The Most Often Asked Question (of Vegetarians)

• Veggie Val

Program #1 The Most Often Asked Question

In this program, I give you an overview of the labels of different food eating styles – as much as I eschew labels, it’s good to start with the basics, right? Then discover the most-often-asked question that vegetarians are woefully tired of hearing. Hopefully, you’ll learn why and then vow never to ask it of anyone, again. Then, Sister and I enjoy a beer while we bake nachos. Hey! It was in the recipe! There were leftovers. Yeah.

 

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Recipe: Very Veggie Nachos

This version makes plenty for two and uses just one pan in a toaster oven and one frying pan for the nacho mixture. A good way to NOT heat up the kitchen too much and make use of the chips left at the bottom of the bag. Low fat if you’re easy on the cheese / Good protein and fiber, too.

In this program my sister and I take a few liberties with the nacho assembly. That’s what this recipe is mostly about – assembly. She likes to serve the chips on the top and use it like a dip. I put the chips on the bottom for the traditional scooping method. Both are tasty and good for you! Twist this recipe around however works for you. It’s a beautiful dish that make use of different veggies you happen to have on hand.

Ingredients

  • Enough tortilla chips to cover the bottom of a toaster oven pan.
  • One small onion chopped, divide in two parts as one is for garnish
  • 1/2 of a 12-oz beer or about half a cup of water to use as needed for sautéing
  • 1 Cup of cooked pinto beans
  • 1 Cup Quorn Grounds meatless crumbles instead of ground cow
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of chipotle or regular chili powder
  • 1/2 Cup of corn (optional)
  • one small tomato, diced
  • 1 Cup of romaine lettuce (about a 1/4 of a head), chop or slice very thin cross-wise
  • Garnishes can include any or all of these: salsa, grated cheese, diced green pepper, avocado, tofutti sour cream and/or jalapeno peppers

Directions

  1. Arrange the chips to cover an aluminum foil lined toaster oven pan. Set aside until most of the meat/bean mixture is ready.
  2. Sauté the onions in a small amount of the beer on medium for about a minute, stirring constantly and adding more liquid if you think they might stick to the pan.
  3. Add the pinto beans and coarsely mash the beans with the onions with either a fork or a potato masher. Add more beer or water as the mixture thickens.
  4. When mashed to looking like a cross between refried beans and regular beans, add the Quorn brand crumbles. Stir to mix and add enough liquid to keep it from sticking at all.
  5. Add the spices to the most liquid areas and stir them in.
  6. Pop the chips in the oven about now for about four minutes on 350 degrees or until they are hot to the touch. They will get crispier as they cool. Stir in corn and heat through.
  7. Add salsa here if you like as you take it off the stove.
  8. Spoon the mixture on to the waiting hot chips, mostly in the center.
  9. Top with the tomatoes and sliced romaine lettuce
Serves 2. For 4-5, double the amount and bake on a cookie sheet covered with foil in the big oven on 350 degrees.
Notes:
+ Make vegan by leaving out the cheese and the Quorn Grounds (they contain egg)
+ Substitute kidney beans, black beans or even garbanzo beans or mix ’em up!
+ If you must use canned corn or canned beans, be sure to rinse them to reduce the high salt (sodium) content in canned goods
+ yellow squash or zucchini small slices work well piled on top, too!
+ this is one of the few times it’s okay to slice lettuce with a knife; usually you should tear it, but we’re going for the traditional chopped lettuce effect here.

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