Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

Oh my Lord, people. My life just got seriously better because I tasted this cheese sauce. It is AMAZING! And, guess what, it's two main ingredients are carrots and potatoes. Seriously!

How do carrots and potatoes come together to chemically formulate what is easily the best-tasting vegan cheese sauce I've ever stuffed into my face? Is it magic? Some kind of medieval sorcery? I don't know, but I am so grateful!

2 cups peeled, cubed, boiled, drained potatoes (about 2-2 1/2 medium potatoes)

1 cup peeled, chopped, boiled, drained carrots (about 3 medium carrots)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1/3 cup canola or extra virgin olive oil*

1/3 cup water or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste

Unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice, to taste

• Place all ingredients into a high-powered blender** and blend. It's just that simple! Put your drained carrots and potatoes into the blender right after you drain them, while they're still piping hot, so your cheese will be piping hot too.
• As you're blending, drizzle in some milk to help thin it out a bit, if you want to. 
• Can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container (I'm not sure how long because we always eat it up pretty quickly), for a few days, perhaps? 
• *I'm working on figuring out a way to reduce the oil in this recipe. It's way too much, I know. I'll keep fiddling with it and get back to you.
• **If you don't have a high-powered blender (I sure don't), you might want to liquify in a food processor first, then transfer to a blender and drizzle in the milk while blending, to keep your little $20 blender from overheating.
• Enjoy!

Autumn's Easiest Dried Apples

I know I'm a little late with this post. I actually made these dried apples and took this picture well over a month ago, but it's been busy around here. I vow, right now, to get back to posting more regularly! Now that I am jobless I seriously have no excuse. But I'm one of those moderately crazy OCD people who think they can accomplish nothing creative until their house is clean. So, I end up cleaning constantly, and never writing or exercising or anything else useful until my house is clean, which it never is, so you get my drift... My new year's resolution is going to be to let the house be messy and get my creative stuff done first! As I type, there are muddy dog prints on the carpet in the back room and a pile of dishes in the kitchen sink. I can't let those things haunt me. Let's get to the apples!

For this recipe you will need a dehydrator, and it does not have to be a fancy one. The dehydrator I used cost $20 (I got it at Aldi last summer) and it works great! And you don't have to have an apple peeler/corer combo, but it saves you an hour or more of peeling and chopping and helps to make sure all of your apples are the same thickness. I'm talking about one of these things...

(Affiliate link- Click the photo to be taken to the product.)

I recommend a stout, cast-iron body corer with a clamp (like in the picture) as opposed to a suction cup. Again, these run about $20.

Use a nice sweet, or tart, apple. I like to use Pink Lady apples. A Red Delicious, for example, might not make for a very flavorful chip. But a Jazz or Granny Smith would make a yummy chip for sure!

So basically, you just twirl your apple through this contraption and it takes the skin off (drying the skin makes it too chewy - trust me and take it off), cores the apple and spiral slices it all at the same time. What you have left is just the good "apple meat." Take a knife and slice it just once from top to bottom, which will leave you with a lovely stack of evenly sliced apple chips. Lay each chip in a single layer in your dehydrator. The sides can be touching, but it is very important that the apples not overlap one another.

If you're wondering about browning, don't worry. The first time I tried this, I was very concerned about whether or not I needed to dip my apples into a lemon juice solution (or something similar), but I read online that it wasn't necessary and I went for it. The apples you see in the photo have not been treated, or flavored, with anything. I just popped the raw apple slices right into the dehydrator and that was it.

Once your apples are set, turn on your dehydrator (mine does not have any particular settings, just a plug that turns it on and off) and let those babies crisp up over a twenty-four hour period, give or take a few hours depending on your machine. Rotate the layers every couple of hours or so. Make sure the apples are totally dry. If you take them out too soon and don't eat them right away they will spoil quickly.

Once they're done, allow them to cool at room temperature before storing them in an airtight container. Then enjoy! They are delicious and nutritious - and a perfect compliment to movie night.

