nachos, rethunk

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Little black beans were soaking overnight, waiting to take a plunge in a bubbling pot of water. 

However, no recipes were on the brain.  I just like to have a fridge stocked with fresh beans.  Don’t you?

So, what to do with these beans?

I had no intention of making nachos.  It just never occurs to me to make nachos at home.  Why, why, whyyy not??

Once the thought of nachos entered my head, I just couldn’t shake it.  With no corn tortillas or tortilla chips in the house, I was forced into making my own.  This sounded labor intensive.  The exact opposite of what I wanted.

Google search #27 of the morning and counting: “corn tortilla recipe”

masa harina + water + salt

Seriously.  That is all you need.

Why, why, whyyy have I not made these before??  A slightly soft center, surrounded by crispy, corn flavored jagged edges, dusted with sea salt.  Perfectly imperfect. 

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To play into the “nachos, rethunk” title, besides making my own chips, I also made a simple cashew sauce that rivals melted cheddar cheese.  Or maybe it’s been too long since I’ve had a plate full of melted cheddar cheese nachos?

Either way, this sauce made the dish come alive.

It’s not cheese.

Or cheese like. 

It’s just…really tasty.

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Do black beans typically fall on your nacho plate?

They definitely fall on mine, and turn a side dish into a meal.   

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Instead of guacamole, cubed avocado works just as well.  Okay, nothing beats a good batch of guac, but that involves more time + 4 more ingredients.  I’ll leave the guac making to Kelsey + Chipotle. 

Camera 1

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or…camera 2?  Leaning towards 2.

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For a corn tortilla recipe, check here.  Or, if you have Bob’s Red Mill Masa Harina, there is one right on the package!  I added salt to my dough and squeezed a little lime over them after cooking and topped with another sprinkle of salt.  I cooked mine in a pan with sunflower oil, then cut them into chip shape after cooking.

Layered Nachos

  • corn tortillas, toasted + cut into chips
  • black beans
  • cubed avocado
  • salsa
  • cashew cream sauce
  • repeat!

Cashew Cream Sauce

  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1/4 – 2/3 cup water
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1-2 pinches cayenne [optional]
  1. Soak cashews in a bowl of water overnight, or for at least 4hrs.
  2. Drain + rinse and add to your blender with 1/4 cup of water and all of the spices.
  3. Blend until smooth, adding more water until desired consistency is met.

For a nacho cheezier cashew sauce, check these out these tworecipes.

Much more fun than tacos, wouldn’t you say? 

I inhaled this plate for the 2nd half of my lunch and enjoyed a much larger stack for dinner.

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Pretty dang simple.

And pretty dang delicious.

Ashley

Very excited to mention that The Edible Perspective made Greatist’s list of Must Read Health & Fitness Blogs for 2012!  I’m thrilled to be part of this list, along with so many other amazing bloggers.  Thanks to all of you for your continued support + readership!