Mexi-Style Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Vegan and Gluten-Free!)

This is one of the favorite dinners at Villa Kali Ma! It has six parts, and you will have to prepare each recipe and then put it all together at the end. It’s a little bit of work, but totally worth it!

I usually make it the day after Taco Tuesday so I can prepare extra portions of the Tofu Walnut Taco Meat, Smokey Chipotle Black Beans, and Cashew Sour Cream to be used the next day to make Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.  

In addition to the three items mentioned above, you will also need to prepare the Warm Roasted Corn Pico, Crispy Kale, and Baked Sweet Potatoes. Even though it seems like a lot, it should only take about an hour to prepare all of it. You can save time by doing some of the prep work earlier in the day or the night before, or just start 90 minutes before you want to serve the dinner. 

Of course, you could substitute each of the parts with store-bought options, but it will not taste anything like this amazingly delicious and gorgeous creation! Believe me; you won’t regret it. Put in the time and enjoy the process, and everyone you share this with will be gushing about what an amazing cook you are!

This recipe will make enough to stuff six potatoes, so if you don’t need that much or don’t want leftovers, then you can cut the recipe in half. However, you can always use the leftover ingredients to create other things like tacos, burritos, or a taco salad for lunch the next day.

Ingredients / Shopping List

(BUY EVERYTHING ORGANIC)

For the Tofu Walnut Taco Meat:
One 14-ounce package of Extra Firm Organic Tofu
2 Cups of Organic Raw Walnuts (halves and pieces)
2 Tbs of Tomato Paste
1 Tbs of Maple Syrup
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
Dash or 2 of Chipotle Powder (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 tsp of Chile Powder
1 tsp of Cumin
2 tsp of Smoked Paprika
1 Tbs Oregano
2 Tbs Olive Oil
3 Tbs Tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 Tbs Water

For the Smokey Chipotle Black Beans:
2 cans of Organic Black Beans (do not drain)
1/2 of a small Red Onion
1/2 of a Red Bell Pepper
2-3 Cloves of Fresh Garlic (peeled)
1/3 of a bundle of Fresh Cilantro with stems removed
1 Tbs Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp of Chipotle Powder (more if you want it spicier)
1 Tbs Coconut Sugar
1 tsp of Celtic Sea Salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp of Black Pepper (or to taste) 

For the Warm Roasted Corn Pico:
1 Ear of Organic Corn on the Cob (if not in season, you can use frozen corn to substitute)
1 tsp Vegan Butter
1/2 Red Bell Pepper – Diced
1 Green Bell Pepper – Diced
1 Red Onion – Diced
3-4 Cloves of Garlic – Diced
1 Jalapeño – Diced (remove seeds before dicing for less spicy)
1 small Tomato – Diced
2/3 of a bundle of Fresh Cilantro with stems removed
1 lime wedge

For the Cashew Sour Cream:
1 Cup of Raw Organic Cashews – Soaked overnight or boiled for 15 minutes
2 Cups of Filtered Water (for boiling or soaking cashews)
1 Cup Filtered Water
3-4 Ice Cubes
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

For the Crispy Kale:

One bundle of Green or Purple Curly Kale
1/2 tsp of Celtic Sea Salt
1-2 Tbs of Olive Oil (depending on how big your bunch of kale is and how much oil you like)

6 Baked Potato Sized Sweet Potatoes

Optional additional Topping Ideas:

Salsa
Hot Sauce
Diced Green Onion
Diced Avocado
Sliced Black Olives

Instructions

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees. Place a rack in the upper middle of the oven and another rack under it in the center of the oven. You should have one rack space above your top shelf and one rack space below your bottom rack. This is because you will need to put the Tofu Walnut Taco Meat into the oven to bake while the potatoes are still cooking. Put the potatoes on the top rack and the taco mixture on the shelf underneath them. 

If you have a double oven, then you can use both and cook them separately. 

Scrub the outside of the sweet potatoes and pierce the skin of each potato several times with a fork, then place them on a baking sheet. When the oven reaches 375 degrees, place the baking sheet into the oven and set a timer for 45 minutes.

If you didn’t soak your cashews overnight, then now is the time to get them boiling. Put the cashews in a small saucepan and add two cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Boil for 15 minutes. 

For the Smokey Chipotle Black Beans:

1. Chop the onion and red pepper into chunks and place in a mini food processor with the cilantro and garlic cloves. Chop this until it’s like a chunky salsa or pico de gallo. If you don’t have mini prep, you can use a large one or chop it all by hand. 
2. Put a tablespoon of olive oil into a small saucepan on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chopped veggies. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 
3. Add the beans and the rest of the ingredients and stir. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes and then turn off the heat and let sit. 

