I love healthy whole foods as much as the next gal, but I do have my guilty pleasures.  And my late mom’s “Texas Trash,” the 1960s version of “Original Chex Mix,” is one.  But I can never leave well enough alone and, over the years, I have experimented with various flavored iterations.  This Taco-Fajita version is worth sharing.  I can’t keep this stuff in the house, so I made it for contractors renovating my kitchen to thank them for helping beautity my home.  But I had my share of tastes to satisfy my craving before I bagged it up for gift-giving. The fajita seasoning adds a nice citrusy lime flavor, but if that’s not your jam, just use two packages of Taco seasoning.  However, don’t even think about omitting the “cheese” crackers.

6 cups (about 12 ounces) Chex Cereal: wheat, rice or corn (I actually used Cascadian Farms Organic Whole Grain Squares–wheat, rice and corn combined–from Whole Foods so that I didn’t have to buy several boxes of cereal and have leftovers, as I am not a cereal eater)

1 1/2 cups vegan butter (it sounds like a lot BUT this recipe makes a lot and this amount is needed)

5 to 6 cups pecan halves (a bit over a pound)

1-1 ounce package Taco seasoning (be sure it’s vegan)

1-1 ounce package Fajita seasoning (be sure it’s also vegan and substitue another taco seasoning packet if you prefer)

1-14 ounce box Cheerios

8 ounces pretzel sticks (any shape is fine, but I like this shape for contrast)

1-6 ounce box Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Flavored Squares (purchased at Whole Foods)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Place butter in large roasting pan and place pan in oven for a few minutes or until butter is melted.  Stir in seasoning packets followed by pecans and toss well to coat.  Add remaining ingredients in succession, gently stirring after each addition to coat with the butter mixture.  Roast for 45 minutes, gently stirring up from the bottom every 15 minutes.  Turn off oven, leave door closed, and let the mix sit for a final 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, stir well, allow to cool completely–it will crisp even more as it cools–and package for eating or giving.  Note: I don’t find the mixture too buttery for an indulgent snack, but if you prefer to absorb a little of the oil, spread the mixture on brown paper bags or paper towels to cool.  

I am obsessed with this popcorn!  479 Degree brand popcorn makes a Toasted Sesame and Seaweed variety to which I developed an addiction. Then, sadly, our Kroger quit carrying it.  I guess my addiction wasn’t very widespread.

So, I decided I would have to learn to make my own, but before beginning to experiment, I did a little internet research and learned that there is something very similar that hails from Hawaii called “Hurricane Popcorn.”  It is made with a Japanese spice blend called Furikake, which often contains fish and MSG in addition to seaweed, sesame, sugar and salt.  I quickly decided to make my own.

Following is my easy and addicting recipe that includes a little soy sauce, sesame oil, Sirachi, and dried orange peel.   I recommend making it as instructed, taste, and then alter any ingredient amounts according to your own palate.

I think it is perfect as is, having halved the amount of sesame seeds with which I starated, as I felt their flavor overwhelmed the other ingredients.  But you may want to tweak.  For instance, I love the bold taste of seaweed, but if you’d like just a hint of the sea, use only 1 sheet of nori.

It is best if the popcorn is just popped and warm when you season it up.  But it is darn good made with pre-popped popcorn in a bag and almost as good the next day if leftovers are stored in an airtight container.  Leftovers?…ha!

16 cups popped popcorn

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sriracha

2 sheets nori (roasted seaweed as for making sushi), torn into pieces, and finely chopped in spice grinder (avoid making a powder)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (dry toasted in skillet over medium high about 2 minutes), finely chopped in spice grinder (avoid making a powder)

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon dried orange peel

1 teaspoon tubinado sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic poswer

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

How disappointing to learn that one bag of this habit-forming treat is not a single serving!

Alas, a bag of one of my favorite two new snack foods–the other being  Earth Balance Vegan Aged White Cheddar Puffs that I shared recently–serves 7.

It is a tasty way to infuse your diet with more whole grain and, like the Puffs, it doesn’t have have tons of nutritional value, but it is vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, low-fat, absent of any trans-fat, and contains a little fiber and protein without being disastrous in the sodium department.  Though it has a few more calories than the puffs, it is nothing too dramatic at 150 vs. 130 per serving.

So, grab a few friends or family members and share a bag…occasionally.

Come on, admit it: every so often you find yourself fantasizing about cheese puffs.  You do.  I know you do!

A year or so ago, I heard a tantalizing rumor: that Earth Balance made a vegan cheese puff product.  However, we are not always on the cutting edge of vegan culinary developments here in my beloved state and it wasn’t until this summer that I actually saw them in a display at The Heritage, our main health food store in Virginia Beach.  (They are available at Whole Foods, and Organic Depot, as well as some health food markets.)

I had to exercise serious control to only purchase one bag.  One bag (4 servings) that I devoured on the way home!

Is vegan junk food an oxymoron?  In truth, these tasty puffs–admittedly a little homely looking–aren’t total junk.  They don’t have tons of nutritional value, but they are vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, low-fat, absent of any trans-fat, and contain a little fiber and protein.

Do I eat them on a weekly basis?  No!  But will I occasionally indulge?  You betcha!