Veganmofo: Staples 3! Spiced Peanuts

Another shared recipe from friends of the family, this one has earned a place in the time honoured Zodiac Cook Book my mother's had longer than I've been alive.

Remember those talent friends? Well there are actually two sets of them, each with their own talents and trade secrets. One of which I'm about to share.

Carol's Spiced Peanuts

Insert Nuts Joke Here

These tasty little numbers are busted out every craps game or social gathering. Think of them like a tastier version of bar nuts. The kind of thing you can always expect to walk away with a jar of whenever you visit.

They make great snacks, to pick you up when you are helping someone move and they make adorable house warming presents.

Late night snacks or any other occasion.

Roast up a batch and pour them into an empty glass jar they'll be ready to go anywhere you go. I'm not sure exactly how long they keep, sealed I've had them for a few weeks but they don't usually last past that before my roommate eats them all. I like to up the salt, but honestly they don't need it.

So simple, you'll wonder why you never made them before.

Veganmofo: The Vegan Nacho

Heartwood vegan nachos with seasonal beet salsa!
Originally uploaded by B_A_Dxxx88

Maybe I'm just a bit of a nacho fiend, but down to the simplist corn chips and dip, to the white-trashy toffuties cheese slice, green onions and bacon bits, to the fancy restaurant styled cheese sauce, sauted veggies and freshly made salsa. I cannot get enough of these things.

One of the worst and most common cravings I get are for nachos. My Flicker account has seen it's fair share.. So let's explore some of the resent styles.

Heartwood vegan nachos with seasonal beet salsa!
The high class organic restaurant nacho: Uses seasonal ingredients, homemade vegan sour cream, fresh cheeze sauce (white and herbed), chunks of veggies baked together so the cheese sauce hardens giving it the combined velvet texture of smooth, creamy sauce and baked chew of cheeze products. The salsas and condiment (tofu based) are freshly made to order with local ingredients and fresh cilantro, but not to much avoiding the soapy taste. Perfection. These my friends are high class nachos.
With the surprising addition of beets and fresh grated carrot. No beans and we didn't get guac yet somehow the magic persists. The mound of tofu creme wit fresh dill was fantastic and flavoury.


The White-Trash:Cheap commercial cheese melted in the microwave with stimulated bacon bits and jarred salsa. Affordable, greasy and best consumed with horror movies and pepsi.

The Homemade-Effort or Dinner Nacho:
unlike it's trashy counter part, this made at home duo is hearty and meal like. Suited for superbowl parties or weeknight dinners. This is a simply veggie ground, cooked with veggies, cumin, onions, black beans and salsa until heated and done. Topped with more salsa and toss of nooch or vegan cheese. Served in a bowl and scooped with chips.
This could only be improved with a tofu cream sauce or dollop of lovely guac.

The Retro Night Nacho:
Oven Baked, raw onions, mashed beans-a-la-50's-can. These are pipping hot, filling, greasy and arguably your getting the best of various worlds here. You have some nutrition, no greens, and the salty-greasy-gotta-have-nacho feeling.

Bonus points for 50's inspired pyrex baking dishes and thawing out the salsa you made and froze last summer. Pickled jalapeño slices and you'll be in heaven.