For the Roasted Corn Pico:

1. Remove the husk from the corn on the cob and rub the butter into it. You can also add salt and pepper if desired. Place the corn on the baking sheet next to the Sweet Potatoes in the oven. After 10 minutes, turn it over. After another 10 minutes, take the corn out of the oven and use a sharp knife to remove the corn from the cob. If you don’t know how to do this, try this method. Keep the corn in a bowl until ready to use. 
2. Chop, dice, prepare all the rest of the ingredients while the corn is cooking. Now move on to prepping the Tofu Walnut Meat.  Wait until your Tofu Walnut Taco Meat is in the oven before continuing to step 3.
3. Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into a sauté pan and heat it on medium to medium-low heat. Once hot, add the diced onion, bell peppers, and jalapeño and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the Garlic and the Cilantro and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
5. Add the diced tomato and the prepared corn and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat and squeeze the lime wedge into the mixture and stir. Season with salt and pepper if desired. 

For the Tofu Walnut Taco Meat:

1. Prepare your tofu by opening the package, draining the water, and placing the tofu on a cutting board. Cut the tofu into several slices. Place a paper towel onto a clean dish towel, wrap a piece of the tofu up in the paper & towel, and press all the excess water out of the tofu. Repeat with each slice of the tofu. Now place all the tofu into a food processor and pulse a few times until the tofu looks crumbled like cooked ground meat. Pour the crumbled tofu into a large bowl. 
2. Now, put your 2 cups of walnuts into the food processor and pulse until it is crumbled—just like the tofu. Pour it into the bowl with the tofu and stir to combine them.
3. Mix all the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl until it forms into a thick sauce. Add the sauce to the bowl with the tofu and walnuts and mix until well distributed into the tofu walnut mix.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the tofu walnut mixture evenly onto the parchment paper and set aside. Now you can make your Cashew Sour Cream. 
5. When the timer on the potatoes is down to 15 minutes, put the taco meat into the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring once after 15 minutes. Now prep your Kale while your taco meat is cooking.

For the Cashew Sour Cream:

1. Boil the Cashews in the two cups of water for 15 minutes if you did not already soak them. 

Drain the Cashews and rinse with cool water. 

2. Put the cashews into a blender (I use a Vitamix) and add the salt, apple cider vinegar, ice cubes, and 1/2 of the water.
3. Blend on low at first, and once the cashews have begun to break down, gradually turn up the speed until you reach the highest setting. Keep blending until it forms a creamy texture. Add water as needed and to your desired consistency and thickness. Pour into a serving bowl. 

For the Crispy Kale:

1. Tear the kale into roughly 2-inch pieces, removing the stem down the middle. Place into a large bowl and add the salt and oil.
2. Massage the kale with your hands until the salt and oil are well distributed and the kale begins to soften a bit. 
3. Spread the kale onto a large baking sheet in a single layer. You may not be able to get all of the Kale onto one baking sheet, so you can do it in batches or use two baking sheets.
4. Now, set aside and wait until the Sweet Potatoes are done baking before putting the kale in the oven. Now you can go back and begin cooking your Roasted Corn Pico. Come back to step 5 when the potatoes are done. 
5. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and cook your kale for up to 15 minutes but keep an eye on it, as it can burn easily. As soon as it’s crispy take it out.

For the Sweet Potatoes:

When the timer goes off, check your potatoes by sticking a butter knife into the center of the potato to make sure it goes all the way through easily. Check each one for doneness. If not entirely done, wait another 5 minutes and check again. Repeat till done. Remove done potatoes from the oven and place them on a plate. PUT YOUR KALE IN THE OVEN if it’s not already. Just before serving, cut a slit in the top of each potato from one end to the other and then squeeze the two ends toward each other to create a bowl out of your potato. You can mash up the inside a bit like you would if you were preparing a baked potato. 

Finishing Touches:

Prepare for serving any other toppings you plan to use and prep them if needed: diced avocado, green onion, olives, salsa, hot sauce, etc.

Once your taco meat is done, remove it from the oven. Complete all the recipes. Create an assembly line on your counter with your prepared Sweet Potatoes, Chipotle Black Beans, Tofu Walnut Taco Meat, Roasted Corn Pico, Cashew Sour Cream, and Crispy Kale. Now assemble your stuffed potatoes starting with a large scoop of beans followed by the taco meat, then the pico, then sour cream, and any other toppings you are using, placing the Crispy Kale on the top. 

Wow! You Did It!!! And it’s Amazing! OMG!