Earth Balance Review

I'm going to take a quick detour from my Vegan MoFo theme and do a review of this amazing Earth Balance stuff that I won - yes, WON! - from VeganMoFo.com. So, I'm just putting it out there that I wasn't given this stuff specifically to review, and nobody asked me to review it. I am reviewing it because I thought it would be a nice thing to do since I won it. Did I mention that I won it?! Seriously, though, I only won it because MoFo is a time of magic, when unicorns whinny outside my kitchen window and pixies poop jellybeans into my morning coffee.
I love you, MoFo! Thanks for the giveaway and the awesome prize! And, mucho thanks to Earth Balance for supplying and shipping it - oh, and for inventing it too! I bet I eat my weight every year in organic Earth Balance butter, a substance for which I will always be grateful to you. Love the stuff.

This is my prize. ALL of this! Mine! ALL MINE!!!

Fra-geeeee-laaaaaay.

That top picture,yeah that one with all the goodies, is what came in a rather beat up box to my modest home in Fort Worth, TX, on a hot summer day earlier this week. I was tired from work and grouchy from the heat. Cracking open a homely and unassuming box to find pure treasure inside was such a delight!

Now, on to the reviews...

 Earth Balance Creamy Peanut Butter

It's creamy, sweet (but not too sweet), and easy to spread on toast. What more can I say? Oh yeah, it doesn't separate. You don't have to spend two hours digging into the dry gulch at the bottom of the jug, knocking oil out all over your countertop, trying to get the nuts and the oil to kiss and make up. It's easy-peasy to work with and it's delicious.

Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Squares

Oh my goodness, these are so yummy! They are light and buttery. The "cheese" flavor doesn't come through very strongly on the first bite - it's more of an aftertaste. But I didn't mind. These were really tasty. I had to stop myself from gorging on them. And today, when I got home from work, I was really looking forward to having another handful only to find that my husband and daughter had eaten the whole box! Grrrrrrr.

Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Kettle Chips

I'm gonna be honest. This was my least favorite offering from the box of goodies. The chips themselves are cooked perfectly - flaky and crunchy, and kind of oily, exactly like a good kettle chip should be. But the "cheddar" flavor is a bit off-putting. It's very strong, and it's not at all like traditional cheese. It has that weird whang of Daiya cheddar in it. If you've ever eaten Daiya you probably know what I mean. It's good, but it doesn't taste a thing like cheese. And it leaves an oily aftertaste in your mouth. To the chips' credit, though, I liked them enough to down the whole bag at work today. I let some of my coworkers try them too, to mixed reviews. I think this is a 'like it' or 'hate it' kind of treat. Some liked it, others hated it. My husband was one of the haters, but he also hates Daiya. I don't mind Daiya so much, if it's used on the right dishes. And I didn't mind these so much either, but I don't think I will buy more unless they are on deep clearance.

Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Mac and Cheese

It is absolutely amazing how much this looks like standard Kraft mac and cheese. It's a dead ringer! The flavor is nice, but it isn't going to fool anyone. It's amazing to behold, though - it's the closest I've ever seen to the boxed mac and cheese in vegan form. Like the kettle chips, it has a little whang of that Daiya-type aftertaste, and a slight acidity that I'm unaccustomed to in mac and cheese. But, if you don't go into it expecting it to taste exactly like the mac and cheese of your youth, and just go with it for what it is, you will be pleasantly surprised. My six-year-old daughter, who is a very picky eater, ate 2/3 of the bowl you see in the photo, so that right there is a vote of confidence. I think we will be buying this again, depending on the price. Take my advice and sprinkle a little nooch and freshly-ground black pepper on the top. It cuts the tiny sting of acidity you get (it's almost like a slight vinegar taste) and makes this totally snarf-able. My only complaint is that one box doesn't make very much. That bowl you see in the photo is the entire box! The bowl I used is just a standard-sized rimmed soup bowl that will comfortably hold one regular can of soup. The nutrition label purports to contain two and a half servings, but unless you are feeding tiny gnomes, you're hardly going to get two and a half servings out of it. 

Earth Balance Vegan White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

This box of mac and cheese was a vast improvement over the orange cheddar one. The flavor was much more smooth, less acidic. I really liked it and so did my daughter. This is the flavor we will likely be buying on a regular basis. The nooch and black pepper on top (not pictured) is good on this as well, but not 100% necessary. It tastes good all by itself. Thumbs up! Again, though, it didn't make very much. It's really just one serving unless you're eating it alongside other foods. But who the heck does that?? When I make mac and cheese it's because I'm too lazy to really cook, and the mac and cheese is all I eat. This happens more often than I care to admit... *sigh*

Altogether, my family and I thoroughly enjoyed this sample box of goodies and I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to try all of this wonderful stuff! 

