Everyone loves nachos, but they're not always the healthiest or most filling of foods, plus, the gooey, messy toppings are undoubtedly what make or break nachos, so I thought, why not swap out tortilla chips for some spicy sweet potato fries instead? The result is Tex Mex loaded sweet potato fries - seasoned fries topped with vegan cheese, guacamole, cashew sour cream, beans, onion and corn. So amazingly delicious and incredibly messy too!
I coated the fries in a mix of smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano and cayenne pepper, for a sort of taco flavour, but if you don't have all of the spices to hand, then you can use a shop bought taco seasoning instead. The benefit of spicing them yourself however, is that you won't have all the added sugar and salt that may be in packaged spice mixes and you also get to decide how spicy you make your fries.
The best thing about using sweet potato fries is that it makes it more of a meal than just a snack and is perfect for sharing with friends (not that you'll want to!). Despite being loaded with an array of toppings, this Tex-Mex-inspired dish is actually pretty healthy - loaded with veggies and good fats from the avocado and cashew nuts.
This dish is rich in vitamin A, C and manganese from the sweet potatoes, iron, fibre and protein from the beans, vitamin K, folate and vitamin B5 from the avocado, zinc, copper and phosphorus from the cashew nuts, plus many other vitamins and minerals - so whilst this may seem like indulgent comfort food - it's actually super charged with nutrients. Although, containing a few different fat sources does make it higher in energy - so whilst good for you, it's not necessarily every-day food!
You'll need
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Large baking tray
- Measuring spoons
- Blender
- Grease-proof paper
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Fries- 3 large sweet potatoes
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Pinch black pepper
- Splash olive oil
- 1 large avocado
- 1 large tomato
- Juice 1/2 lime
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Salt + pepper
- 1/3 cup cashew nuts
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup water
- Pinch salt
- 100g vegan cheese
- 1 can black eyed beans
- 1/4 red onion
- 1/2 cup sweetcorn
- Jalapenos (optional)
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and line a large baking tray with grease-proof paper. Wash the potatoes, chop into thin fries and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Season with a splash of olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper, mix until fully combined and spread out on the baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes, mixing the fries up half way through the cooking time.
- Meanwhile make the cashew sour cream by blending together all the ingredients until smooth and place to one side for later. To make the guacamole, dice a tomato and mash together with the avocado, lime juice, cayenne pepper, coriander and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then grate the cheese, drain the beans, and dice the onion.
- After 30 minutes, remove the fries from the oven and then arrange the fries in the centre of the baking tray so there are no gaps between them. Top with the beans, sweetcorn and grated cheese and bake for a further 10 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the cheesy fries to a serving dish and top with the red onion, sour cream and guacamole. Serve up and enjoy!
Cassidy xx
 |
| Pin this |
