think anyone would notice it doesn’t have “real” cheese on it.

This appetizer can be made in advance and the sauce and toppings can be brought in separate containers, heated up and assembled right before serving.   It is loaded with beans, grains and numerous vegetables in the sauce, and it is oil free!   To make it extra healthy, you could even cut soft tortillas into triangles and bake them.   I’m just using the non-GMO tortilla chips.

Here is a three minute video on other ideas for substituting amazing food combinations for different types of cheeses.  Appetizers, main courses and even desserts that traditionally contain cheese can be modified to become delicious plant-based options all while retaining the creamy cheesy taste.  If you happen to be looking for a delicious “cheesecake” recipe, here is a link to one of my prior blog posts.  I promise if you make this dessert you will LOVE it, whether you are a cheese lover or not.

This recipe comes from www.eatplantbased.com.  Terry, whom I met last year asked that I please enjoy and share any of her heart healthy recipes!

Vegetable cheese sauce!

Print

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• Bean/Bulgur/Taco Mix2, 15 ounce cans of beans (black, kidney, pinto)1/2 cup cooked bulgur1/4 cup dry taco seasoning1, 15 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, fire roasted if possible1 pinch of cayenne pepper1 large bag of tortilla chips - look for non GMOVegan Cheese Sauce1 cup potatoes, peeled and diced1/4 cup carrots, diced1/4 cup onions, chopped1 cup broth from cooked veggies1/2 cup raw cashews, or 1/2 cup canned white beans4 tablespoons nutritional yeast1 tablespoon lemon juice1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon garlic powderpinch of paprikapinch of cayenne pepper

Instructions

Bean/Bulgur/Taco Mix

1. Bulgur is a whole grain that cooks up just like rice.  Follow the instructions on the bulgur package.  Bulgur looks much like hamburger and soaks up flavours nicely.   It's a good idea to save the extra bulgur to freeze for use in soups, tomato sauces, taco or burrito mixes, etc.
2. Mix together beans, bulgur, taco seasoning mix, tomatoes with juice and cayenne in a medium sized pot.
3. Heat this mixture for a few minutes just before you are ready to serve the nachos, so that you can spoon it on warm.

Vegan Cheese Sauce

1. Wash, peel and slice the potatoes, carrots and onion into even sized slices for even cooking.
2. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil.  Add sliced vegetables and cook until tender.  10-15 minutes depending on the size of the slices.
3. Remove vegetables and one cup of water from the pot and place into a Vitamix or high powered blender.
4. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and blend on high until smooth.
5. On a large plate, spread out tortilla chips, pour on bean mixture, cheeze sauce, and any other toppings you would like.  Get ready for it to go fast!

Extra toppings: 

You may enjoy extra toppings such as:

• green onions
• diced tomatoes
• salsa
• diced avocado
• plant based sour cream

 

Notes

This recipe makes enough sauce and 'meat mix' to use for a second plate of nachos or to freeze and use at another time. Another idea is to use these mixtures to make burritos, hard tacos or to serve on a salad. If you have a gluten intolerance, you can substitute quinoa for the bulgur, or just take it out altogether.