P.S. Earth Balance, I have one request - please offer the white cheddar mac and cheese in a gluten free option and I will be your best customer. Seriously, I will eat it every day! Thanks!

I Can Finally Eat Basil. Life is Good.

Look at those lovely, waxy leaves. They smell and taste as good as they look!

I have been waiting patiently for weeks and weeks to eat the fresh basil I planted in my garden. The crazy-deliciousness of fresh basil is just beyond compare. I've been regularly sniffing the leaves (I admit, I am a chronic leaf sniffer), my mouth watering, just hankerin' for the time I could snip off a few and put them on something - anything - edible, to throw it's flavor profile right out of the ballpark. Normally, my thoughts might hint toward spaghetti or whatever is saucy and of the Italian variety. But it's already blistering hot here in North Texas, so I'm trying to use the oven as little as possible.

Instead, I found some gorgeous tomatoes at Aldi, for super cheap. Big flavorful fatties in a four-pack, for a buck and some change. So, I sliced them up, spritzed them with a generous helping of balsamic vinegar, put a fresh basil leaf on each one, then topped them with a slice of cucumber and some black pepper. They were AMAZING! Light and full of the fresh flavors of summer. I am planning to serve these at every dinner party I throw from now until the end of time. Give it a try!

P.S. If you're not already growing your own basil, it's not too late!
Here's a great website with all the info you need to get growing.
http://www.growing-basil.org/

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Have You Had Your Kale Today?

Hey All!

So, here's the new deal with me... I'm re-designing my plant-based diet to exclude as much processed food as humanly possible, most importantly processed sugar, and I am striving to make each meal as nutrient-dense as I can. So, from here on out, the goal is to cram as many vitamins, minerals, grams of fiber, and phytochemicals as I can manage into as yummy a meal as I can possibly dream up. So, the days of white flour and sugar on the Bankrupt Vegan site are done. Jen needs to get healthy, lose weight, and get back on her feet! Yes, I'm referring to myself in the 3rd person - and, yeah, I know that's creepy. But, hey, Jen is glad you're here anyway.

According to the fantastic book, Super Immunity, written by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, "Green vegetables such as kale, cabbage, collards, and broccoli, plus some non-green vegetables such as cauliflower and turnips, are called 'cruciferous' vegetable. They are named for their flowers, which have four equally spaced petals in the shape of a cross - hence the Latin word crucifer, meaning 'cross-bearer.' All vegetables contain protective micronutrients and phytochemicals, but cruciferous vegetables have a unique chemical composition: they have sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for their pungent or bitter flavors. When their cell walls are broken by blending or chopping, a chemical reaction occurs that converts these sulfur-containing compounds into isothiocyanates (ITCs) - an array of compounds with proven and powerful immune-boosting effects and anticancer activity."  "Because different ITCs work in different locations in the cell, and on different molecules, they can have combined additive effects, working synergistically to remove carcinogens and kill cancer cells. Furthermore, some ITCs have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, or even immunologic effects."

Holy mackerel! Cruciferous vegetables are real nutrition champions! We should be bathing in them! Shooting them up! Snorting them!
Okay - I kid, I kid... but only about the weird stuff I said we should do with vegetables (unless you're into that sort of thing). The 'nutrition champions' part is 100% true.

So, what's your favorite cruci-veg? Mine's definitely kale. It's cheap to buy organic and it's easy to prepare.
I'm always looking for ways to get it down my family's gullets without any fussin'. The very best way I've found to do that is via the wondrous and magnificent kale chip.

I love you, kale chip.

It's so easy, my daughter can help me with the preparation 

(she's always more likely to eat anything she helps to make).

De-stalkin' those li'l buggers.

Tearing them into chip-sized pieces.

