Potato Skins with Eggplant Bacon

Am I the only one who craves potatoes after a good, long workout?

Please say that I’m not.

If you’re anything like me, you believe that a kick-ass yoga class or a nice, long run deserves a hearty, filling dinner afterwards. This might be a bad theory, because after all, you’re probably working out to burn calories. And stuffing your face with potatoes probably doesn’t fit well with most people’s calorie-blasting motif.

I, on the other hand, believe that the body wants what it wants. And if mine wants starchy root vegetables, then so be it.

These mini versions of potato skins are super filling, so just a few usually fill my tummy. So these smothered spuds aren’t all that evil, and are a nice little post-workout treat. The fake bacon (which is raw!) and green onions really make them reminiscent of those fried, cheese covered skins I used to eat at nasty chain restaurants when I was younger. Except these ones make my taste buds and stomach happier!

6-8 small gold or red potatoes, halved and boiled

1 1/2 cups shredded Daiya cheese

1/2 bunch green onions, chopped

Paprika, sea salt and black pepper to taste

Olive oil for drizzling

RAW EGGPLANT BACON (Prep time is only an hour if you don’t want the bacon to be raw vegan)

1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise into strips

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp pure honey

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Dash of cayenne powder

• For the bacon, whisk together all ingredients except the eggplant
• Brush wet mixture onto both sides of the eggplants and place on dehydrator sheets
• Dehydrate at 105 degrees for roughly 24 hours (check and flip periodically until crispy)
• If NOT making the bacon raw, cook at lowest possible temperature (200 degrees for us) for 1-2 hours on parchment paper on a baking sheet
• For the potatoes, preheat oven to 400 degrees
• On a greased baking sheet, place potatoes, face side up and sprinkle with olive oil, paprika, salt and black pepper
• Top each one with about 1 tbsp of Daiya
• Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes
• Serve topped with green onions, crumbled eggplant bacon and raw vegan mayo on the side