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!
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For the Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich.If we don’t like Coconut Ice Cream or we are allergic. What Ice Cream do you suggest.
Hi Eric! You could use almond, rice, or soy based ice creams as well 🙂
How long will the “nacho cheese ” be good for?
Hi Nick! The cashew nacho cheese should last 2-3 weeks in your refrigerator.
Yum! love these can’t wait to make these c;
The directions say to make a Tbsp ball of dough and drop on sheet. The finished cookies look like you used much more than a Tbsp. of dough.
Yes, I did make the cookies a good deal larger for the video so they would have a bigger impact. 1 tbsp. is a good serving size 🙂
These recipes are amazing, Leslie! Great video!!
Thanks Stephanie!
Looks like some good stuff! I went vegetarian back in 2007, but I want to go vegan . . . My biggest problem: CHEESE . . . I love the stuff! Any chance you’ll show us a pizza recipe?
At any rate, I bookmarked your site. Thanks BuzzFeed for the intro to Leslie Durso! 🙂
Thank you Jason! I have some pizza recipes on here, but I can definitely post a few more for you 🙂
i tried making the nacho cheese, it turned out like soup 🙁 very upsetting to have to throw it out. I’m not sure what went wrong, i measured everything correctly.
Ellen, I’m sorry yours turned out like soup! 🙁 I make it all the time like this. I wish you emailed me before you threw it away. You could have added some dissolved cornstarch to thicken it right back up. Please feel free to reach out when making any of my recipes!
i tried making the nacho cheese sauce again tonight, i only had about 1/2 cup of cashews left so i halfed all the ingredients. (except for the water, i only used about 1/4 cup, i also didn’t soak the cashews this time) it turned out much better, i used it as a dip for nachos.
Yeh, the water ratio is off. I got a soup like texture too. I think the water must be at least halfed, if not more. I boiling it and simmering it right now, ill see if it reduces well and keep the taste
ff the cashew cheese sauce is too liquidy?
It looks like there is rice in the burger. I have tried similar recipes that call for rice, but noticed this one did not. I’m always looking to try new things, but wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything!
Thanks!
The loaded vegan nachos were delicious! My mother and I loved them, and she couldn’t believe they were vegan. I am so happy to find recipes like these that show people how great vegan food can taste. Thank you so much for posting this!
I am looking forward to trying the bacon cheeseburger 🙂
All of your food looks amazing. As someone who loves veggie burgers but is skeptical of the frozen patties at the supermarket I have tried several veggie burger recipes (not yours as of yet). Yours look great! The problem I always run into is my patties are always just a pile of mush. They may taste good but they don’t resemble a burger. Any clue what I might be doing wrong? Thank you for sharing.
Hi Jason, If you burgers are turning to mush, try my recipe. Half smashing the beans by hand and adding the oats and veggies really helps you have a “vegetable burger” consistency. If you over mix, most recipes will turn to mush. You can also try baking the patties for 15 minutes first and then finishing them in a frying pan. Let me know how it works!
the nacho sauce is way too liquid. I followed this instruction right.
How many cookies does the cookie recipe make??
Can’t wait to try the nacho thing!
Jesus Christ, the burgers were spicy! If I were to make them again (I don’t think I will, they were completely too spicy), I’d tone down the chilli powder! One tablespoon is way too much. I’d use maybe a tea spoon. Whew!
curious– how long will the cheese sauce last in the fridge?
I’ve left it in there for 4 days and it was fine. Honestly, I eat it so fast once it’s made, I have never found out how long it lasts!
Leslie, I’ve just made the nachos. OMG, how delicious!! Thanks for the recipe!
Oh yay! I’m glad you enjoyed!
Do you use nutritional yeast flakes or do you use the nutritional yeast seasoning for the nacho cheese sauce?
You can use seasoning, just check the ingredient list because you will probably need less of the other spices 🙂
Hey! Those all look delicious! Do you have these recipes in printable format?
Thanks so much for the forum topic.Thanks Again. Awesome.