Tag: vegan mexican recipes

Vegan Nut-Free Nacho Cheese

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Vegan Nut-Free Nacho Cheese
Vegan Nut-Free Nacho Cheese

Before I went vegan, I was one of those people that would say I couldn’t live without cheese. Nachos was one of my all time favorite foods—I could not imagine a life without nachos. Even when I made the connection and became vegan, I accepted that I would never enjoy nachos the way I used to. Well.. lo and behold.. I now have a vegan, nut-free nacho cheese trick up my sleeve and I’m happy to say it hits on every single sensation I loved and remembered about nachos.

Pro-tip: if you want a super easy (but not nut-free) option, Siete Foods makes an amazing Mild Nacho Cashew Queso that works fantastically on nachos as well. Sprinkle on a little vegan shredded mozz (I like Good Planet, 365, and Daiya Cutting Board Collection brands) and you’ve got a very solid, quick and easy vegan nacho recipe!

 

Vegan Nut-Free Nacho Cheese Recipe

Ingredients (2–3 Servings)

  • 1 cup potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • .5 cup carrots, peeled and cubed
  • .25 cup vegetable oil
  • .25 cup plant-based milk, I used Silk soy milk
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • .5 tsp salt
  • +Any combination of cayenne powder, chipotle powder (or use a small amount of real chipotle peppers in adobo sauce), chili powder, smoked paprika

Method

1. Boil the potatoes and carrots in pot of water for approximately 10 minutes or until fork tender. Drain them from the boiling water and add to a blender.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and combine until smooth—taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. I usually go pretty light with all the red seasonings but then continue to add and build up flavor. I also usually end up adding more salt, more lemon juice.

3. Serve immediately over nachos. You could also use as a dip but it won’t be gooey like other vegan cheese dip recipes out there—I like to keep this recipe super simple. For nachos, I like any combination of tortilla chips, black beans, corn, cilantro, scallion, tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, etc. Add a slice of lime on the side for an extra punch of flavor. Enjoy!

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Vegan Sweet Potato Burritos with Avocado Pico de Gallo

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Vegan Sweet Potato Burritos with Avocado Pico de Gallo
Diced sweet potato for Vegan Sweet Potato Burritos with Avocado Pico de Gallo
Jalapeño, bell pepper, tomato, lime, and onion for Vegan Sweet Potato Burritos with Avocado Pico de Gallo
Pico de Gallo with corn, black beans, cilantro, tomato, avocado, and lime juice
Close up of Pico de Gallo with corn, black beans, cilantro, tomato, avocado, and lime juice
Pan fried diced sweet potato for Vegan Sweet Potato Burritos with Avocado Pico de Gallo
Vegan Sweet Potato Burritos with Avocado Pico de Gallo

I love a burrito with beans and rice, but sometimes it’s fun to switch it up! These easy vegan sweet potato burritos take a classic pico de gallo and elevate it with a lot of mix-ins. I’m talking black beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, and more. If you love fresh, raw ingredients, I think you’ll enjoy this recipe!

 

Vegan Sweet Potato Burritos with Avocado Pico de Gallo Recipe

Ingredients (3 Burritos)

  • 1 sweet potato, washed and diced (works great with any kind of potato)
  • 1–2 fresh whole tomatoes, deseeded and diced
  • 1 avocado, halved, depitted, and diced
  • .25 bell pepper (I used yellow), deseeded and diced
  • 1 scallion, sliced finely
  • ~.25 cup corn (I used frozen, or cut off the cob)
  • ~.25 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ~.25 cup white or red onion, peeled and diced
  • .5–1 jalapeño, deseeded and diced finely (optional)
  • ~1 cup fresh cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 3 burrito-sized flour tortillas
  • Taco seasoning (or substitute smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder)
  • Smoked paprika
  • Cumin
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Aluminum foil (optional)

Method

1. Boil the diced sweet potato until it’s fork tender, 10–15 minutes.

2. While the potatoes are boiling, combine all “pico de gallo” ingredients: tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, scallion, corn, black beans, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix well and add dashes of salt, ground pepper, cumin, and smoked paprika. Set aside.

3. When the sweet potato is ready, drain and set aside. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a pan on med–high heat. Once hot, add the potatoes to the pan, making sure every piece has contact with the pan. Don’t mess with them for a couple minutes to allow them to get crispy. Stir to get color and crispness on all sides.

4. Once all sides are pretty much done, sprinkle a generous amount of taco seasoning (see ingredients list for substitutions). I also recommend adding about a tablespoon of water to the pan so that the seasoning does not stick to the bottom of the pan and immediately burn. Stir to coat the potatoes well, then allow them another minute or two on the heat.

5. In a large, nonstick, dry pan on med–high heat, heat tortillas one by one on each side, about a minute on each side. Be careful to not let them burn!

6. Tear 3 strips (or however many burritos you’re making) of aluminum foil, each strip should cover half of the rolled burrito, which in my case meant about 4 inches wide. Place the warmed tortilla on top of the aluminum foil and add one third of the potatoes and one third of the pico de gallo mixture. Roll the burrito, tucking in the edges of the tortilla, and wrap one end of the burrito in the aluminum foil. Set aside and repeat for all burritos.

7. With the nonstick pan still warm, add the burritos into the pan, seam-side down. This is optional, but it helps the burrito seam close up and rewarms the burrito before serving. Be careful not to burn!

8. Once warm, serve the burritos, aluminum foil and all. Optionally, serve with salsa on the side. Enjoy!

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Vegan Chipotle White Bean Quesadillas

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These are so good, it should be a sin! A sinquesadilla, perhaps?! Because they are without cheese..

Mexican food is probably my favorite my cuisine, and I love that you can get so many vibrant, intense flavors in Mexican dishes without even breaking the bank or buying something obscure. Lime, red onion, cilantro, corn, cumin.. it doesn’t take much to get that distinctly Mexican flavor, even in the absence of cheese! This was my first time cooking with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and wow, it might be a game changer! Just opening the can, the aroma was amazing!

 

Vegan Chipotle White Bean Quesadilla Recipe

Ingredients (2 Quesadillas)

  • Chipotle Spread:
    • 1 can Great Northern Beans (or any white beans, such as Cannelini), drained and rinsed
    • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
    • 1-2 cloves of garlic
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • 2 tsps cumin
    • 1 tsp salt
    • .5 tsp oregano
    • Black pepper to taste
  • 4 burrito-size flour tortillas
  • 2 dollops of vegan butter (optional)
  • .25 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
  • .25 cup corn (I used frozen, but fresh would be even better)
  • .25 cup red onion, finely diced
  • .25 cup bell pepper, diced
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 scallion/green onion (optional), finely sliced
  • Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • Lemon juice
  • Olive oil (optional)

Method

1. Add all of the Chipotle Sauce ingredients into a food processor and process until it forms a homogenous paste.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the black beans, corn, red onion, cilantro, and bell pepper (the above measurements are approximate). Season with salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and a little lime juice if there is any remaining in the lime after using it in the Chipotle Sauce.

3. Heat a dollop of vegan butter on medium-high. While it heats up, assemble the quesadillas by spreading a layer of Chipotle Sauce on one tortilla, sprinkling on half of the fresh vegetables mixture evenly, then placing another tortilla on top.

4. When the pan is hot, add the quesadilla and let it get crispy, but ensure it doesn’t burn (probably 2-3 minutes maximum). Flip and get the other side nice and crispy, too.

5. You may need to add another dollop of vegan butter to the pan before crisping the second quesadilla.

6. Serve with guacamole (smashed avocado with salt, pepper, a splash of lemon juice, a sprinkle of cumin, fresh cilantro, and scallion) and salsa. Enjoy!

This recipe was inspired by “Vegan Quesadillas with Chipotle and White Beans” by Cilantro and Citronella. Thank you for sharing!

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