Vegan Nachos

October 4, 2012
JUMP TO RECIPEVIDEOCOMMENTS

These vegan nachos comes from Ann Gentry, founder of Real Food Daily.

Ann Gentry was born in Tennessee, and grew up in a home filled with great food and a love of entertaining. Ann became interested in vegetarian cuisine whilst living in New York City during the 1980’s. She became fascinated with the relationship between food and health. So, she fused Eastern Macrobiotic cooking principles and a Western culinary style in spectacular fashion to create her own unique “gourmet whole food cuisine.”

In 1986, after years of working off-Broadway as an actress and waiting tables in NYC, Ann relocated to Los Angeles and became the personal chef to Danny DeVito. Word quickly spread about Ann’s incredible food, and for five years she ran a thriving gourmet home food delivery service with many loyal clients. With demand growing, Ann opened the first Real Food Daily in 1993. This original, successful Santa Monica location sill exists, and since then, Ann has opened RFD locations in West Hollywood and Pasadena, and hopefully more to come!

For the last few decades, Ann has been instrumental in raising the profile, standard, expectations, and perception of vegetarian food in America. She is widely considered in the culinary world as a pioneer of organic vegan cuisine. Her recipes have been published in countless publications such as The Los Angeles Times, Vegetarian Times, Cooking Light, Fit, Fit Yoga, Veg News; and articles and reviews of Real Food Daily have appeared in Esquire, Self, Allure, Longevity, Los Angeles Magazine, US Weekly, InStyle, Daily Variety, and many others.

In addition to this, Ann is the executive chef to Vegetarian Times magazine, where she contributes recipes and articles about healthy living. Ann has also written columns for other publications, and been a spokesperson for various whole foods companies. She is in huge demand as as a guest chef, having appeared prestigious places such as Canyon Ranch in Arizona, Pritikin Longevity Center, Robert Mondavi Wine Center, Natural Foods Expo and the Environmental Media Awards in California. Ann is also a highly respected teacher, having taught at the annual conference of the North American Vegetarian Society; at Central Market in Texas; the World Arts & Cultures program at UCLA; and many other places.

Ann has authored three cookbooks, Vegan Family Meals, Real Food For Everyone, and The Real Food Daily Cookbook.

My well loved, dog-eared copy takes pride of place in my kitchen. This book is gorgeous, and full of accessible, easy, incredible vegan recipes. There are so many good ones (I have made them all – Yes, my name is Tess, and I am an Ann Gentry groupie) but some of my favorites include: the Lentil Walnut Pate, Mushroom Gravy, Asparagus and Cilantro Soup, Ying Yang Salad with Peanut Sesame Dressing, Indian Quinoa Salad, Red Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Okra, Tempeh Meat Loaf, and Tofu Cheesecake with Raspberry Puree. The stunning food photography by Jessica Boone entices the reader to try every single recipe, as does Ann’s simple instructions.

This book is a fantastic guide to vegan cooking. Ann shares her personal journey with food, as well as handy tips on eating locally, organically, and seasonally. She also inspires confidence in the kitchen by sharing some practical cooking hints about shopping, preparing, and serving food; and provides an easy ingredient and kitchen tool glossary. I especially like her “Top Twenty Real Foods to Always Have in Your Kitchen.”

Make these vegan nachos. You won’t be sorry.

LESS
Books Ad

 

Print

Vegan Nachos

The vegan nachos from Real Food Daily are so tasty you’ll never know they’re dairy-free!

Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings 6
Author Tess Masters

Ingredients

nachos:

  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into wedges
  • Celtic sea salt
  • 1/3 cup melted Cashew Cheddar Cheese (recipe below)
  • 1/2 cup Black Beans warmed (recipe below)
  • 1/4 cup Pico de Gallo (recipe below)
  • 1/4  cup Guacamole (recipe below)
  • 2 tablespoons Tofu Sour Cream (recipe below)
  • 1 green onion, white and green parts, thinly sliced

cashew cheddar cheese (yields 4 cups):

guacamole (yields 3 cups):

  • 1/2 small white onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
  • 1 1/4  teaspoon  Celtic sea salt 
  • 4 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped

pico de gallo (yields 2 1/2 cups):

  • 1 3/4  cups diced ripe tomatoes (bout 2 large tomatoes)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 small jalapeño chile, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon  fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon  Celtic sea salt 

tofu sour cream (yields 1 1/4 cup):

  • 12 ounces vacuum-packed firm silken tofu
  • 2 tablespoons umeboshi vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon  ground mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon  minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon  dried dill

black beans (yields 2 1/2 cups):

  • 2 cups dried black beans, picked through and rinsed
  • 1 (3-inch) piece kombu
  • 7 cups filtered water
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon  finely chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon  Celtic sea salt 

