These delicious Loaded Taco Fries are so satisfying! They are much healthier than the traditional version. The homemade fries are baked to perfection, then they are topped with lentil walnut “meat”, chopped bell peppers, cilantro and pumpkin “cheese sauce”!
I have been wanting to do this dish for my website for a very long time but I was just waiting for the right time when I was in the mood to prepare the different steps. This recipe is similar to my One Pot Taco Spaghetti recipe, except the beauty of the recipe for the One Pot Spaghetti is that it is all done in one pot!
How To Make Loaded Taco Fries
- Make the taco style crumbles using lentils and walnuts. I cooked the lentils in water until soft, I transferred the lentil into a food processor along with walnuts and process until still crumbly.
- Cook lentil walnut meat mixture with onion, garlic, and seasonings.
- Make a pumpkin “cheese” sauce using a high-speed blender.
- Make the fries from scratch or use store bought if you want to save some time. You can leave the skin on the potato for added nutritional value.
Benefits Of Pumpkin Seeds
I chose to do a pumpkin seed cheese sauce this time. Pumpkin seeds have so many nutritional benefits that I wanted to take advantage of. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, I recommend that you substitute soaked cashews instead. Some of the benefits of pumpkin seeds are:
- Magnesium – pumpkin seeds contain magnesium, which is great for maintaining normal blood pressure and preventing heart attacks.
- Zinc – pumpkin seeds contain a rich source of zinc, which is great for building a strong immune system, preventing colds, flu, and depression.
- Omega 3 Fatty acids- pumpkin seeds contain an excellent amount of omega 3 fatty acids which are great to reduce inflammation in the body. Protect against Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, depression.
- Prostate Health – pumpkin seeds are excellent in preventing and treating prostate cancer in men.
- Tryptophan – pumpkin seeds are a great source of tryptophan, an amino acid that converts into serotonin, then melatonin, a hormone that is beneficial for a restful sleep.
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Categories
- Course: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
- Season: Cinco De Mayo
Nutrition
(Per portion)- Energy: 435 kcal / 1818 kJ
- Fat: 19 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Carbs: 48 g
Cook Time
- Preparation: 20 min
- Cooking: 1 h 5 min
- Ready in: 1 h 25 min
- For: 8 servings
Ingredients
Fries
- 4-5 medium potatoes, washed and peeled
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic, powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Lentil Taco
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 2- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, coconut oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprike
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, optional
- 1-2 tablespoons Bragg's liquid aminos
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Topppings
- red bell peppers, chopped
- avocado, chopped
- cilantro leaves, chopped
- green onions, chopped
- cherry tomatoes, halved
- lettuce, chopped
- pitted black olives
- Vegan sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven 425 degrees F. Line baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper. Cut potatoes into strips and blot with paper towel. Transfer the fries to a bowl and add olive oil, salt, and garlic powder, toss to coat.
- Arrange fries in a single layer on baking sheet, Bake for 30-40 minutes or until fries are crisp and tender, turning halfway.
- Rinse lentils using a fine mesh strainer. Bring lentil to boil with cold water in a medium size pot on medium-high heat. Cover pot and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. If there is liquid remaining then leave the pot uncovered and cook until evaporated.
- Allow lentils to cool slightly, transfer to a food processor and add walnuts. Process until crumbly texture.
- Heat skillet with olive oil on medium-high. Add onions and cook stirring until tender about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in lentil walnut mixture, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, Bragg's liquid aminos, tomato paste and salt. Cook stirring mixture for 1 minute to fully incorporate seasonings.
- Place pumpkin seeds, water, red bell pepper, yeast flakes, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, paprika and salt in a high-speed blender and process until smooth.
- After fries are baked, place on serving platter. Spread Lentil Walnut Taco meat over fries, drizzle cheese sauce over Lentil Walnut Taco then top with your favorite toppings and serve immediately.
Notes
What a delicious recipe, my family is in love!