Health By Al

One of the best things about cooking healthy vegan food is that you can have indulgent, delicious foods that benefit your body! No food guilt, no feeling heavy and gross after a meal, just energy! These make a great dinner with salad on the side. Comment if you try it!

Ingredients: Serves 4

Tempeh “Meat”

• 1 (8 oz.) block of tempeh
• 1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano 
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup water 

Vegan Queso

• 1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large carrot, chopped 
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup raw cashews (soak in hot water for 15 minutes before blending if you do not have a Vitamix) 
• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast 
• 2 Tablespoons canned diced green chilis
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin 
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 
• sprinkle of black pepper 
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1 cup vegetable broth 

Additional Ingredients:

• 1/2 large bag or 1 small bag of blue corn tortilla chips
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 & 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• Guacamole (find my recipe here)

Directions:

1. First, place the full block of tempeh in 1-2 inches of water in a pan. Heat until boiling, then reduce to a simmer and cover the pan. Let the tempeh steam for 10-15 minutes. (This helps prevent the tempeh having a “bitter” taste).
2. While it simmers, make the vegan queso. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pan over medium/low heat. After a minute, add the chopped carrot and onion. Cook for 15 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the mixture, along with all the remaining vegan queso ingredients, to a high speed blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Next, make the tempeh “meat” by draining the tempeh and setting it aside. Add the olive oil to a medium sized pan and heat it on medium/low. Crumble the tempeh and add it to the pan, along with all the spices. Cook for 2 minutes before adding the 1/4 cup of water. Cook until the water has evaporated. Taste and add more salt if needed.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Build the nachos! Add the tortilla chips to the baking sheet. Scoop the vegan queso onto the chips. Add the pinto and black beans. Add the tempeh “meat”, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, & jalapeño.
6. Bake for 15 minutes and top with guacamole. Enjoy!

What is tempeh?

Tempeh is made from fermented soy beans, which makes it great for gut health as it is a natural probiotic. Since it is a soy product, you’ll want to ensure it’s Organic which prevents it from being sprayed with glyphosate. Tempeh is great source of protein and contains magnesium, iron, and other nutrients.