Crispy Fried Pecan "Meat" Chalupa

Yield: 6 Servings Prep Time: 1-4 Hours Cook Time: 25 Minutes

By Brooke Brimm - Vegan Soul Foodie

Ingredients

Pecan Taco “Meat”
3cups soaked pecans
1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning or (1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1 Tbsp granulated garlic, 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 Tbsp chili powder)
½ yellow or red pepper
1 small onion
1 Tbsp of organic soy sauce
4 soaked sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 medium tomato
4 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp of olive oil
pink salt and black pepper to taste
3 Tbsp olive oil for sauteing
Nacho Cheese Sauce (can buy store bought if available)
1 medium carrot
1 medium potato
1 small onion
1 jalapeño
4 TBSP nutritional yeast
1 cup of water
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp pink salt
½ tsp black pepper
Chalupa Shell (can buy store bought if available)
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ¼ cup plant-based milk of choice
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
Toppings and Garnishes
Chopped white onion
Chopped tomato
Vegan sour cream
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Guacamole
Salsa, Green or Red
Shredded Vegan Cheese

Make Chalupa Shell:
Mix dry ingredients together.
Then add in oil and plant milk.
Knead the mixture together into a dough.
Cover and let rest for 15 - 20 minutes. After resting, cut the dough into 16 pieces.
Take one piece, form into a circle and roll out on a floured surface into a thin disc.
Heat 1 cup of vegetable oil in frying pan to 365 degrees Farenheit.
Place the rolled out disc into the oil once heated.
Fry on both sides until golden brown.
Curve disc into the shape of a taco shell, and continue frying until the shape is firm.
Drain.
Make Pecan “Meat”:
Soak pecans for 4 hours or boil for 20 minutes.
Blend soaked/boiled pecans in a food processor with other ingredients until it resembles ground meat crumbles.
Saute ground mixture in olive oil until browned.
Make Nacho Cheese Sauce:
Cover and boil carrot, potato, onion and ½ of the jalapeño in water for 15 minutes.
Place boiled ingredients in the blender, reserve water.
Add the remaining half of jalapeños, nutritional yeast, fresh garlic cloves, garlic powder, paprika, and cumin.
Blend with 4 TBSP of reserved water.
Add more if needed for a thinner sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble:
Add pecan meat to the chalupa shell.
Add nacho cheese sauce.
Add Vegan Sour Cream, Shredded lettuce, Tomatoes, White Onion and additional toppings of choice, if desired.
Enjoy.