I was short on time and ingredients when I decided to whip together a quick meal before heading out. Drinking on an empty stomach isn’t a good idea–and hubby and I were off to meet friends for a glass of wine.

Two veggie burgers, a pack of frozen veggies, and some noodles later and dinner was done. It took about ten minutes and what saved the day (or at least the meal) was the jar of Heidi-Ho Chia Cheeze Sauce in my fridge.

This vegan cheese made from chia seeds, is meltable, and a bit spicy. It’s a great nacho cheese style sauce and would be a great way to make, well, nachos. I stirred a couple of generous scoops into my pot of drained pasta for a mac-n-cheese style side dish.

To hide the fact that I just boiled up frozen vegetables, I quickly sautéed them with soy sauce and sesame seeds. Not-vet-vegan hubby gave the meal one thumb up–only because I made whole wheat pasta and he’s still not on board with the texture and flavor. I admit, it took me a while to warm up to that too when I first switched. Easing in with 50% whole wheat is a good way to transition.

On a side note, I got to meet Heidi (of Heidi Ho Veganics) when I was at the Vida Vegan Con Gala. Very cool!