Jacked Up Vegan Nachos

Photo ©2017 Anna Pelzer

I've been obsessed with creating a recipe for these ever since I tried the jackfruit nachos made by The Herbivorous Butcher last fall at the Veggie Fest in Minneapolis. They. Were. Insane. And since I live in SW Colorado and can't really score jackfruit nachos within a 500 mile radius, I just had to come up with my own recipe. Oh, and as someone recently said - "Go vegan, because then you can eat nachos for breakfast like Tess does." 

I hope you love this recipe - let me know what you think if you try it!

Savory Jackfruit:

• 20 oz. can jackfruit, drained

• ¼ cup EACH: BBQ sauce and water

• 2 tablespoons tamari, shoyu, or soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 4 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed

• 1 teaspoon onion granules

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder

• Dash of liquid smoke, to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)

Nacho Cheesy Sauce:

• 1 cup raw cashews*

• 8 oz. roasted red peppers, drained (if in a jar), or pimientos

• ½ cup nutritional yeast

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 6 medium-large cloves garlic, peeled

• ¼ cup water

• 2 teaspoons granulated onion (or onion powder)

• 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

Toppings:

• Two medium tomatoes, chopped

• ½ cup EACH: chopped cilantro and minced red onions

• 2 jalapenos, thinly sliced or minced

• 1 avocado, chopped or sliced

Chips:

• Tortilla chips of your choice

• OR:

• 8 sprouted corn tortillas, cut into fourths and coconut oil spray

Instructions

1. For the jackfruit: Place all of the "Savory Jackfruit" ingredients in a large skillet over high heat (I use a nonstick pan, as there’s no oil in this recipe, but if you don't have one, feel free to add oil). Stir well and break up the jackfruit a bit with your spatula. Once the mixture boils, reduce heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring often (and breaking up the jackfruit as you stir), for about 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside.

2. For the cheesy sauce: Blend the Nacho Cheesy Sauce ingredients in a blender until velvety smooth. *NOTE: If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you’ll first need to soak the cashews for several hours in the water and lemon juice to soften them.

3. For the chips: If you’re using store-bought chips, skip this section because you’re on easy street at this point. If you want to make super healthy chips, do the following: Lightly spray the cut tortillas with the oil. At 400 degrees, air-fry or bake in a single layer on a cookie sheet until lightly browned (this usually takes about 10 minutes, but really varies with different ovens). Remove from heat and allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to crisp up.

4. To assemble: Place the chips on plates, and then evenly top with the jackfruit, cheesy sauce, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, jalapeno, and avocado. Enjoy!

Makes 2 dinner-sized portions of nachos
GF/Blue (according to the health guidelines in my cookbooks and coaching programs)