Happy World Vegan Day!!! (and some vegan queso)

I'm sure you've all heard of Nacho Mom's Vegan Queso by now.  It's amazing stuff. I just can't tell you how much I love it.  And since it's not yet available down here in stores, I had to come up with my own recipe temporarily. Don't worry, it certainly doesn't replace that delicious thick sauce in the jar. But I think it's pretty darn good :) Anyway, I'll get to that later....

This week's market produce: cucumbers, sweet potatoes, bay leaves, kale, zucchini, yellow squash, green onions, satsumas, turnips, spinach, green beans, mixed greens, and cremini mushrooms.

Made some eggplant caponata today with eggplant my friends, Yuki & Doug, gave us. Served it over leftover brown rice with some Parma Zaan (love the stuff) sprinkled on top! Yum.

And here it is, my little recipe for Cheeezy Sauce (new and improved):

2/3 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup whole wheat flour 

1/2 large tomato, chopped

2 TB dried jalapenos (1 TB if you only want it slightly spicy)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Creole Seasoning

2 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp Tomato Powder (optional, but gives a good flavor and added color)

salt to taste

Mix the dry ingredients in a small pot (except the salt & jalapenos).  Add 1 cup water and whisk well so there are no lumps.  Turn heat on medium-low.  Slowly whisk in the rest of the water.  It will take a little while for the mixture to start slowly boiling.  When it thickens some, stir in the tomatoes and jalapenos and continue to stir for another few minutes. When it reaches your desired thickness, it's done. Now add in your salt to taste!  *mixture will thicken overnight in the refrigerator, so it will be even thicker the next day.(PS-it's quite spicy. Halve the jalapenos or leave them out entirely if you don't do spicy.) The key is almost constant stirring, so there are no lumps. Start with a whisk and after adding the tomatoes, use a spoon and make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot as you stir.

I hope you enjoy it.....I did.  It's not Nacho Mom's, but it's tasty nonetheless.

Happy World Vegan Day :)

Just returned from tasting several Belgian beers....I do love a good sour ale.

Eat smart,

T.