As a child I used to be in love with cheese. Gouda, cheddar, Pecorino, Parmesan: I devoured them all! When I got severely ill as a student and decided to adjust my diet, I cut dairy, refined sugars and bread out of my diet. Cheese was incredibly hard to give up on and I wondered why… Turns out researchers have found out that cheese actually contains traces of the highly addictive chemical morphine! Fortunately I soon discovered how to create raw vegan cheese that tastes just as good as the real thing but doesn’t create any addiction or dependence. These Chili Cheese Turnip Fries are one of my favorite ‘healthy junk food’ snacks to enjoy with friends – or devour all by myself ☺
Chili Cheese Turnip Fries
SERVES: 2 people
EQUIPMENT: blender, mixing bowl, dehydrator (optional)
INGREDIENTS:
Chili Cheese Sauce
1 cup of zucchini, peeled and roughly chopped
¾ cup of red bell pepper, roughly chopped
¾ cup of sunflower seeds
2 ½ tablespoons of nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon of tahini
1 teaspoon of date paste (or other sweetener of your choice)
½ teaspoon of Himalayan crystal salt or sea salt
¼ teaspoon of turmeric
1/8 teaspoon of chili powder
Turnip Fries
2 cups of turnip, peeled and cut into fries
1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons of lime juice
1 teaspoon of paprika powder
1/8 teaspoon of Himalayan crystal salt or sea salt
1/8 teaspoon of chili powder
DIRECTIONS:
Chili Cheese Sauce
Combine zucchini, red bell pepper, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, tahini, date paste, salt, turmeric and chili powder in the blender. Blend until smooth.
Turnip Fries
- Cut your turnip into thin fries.
- Place the turnip fries into a mixing bowl and add nutritional yeast, lime juice, paprika powder, salt and chili powder. Mix well.
- Place on top of dehydrator trays lined with a Teflex sheet. Dehydrate at 115°F for 3 hours or longer.
- Top with chili cheese sauce, paprika powder and finely chopped spring onion. Add fresh chili pepper if you like it really hot!
JULIE’S TIPS & TRICKS:
- This Chili Cheese Sauce will stay fresh for at least 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Don’t like turnip? Replace it with other root vegetables such as carrot, parsnip, celeriac or yam.
Now I would love to hear from you! What is your favorite junk food snack? I would love to create a raw vegan version of it, so definitely leave a comment down below.
