Enough of the serious stuff for a moment -- time for some fun! Shmoo and I meet our homeschool friends each week at the community center for games and fun and momma chats. This week I wanted to pack something fun for shmoo and I to share with our friends.I made a batch of Nacho Cheese Dip and packed it in a warm thermos along with a big bag of organic corn chips for shmoo and his friends. I also packed a big batch of veggies for me (the kids were welcome to eat the veggies, too...but they didn't): lightly steamed cauliflower, baby carrots, jicama, celery, cherry tomatoes, and radishes.
I packed the veggies in a three-tier tiffin and left the third container empty. At lunchtime I poured the warm dip into the empty container to make it easier for dipping. I also packed some little fondue forks to make dipping the vegetables more fun.
Verdict: Everything tastes so good with this dip! I've been experimenting with the recipe and have discovered I can substitute canned white beans for the cashews to make the dish nut-free. I also like to add a bit of fresh salsa to the mix before I blend it, to add more flavor and a nice orange color. (Follow the link to the recipe and you'll see other people's variations, too.) James' best friend was hesitant to try the dip at first, but ended up coming back for more and then more. Can you believe I ate that much cauliflower?? 5 stars.
Your blog is such a treat--and one of the many things keeping me vegan. I'm transitioning, and started in November. I'm down to occasionally having eggs, but other than that (and a fried chicken lapse last week) I've been doing well.
ReplyDeleteMy health has rebounded amazingly, and mostly I think from getting the dairy out of my system. But also because junky snacks are taboo. Thanks for the recipes and ideas!
Yummy! I love nacho "cheese" dip, sound delicious!
ReplyDeleteYum! Doesn't get much better than that!
ReplyDelete@Mary
ReplyDeleteTransitioning away from dairy and eggs can be tricky. Giving up cheese was the hardest food for me. If you're planning on going entirely vegan, I urge you to familiarize yourself with other sources of vitamin b12 and omega-3 fatty acids.
I recently wrote a post at my blog regarding entirely vegan sources of omega-3. Check it out at http://www.7stalwarts.com/2009/02/17/5-vegetarian-sources-of-omega-3/
Cheers
Nothing more comforting than warm cheezy dip!
ReplyDeleteOoh, we just got a set of tiffin(s) -- what a great idea!
ReplyDeleteYour blog is so much fun. That nacho cheese dip looks so yummy!
ReplyDeleteI make queso quite often but we have been out of nutritional yeast for several months now. They just don't carry it in this country. Luckily my dad is bringing some over from Saudi tomorrow so it is back to mac and no cheese, queso and cheezy broccoli casserole! Yum!
A vegan friend turned me on to this nacho "cheese" dip recipe. Let me say that I loooove it. And this is coming from a lacto-ovo vegetarian with a severe cheese addiction. Everyone should try this! Nice to know I can substitute the cashews with white beans.
ReplyDeleteNiki
I love the idea of substituting white beans for the cashews, not just to help with allergies, but because they are so much more inexpensive than raw cashews! This sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteI love dipping veggies (and chips!) in cheezy sauce. Best snack of all time. I'll have to check out that recipe.
ReplyDeleteyumm yumm now thats a lunch!
ReplyDeleteWe love that nacho dip here. We've had it many times. My kids haven't gone beyond dipping carrots in it. The tortilla chips are definitely their favorite. Thanks for the tip on the salsa. I'll have to add some next time I make it.
ReplyDeleteThat dip sounds wonderful. I wish I could find the yeast in my parts but no such luck. If I ever do locate it I will most definately try out the dip maybe even full my kids with it.
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