Once you’ve made these, you’ll understand why it is completely necessary to call them “supreme.”

You want to hear something kind of crazy? This is the first time I’ve ever had nachos. Ever.

I fully realize what a complete oddball that makes me, but in my defense, even before I went vegan the sight/smell of “nacho” cheese has always been enough to keep me far, far away. It grosses me out on a level I can’t even describe. I will actually get up and move if someone sits down somewhere close to me with a container of nachos, it’s that serious.

However, when I saw this post from Kathy Patalsky last week in advance of Cinco de Mayo, I thought, “now these are nachos I can get DOWN with!” I whipped them up last night – making way too much for a solo meal – and actually had to throw them away to make myself stop eating. It was a little ridiculous.

Anyway, I can’t wait to make these again sometime when my husband is home. Taking a cue from Kathy and using a metal pie plate makes a perfectly sized serving for two. Of course, the beauty of something like this is that you can pretty much do whatever you want, but my ingredients list below can be used as a good starting place. Enjoy!

Vegan Nachos Supreme

Ingredients

Tortilla chips
1 small jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
Daiya Pepperjack cheese, to taste
1-2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 avocado, diced
Red onion, diced small, to taste
Black beans, to taste
1/3 package Tofurky Chorizo Style
1/2 recipe, Lime Cream
Fresh cilantro, chopped, to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Spread a single layer of chips into a metal pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese and jalapenos. Repeat once more
• Bake layered chips, cheese and jalapenos for 10 min.
• Meanwhile, heat beans and prepare meatless ground
• Remove chips from oven and layer beans, meatless ground, tomatoes, avocado, drizzled lime cream, red onions and cilantro to serve

Yield: Serves 2

This recipe is one of my favorite party snacks and one that I’ve relied on pretty regularly over the past several years. It’s also a crowd pleaser – once people get past the fact that it looks a little frightening. I got around that this past weekend by sprinkling diced red bell peppers over the top before serving and it really, really helped. I’d highly recommend doing the same when you serve this.

Vegan Black Bean Dip
Recipe courtesy of Epicurious

Ingredients

1 medium red onion, chopped
2 (15-16 oz. cans) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs fresh lime juice
1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/8 cup red bell pepper, diced (optional)

Tortilla chips and assorted cut-up raw veggies

Directions

• In a blender or food processor, puree the beans, red onion, vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, oil, garlic and cumin
• Transfer the dip to a bowl, add salt and pepper
• Sprinkle with red bell pepper and serve with chips and veggies

Yield: Serves 8-10

This time of year it’s highly likely that you’ll find yourself playing hostess for a holiday party or two (or three!).  Even though it’s super fun, we all know holiday entertaining can be a stressful concept any way you slice it. When you throw in the fact that you’re a vegan and the majority (or in my case, all) of your guests are omnis, it can make menu planning for a crowd seem even more challenging.

The good news is, it doesn’t have to be! Relying on some of your favorite everyday recipes, thumbing through your cookbooks and spending a little time perusing recipes online are all surefire ways to net yourself tons of fantastic ideas that will please any crowd.

To get you started, here’s my menu from a casual afternoon gathering I hosted this weekend for my mom and a small group of her friends. By sticking to familiar recipes and keeping things simple, I was able to pull off a successful holiday shindig for ten. The food got rave reviews and I know they weren’t just being polite because they ate every last bit (I almost didn’t even get to try the Bruschetta)!

Holiday Party Menu

Finger Foods:

Bruschetta with Tomato & Basil
Spicy Mixed Nuts
Black Bean Dip with Chips & Fresh Veggies

Entree

Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato & Vegetable Soup

Dessert

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Snickerdoodles

Beverages

Water
Iced Tea
Pomegranate-Champagne Punch

A few of these recipes have already been featured on the blog. Over the next several days, I’ll be posting the rest. Let me know if you need one in a hurry though. I’ll send it your way!

No, that’s not a typo.  This is (another) recipe I picked up a bit ago from one of the blogs I read. Meant as a lower fat/cal stand-in for guacamole, this recipe replaces the avocado with edamame.

I’ve got to say, given the choice between this and guac, I choose guac. At the same time though, I tend to get carried away with guacamole (and even though it’s healthy fat, it’s still a lot!). So, if you want a similar taste and a bigger portion, edamole is a great alternative to throw in the mix now and then.

Edamole
Recipe Courtesy of FitSugar

Ingredients

3/4 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
3 tbs water
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce (we used Cholula)
1 garlic clove, halved
2-3 tbs mild Pico de Gallo, to taste

Directions

• Combine all ingredients except for the Pico in a food processor until smooth
• Add 1-2 tbs of Pico and stir gently
• Top with another tbs of Pico and serve with chips or veggies

Always a crowd pleaser, this recipe is one of my faves for parties, holidays, trivia nights, etc. It comes from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, the absolute most hilarious cookbook you’ll ever read, which also happens to be packed with a wide variety of tasty vegan stuff!

The heat of these nuts is perfectly complemented by the sweetness. If you’re not big on spice though, keep your distance. They do have a kick!

In the book, the bitches leave specific instructions not to eat the entire batch in one sitting. They ain’t kiddin’. I’ll take it one step further and challenge you to eat just one. I am confident you will not succeed.

Vegan Spicy Mixed Nuts
Recipe Courtesy of Skinny Bitch in the Kitch

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer
2 tbs warm water
1 lb roasted, salted mixed nuts
1/3 cup evaporated cane sugar
2 tsp kosher or other coarse salt
1 1/2 tsp cayenne powder

Directions

• Preheat oven to 250° F
• In a medium bowl, whisk the egg replacer and water until foamy. Add the nuts and toss to coat. Transfer the nuts to a strainer and let drain for at least 2 minutes
• Meanwhile, wipe out the bowl and combine the sugar, salt and cayenne. Add the nuts, tossing to coat. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes
• Stir with a spatula and spread the nuts out again. Reduce the oven to 200°F and bake another 30 minutes, or until dry
• The nuts will crisp as they cool to room temperature
• Thoroughly cooled, they can be stored for up to one week in an airtight container

Note:I use a premium mixed nuts mix from Whole Foods when I make this. It’s almonds, cashews, pecans, brazil nuts and hazelnuts. It makes for a really pretty mix…but we always find ourselves picking out the cashews and pecans. The next time I make this, I may just buy 1/2 lb of each of those and go all in. Use whatever you like best!

I was originally planning to make these little gems as a Superbowl snack. However, my husband and I stuffed ourselves so completely with burritos at the beginning of the game that we couldn’t handle anything else! I finally took a crack at these when I made the soup I posted the other day and found them to be pretty good little appetizers. If you’re hosting an Oscar party this weekend, these would be an excellent choice!

Best thing about this recipe: it’s wicked fast and easy. Enjoy!

Margherita Polenta Pizzas
Recipe inspired by FitSugar

Ingredients

1 tube of Quinoa Polenta
3 Roma Tomatoes
2/3 cup Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds
Fresh Basil Leaves
Olive Oil (to coat pan or griddle)

Directions

1. Cut the polenta into 1/4 inch slices
2. Coat a pan or griddle with olive oil and heat on low
3. Place the polenta in the pan or griddle and cook each side until lightly browned (about 5 min, each side)
4. Turn the oven on to 350° F
5. Slice the tomatoes
6. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and place the polenta on the sheet. Top each piece with a slice of tomato and cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted
7. Top each pizza with a fresh basil leaf and serve (Feel free to add basil before baking, if you prefer)