Butternut Nachos with Chorizo Nut Crumbles

Check out our own Tracy's Real Foods Sunny Queso Sauce based on Sunflower Seeds, Potatoes and Carrots! 

Here's the VIDEO of me demoing these recipes LIVE for Veguary's LIVE SAUCY series! 

Butternut Nachos with Chorizo Nut Crumbles

This recipe is just ONE way to use this versatile sauce! It’s so yummy! Use it on Quinoa Black Bean Taco Bowls (pictured - top it as you like!) , or as a dip for veggies. Yum yum! 

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 cups total) 

1 cup raw walnuts or pecans, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons + more low-sodium vegetable broth

½ - 1 tablespoon Mexican Spice Mix (or to taste - recipe below)

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

2 tablespoons rolled oats

1 cup hot water

¼ cup nutritional yeast

¼ - 1 teaspoon chipotle powder

Juice of ½ lime (about 1 tablespoon)

½ teaspoon salt

Baked Tortilla Strips (recipe below)

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Place the nuts in a small bowl and pour boiling water over them to allow them to soak for about 10 minutes.
3. Cut the squash in ½. To make cutting the squash a bit easier, you can peel a strip of the skin off opposite sides and cut through the softer portion. Scoop out the seeds and place it cut sides down on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and cook for about 30 minutes until knife tender
4. While the squash is cooking, drain the water off the nuts and heat the vegetable broth in a skillet, then add the nuts and sauté a few minutes then add the tomato paste and the spice mix and continue to sauté on low until the nuts are heated, adding more broth as needed to coat the nuts. Set aside.
5. When the squash is done, allow it to cool until easier to handle, then scoop out the squash into a blender along with the water, oats, seeds, nutritional yeast, salt, lime juice and chipotle powder. Process until smooth.
6. Lay the chips on a plate or shallow bowl and top with the sauce then sprinkle on the crumbles. Add any other toppings you might enjoy like black beans, pico de gallo or cilantro. Enjoy!

CHEF’S NOTES:

1. You can leave out the chipotle powder for a plain cheesy sauce.
2. You can replace the water/oats/hemp seeds with an unsweetened dairy alternative like oat or soymilk.
3. You can substitute steamed, unpeeled yams (about 2 cups) for the butternut squash! Yams are a little sweeter and less watery so you can compensate with a little more water and spices to balance the sweetness.

Mexican Spice Mix

1 Tablespoon each: cumin, oregano or Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, turmeric, chili powder, smoked paprika.

¼ cup nutritional yeast

Black pepper & Chili Lime Spice (Trader Joe’s – optional) to taste

1. Mix the spices together and store in a closed jar – marked “Mexican Spice Mix

CHEF’S NOTE: Add salt to taste.

BAKED Tortilla Chips

3 corn tortillas, cut into strips or chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and arrange the chips onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Don’t allow them to overlap.

2. Bake for 10 minutes. If they’re not crisp, flip them over and bake for about 3 minutes longer, but watch for burning.

CHEF’S NOTE: The size of your strips/chips and the thickness of the  tortillas, determines cooking time.