Tonight’s meal came together in a funny way… In my recent Misfits Market delivery, I was convinced I received a rutabaga. I looked up a mashed rutabaga and carrot recipe and was very excited to try a root vegetable I had never tried before. As I peeled it, I thought, “wow, it’s beautifully bright red inside, but that makes sense because rutabagas are root vegetables just like beets.” And that’s when I smelled it.. and realized, this was actually a beet! I was able to easily pivot and make this recipe with sweet potato, and it turned out fantastic! But now, what to do with these beets?!

Vegan Sweet Potato & Carrot Mash with Tofu Steaks Recipe

Ingredients (2 Servings)

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1.5 carrots, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• ~2 tbsp vegan butter (I used Earth Balance brand)
• ~3 tbsp full fat coconut milk (optional, you could also use any plant-based milk)
• Handful of green beans, trimmed
• .5 package of extra firm tofu, pressed and sliced thickly
• Corn starch
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp olive or neutral oil
• ~1 tbsp soy sauce
• Salt & pepper
• Splash of lemon juice

Method

1. Add the sweet potato, carrot, and garlic cloves into a pot of boiling, salted water.

2. Press, pat dry, and slice the tofu into thick “steaks”. Toss each slice in corn starch, wiping off excess starch so that it’s a light coating. The tofu should feel dry and smooth from the starch but not thickly coated.

3. When the sweet potato and carrot are both very tender, drain and return them to the pot. Turn off the heat. Add the vegan butter, coconut milk, salt, and pepper to the pot and mash it all together with a potato masher. I ended up immersion blending mine too since the carrot didn’t mash as well as the sweet potato. Cover to keep warm.

4. Heat sesame oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add tofu steaks. Season with salt and pepper and let both sides fry for about 3–4 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

5. In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp olive or neutral oil over high heat. Once hot, add the green beans, salt, and pepper, and stir frequently. They only need a couple minutes if you like them crunchy, like I do. Turn off the heat and finish with a small splash of lemon juice.

6. To serve, plate everything up and drizzle a little soy sauce on the tofu steaks. Enjoy!