Vegan Twice Baked Faux-tatoes

I have been craving potatoes lately.

What's funny about this is the fact that my mom made potatoes every single night when I was a kid, and I loathed them....so much so that I'd palm them and wrap them in my napkin in order to deposit them into the nearest trash receptacle without being detected.

While I still use the potato shell here (which is deliciously edible, by the way), I use cauliflower in place of the potato flesh to put a different, low carb spin on the traditional baked potato. The addition of nutritional yeast and coconut oil gives this a richness and a cheesiness without using tons of butter and cheese, a plus for everyone!

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Twice Baked Faux-tatoes

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr 30 mins

Total Time1 hr 45 mins

Servings: 2 potato halves

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Lauren Goslin

Ingredients

• FOR THE POTATO:
• 1 Yukon Gold or russet potato
• FOR THE CAULIFLOWER:
• 3 c. cauliflower chopped into small florets
• 1 large garlic clove
• water for boiling
• 2 t. coconut oil plus a bit more for rubbing on the skins
• ¼ t. + 1/8 t. sea salt
• 2 T. scallion chopped
• 2 t. nutritional yeast
• black pepper and cayenne to taste
• paprika for sprinkling on top
• coconut oil olive oil, and fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Wash and prick the potato with a fork multiple times.
• Bake the potato for one hour.
• Meanwhile, add the cauliflower, garlic clove, and a dash of salt to a saucepan.
• Add enough water just to cover the cauliflower.
• Bring the cauliflower to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer.
• Cover the pan, and let it simmer for 10 minutes until soft.
• Strain the cauliflower from the water, reserving the water in a separate bowl.
• Using a potato masher or a food processor, mash or puree the cauliflower with the coconut oil, sea salt, dashes of black pepper and cayenne, nutritional yeast, and scallions.
• Add the reserved boiling water as needed to give the mix the consistency you desire (I used about one tablespoon).
• Once the potatoes have baked and cooled, slice them in half lengthwise, and scoop out the flesh. Be sure to leave enough flesh to give the potato skin structure!
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Rub the outside of the potato skins with a bit of coconut oil (this makes them nice and crispy!).
• Arrange the empty skins in a small baking dish, and fill them with the cauliflower mix.
• Sprinkle the tops with paprika, and bake them for 30 minutes.
• Garnish them with fresh parsley and drizzle them with a bit more coconut or olive oil.

Notes

The calorie count actually includes the potato flesh, as I couldn't figure out how to subtract it, so keep that in mind! The facts are based on using a 250 gram Yukon Gold potato, and none of the garnishes. Weight Watchers points (new system): 5

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Sodium: 399mg | Sugar: 5.4g | Fiber: 8.1g | Calories: 176kcal | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Fat: 4.9g | Protein: 6.4g | Carbohydrates: 30.4g

As I stated in the recipe box above, the nutritional information actually includes the potato flesh, as I didn't know how to subtract it, so keep that in mind for calories and carbs, especially. The cauliflower mash nutrition facts are as follows:

• Calories: 93
• Fat: 4.9 g
• Carbs: 10.4 g
• Fiber: 4.8 g
• Protein: 4.7 g
• WW points: 2

I have to say, these are fantastic! My husband and I each had a half, and we kept saying to one another how delicious they were. We topped them with some pumpkin seed 'bacon' bits which added a nice crunch!

I really enjoy eating the crispy skins as well. It gives you a bite of the actual potato, along with the cauliflower mash.

If you don't want to use the potato skins, the cauliflower mash is delicious on its own. It makes a light, yet filling substitute for mashed potatoes.

Serve this with a big green salad for a healthy meal, and I bet you'd still have room for these yummy Chocolate Chip Truffles. 😀

Do you enjoy potatoes or have you ever had faux-tatoes?