Loaded Baked Potato with Carrot Bacon
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Potatoes get such a bad rap. So many times I’ve heard someone shriek, “Not potatoes! Ahh! They’re so fattening!” Well, ladies and gentlemen, potatoes are nothing to be afraid of. They’re relatively low in calories, loaded with vitamin C and potassium, they’ve even a good source of fiber and protein! You know what’s fattening? The sour cream and bacon you’re smothering all over that potato. That’s what’s killin’ ya. But you can enjoy a loaded baked potato the smart way by switching your sour cream to cashew sour cream, and making some carrot bacon. That’s right, my friends. We’re gonna make bacon out of carrots!

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Ingredients

  • 4 large russet potatoes
  • 3 large carrots
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or liquid aminos)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (1 teaspoon of smoked paprika also works)
  • 1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon white miso paste (or chickpea miso paste)
  • ¼ cup water
  • cilatro leaves for garnish
  • scallions or chives, for garnish
  • vegan butter (such as Earth Balance), optional

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Scrub your potaoes, dry them, and pierce them with a fork. If desired, brush them with a little olive oil. Carefully place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake them for 1 hour, until tender throughout. (You can also bake your potoates on the grill, just wrap them in foil and grill for 45minutes -1 hour, turning them after 30 minutes.)
  2. While the potatoes are baking, use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrots into long strips.
  3. Mix the soy sauce, maple syrup, oil, and liquid smoke and toss the carrot strips in the liquid. Place the strips in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  4. Bake at 400 F (you can put them in while the potatoes are cooking) for 5-7 minutes. Carefully remove the baking sheet, and using tongs, flip the carrots, return the pan to the oven, and bake for 5 more minutes. Watch the carrots carefully, and when the edges begin to get brown and crispy, remove the carrots.
  5. Use the tongs to transfer the carrots to a wire cooling rack, so they can stay crispy as they cool down. Once cool, cut the carrot bacon into 1 inch pieces.
  6. To make the sour cream, mix together the cashews, lemon juice, vinegar, miso paste, and water in a food processor or blender until completely smooth. Refrigerate the sour cream until ready to serve.
  7. To serve, cut open the potatoes, top with sour cream (and a little vegan butter if you want), bacon pieces, cilantro, and scallions or chives. Serve hot!
If you give this recipe a try, take a photo and tag #crueltyfreefamily and/or #pleasepassthepeace. We are so excited to see your recreations!

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