A lot of folks recommend using a dehydrator but, alas, I am too poor for one of those fancy contraptions. However, after a few years of kale chip experimentation, I think I have found a savvy and resourceful way to dry out the chips without too large a risk of burning them.
Try these bad boys on for size and tell me what you think:

1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn into bite-sized bits
A drizzle of olive oil, to taste (Don't over-do it! Just a couple of teaspoons or so will do)
Pinch of garlic powder
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of paprika, if you dare
1/4 to 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast, to taste (we like a LOT)

• Preheat oven to the "warm" setting, or to the lowest setting you can put it at. Around 200 degrees is fine. 
• Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and use either clean hands or a pair of salad tongs to stir everything together. Make sure all leaves are well-coated.
• Place on a large baking sheet with a light coating of oil or baking spray. You can also use a Sil-Pat, if you have one. That's what I use and it works great. If you don't have one, get one! It helps you to avoid adding extra oil to your baking sheet.
• Place in the oven and set your timer on one hour. After an hour, check your chips about every 15 minutes, giving the sheet a little shake or a stir with a spatula occasionally to make sure they are cooking evenly.When they start to crisp up, have a taste to make sure they are to your liking. It's hard to tell when their done just with visual cues. And once they're dried out, they will overcook and burn very easily. Keep a close eye on them!
• When the chips are done, all them to cool for just a few minutes, then enjoy! We love them plain, but they're also fantastic on salads.
• They will keep for weeks at room temperature in an airtight container.

Cranberry-Almond Kale Salad

I am always searching for more ways to cram kale into my diet. I love the stuff! And I always feel so great after I eat it - energized and... uh.. well, you know... "rollin' in the colon" and stuff. Hey, I just made up a new phrase! Rollin' in the colon. I like that.

1 bunch fresh kale, stalks removed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup, agave nectar, or sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, very finely grated (I use the little frozen squares)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries

• First, whisk together the following items in a large bowl: orange juice, apple cider vinegar, sweetener of your choice, soy sauce, and sesame oil. 
• Add the ginger and whisk again, until very well incorporated.
• Add the kale and use salad tongs or hands, or whatever you've got, to gently toss the kale in the dressing until every leaf if covered and dripping with good stuff.
• Now add your almonds and cranberries. Toss again.
• Enjoy!

And now I have a strange request for my readers...

PLEASE IDENTIFY THIS FRUIT FOR ME!!

I have a mystery tree growing my backyard. We've only lived here for a year, and all year long I've watched these weird little pink balls growing on the tree behind my bedroom window. Now they are falling off and I'm like, "Should I be roasting these or what?" I have no clue what they are. The little black thing on top reminds me of a persimmon, but I saw some persimmons at the grocery story recently and they were way bigger than what I have. So, I am flummoxed. Can anybody shed some light on this??

And, if you know what it is, can you also throw a recipe or two my way? The Bankrupt Vegan title is not just a clever moniker. If I have food growing in my backyard, I need to eat it!

Easiest-Ever Hummus Quesadillas

My allergies are really buggin' me today, so I was looking for something quick and easy to whip up that would still qualify as healthy. Well, thanks to yesterday's Hep Halloween Hummus post, I have an abundance of yummy hummus to smear on any thing that will hold it. Today that thing was a whole wheat tortilla. I was going to stop there, but I suddenly got inspired! I sprinkled on some Daiya Cheddar, then some salsa. Then I grilled it all up on a cast-iron griddle and topped with a blob of Tofutti Sour Cream. It was fantastic! Don't you just love it when that happens?

Here's what the construction-in-progress version of my quesadilla looked like...

And here's Lila, all dolled up in her Dorothy-from-Kansas Halloween costume (she's gonna have that thing worn out before Halloween even gets here), chowing down on her quesadilla...

And, listen folks, I apologize if you get tired of seeing pictures of my kid. I just feel the need to prove to skeptical parents that children will actually eat this stuff and really enjoy it! I can't tell you how many times I've heard parents say stuff like, "My so-and-so will only eat french fries," and "I can't get so-and-so to eat a vegetable to save my life." Lila loves french fries too, but she eats plenty of other, really healthy stuff to balance the occasional intake of fries. Kids will eat vegetables, and they don't even need to be drowned in Ranch dressing. I promise! Sometimes you just have to get creative. Boy, riding this high horse really makes my butt hurt...

 

Anyway, here's how to piece that bad boy quesadilla together:

2 whole wheat tortillas (or whatever your favorite is)

3 tablespoons your favorite hummus, or more to taste

2 tablespoons your favororite salsa, or more to taste

A generous sprinkling of shredded vegan cheddar cheese

A dollop of vegan sour cream

• Start your griddle heating up! I put mine on medium heat.
• Smear the hummus on one tortilla.
• Pile on cheese and salsa. You might want to use a spoon to spread the salsa around a bit.
• Place the other tortilla on top.
• Grill gently on a cast iron griddle or skillet. It doesn't take long, maybe just a minute on each side.
• Cut with a pizza cutter while still on the griddle.
• Place on a plate and top with vegan sour cream.
• Enjoy!

