stuffed sweet potato

When I started preheating the oven this evening, I had a totally different recipe in mind.  But when I spotted the sweet potatoes sitting in a bowl on my counter, I decided to take the easy road, as I had planned a much more complex (and time consuming) Moroccan dish.  The only down side to preparing potatoes is the cooking time, which is very lengthy.  On the up side, though, once they are cooked they take very little time to assemble.  Every time I make a baked potato, I like to play around with the stuffing ingredients - the creative part of this recipe.


ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes

1 avocado sliced

2 portabello mushrooms washed and sliced
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

pesto (optional)

sour cream (optional)

coconut oil or other oil of your choice

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit.  Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes.  I do not peel them, but I usually cut off any bits that look a bit funky.  After washing the potatoes, take a fork and poke several holes on one side. Take a bit of coconut oil in your hands and rub down each potato with the oil.  Place the potatoes hole side up on a cooking tray or dish and roast in the oven for approximately 50 to 60 minutes - poke them with a fork to determine if they are done.

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, preheat a sauté pan to medium heat.  Add a tablespoon of coconut oil and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.  Then add the portobellos and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes and set aside.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, remove them from the oven.  Immediately place them in a bowl and cut a slit down the middle.  Now for the fun part!  To stuff the potato, I first started out with a layer of raw pesto, then I added the sautéed portobello mushrooms, some avocado slices and topped it off with a generous amount of vegan sour cream.  It's a layered masterpiece!


“Look at that moon. Potato weather for sure.” 

~ Thornton Wilder