Vegan Comfort Food: Coconut Peanut Sauce Smothered Taters

A well-baked russet potato, one of those monster sized ones, is to me simple & rustic comfort food. Topped pretty much any way you can dream of. Fluffy, carby, delicious. As a kid I can remember always avoiding the peel. Not anymore. Scrubbed, rubbed with oil, a bit of salt and yum! This came out of wanting junk food but buying myself off with a better choice. It worked 😉

I recently received this on our doorstep:

Lil’ Shuga syrup, a blend of organic cane sugar, water and Stevia.Consider it a lower-calorie simple syrup, perfect for using in most places you would use honey or agave. I have used it in a couple of recipes so far and it works perfectly. It is sweeter than regular sugar so I was able to use less of it, a bonus always! Packed in glass (yay), it pours smoothly. In tea it is wonderful! I used it in this sinner to replace the honey.

Coconut-Peanut Sauce Smothered Taters

Ingredients:

• 4 large russet baking potatoes
• Neutral vegetable oil
• Kosher salt or chunky sea salt

Sauce –

• 1 cup natural peanut butter (or favorite butter)
• 1 cup coconut milk (canned or carton)
• 1 Tbsp Lil’ Shuga or 2 Tbsp favorite sweetener (honey, agave, etc)
• 1 to 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp granulated garlic or 2 cloves fresh
• 1 tsp sesame oil (used black)
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 large or 2 small limes, zested and juiced

Vegetables –

• 4 carrots, peeled and finely grated
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil or neutral vegetable oil
• 15 to 19 ounce can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• Fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced (good handful)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place a baking sheet on middle rack. Scrub potatoes, dry off. Poke holes in them, rub oil into the skins and sprinkle with salt, place on top rack, bake for one and half hours or until good and soft. PS: DON’T forget to put a baking sheet under. Otherwise you’ll have oil dripping off and fumigating your house. Just sayin’. Not like I have ever done that one…..

Add all the ingredients for the sauce in a high-speed blender, process until smooth. Scrape into a small saucepan, heat over low.

Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high, add oil, carrots and onions, sauté until golden. Add in garbanzo beans, sauté until heated. Take off heat, add in cilantro.

To serve:

Split each potato in half, fluff up interior.

Drizzle sauce over the top, smother in veggies, drizzle remaining sauce over and serve.

Note:

Taste the sauce with 1 Tablespoon soy sauce first, then add up to 2 total. I use full sodium, gluten-free (preservative free) sauce, so I keep a light hand.

Be careful to keep the sauce just warm, the hotter it gets, the thicker it will become. Which is still good tasting but isn’t as fluid.

Serves 4.

FTC Disclaimer: We received product used in this recipe development, for potential review.