Nachos Supreme

This is a recipe Rach and I used to make with ground beef.  We have converted it to a vegetarian meal.  The picture shown is half the recipe since it was just the two of us having it for dinner tonight.  The complete recipe feeds a group and is great at a party.

You will need:

• 1 can of black beans
• 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers
• 1 red pepper
• 1 white onion
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of chili power
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• taco sauce
• salsa
• 1 cup of TVP (Textured Vegetable Protien)
• iceburg lettuce
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tubs of light cream cheese
• 1 package of taco seasoning
• vegetable oil
• nacho chips

Marinate the black beans:

Rinse the black beans and put into a bowl.  Use a fork to mash some of the beans so the marinade really soaks into them.  Mix together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of cumin and 2 teaspoons of chili power and one clove of garlic, chopped.  Stir into beans and let them sit for about half an hour. 

Prepare the TVP:

A word about TVP....this is dehydrated soy granules and has to be re-hydrated.  Once done, it has a similar consistency of ground beef. TVP is gluten-free.  I buy it at No Frills or any health food store would have it.

To cook TVP, I use my microwave rice cooker (a pan on the stove will work fine as well).  This smells really awful when cooking, but that is short-lived.  For 1 cup of TVP, add 1 cup of water. I microwave for 2 minutes, and fluff with a fork when done.

Prepare the spice mixture:

In vegetable oil, saute chopped onion, chopped red pepper and chopped jalapeno.  If you want more heat, leave the seeds and membrane in the the jalapeno, if you want less remove them.

Once vegetables are softened add the taco seasoning.  Old El Paso taco seasoning is gluten-free.  I usually add some water at this point, about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup, and let it reduce down.  With some liquid remaining, add the cooked TVP and black bean mixture.  I add about half a jar of taco sauce and bring this to a boil so it is nice and hot.

Assembly:

Spread light cream cheese on a large plate or platter.  Light cream cheese works best as it is softer and spreads easier (not to mention, less fat). You don't want a thick layer of cream cheese - generous, but not thick.

Spoon the hot TVP/veggie mixture over the cream cheese so it is totally covered.

The next layer is about 2 cups of chopped iceberg lettuce.  Then layer with about 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.  You could also add chopped tomato or chopped green onion at this point as well if you like.  Then top it off with some salsa (not too much).  Serve immediately with nacho chips for dipping.  There you have it.  Enjoy!