Na-cho Typical Nachos

Right off the bat, I want to tell you guys that these nachos are vegan. But, full disclaimer, I myself do not practice veganism. So why do I opt for these nachos over normal nachos (which are of course delicious) again and again? Simple: these nachos are just awesome! Not only do they pack a flavour punch quite comparable to the usual fare, but they're lighter and healthier—which means we can shamelessly stuff our faces without feeling too bloated and heavy afterwards. Come on, doesn't it feel good to gorge on delicious food knowing that it's all just veggies?

Let's address the main things you're thinking: "Nachos are pretty boring without cheese and protein. What are you going to do about that?"

You know what? I absolutely agree; nachos without those things are pretty boring! Let me share with you guys the way I make the delectable nacho "cheese" sauce and "meat", as these are the most critical components of the nachos. For the rest of the toppings, including pico de gallo, guacamole, black beans, etc. feel free to do it your favourite way! Oh yeah, and don't forget to choose your favourite tortilla chips!

1. Eggplant, Mushroom, Tofu, & Walnut Scramble

Yes, you guessed it! This is going to be our "meat" scramble! While you might feel uneasy about tofu and eggplant in your nachos, let me assure you that when done right (which you most certainly can do—I believe in you!) this can be such an amazing combination of veggies and plant-based proteins.

Since I don't typically measure quantities when I cook, I unfortunately do not have measurements for you guys. But I do believe that everyone should cater the recipe to their own taste, so feel free to add, omit, or swap out any of the ingredients and play around with the quantity! The ingredients you will need are:

• Eggplant, finely diced (be mindful that these will shrink down quite a bit during cooking)
• Mushrooms (I typically choose button or cremini), finely chopped
• Firm tofu, finely diced
• Walnuts (coarsely or finely chopped, depending on how much you like the bite)
• Onion (finely diced)
• Garlic (finely minced)
• Jalapeño peppers
• Olive oil
• Chilli flakes
• Salt & pepper
• Soy sauce (or tamari), for colour and umami
• Chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and a pinch of oregano (you can also add some turmeric if you'd like)
• Optional: you can also add lentils or quinoa, which are others protein-packed options, or even vegan ground "meat"

The idea is quite simple. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic, and when that's softened up a bit (or caramelized slightly, if you like it that way) add everything else and cook to your desired level of softness. As always, season to taste! It comes together just like that, and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Now, I did mention some "optionals" in the ingredient list, but I want to explain why I don't usually add them to my personal batch. For starters, lentils, while really amazing in so many ways, can kind of have a starchy mouth feel that takes away from the otherwise fairly clean taste and texture of the vegetables, tofu, and walnuts. We all know quinoa is amazing, but like lentils, it does have a very particular texture and especially flavour that kind of takes away from everything else here. And lastly, while vegan ground "meat" will never fail you it can be kind of pricey, especially if you wanted to make a larger batch—which I always need to do.

2. The Cheesy Goodness

There are a ton of recipes for vegan mac 'n' cheese, and for the nacho cheese sauce I always follow a recipe by Buzzfeed Tasty. It uses onions, carrots, potatos, and cashews as the main substance of the sauce. Nutritional yeast, which you can get at many grocery stores nowadays, is added for the cheesy flavour. If you have access to it, don't skimp on the nutritional yeast!

Here is the recipe! It's really quite simple, and one of my favourite things about it is that it keeps for a couple of days in the fridge with no weird developments in texture. It stays consistency thick and creamy without any sort of hardening up, and if you do experience a little bit of separation (which I don't think I ever have) you can just mix it up a bit! While I can't say it tastes exactly like nacho cheese, it does really hit the spot!

And that's it! That wasn't so bad, right? Nachos are one of the ultimate game-day foods, being just so darn good and also easy to get in there with your hands. While I love regular nachos very much, when making them at home I always find myself going for this vegan option. It tastes amazing, leaves me feeling good for the rest of the day, and is made with ingredients I usually have on hand anyway.

So what do you say? Ready to give these delectable nachos a go? :)