When you feel like comfort food or something quick and easy to put together for the kids, this fail safe meal tastes as good as it looks.
The best part - it's plant based, gluten free and is quite nutrient dense with legumes, vegetables, fresh herbs and healthy fats in there. And as you are making most of it from scratch yourself, the sodium levels will be much lower than buying everything store bought. So dig in, guilt free!
This recipe assumes you have already made the tomato passata and cashew cheese in advance. I like to make them in big batches and use when I need to. The passata can be used for pasta sauce, as a home made ketchup with chips or as a salsa. The cashew cheese can be used as a dip, drizzled on other meals that require cheese or served as a side with meals. They're so versatile which is why it's worth batch making these. Just find the two recipes on the blog.
Vegan 🔸 Gluten free 🔸 Refined sugar free
INGREDIENTS:
1 Pack of Corn Chips, organic and gluten free
1 Can of Black Lentils, organic
1 Hass Avocado
3 Truss Tomatoes (any variety is fine too)
Cashew Cheese
Tomato Passata
SEASONINGS:
1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
1/2 tsp Chermoula
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Pink Salt Flakes
1 tsp Sesame Seeds
1 Stalk of Spring Onions
1 Small bunch of Coriander
DIRECTIONS:
1. Rinse and drain the lentils until the water runs clear with no bubbles. Transfer to a pan with a dash of olive oil. Add smoked paprika, chermoula, garlic powder, onion powder and salt, then stir through. Turn off the pan when all the lentils have warmed through. You can add or omit any of these spices to your liking.
2. Dice your tomatoes and set aside in a bowl. Then dice your avocado and set aside.
3. Chop your spring onions and coriander and set this aside also.
4. Warm up your tomato passata either in a small saucepan or in the microwave.
5. Pull out your serving bowl and start assembling your nachos in layers. First lay some corn chips, then some lentils, followed by your passata, diced tomatoes, avocado chunks, drizzle of cashew cheese, followed by a liberal disperment of spring onions and coriander. Build your next layer the same way and finish off with a sprinkling of smoked paprika and sesame seeds.
6. You can serve this straight away or if you like it hot you can pop it into the microwave for an extra minute.
7. For that extra kick, why not add some jalapenos to your nachos!
Serve it in one big bowl to share or separate bowls, it's completely up to you. It works as a great family treat or easy platter to put together when entertaining. The perfect movie night!
Anne-Sophie Rayment, Nutritional Advisor.