Instructions

  1. To make nacho chips, heat the oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the tortilla wedges and fry, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, or until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chips to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
  2. To make the cashew cheese, using the pulse button, finely grind the cashews in the food processor; don’t allow the cashews to turn into a paste. Add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse three more times to blend in the spices.
  3. Combine the soy milk, agar, and oil in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the agar is dissolved.
  4. With the food processor running, gradually pour the soy milk mixture through the feed tube and into the cashew mixture. Blend for 2 minutes, or until very smooth and creamy, and then blend in the miso and lemon juice.
  5. For grated or sliced cheese (this recipe calls for melted), transfer the cheese to a container, cover, and refrigerate about 4 hours, until very firm. Once it’s firm, grate or slice the cheese as desired. For melted cheese in this nachos recipe use the cheese immediately. Alternatively, make the cheese in advance, cover, and refrigerate. When you’re ready to use the cheese, melt it in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth and creamy, stirring frequently. If needed, add more soy milk for a thinner consistency. For Jalapeño Cashew Cheddar Cheese: Stir 2 tablespoons of minced jalapeño chiles into 2 cups of melted cheese. The cheese will keep for 4 days, covered and refrigerated.
  6. To make the guacamole, toss the tomato, onion, cilantro, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes.
  7. Mash the avocados in a large bowl. Stir in the tomato mixture and season to taste with more salt, if desired. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve. The guacamole will keep for 4 hours, covered tightly and refrigerated. Stir before serving.
  8. To make the pico de gallo, stir all the ingredients in a bowl to blend. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours. Stir before serving.
  9. To make tofu sour cream, blend the tofu, vinegar, olive oil, mustard, and garlic in the food processor until smooth. Transfer the sour cream to a container and stir in the dill. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
  10. To make black beans, place the beans and the kombu in a large, heavy pot. Add enough cold water to cover the beans by 3 inches. Let stand overnight.
  11. Drain and rinse the beans, reserving the kombu.
  12. Return the soaked beans and kombu to the same pot and add the 7 cups water. Bring to a simmer over high heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the top. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until tender. The beans should hold their shape but be tender and creamy when mashed.
  13. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion is tender. Add the basil and sauté 1 minute longer, or until it wilts. Add the onion mixture to the beans and stir in the salt. The beans will keep for 2 days. Cool, then cover and refrigerate.
  14. To assemble nachos, arrange the warm chips over a large platter. Spoon the warm melted cheese over the chips, then spoon the beans over the cheese. Spoon the pico de gallo over the beans and top with the guacamole. Drizzle on the sour cream, sprinkle with the green onion, and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Recipe from The Real Food Daily Cookbook by Ann Gentry with Anthony Head, copyright © 2005. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.
Photo by Trent Lanz; styling by Alicia Buszczak

Other Posts You May Like

The Perfect Blend

Tastes-Like-Ice-Cream Kale Smoothie

Mind-Blowing Cauliflower Soup

Raw Avocado Cucumber Sushi Rolls

Mushroom Stroganoff

Comments

Comments 12

  1. Oh, my…this just looks amazing! I’m putting it on the menu for a party next week. Can’t wait to give it a try!

    Reply

    1. Yes! This IS an AMAZING machine and fantastic giveaway. The winner is picked randomly with a computer code. But I will keep my fingers crossed for you 🙂

      Reply

  3. Wow ! the recipe looks very yummy and tempting.Would definitely like to prepare
    that.Also,I’m happy to locate numerous useful information here within the post.Would like to share the blog with my friends..:)Thanks for flagging it !!!

    Reply

  4. I live in L.A too and live at Real Food Daily. You are right. The food is phenomenal. I have the Real Food Daily Cookbook and I agree with everything you said. The recipes are amazing.

    Reply

    1. *oops

      I’m very much wanting to make your vegan cheese. The only issue I have is the cost. I’m in Australia, and to buy the 2 ounces of agar is going to cost me around $23. Is this how much it usually costs? And do you know any online stores that may stock it for less?

      Thanks kindly, and once again, LOVE the blog!

      Reply

      1. Thanks Apple. I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond to this comment. I know that agar can be so expensive in Australia. I have had that same problem myself. You CAN find it online, but finding a place that will ship to OZ can be problematic too. I would just google it and keep trying. I wish I could be more help. You could also try thickening this cheese with arrowroot or tapioca starch too. Or just use another vegan cheese in the recipe. Do NOT miss making these nachos. They are AMAZING!

        Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Resources

How To Make Nut Milk

6 Delicious Green Juices

Energy Foods

Health Benefits of Turmeric

How To Soak Foods

RECIPES

view all

CLEANSES

browse programs

BOOKS

view products

HINTS & TIPS

get the scoop

VIDEOS

view episodes

ABOUT TESS

learn more