My first attempt at this dish, I opted to go without and the results were good – My friend loved it, I loved it and we finished the meal without much thought. Round two, however, I had an orange on hand and oh my heavens I will never look back. The citrus and ginger combination, with the spike of cayenne and sweet of maple, balances every flavor group. I want to marinade everything in this and I’ve been trying just about all vegetable without fail. I’ve also been known to sneak a spoonful of the stuff now and again. It’s addicting. You’ve been warned.
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Marinade
1/2 orange, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon tamari
1/4 cup sesame oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
cayenne powder, to taste
1 package firm tofu, diced
3/4 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch kale
4 sweet potatoes
sesame seeds, to garnish
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Poke holes into the sweet potatoes. Bake them for 45-60 minutes, until completely soft.
Lower the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients for the mariade into a small bowl. In a shallow baking dish, combine the tofu and mushrooms. Pour the marinade over this and mix until well combine. Let this sit for at least 30 minutes.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the tofu begins to brown. In a large bowl, mix the kale and baked tofu.
To serve, cut the sweet potatoes in half and fill with tofu kale mixture. Top with sesame seeds.