Vegan “Chili Cheese” Fries and My First Race!
Ok, so it’s a biiiiit of a stretch. But I saw this recipe for Chili Cheese Sweet Potato Fries on Keepin’ the Faith’s blog and I was inspired! However, I didn’t have cheese… and I didn’t have sweet potatoes… but with a few substitutions I ended up with my own version, which I shall call:
Vegan “Chili Cheese” Fries (creative title, I know)
- 1/3 butternut squash (approx 1 cup of squash, cut into spears)
- 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1/4 cup black beans
- Chili powder
- Seasoned Salt
- Red Pepper Flakes
Peel and slice your squash into spears. Lay on a paper towel and lightly salt. Let sit for ~15 minutes, then blot the water. (The salt will draw some of the water out of the squash, and you’ll get crispier fries! You can skip this step if you’re in a rush, but if you’ve got the time, it’s a nice touch!) Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and bake at 450 degrees for ~45 minutes. Take out of the oven, add black beans and nutritional yeast and put it all back in the oven for about 15 more minutes. Take it all out and season to taste with salt.
It’s easier to eat this with a fork, but you can try to eat them with your hands if you like 😉 I dunked mine in ketchup and it was quite tasty. I have to be honest though, I’ve never actually had chili cheese fries, so I can’t make any promises on how much these actually taste like the “real deal” but I CAN promise that these are waaaay healthier!
Tomorrow I’m running my first 5k ever!
I’ll be running in the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis. It’s a good cause, and I’m hoping it’ll be a fun morning! My friends Eric and Vishal are joining me, and I’m pretty excited! I’m not setting a time goal for myself… just getting my butt out of bed that early on a Saturday should be enough for now 😉Does anyone have any race tips? What should I eat for breakfast? How soon is too soon to eat before running? I’m a total newbie!
Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
<3 Liz
Good luck on the race! How exciting 🙂
I saw Kat’s chili cheese fries this week, too, and thought they looked so tasty! Yours look great as well!
Good luck on the race! Have a great time!!!
LOVE the simplicity of the delicious fries recipe! They look so amazing, I could even go for some right now.. at 10:43pm… right before bed.
GOOD LUCK on your first race, that is so exciting! You’re going to do an amazing job, enjoy every single step 🙂
Good call on the subsitutions — I bet the ketchup and beans were delish on the squash! =)
MMMM I love making fries! Those look so good! ANd the fact that they’re vegan, makes them even better!
Where do I get nutritional yeast? I want to try it soooo bad!
I got mine at whole foods! But I think they also sometimes have it in the bulk section at the grocery store. It’s SO good, and it keeps well in the fridge. (I’ve had mine for a couple of months and it’s still fine!)
I’ve never had chili cheese fries either but I have no doubt I’d choose your version over the other. So much good stuff!
I find that either a banana with pb or piece of toast with pb does pretty well for me pre race, but give yourself at least 2 hours to digest to avoid stomach issues during the run. Hope you have fun!
Butternut squash fries rock, and these really take the cake! Good luck on your race tomorrow! 🙂
Hold on Liz… are you in Tampa? I’m running the Jingle Bell run too!
Haha nope, I’m running the one in Richmond, VA! (But I bet it’s much warmer down in Tampa! I’m jealous!!)
Good looking dish, Liz. May give it a try.
Congrats on your upcoming race – I’m sure you’ll have a blast with it. I would suggest eating light (I do bread with some sort of PB or a small bowl of oats) at least 2 hours before along with 20 oz of water. And I try to go heavier on the carbs & water the day before.