Caramelized Onion and Broccoli Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

There is nothing quite like a perfectly cooked sweet potato.

I really try to have a few on hand because you can easily build a meal around one. The prep is nothing. Just scrub and prick with a fork. The thing they require, however, is time. A good baked sweet potato takes about an hour at 375° F. I strongly encourage getting into the habit of having them on hand so that, if you are making a casserole, lasagna or anything that requires your oven to be on for a while, you can cook them along side and then just put them in the fridge for later use. Do not get crazy about the temperature. 350° for longer or 400° for less time is fine. Sweet potatos will be fine. Occasionally reach in and give them a pinch. When they are soft and weeping sweet liquid, they are done.

Don’t think of them as just a side dish. Greg will often take one to work with him and eat it cold like an apple for a snack. They really are that good. It is one of those great finds when you open the fridge in search of something to tide you over until dinner.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

One of our current favorites for a meal is to eat them stuffed with carmelized onions, broccoli and smothered in cashew cream sauce. It is a nutrient dense and incredibly flavorful and beautiful dish.

Instructions

The cashew cream sauce is my same recipe for cashew ricotta. It is an incredibly versatile sauce that subs nicely for ricotta or sour cream in any recipe. In a pinch, I would easily use some of the commercially prepared vegan sour creams like Tofutti or Follow Your Heart brands in its place.

For each potato you need about 1/2 cup of steamed broccoli flourettes. I get frozen organic broccoli because I use it often and it is so easy.

The Onions

Caramelized onions only sound hard.

The hard part is the patience they require. I thinly slice a large onion, sweet or regular. I melt 2 tsp of Earth Balance butter in a pan and then throw in the onion. You just need to be available to stir and stir and stir the onions until they cook down and release their sweetness. When they are a deep golden brown and soft throughout, they are done. Figure on 15-20 mintes.

This is an excellent time to call your mother.

Assembly

Assembly is easy. Open the potato lengthwise without cutting in half and open like a book. Place broccoli in the center and cover with a generous amount of carmelized onion. Pour about 1/4 cup of cashew cream or desired amount of vegan sour cream on top. Enjoy!

You are going to want a second one and then you might want to lie on the floor, depending on the size of your potatos.