Chilli Cheese Fries (oil & nut free)

Today we have a guest post from Ian @chefvegan – he has a load of great recipes on his YouTube channel – make sure you check him out!

Ian told me his inspiration for this recipe came from fond childhood memories of eating chilli cheese fries at fairs and ballparks.  He says “I have been wanting to recreate a vegan recipe of it for a few years now, and when Rachel asked me to contribute I thought it would be really cool to create a chilli cheese fries recipe that ticked the easy, healthy and oil-free boxes in line with her blog’s philosophy”.

“So we made an easy chili with a lovely spicy chili flavor. Getting the cheese sauce right was a challenge though and I had to try a few different recipes to make a smooth, cheesy consistency and flavour. I knew I had it when the sauce had achieved the flavour and texture of a mild velvety cheddar cheese sauce.”

I’m sure you agree it looks delicious – I’m definitely planning to give this a try.   Thanks Ian!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
(Serves 3 – 4)

Ingredients

4 large russet or yukon gold potatoes (cut into fries or wedges)

Chilli

28 oz (800g) tinned diced tomatoes
15 oz (400g) tin kidney beans
½ red onion (finely chopped)
½  green bell pepper
½  red bell pepper
2 tbsp. water
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt & pepper

Cheese Sauce

1 cup (250 ml) water
½ cup (125 ml)  soy milk
½ medium head of cauliflower (broken into florets)
1 large carrot (sliced)
½ red bell pepper (diced)
½ cup (45g) oats
½ cup (25g) nutritional yeast
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp. red miso paste
1 tsp hot paprika
½ tsp salt & pepper

Method

1. To make the chilli –  water fry onion and red & green peppers on a medium heat for until the onion is soft and translucent.
2. Next add beans, tomatoes and spices to the pot and cook for about 30 minutes on low heat or until you reach a thick consistency.
3. To make the fries – Place your sliced potatoes on tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 220c / 200c fan /425f for 15-20 minutes until golden and crispy.
4. To make the cheese sauce – bring 2 litres of water to the boil and add cauliflower, carrots and red peppers. Cook on a medium heat until soft.   To a blender add the strained cooked vegetables, water, miso paste, nutritional yeast, oats, lemon juice, garlic and spices and blend until you reach a smooth velvety texture.
5. To assemble – top your fries with the cooked chilli, pour over the cheese sauce and voila!                                                  

Watch me make it: