Nachos! Colleen makes killer nachos. This time I wanted to be a part of the fun. So with our powers combined, we created this delicious bean and tempeh covered crunchy goodness. A quick and relatively cheap version of nachos, this is a satisfying meal that won’t break the bank. Using tempeh in place of ground beef cuts down on the saturated fat but still gives you some great protein. And although I don’t use too many canned foods in my cooking, convenience was key at the moment and it couldn’t have tasted better.
I love this picture. The colors are all so marvelous together and this mixture really gives the nachos an outstanding flavor. Olives, onions, roasted red peppers,garlic, pickled jalapenos and cilantro.
Peppers and onions have some awesome phytonutrients; specifically, cancer preventing antioxidants.
This tempeh and bean mixture is pan fried slightly just to meld together some flavor. Garlic, cumin, chili powder and salsa tie the tempeh, black beans and re-fried beans together.
And the cheese, of course. Because, what are nachos without it? Extra sharp cheddar (and a little leftover mozz to finish it up) freshly grated.
A little avocado, extra cilantro and some freshly squeezed lime finish it off nicely.
Vegetarian Nachos
1 bag blue corn tortilla chips (Organic corn chips ensures that the chips were made from non-GMO corn)
2-3 cups extra sharp cheddar, grated
2 cups tempeh, crumbled
2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups refried beans
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped (fresh red bell pepper works nicely too)
1/2 cup red onion
2 cups black olives, chopped
4 pickled jalapenos, chopped (pickled aren’t necessary, but they taste SO good)
1 cup salsa (any spice level you like)
1-2 hearty handfuls of fresh cilantro
1 avocado, chopped
2 garlic cloves
Lime wedges
Hearty dashes of cumin and chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
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Prepping all ingredients before cooking anything will help make your nacho experience less stressful. Chop, grate and prep everything first!
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Preheat oven to 400° and place chips on foil lined sheet pan.
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Toss together 1/2 the onion and all the olives, peppers, and cilantro. Set aside.
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On medium heat, heat the oil and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tempeh, beans, spices and salsa. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
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Dollop the tempeh and bean mixture onto the nachos. Top with the olive pepper mixture and lastly, the cheese.
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Bake just until the cheese melts, about 5-7 minutes.
Top with extra cilantro, avocado, freshly squeezed lime and salsa.This serves 4 people as a meal, or several more people if using as an appetizer. Cheers!
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