MEXICAN FIESTA BAKED POTATO WITH JALAPENO CHEEZY SAUCE
I enjoy potatoes and Mexican food so why not combine the two? This meal was so delicious I had it for dinner two nights in a row. Even my non-vegan husband liked the creamy "Jalapeno Cheezy Sauce" on his plain potatoes.
Here is the recipe by “The Garden Grazer” that inspired me. I did not follow the recipe specifically except for the "cheezy sauce" which is in the blog’s comment section after the recipe: MEXICAN FIESTA BAKED POTATO
Meals like this do not need recipes. Throw in what you like and what you have on hand. When I make a recipe I ask myself "Can I add a bean or a green?" and since this recipe already had beans, I added baby kale.
The "Jalapeno Cheezy Sauce" calls for arrowroot. What is the difference between using flour, cornstarch, or arrowroot as a thickener? Read this short article to find out: Cornstarch vs. Flour vs. Arrowroot—When Should You Use Which Thickener?
I can't share a recipe focused on a potato without providing a newsletter by Dr. John McDougall who has to constantly remind people of the health benefits of potatoes: Potatoes Are Pillars of Worldwide Nutrition
What I did differently for the Mexican Potato:
-Used canned black beans, taking out the amount I wanted. Drained and rinsed the beans. Used canned corn, took out the amount I wanted without the water. Used prepared salsa. Sliced a scallion. Chopped a garden tomato. Threw in a handful of baby kale. Mixed all in a bowl and heated in the microwave. I did not add any spices since I was topping mine with the cheezy sauce.
-I steamed the potatoes first in my Instant Pot on high. The time depends on the size of the potatoes. We had medium Russets so steamed 11 minutes. Then baked 425 degrees until easily pierced with a fork--I didn't track the time but maybe 25 minutes. (Feel free to use whatever kind of potato you like, even sweet potato.)
-While potatoes were cooking made the cheezy sauce.
What I did differently for the Jalapeno Cheezy Sauce:
-Presoaked the cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes
-Reduced salt to 1/2 tsp
-Used 1/2 of a jarred red bell pepper
-Added 8 pickled jalapeno rings
-Mixed all ingredients in a Vitamix including all of the water. A Vitamix can also heat and thicken the sauce but I transferred the mixture to a pot to see how it did on the stove. I heated on high, stirring constantly, and it thickened nicely within a few minutes.
