Nachos were originally the result of inventive thinking and making the most of what’s readily on hand, a fitting start for what’s become a such a classic go-to stoner meal.
Back in the 1940’s, the wives of soldiers stationed in Eagle Pass, Texas, would often take day trips across the Rio Grande to Piedras Negras, Mexico. One fateful afternoon one such group stopped in a hotel bar for a beverage after the chef had left for the day. When the ladies requested something to eat with their drinks, the maitre d’ Ignacio (“Nacho” for short) Anaya went to see what he could find in the kitchen. The only things left were some tortillas, which he cut into triangles then topped with sliced jalapeńos and shreds of cheese. He crisped the improvised canapés to perfection in the broiler, flooring the ladies with the brilliant snack, and word quickly spread of “Nacho’s Especiales”.
Despite such humble beginnings, nachos have evolved into almost a whole genre of food into-and-of-itself, with tons of variations in toppings and different takes on the base ingredients (like dessert nachos, or totchos!). This version is a modern twist on the classic Tex-Mex “loaded nachos”, with a versatile infused lime juice that can even be used to make drinks!
(Update of recipe originally published in the April 2019, Issue 519 of Hightimes Magazine)
Canna-Nacho Cheese
Course: AppetizersCuisine: Vegan, MexicanDifficulty: Medium4
(2 tbsp infused lime juice each)15
minutes35
minutes50
minutesCannabis-Infused Nachos
Ingredients
- Cannabis-Infused Lime Juice (makes 1/2 cup)
.5 g activated cannabis distillate or RSO
1 pea-sized drop of liquid sunflower lecithin
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 4 medium limes)
Nacho Sauce (makes 2 cups):½ cup raw, unsalted cashews (raw and unsalted is key here)
1 gold potato, peeled and diced (for texture)
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped (for color)
3 Tbsp. avocado oil
*3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed, infused lime juice (see above)
3 Tbsp. favorite hot sauce
3 Tbsp. roasted green chiles
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
5 Tbsp. hot water
Fresh Guacamole2 ripe avocados
*3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed, infused lime juice (see recipe above)
1 red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper (to taste)
For Nacho Assembly:Tortilla chips
Sliced jalapeńos
1 can black beans, drained and cooked
1/2 cup cooked soy protein crumbles
Fresh chopped cilantro
Shredded lettuce, diced bell peppers, onions, guacamole, pico de gallo, black olives, and sour “cream”1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup diced bell peppers
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/3 cup pico de gallo
2 tbsp chopped black olives
A dollop of vegan sour “cream”
Directions:
- For Infused Lime Juice:
- Heat cannabis extract with the sunflower lecithin for a moment, mixing them together thoroughly.
- Add oil and lecithin to the lime juice in a single-cup high-speed blender (or use an immersion blender, since it’s such a small amount of liquid). Blend until fully incorporated, with no specks of oil visible.
- For Nacho Sauce:
- Put raw cashews in a heat-proof dish, then cover with boiling water. Place a bowl or towel over the dish, and let sit while you prep the other ingredients.
- Peel and dice the potato and carrot. Put in a lidded pot on the stovetop with enough water to immerse the veggies. Bring to a simmering boil for about 20 minutes, or until soft enough to easily mash.
- Drain the veggies and cashews before putting them in the blender with all the other ingredients.
- Blend until completely smooth.
- For Guacamole:
- Scoop the avocados into a mixing bowl and mash with lime juice until desired consistency is reached (some like it chunky, other people love creamy, do what feels right).
- Stir in diced onion, garlic, tomato, cilantro, pepper, and salt.
- Nacho Assembly:
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- Place a layer of tortilla chips on a baking pan or in an iron skillet. Cover the chips with infused nacho sauce, sliced jalapeńos, and/or beans and protein crumbles.
- Bake for 8 minutes, or until chips start to brown at the edges.
- Top with more nacho sauce, cilantro, shredded lettuce, diced bell peppers, onions, guacamole, pico de gallo, black olives, and sour “cream” (Tofutti makes a great non-dairy option).
- Top individual servings of nachos with the rest of the infused lime juice, both to taste and to manage individual dosage preference. Enjoy!
Notes
- Makes 1/2 cup infused lime juice to be used as an ingredient in the cheese sauce and guacamole, but can be sprinkled on top of each individual serving to maintain more dosage control.
- Potency: If your activated cannabis distillate or RSO is around 70 percent THC, one half gram would contain somewhere around 350mg THC. With 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) total of lime juice being infused, a single tablespoon of infused juice would contain very approximately 43.75mg of THC. (Multiply total grams of cannabis used in recipe by THC per gram = the total amount per recipe, divided by the number of servings. Or just use this dosage estimator)