nacho fries

I made these on a whim last week and knew they needed to be repeated + documented for your eating pleasure.

And ours.

Meet my new favorite way to cut potatoes for baked fries.  In the past week I’ve made fries 3 times.  You must try cutting them this way.  Typically, I try to cut them in and actual fry shape but this method gives them a thicker, heartier texture while also maintaining a golden brown crispiness.

Well, the sweet taters aren’t quite as crispy.  They’re just softer by nature when baked. 

So back to last week.

I was on night 2 in a row of making fries and on night 0 of making nachos.

While they baked I whipped up a bean, corn, pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, etc. mixture on the stovetop.  Then, I piled the fries high, layered them with cheese, and spooned the mixture on top.

Broil + done.

Or, skip the cheese and pile on avocado + baby heirloom tomatoes.

Or, a million other variations…

salsa, greek yogurt, hot sauce, ketchup, nacho cheeze sauce, guacamole, etc.

Hmmm…I’m thinking a sunny side up egg would be spectacular on top.  But when am I not thinking that?

Print this!

Nacho Fries 

vegan, gluten-free // serves 3-4

• 4 medium sized sweet or russet potatoes
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne [optional]
• shredded cheese [optional]

Black Bean Topping

• 1 cup black beans
• 1 medium bell pepper, seeded + chopped
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1 small can mild green chiles
• 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 425* and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. [If you don’t have parchment, lightly grease your pans.]
2. Slice your potatoes lengthwise in half.  Lay on its flat side and cut slices lengthwise about 1/8-1/4” thick.
3. Mix spices together in a small bowl.
4. Place potatoes in a large bowl and toss with oil and spices until evenly coated.
5. Bake for about 35-40min total, flipping once at 20 minutes.  Check at 35 minutes and bake until they’re done to your liking.
6. While baking, heat a pan over medium and add the oil.
7. Once hot add in the pepper and onion, stirring for about 5-7 minutes until starting to soften.
8. Add in the garlic and spices and stir for 30 seconds.
9. Mix in the corn [fresh or frozen] and black beans.
10. Let cook about 5-7 minutes, stirring a few times.
11. Stir in the green chiles for 1-2 minutes until hot.
12. Remove fries from the oven and turn your broiler on low.
13. Make piles with the fries on the parchment paper.  Layer with cheese and the been mixture or just the bean mixture.  Add any other toppings you want to be hot.  I typically make 1 layer of fries, then the beans, then cheese, then repeat with a little extra bean mixture on top.
14. Place the pan on the top rack and broil, watching carefully, for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
15. Top however you like: avocado, guacamole, greek yogurt, sour cream, tomatoes, hot sauce, salsa, ketchup, eggs, etc.

I just wanted to take a moment to THANK YOU ALL for your congrats and well wishes with the book!  I tried to respond to as many of you as possible and answer any questions you had.  Your comments left me grinning all weekend long and even more excited than before to start this project.  As I briefly mentioned things are about to get crazy from now until early December.  My blogging may be a little more sporadic so thank you in advance for hanging with me!  I will keep you updated on the doughnut front and also share a few new recipes that will appear in the book.

Thank you again.

Ashley

Raw Veggie Collard Wrap

The other day I went out to lunch.  During the week.  This never happens.  I’m at home, I’m constantly cooking for the blog, there is no reason to eat out.

However, eating out for lunch every so often is such a nice treat.  It was refreshing to get out of the house, have a break from the heat, and catch up with my good friend Lauren.  The restaurant’s air conditioning was thoroughly enjoyed.

We headed to one of my local favorites, Tasty Harmony.  I knew Lauren would approve.  Their menu is fully vegetarian, mostly vegan, and a decent amount is gluten free.  They even have a few raw dishes and desserts.  The one thing I find funny is that they don’t offer gluten free bread.  I actually asked why that is and they said it’s because if they offer a GF bread they want it to be homemade, as most store bought GF breads are filled with a long list of ingredients.  They said they don’t have enough time to keep fresh GF bread on hand at all times but they would keep the idea in mind. 

In lieu of bread, you can get any of their sandwiches wrapped in a collard leaf.  Not always super appealing but I went with it.  The sandwich ingredients sounded like they would be a good fit for a big leafy green to be wrapped around.

Upon first bite I was totally convinced.  Sure I’ve had things wrapped in leaves before, but nothing as fresh as this.  It hit the spot!  I declared to Lauren this would be on the blog within a week.  And here we are today.  A fun summer recipe open for your interpretation.

Slightly scared to use a collard to wrap up your veggies?  I was at first too.  When you cook collards they can have a bitter taste, but somehow it’s less flavorful when raw.  It is also much sturdier compared to other leafy greens, like chard.

Also, chard has a noticeably earthy flavor while collards are much milder.  The chard stem is what really gets me.  I just can’t do it!

Besides the crunchiness and all of the flavors, the best thing is that no heat is required to make this wrap and it comes together in just minutes.  It could also be something you prep ahead and take to work.  I would just leave the tomatoes out until you’re ready to eat, to avoid the wrap from becoming wet.

Spread on any favorite topping or a variety of the three you’ll see below.  -- hummus + mashed avocado + cashew spread [in the circular bowl] -- The healthy fats in the spreads really help this wrap have staying power.  Two large, fully stuffed leaves did the trick for me with a giant bowl of summer fruit on the side.

Print this!

Raw Veggie Collard Wrap

vegan, gluten-free

Adjust ingredients depending on your specific tastes and how many wraps you want to make.  I made 2 large veggie wraps for myself.  

• large collard leaves
• mushrooms
• sprouts
• cucumber
• tomato
• hummus
• avocado
• cashew spread
• salt + pepper

other ingredient ideas:  zucchini, red pepper, carrots, beets, radishes, fresh basil, red/yellow onion, mozzarella, ricotta cheese, nutritional yeast, salt + pepper cashew butter, etc.

1. Trim the end of the stem where it meets the leaf. 
2. Evenly apply any spread toppings over the entire leaf.  Sprinkle with salt + pepper.
3. Layer the veggies parallel to the stem and centering the veggies between the outer edge and the stem.  Leave about 1” of room at the top and bottom of the leaf as well.
4. Starting at the edge where you placed the veggies, roll tightly parallel to the stem.  This will keep the stem and leaf intact.

Salt + Pepper Cashew Spread[yields just over 1 cup]

Similar to my salt + pepper cashew butter [linked above] but not as creamy of a texture and with an added “cheesy” flavor from the nutritional yeast.

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 4hrs
• 1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Drain soaked cashews and empty them into your food processor along with the other ingredients.  Start with 1/4 tsp of both salt and pepper.
2. Turn on and let spin for 1-2 minutes, scraping multiple times, until the mixtures smoothes out.  Be careful to not process too long as it will turn into nut butter.  It will be fairly crumbly at first but will then start to smooth out. 
3. Taste and add more salt + pepper if needed and process for another 5 seconds to combine.
4. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

CRUNCH.

Ashley