Loaded Vegan Nachos

VEGAN LOADED NACHOS

BLACK BEANS METHOD

*** See the bottom of the recipe for instructions on how to cook with dried beans

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of soaked and cooked black beans
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Method 

In a large saucepan heat olive oil to medium-high and add garlic. Sauté until fragrant - about 1 minute.

Add beans, cumin, salt, and pepper. As the beans cook, mash beans with a potato masher to desired consistency and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Remove from heat when beans have thickened and excess liquid has evaporated.

Top with fresh cilantro (optional)

SWEET POTATO TOPPING

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 white onions, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, and diced
• 1 ½ tablespoons of taco seasoning
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 375F. Wrap sweet potatoes individually with foil, and lace in the oven to cook for 25 minutes until fork tender.

In a large cooking pan,  heat up 3 tablespoons of either avocado or grapeseed oil.

Add onions, and seasonings, and cook for 5  minutes on low to medium heat.

Meanwhile, remove sweet potatoes from the oven and peel off skin using a dry towel to avoid burns (peeling off while hot is an easier process).

Dice the sweet potatoes into medium bite-size cubes, add to the pan along with onions, and cook for extra 5 minutes on low heat.

Before removing the sweet potato topping off the heat, add in jalapenos, and mix everything together very well.

Add your toppings to some of Aunt Nee's famous chips and pop in the oven until toasted to your liking! Don't forget to drizzle on some yummy vegan queso from Radical Plants! Enjoy!!

**** HOW TO COOK WITH DRIED BEANS ****

Step 1. Soak, Beans Overnight

Soak dried beans overnight. Put beans in a pot, and cover with water until covered. Put a lid on the pot and into the refrigerator 

Forgot to soak your beans? Put the beans in a pot, cover them with water, bring them to a boil, then cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the beans sit for at least 2 hours in the hot water, drain, and continue with the recipe.

Step 2. Tiny Bubbles… The Art of Simmering

When dinner time is rolling around, grab those beans from the fridge, drain them, and transfer them to another pot, then cover them in a few inches of water (the exact amount isn’t important). Bring them to a simmer, DO NOT BOIL (or the beans could fall apart). Salt the liquid very, very lightly. 

Step 3. Add the Seasonings & Salt

Now, add onions, shallots, garlic, and or chiles. Or fresh herbs:  rosemary, sage, bay leaves, and thyme. Lightly salt the liquid, stir, and return to cooking for an hour of simmering.

4.  Almost there, but the flavor isn’t in the beans 

After another 30 minutes to an hour, once your beans are tender and edible, turn off the heat, and season to taste. When you're tasting for seasoning, you want to taste the broth rather than the beans themselves—it will take a little bit for the flavor of the broth to make its way into those little guys, which is why it's important to let them hang out in their cooking liquid for a half an hour before eating them. If you're planning on packing them up and storing them for later use, let them cool completely in their cooking liquid beforehand.

Step 5. Now EAT!

Or you can save cooked, beans too. They're perfect to pull out for chili, salads, or a nice side for chicken or fish. Put them in the refrigerator in a container overnight. Store the beans in the refrigerator for dinner every night that week or freeze them for future use. Simply drain the liquid into another container and reserve. Lay the beans onto a drying rack for ten to fifteen minutes, and store them in the refrigerator or freezer. Beans freeze very well.

JUST REMEMBER, whatever you do, DON'T THROW OUT that cooking liquid! It's seasoned, delicious, and starchy, perfect for adding body to soups, stews, braises, and even pasta sauces.