bbq nachos

If you follow this blog at all, you know that I don't like to repeat recipes a lot. In fact, it is only the family that makes me cook the same recipes over and over again.

With that in mind, when I was asked to make nachos again, I had to put a spin on it. Here is BBQ Nachos for the win.

This is my southern spin on a typically Mexican-inspired dish. It has homemade Chile con Queso, pulled BBQ seitan, BBQ sauce, collard greens, scallions and pickles. Trust me on this - it sounds odd, but is surprisingly tasty!

The cheese is a simple combination of ingredients and is easy to whip up. It is thick and rich and tangy. This recipe is based on my cheese sauce from Everyday Vegan Eats [AMAZON], which is a book we cook from at least a few times a week. Still a fave.

The pulled barbecue seitan is my recipe from Aquafaba [AMAZON]. It is Memphis-style Pulled Seitan recipe that pulls apart perfectly, complete with a tangy and sweet crust. I love this seitan, but you can use any barbecued tempeh, tofu, legumes or jackfruit. That part is really up to you.

Cook one bunch of collards in plenty of water and drain really well. I mean, squeeze out the excess water to avoid sogging down your chips. If you cook greens in plenty of water then most of the bitterness will leach into the water. Of course, so does a lot of the water soluble vitamins, so keep that in mind. It is a trade-off.

Then assemble:

Warm chips.

BBQ seitan, beans or jackfruit.

Choice of warm BBQ sauce.

Cheese sauce.

Collard greens, scallions and pickles.

Now get to work!

BBQ Nachos
Makes 4 servings

Cheese Sauce:
1 cup mashed soft or silken tofu
3/4 cup unsweetened plain nondairy milk
1/2 cup unsweetened plain nondairy yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped roasted red peppers (jarred is fine)
3 tablespoons tapioca starch
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon onion granules
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles, lightly drained

Warm tortilla chips, as needed
2 cups barbecued beans or other barbecued plant-based protein
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup cooked, chopped and well-drained collard greens
1/2 cup chopped pickles
3 scallions, chopped

1. Combine the tofu, milk, yogurt, red pepper, tapioca, yeast, salt and onion in a blender. Blend very well. Add the mixture to a medium pot. Bring to boil over medium heat. Add the diced tomatoes and return to a light simmer. Cook, stirring often, until thick and the tapioca cooks well, about 4 minutes. Keep warm.
2. Warm the chips in a toaster oven, warm the protein, warm the barbecue sauce and cook the collards. Once the collards are cooked (either steamed or boiled) drain very well, squeezing out excess water. Chop the pickles and scallions.
3. To assemble, layer tortilla chips, add the protein, add some barbecue sauce, add the cheese sauce, add collards, pickles and scallions. Serve immediately. 



© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

pantry+ the southern hot mess

Sometimes, late at night, when thoughts keep me up and I'm too tired to read, but I need some mindless bs to take my mind off things, I turn on the TV to the food channel. I'm a cook, so that makes sense for me.

One of those restless nights found me staring at Diners Drive-ins and Dives. Unfortunately for me (and the animals), it was another BBQ show - Guy seems to showcase those joins way too often. This time, however, my head popped off the pillow, in the middle of drifting off to sleep, when I heard the term "sweet potato." In a BBQ joint? Sweet potato was being featured?

Of course, the sweet potato was only a vessel, but still, there was promise here. The woman cook goes on to share that, yes, indeed, this is a true Southern favorite. I was in.

This is The Southern Hot Mess - originally with cheese, brisket, bacon and chipotle crema - all animal-based. It's time for another flip. And this is a Pantry+ recipe! This recipe uses 4 pantry items (HERE) and 7 fresh items.

The Southern Hot Mess:

Equipment:
oven
small blender [such as Magic Bullet]
cast-iron skillet
small bowl

Pantry ingredients:
Oregano
Cumin
Chickpeas
Chipotle en adobo

Fresh ingredients:
Sweet potato
Lime
Garlic
Green onions
Chili powder
Vegan bacon
Vegan sour cream

You blend all the ingredients to make the adobo sauce and set it aside. Cook the chickpeas in the dry skillet until golden and then add the reserved sauce. This is our chickpea adobo.

Prepare your vegan bacon (I *love* the tofu bacon from Everyday Vegan Eats, but now I air-fry it instead of pan-frying it - so good!!), mix up the simple chipotle sauce and just wait for your sweet potatoes to bake. Then split the potatoes, top with all the goodies and go to town.

The Southern Hot Mess (a Pantry+ recipe)
Makes 4 servings
Pantry list is HERE.

4 medium sweet potatoes
Sea salt, as needed
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups cooked chickpeas
4 strips vegan bacon (such as tofu, seitan or tempeh)
1/4 cup vegan sour cream or mayonnaise
1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle puree*
2 green onions, minced

1. Wash the sweet potatoes, pierce them in 4 or 5 places with a knife and sprinkle with salt. Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F and bake until tender (no need to wait to preheat), about 60 minutes. 
2. To make the adobo, combine the water, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small blender and blend until smooth. Set aside. Heat a dry medium cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chickpeas and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, mashing the beans lightly as they cook. Add the adobo sauce, cover the skillet and cook until the sauce is absorbed and the chickpeas are flavorful, about 8 to 10 minutes, adding a few tablespoons of water as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt.
3. Cook the vegan bacon either in the oven or in a skillet, either with oil or oil spray, until crisp. Chop and set aside. Combine the sour cream and chipotle, mix well and set aside.
4. Split a cooked potato in half, top with the adobo chickpeas, add some chipotle cream, sprinkle on some bacon and green onions and serve. 


*Chipotle Puree: Blend an entire can of chipotle en adobo in a small blender until smooth. Transfer to a mason jar and store with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

PINT IT!

"the inspired vegan" + gumbo zav

Bryant Terry, who authored Vegan Soul Kitchen, has come out with another great cookbook, The Inspired Vegan.  I love Southern style of cooking and I love the cover of his new cookbook. You can feel the nonchalant, care-free and supremely content attitude of Terry. Super cool. It basically foretells the flavor and rhythm of the recipes in the book. The recipes are also seasonal, which is totally up my CSA-alley. Those boxes that you get are all about the seasons and recipes that utilize those foods are not only more nutritious, but are needless to say, more locally grown. 

The first recipe I made was a winter gumbo, Gumbo Zav. This dish was packed with greens - mustard, collard, kale, chard - really any bounty that the cooler months offer. You can tell by the picture that it was chock full of these leafy greens. Nothing less than sensational and nothing less than what I expect Terry to deliver. 

Cost Breakdown

 collards, mustard, kale, spinach: $11

garlic, onion, flour: $1

stock, herbs: $3

Total to make 8 servings:

$15.00