The Night Before Halloween

Wilton Haunted Manor Treat Stand

Halloween Skull & Crossbones Ice Cube Tray

Hep Halloween Hummus

What makes this hummus special for Halloween, you ask? There's a rubber finger in the bottom of the bowl! Mwa-hah-hahhhhh!!!

Can you tell we are big fans of Halloween at my house? Uhhh, yeah. That's an understatement. We *lurve* Halloween super hard! It's always been my favorite holiday, and I think that's partially because it comes at the advent of my favorite season, autumn. I just love everything about autumn! The colors, the pumpkin pastries, the smells, the lowering temperatures after another ass-hot Texas summer. It's great! Behold my current fireplace mantel decorations, a shrine to all things autumn.

Make this hummus for your next Halloween party, and don't forget the rubber finger!

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
1/4 cup tahini paste
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, minced
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce or liquid aminos
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste

• Throw everything into a food processor and whirl until smooth and creamy. 
• Enjoy!

P.S. For an even cheaper version of classic hummus, click HERE.

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Pico De Gallo with Zucchini

Well, it's time to use up the last of the summer zucchini, and I don't know about you guys but I cannot eat another bite of zucchini bread. I love the stuff, but there's only so much you can make and eat in one summer... 

Oh, who am I kidding? I can always eat another bite of zucchini bread! 

Really, I was just looking for a creative way to get my "zuke vites." That's what I call the vitamins from zucchini. This is a throwback from ten years ago when I worked at Starbucks and the button on the cash register for zucchini bread said simply, "ZUKE LOAF." So, my coworkers and I would quip, in a thick Italian accent, "You look thin! Come inta the kitchen and have some ah ya mutha's zuke loaf." It still makes me chuckle to say it. 

Anyway, try out this pico de gallo recipe. I literally never measure my ingredients when I make pico de gallo. I just start throwing stuff in and then I adjust the ingredients to taste. So, this recipe is really just a starting point. You will need to taste it a lot as you make it, and adjust as you go. If you're going to be eating it with tortilla chips (is there any other way??) then you will want to taste it with a chip as you make it. The salt from the chip is more than adequate to salt your pico, in my opinion. If you don't intend to eat it with chips, you might need a bit more salt.

8 to 12 Roma tomatoes, chopped

Half a white onion, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

A generous handful of fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Lime juice, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

• Toss everything into a bowl and stir. Easy peasy.
• I recommend covering with and airtight lid and allowing it to chill in the fridge for a few hours before eating. You don't have to do this, but I find that after it sits a while and the flavors mingle together, it tastes even more fantastic.
• Enjoy!

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Baked Butternut Squash Sticks

 HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Who says July 4th fare can't be healthy? A loaded veggie burger on a multigrain deli flat, butternut squash french "fries," and loads of fresh watermelon with blueberries and strawberries on the side, makes a great Independence Day meal without blowing your arteries out. That's how we do it!
Now I know you may be thinking, "Butternut squash fries?! Why, God, why???" But there is no need to consult your maker on this one. These baked "fries" are delicious, and abundantly nutritious. Plus, they're easy to make - and it's really fun to dig into a weird looking squash. For added chuckles, let your guests' kids spoon all the seeds out for you, and then chuck the gooey innards at their slightly-hammered parents. That's 4th of July in nutshell right there. Ahhh, sweet Americana... 

1 large butternut squash
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of chili powder
Dash of cayenne (optional)
Salt and black pepper, to taste

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Use a vegetable peeler to carefully peel the rind from the squash. Keep peeling until all the little green lines have disappeared.
• Cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a metal spoon to scoop out the seeds and all that other goopy stuff.
• Now, cut the neck off of the squash and cut large wedges, as equal in size as possible.
• You can do the same with the "bowls" of the squash or you can save those for another recipe. Stuffed butternut squash, anyone?
• Toss your wedges and spices into a large bowl that has a tight-fitting lid. 
• Secure the lid and shake the wedges around until they are all well-coated.
• Place in a single layer on a large, lightly-oiled baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the fries over, and bake another 10-15 minutes, until outside is crisp and inside is soft.
• Makes 4 servings.
• Enjoy!

