Spabettie’s Seven Layer Tacos

This Vegan MoFo we’ve got lots of fantastical friends helping us spread the xgfx MoFo’n love!  Today Kristina of spabettie is here to show ya how tacos should be done!

Hi everybody! I’m Kristina of spabettie, and I am thrilled to be participating in Vegan MoFo for my second year and happy to guest post here! My website not only features vegan and gluten free recipes, we also follow the shenanigans of Basil, my dachshund, who is gaining notoriety all over the internets.

We celebrated Taco Tuesday with my favorite seven layer dip, made into tacos! We like this so much, we may celebrate Taco Thursday as well. Then I’ll start to think of appropriate alliteration for the other days of the week.

seven layer dip, seven layer tacos

vegan, gluten free, dairy free

The Layers:

1. jalapeno beans
2. salsa spiced quinoa
3. noocho cheese sauce
4. chopped lettuce and scallions
5. chopped tomatoes
6. cubed avocado
7. jalapeno soaked olives

Layer in hard corn taco shells, or in a serving dish as a seven layer dip. I have served these in small bowls as individual dips as well. No measurements for this – make as little or as much as you want, with layers as thick or thin as you want.

Base layer – canned pinto beans (drained) and chopped jalapeno: I used 2 cans beans and 2 seeded jalapenos, processed in food processor to a blend of chunky/creamy.

Second layer – salsa spiced quinoa – quinoa cooked with dried and powdered “salsa flavors” added to the water: I used 1 cup quinoa to 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, I added 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons chili flakes, 1 teaspoon chili powder, bring to boil then simmer 25 minutes.

Third layer – noocho cheese sauce / dip. Recipe follows.

Fourth through seventh layers – layer the lettuce and scallions, then tomato, then avocado, then olives.

This noocho cheese has gained notoriety as well – it is a favorite in our house and many others. A perfect blend of spicy heat, a subtle buttery sweet from cashews, and the cheesy nutritional yeast – my cravings for this border on obsessive.

noocho cheese sauce

vegan, gluten free, dairy free

1 cup raw cashews, soaked
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Begin with soaked cashews – process alone to an almost creamy consistency. Add lemon juice, Tabasco and a couple tablespoons of the water – continue processing until smooth. While processing, add garlic, nutritional yeast, paprika, chili and onion powders, stopping to scrape sides. Add water until desired consistency is reached – more water for sauce, less for dip.

My noocho cheese makes this seven layer dip. Really ties the room together, as it were. Noocho cheese is also great on it’s own, as a dip or spread, it makes friends with chips and all kinds of veggies, sandwiches and wraps.

Are you a fan of seven layer dip?

What is your favorite party snack?