This week I was pretty excited when I got a call from Buzzfeed to do a video for them veganizing my favorite junk food! There were sooooo many recipes to choose from! I went with 4 of my favorites and I hope you enjoy the video and my vegan junk food recipes

Not-cho Mamma’s! Loaded Vegan Nachos

Serves 6

A few handfuls of tortilla chips

(for a even healthier version, cut jicama into “chips”!)

Stewed black beans:

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 15 oz. can of black beans (do not drain)

1 tsp. cumin

pinch of cayenne

1 dried bay leaf

Sauté the onions in a small pot in the olive oil and sea salt over medium heat until they begin to soften and look glassy. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Walnut chorizo

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/4 cup diced onion

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (dry, not packed in oil)

1 cup raw walnuts

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. cumin

1 tbsp. chili powder

a pinch of cayenne

Combine all the ingredients in your food processor and pulse until it reaches a crumbly texture.

Nacho cheese

1 cup raw cashews

2 cups purified water

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. garlic granules

1/2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. smoked paprika

a pinch of cayenne

Soak the raw cashews in a bowl of water about an inch over the top of the nuts. Let sit for 1-2 hours. Drain and rinse. Add to a high-powered blender along with all the other ingredients and puree until smooth. You might have to add a little more water if the cheese mixture is too thick.

Pico de gallo

1/2 cup diced sweet onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 jalapeño, chopped (remove the seeds and ribs if you like it a mild)

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. lime juice

3 roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, cover and chill an hour.

Guacamole

1/4 cup finely diced onions

2 ripe avocados

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. lime juice

Mash the ingredients together in a bowl with the back of a fork.

Assemble the nachos! Make sure the beans are warm and give the nacho cheese a quick zap in the microwave. Place the chips in a large bowl, followed by some big spoonfuls of beans and chorizo, drizzle the nacho cheese all over and top with the pico de gallo and lastly the guacamole. Try not to consume alone, because you will eat the whole bowl

Vegan Bacon Cheeseburger

Serves 6

Fakin Bacon

3 cups unsweetened flaked coconut

3 tbsp. low-sodium tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)

2 tbsp. liquid smoke (I like chicory)

1 1/2 tbsp. maple syrup

Toss the ingredients together in a bowl and spread onto a foil lined baking sheet. Bake in a oven heated to 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Flip the “bacon” and return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes depending on how crisp you would like yours to be. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an air tight container.

Nacho Cheese

1 cup raw cashews

2 cups purified water

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. garlic granules

1/2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. smoked paprika

a pinch of cayenne

Soak the raw cashews in a bowl of water about an inch over the top of the nuts. Let sit for 1-2 hours. Drain and rinse. Add to a high-powered blender along with all the other ingredients and puree until smooth. You might have to add a little more water if the cheese mixture is too thick.

Veggie Burger

Makes 6 patties

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 15 oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium red beet, finely grated

4 oz. chopped mushrooms (crimini, portobello, porcini… whatever your favorite flavor)

1 tsp. low-sodium tamari

1 tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 cup oats

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

What you’ll do:

In a large bowl combine the beans, onion, and garlic. Using a potato masher or your hands, lightly smash the beans until they are about 3/4 mashed.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir well.  Form the patties and cook in a lightly greased frying pan on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes on each side or until the sides are golden.  (the key to a cooking a good burger is not to flip it too many times. Let it get a nice golden crust on one side before you flip it to the next.) Serve warm with all the fixins!

Mac n’ Cheese with a Nacho Chip Crust

Serves 6

1 lb. of pasta (can be gluten free)

1 1.5oz. Beanfield’s Nacho chips

1 large head of cauliflower

4 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 onion, sliced

6 cloves of garlic, sliced

1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for two hours and rinsed

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 tbsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. sea salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

Cut off any bottom leaves of the cauliflower and cut out the toughest part of the core.  Then break the cauliflower down into florets.  Boil them with the vegetable broth covered until the cauliflower is very soft and tender.  About 15 minutes.

While the cauliflower is cooking, heat a large frying pan and sauté the onion and garlic with the olive oil until soft.

When both are done, using a slotted spoon, remove all the cauliflower from the broth and place in a blender or food processor.  Add 3 cup of the cooking broth, all the contents of the frying pan, the rest of ingredients.  Puree on high until very smooth, 1-3 minutes.  Add a little more broth at a time if it needs to be thinned.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the hot, cooked pasta in with the cheese mixture, adding a little at a time until the pasta is covered with a little extra. Pour into a baking dish and top with 1/2 cup crumbled nacho chips. Bake for 10 minutes in a heated 400 degree oven. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil

6 tbsp. plain unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (can sub for gluten free all-purpose baking mix; I like Glutino)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream the sugars, coconut oil, almond milk, applesauce, and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix well and then stir in the chocolate chips. (try not to eat all of it at this point!)

Drop a tbsp. size ball onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake in a heated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. Cool on the pan for 1 minute and transfer to a wire rack.

Ice Cream

1 pint coconut ice cream in your favorite flavor

Day old cookies that are on the dryer side work best for this recipe so they don’t fall apart. Sandwich a big scoop of ice cream between two cookies and enjoy!

Sweet dreams of Vegan Junk Food!!

xo!