VEGETARIAN ESCAPADES: THE BEGINNING

The first meal I made when I started cutting meat out of my diet was a mixture of black beans, corn, tomatoes, quinoa, and enchilada sauce. I was trying to prove to P that it was possible to get full without meat as part of the diet.

All of It - Vegetarian Nachos with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

I used a pre-made, packaged enchilada sauce. It was super easy and very filling! Then I realized I could make my own enchilada sauce, and it was EVEN BETTER.

Homemade enchilada sauce is full of flavor. In this recipe, the spices are mixed with flour, which thickens a sauce. Toasting the spices brings out their flavor and adds a delicious smokey flavor to the sauce. (Side note: toasting whole spices, before they're ground, and then grinding them is the ultimate way to get the best flavor)

I served the homemade enchilada sauce with lentils and barley at our Christmas party this year. I've said it before, but one thing that gives me great joy, is tricking people into thinking there is meat in something. Two meat eating males thought there was definitely meat in this mixture. MU AH AH AH! THERE ISN'T!

All of It - Vegetarian Lentil Barley Nachos with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

BARLEY: DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS

One day, I ran out of quinoa, so I used barley and it turns out, its the perfect marriage. The hearty barley and slight mushiness of cooked lentils definitely mimics a ground meat type of texture.

If you've never used hulled barley, you should definitely give it a try! Nutritionally speaking, hulled barley is a little bit more dense than brown rice, with higher values of protein, fiber, and carbohydrates. It also contains more iron, which is something I'm always looking for!

Hulled Barley(100 g or 3.5 oz) Brown Rice (100 g or 3.5 oz)

Protein: 12 g                                                          Protein: 2 g
Fiber: 17 g                                                              Fiber 2 g
Carbohydrates: 73 g                                            Carbohydrates: 25 g

This recipe is pretty darn easy! You add all the ingredients to a pot and cook for 30 - 40 minutes. Then you spoon onto nachos, add sweet potatoes and cheese, and pop those nachos into the oven. Add avocado before serving, and you're good to go!! Be sure to use Late July's Blue Corn Cantina Dippers. Its like they were born specifically to be part of a nacho plate, you get every nacho topping in each bite.

I heard there is a HUGE ping pong championship tomorrow night!!! This might be the most perfect thing to serve at your Super Plate event!!

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think! Make sure you're following me on Instagram @corrielanderson, post a photo of your beautiful creation, tag me, and use #itsallofit!

Vegetarian Nachos with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Recipe Author: Corrie Anderson
Recipe Type: Vegetarian, Dinner, Snack
Serves: 6 - 8

3 tablespoons brown rice flour (all-purpose flour)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1/2 tsp fresh)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 kosher salt
pinch of cinnamon and ground cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste*
4 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 cup sprouted lentils
3/4 cups hulled barley or brown rice
1/2 cup quinoa
2 medium sweet potatoes, roasted
1 bag Late July Cantina Dippers, Blue Corn
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1 avocado, diced
1 lime

Be sure to rinse lentils, barley, and quinoa before starting! Add brown rice flour (or all-purpose), chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, and salt to a small bowl and stir. Add to a medium pot over medium heat and stir. Cook until mixture is fragrant, DO NOT LEAVE unattended, you do not want to burn the spices. Next add olive oil and tomato paste. Stir until spices, oil, and tomato paste are well mixed, cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Then add vegetable stock, followed by lentils, barley, quinoa, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 30 - 40 minutes. Be sure to stir mixture every so often. Cook until moisture has been absorbed. If moisture is absorbed before lentils/barley/quinoa are done cooking, add vegetable stock or water in small amounts.
To make the nachos, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare pan with parchment paper. Add chips to pan, spoon enchilada mixture over chips. Make sure the lentils mixture is hot before backing nachos! Sprinkle sweet potatoes over chips, and then add shredded cheese. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted! Add avocado and drizzle with fresh lime juice before serving!!

*If you don't have tomato paste, you can substitute diced or crushed tomatoes. Strain them before adding!