Ballpark Nachos - Vegan and Loving It!

A recipe perfect for those nostalgic for junk food, specifically, the sort of cardboard container nachos beloved by kids of all ages and typically served at ball parks, movie theaters and um, gas stations. Today however that Day-Glo orange sauce is both vegan AND nutritious. If you love it, the "cheese" sauce will certainly find its way all over your menus; try it over baked potatoes or as a sauce for rice or pasta or steamed vegetables.

Let's start with the sauce. Add all of this to blender and process until smooth:

• 1.5 cups plain soy, rice, almond or hemp milk
• 2 Tbsp chickpea flour
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
• ½ tsp mustard powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp chipotle pepper powder
• 1 tsp paprika or smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 pickled jalapeno
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 -3 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (optional for color)
• ½ tsp salt or more to taste

 I know, I know, it looks like a lot but really it's mostly dried spices you already have in your cabinet, doesn't require pre-soaking cashews and honestly, this sauce comes together in minutes. So once all has been blended pour into a saucepan and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. If the sauce becomes too thick for your tastes, thin lightly with vegetable stock or water. After 5 minutes adjust seasoning if needed and set the pan aside, covered, while you preheat the broiler.

Fill a large baking sheet with tortilla chips of any sort. Spread them out as much as possible to make almost a  single layer. Now drizzle the sauce evenly over the tortilla chips and broil for just a couple of minutes, until the chips begin to brown at the edges. Be careful to not burn.

Remove the baking sheet and transfer the chips to a serving platter. Top freely with sliced scallions, more pickled jalapenos and plenty of chopped cilantro. Finish with a few chopped cherry or grape tomatoes.