Fully Loaded Nachos

Nachos - one of those dishes you only get at a restaurant? Think again my friends! Nachos are easy peasy at home, it's just all about the fixin's...and lots of cheese!!!

The trick to great nachos at home is more cheese than you want to admit to putting in a dish, but I believe it is counter balanced by the "salad" on top. So think of this as a once in a while indulgence, not a dish to put in your bi-weekly rotation.

As with any dish, the better your ingredients, the better the end result. Do buy high quality tortilla chips - thin, organic - not rounds that are more salt than corn. Fresh avocados, tomatoes, cilantro and red onions are also on my must list. This is one of the few dishes that I reach for canned black olives and not the more pungent kalamata or briny green olives. If you like spice, get some pickled jalapeno slices and serve them on the side if all your eaters don't want some fire in their mouth. Personalize it, they're your nachos!

Oyster Mushroom Po'Boy Sandwich

Oyster mushrooms are one of those exotic fungi that I usually toss together with other plebian mushrooms because I don't know anything else to do with them. All that changes with this po'boy - crispy oven toasted mushrooms with lettuce and a spicy aioli sauce. I may never be the same again!

Growing like shingles from a main stem, oyster mushrooms are gorgeous to look at and even more delicious to eat. Sure you can toss them in a stir-fry, but this recipe looks decadent and really isn't, as long as you don't bathe the bread in the aioli!

While this version is vegetarian, using cheese and eggs in the batter and breading, you can easily veganize it by using nutritional yeast in the breading instead of Asiago cheese and egg replacer or a slurry of ground flax seeds for the eggs. Vegan aioli is easy to duplicate if you add pressed garlic to vegannaise. I added a few drops of my favorite hot sauce but that's up to you.

Sweet Potato Latkes

Sweet potatoes are one of those powerhouse vegetables that I am often stumped about how to incorporate into a dish. There's sweet potato fries - oven baked to goodness - but my attempts have been less than encouraging. And sweet potato stew with peanut butter and cilantro inspired by African nut stews are also good. But I finally found my favorite (and quickest!) way to prepare sweet potatoes, latkes.

Latkes are simply potato pancakes - grated potatoes with some added flavors, pan fried to crisp golden deliciousness! While I love latkes made with russet potatoes, sweet potato latkes are even better because you don't have to squeeze the moisture out of them as is necessary with latkes made with russets. Whoo hoo for simple!

In this version I added some feta cheese, capers and parsley and the were quite a hit with adults and teenagers alike. But you can make them sweeter - diced apple, chopped walnuts, chevre - would make a great combo as well. Be creative!

Sweet Spicy Chai (vegan and dairy versions)

Chai - the word in Hindi for tea - is of course a lot more than just tea. It is the perfect blend of spicy, creamy, sweet liquid goodness; at least in my opinion. And each cook makes it differently.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of teaching some pretty special high school students how to make chai. And while they were very savvy about spices, cardamom had them stumped. It's one of my favorite spices in the world, and most chai recipes include it an essential element. 

This is my take on Chai, including variations for vegan Chai as well. Feel free to adjust it to your own tastes, but I highly recommend keeping in the fennel, peppercorns and cardamom for balance. Even one of the students who was very convinced that black peppercorns had no place in her sweet chai agreed that this blend was one of the best she had tasted.

While a mortar and pestal is not essential for making chai - you can grind the spices in a grinder - I prefer the traditional method that leaves them cracked and slightly whole. I also highly recommend buying a bamboo strainer if you think you might make a habit out of chai making.

The recipe below is for a single serving of 8 ounces of chai (small coffee cup), so double, triple, quadruple, etc. to tailor your needs. But please trust me on the vegan version; boiled non-dairy milks of any kind will NOT be tasty!

Raw Key Lime Pie

Raw, vegan key lime pie... sounds impossible, right? But it's real, it's easy, and oh so delicious!

The secret to most raw desserts is soaking cashews. They plump up like raisins and blend into pure creamy almost cheesey goodness. And while they still have a high calorie count, those aren't empty calories; they're full of fatty acids, several vitamin Bs, and electrolytes like potassium, magnesium and manganese. For myself, anything key lime and I'm sold!

Another benefit of this dessert is it is gluten free, made with a walnut, almond and date crust. You can use all walnuts or all almonds, depending on your preference. And when it comes to the tartness of the pie, add more or less sweetner to taste, keeping in mind that the flavor will mellow over time.

Olive, Sundried Tomato and Artichoke Monte Cristo

I find it so fascinating that I have been cooking for over 25 years and never had a Monte Cristo sandwich until now. I didn't even know what it was! Of course once it was explained to me as French Toast with lots of decadence sandwiched between, I immediately had to give it a try.

This is definitely brunch fare, very rich and delicious, and not for any of you who are dieting or worrying about your cholesterol! However, it's a wonderful treat and I highly recommend playing around with the fillings to suit your tastes.

The authentic Monte Cristo Sandwich is gouda and turkey filled French Toast, but wanting a vegetarian version, here's what I created: Greek yogurt, chevre, olives, sundried tomatoes, basil and marinated artichoke hearts. It's a party in  your mouth!