Simple Mung Bean Sprouts

Can't you just sense the "healthy" in this bowl? My mom bought me a 3-tray seed sprouter for Christmas, and I've been sprouting mung beans and alfalfa seeds ever since! It's so nice to have fresh sprouts for salads and wraps, and now I'm branching out and experimenting with cooking the sprouts to add lots of crunchy nutrition to my foods.
This is a simple water-saute sprout recipe, perfect as a side to an Asian-inspired meal. Or pile it on top of rice and veggies for a complete entree! Either way, it's delicious and very healthy. Your body will thank you.
(A couple of friends hipped me to the water-saute, and it is saving me from so much fat in my meals! Thanks Molly and Katherine!) 
Give it a try...

1/4 cup water
2 cups mung bean sprouts, rinsed
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or preferred sweetener)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of salt
Splash of sesame oil (optional)

•  In a large skillet or saute pan, place the water and mung bean sprouts. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for a few minutes, until sprouts begin to soften slightly.
• Add remaining ingredients, saving sesame oil for last.
• Continue to cook over medium heat until more than half of the liquid at the bottom of the pan has cooked off. There will be a small amount of liquid left. Do not overcook. It only takes a few minutes. You don't want soggy sprouts!
• Cook until sprouts have softened, and soaked up some of your seasonings, but still retain their crunchy middles. Best to keep tasting them throughout the process.
• Makes one serving.
• Enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS:
Calories: 142.3 / Total Fat: 1.0g / Cholesterol: 0.0mg / Sodium: 1315.2mg / Potassium: 7.7mg / Total Carbohydrate: 26.5g (Dietary Fiber: 2.1g, Sugar: 15.2g) / Protein: 2.1g
VITAMINS:
(For fun, and to prove the nutritive value of this dish, I listed vitamins too!)
Vitamin A: 4.0%, Vitamin B-6: 1.0%, Vitamin C: 20.2%, Calcium: 4.1%, Copper: 0.1%, Iron: 8.1%, Magnesium: 0.1%, Manganese: 0.2%, Phosphorous: 0.3%, Riboflavin: 0.1%, Selenium: 0.4%, Thiamin: 0.2%. Zinc: 0.1%
Look at all that Vitamin C!

And, while I have you here, check out my little alfalfa garden. Isn't it cute? Yum!

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Simple Vegan Nachos to Daiya For!

I know, I know... We 'Bankrupt Vegans' can't afford Daiya cheese. And that hasn't changed. Daiya is expensive! Before today, I had never tried it. But, you will flip when I tell you that I found full-size bags of Daiya cheddar at the salvage store two days ago for one dollar each. One dollar! I bought ten bags! And I'm really glad I did because I fell in love with it at first bite.
Since that purchase, I have played with it non-stop. I've made no-turkey melts, chik'n nachos, and these delicious simple nachos that were soo, sooooo good. Now you might be saying, "Well, Jen, how on earth did you afford that fancy guacamole?" I'll tell ya! A few days ago, Kroger had organic Wholly Guacamole packs (normally around 5 dollars apiece) on a "Buy One, Get One Free" sale, and I had two different coupons for a dollar off, which I stacked to get two Wholly Guacamoles for only 3 bucks! Yep, we are livin' large at the Bankrupt Vegan house right now!
Make these super-easy nachos and see what I mean...

14 Baked Tostito's Scoops
1 white mushroom cap, sliced in thick pieces
1/4 cup Daiya cheddar
1/4 cup homemade or store-bought guacamole

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Put your Tostito's Scoops on a plate.
• Fill each Scoop evenly with Daiya cheddar. A little goes a long way, trust me!
• Put a slice of mushroom into each scoop, on top of the cheese.
• Bake for about five minutes, until the mushroom cap is nicely cooked and the cheese is melted.
• Remove from oven, and put a little pinch of guacamole into each Scoop.
• Makes one serving. 
• This is, obviously, a very versatile and easy recipe. To liven it up, add Gardein chick'n pieces, LightLife Mexican style crumbles, roasted veggies, pico de gallo, or just about anything else.
• Enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS (one serving):
Calories: 394 / Total Fat: 24.1g (Saturated Fat: 5.5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1.0g) / Cholesterol: 0mg / Sodium: 615.7mg / Potassium: 56.5mg / Total Carbohydrate: 38.6g (Dietary Fiber: 9.2g, Sugar: 0.3g) / Protein: 6.6g

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