pantry+ the southern hot mess

Sometimes, late at night, when thoughts keep me up and I'm too tired to read, but I need some mindless bs to take my mind off things, I turn on the TV to the food channel. I'm a cook, so that makes sense for me.

One of those restless nights found me staring at Diners Drive-ins and Dives. Unfortunately for me (and the animals), it was another BBQ show - Guy seems to showcase those joins way too often. This time, however, my head popped off the pillow, in the middle of drifting off to sleep, when I heard the term "sweet potato." In a BBQ joint? Sweet potato was being featured?

Of course, the sweet potato was only a vessel, but still, there was promise here. The woman cook goes on to share that, yes, indeed, this is a true Southern favorite. I was in.

This is The Southern Hot Mess - originally with cheese, brisket, bacon and chipotle crema - all animal-based. It's time for another flip. And this is a Pantry+ recipe! This recipe uses 4 pantry items (HERE) and 7 fresh items.

The Southern Hot Mess:

Equipment:
oven
small blender [such as Magic Bullet]
cast-iron skillet
small bowl

Pantry ingredients:
Oregano
Cumin
Chickpeas
Chipotle en adobo

Fresh ingredients:
Sweet potato
Lime
Garlic
Green onions
Chili powder
Vegan bacon
Vegan sour cream

You blend all the ingredients to make the adobo sauce and set it aside. Cook the chickpeas in the dry skillet until golden and then add the reserved sauce. This is our chickpea adobo.

Prepare your vegan bacon (I *love* the tofu bacon from Everyday Vegan Eats, but now I air-fry it instead of pan-frying it - so good!!), mix up the simple chipotle sauce and just wait for your sweet potatoes to bake. Then split the potatoes, top with all the goodies and go to town.

The Southern Hot Mess (a Pantry+ recipe)
Makes 4 servings
Pantry list is HERE.

4 medium sweet potatoes
Sea salt, as needed
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups cooked chickpeas
4 strips vegan bacon (such as tofu, seitan or tempeh)
1/4 cup vegan sour cream or mayonnaise
1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle puree*
2 green onions, minced

1. Wash the sweet potatoes, pierce them in 4 or 5 places with a knife and sprinkle with salt. Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F and bake until tender (no need to wait to preheat), about 60 minutes. 
2. To make the adobo, combine the water, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small blender and blend until smooth. Set aside. Heat a dry medium cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chickpeas and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, mashing the beans lightly as they cook. Add the adobo sauce, cover the skillet and cook until the sauce is absorbed and the chickpeas are flavorful, about 8 to 10 minutes, adding a few tablespoons of water as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt.
3. Cook the vegan bacon either in the oven or in a skillet, either with oil or oil spray, until crisp. Chop and set aside. Combine the sour cream and chipotle, mix well and set aside.
4. Split a cooked potato in half, top with the adobo chickpeas, add some chipotle cream, sprinkle on some bacon and green onions and serve. 


*Chipotle Puree: Blend an entire can of chipotle en adobo in a small blender until smooth. Transfer to a mason jar and store with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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