THE BEST DAMN NACHOS YOU EVER HAD! FEATURING DAIYA FOODS

I know, I know that is a pretty ridiculously bold statement to proclaim but what can I say. I am pretty impressed with myself on this one.

LOLZ. Gosh could I be less humble?

In all seriousness though, the first time I made these I was literally pulling together the "random" ingredients left in my fridge before I really had to go shopping.

Lentils, cauliflower, Daiya cheese, and chips were pretty much what was left and I figured I'd try my hand at nachos.

Funny how when we have a small box to work within (random ingredients), we really expand outside of it with our creativity and end up with a delicious unexpected recipe.

Of course I used my go-to vegan dairy-free cheese Daiya-Foods. They have two new flavors for their slices, Mozzarella and Smoked Gouda, both of which I used in this recipe and are really freaking good!

Ingredients:

Oil for roasting and sauteing

1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into bite size florets

1 small onion, diced

1 3/4 cups cooked lentils

2 handfuls kale, chopped into bite sized pieces

2-3 tsp cumin, divided

2-3 tsp garlic powder, divided

2 tsp chili powder, divided

pinch of cayenne

2-3 tbsp garlic sauce,*see note

pink salt & pepper to taste

4-6 slices of Daiya Cheese Style slices, I used half Mozzarella and half Smoked Gouda

chips

Toppings:

cilantro

green onion

hot sauce

avocado

crushed red pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 F

On a large baking sheet, lay out the cauliflower and toss with some oil, I used coconut. Then add half of the seasonings, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and cayenne. Season with some salt and pepper. Toss well to evenly coat and then roast in the over for 5-6 minutes until crispy and brown on one side.

In a large skillet, melt oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and saute, seasoning with salt and pepper for 3-4 minutes. Then add in the cooked lentils and kale and mix well for one minute. Lower the heat to lower and add in the remaining half of the seasonings. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and then turn off the heat. Set aside

Pull out the cauliflower once cooked and transfer to a bowl. Add in the garlic sauce and mix well to evenly coat. Set aside.

Lower the oven to 375 F

Using the same baking sheet, lay out chips generously to cover the entire tray. Then rip up the cheese slices using your hands and spread them out evenly to cover the chips. Place in the oven for 5-6 minutes. See picture below to see about how much cheese to chip ratio I used.

Take out the chips, layer on the lentils and cauliflower and then put back in the oven to warm up for 2-3 minutes.

Take out and add your desired toppings, including cilantro, green onion, hot sauce and avocado.

Serve immediately.

*NOTES:

For the garlic sauce, I used Trader Joe's store bought brand. Majestic also has a great option that you can find at most health food stores, or I found this recipe online you can use. I do not recommend skipping the garlic sauce it really makes this recipe burst with flavor.