Vegan Baked Potatoes & Salad (Day 2)

This may sound boring and bland, but I can guarantee my tastebuds were not bored tonight at dinner.

A few weeks ago I learned a new method of baking potatoes from one of my favorite shows, America's Test Kitchen.  I've been wanting to try it, and I thought tonight would be a great opportunity.  But when I think of baked potatoes I think butter, cheese, sour cream, and bacon... None of which are vegan. :(

Luckily the baked potato recipe came with a rosemary, garlic butter recipe as well.  I figured I could sub in vegan butter for real butter.  But instead of heading to the store for vegan butter after school pick-up like I should have I went home to take a nap with baby.  Because I was tired... Oh so tired.

After my refreshing nap with Baby J we got our vegan butter, but the potatoes didn't get into the oven until 6 PM.  And we were all starving at that point.  So I improvised and whipped up some bruschetta on toast as an appetizer.

I was in a hurry so I put the garlic in totally raw, but you can sauté it in olive oil first.  Sorry this is not a real recipe since I didn't measure a thing.
I just chopped some Romas
Added some minced garlic
Added some thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Splashed in a some olive oil and balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
Toast some sourdough with olive oil and spoon the bruschetta on top

One of the first things in my fridge I checked for non-vegan ingredients was my Girard's Light Champagne salad dressing.  Thankfully it passed the test, and it was great on our salad tonight.
Salad ingredients:
Romaine Lettuce
Cucumbers
Avocado
Shredded Carrot
Black Olives
Raw Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds

The Baked Potato method and butter recipe did not disappoint.  Seriously the fluffiest baked potato I've ever made and probably the most delicious with the butter.

Ingredients:
4 - 6 Russet Potatoes - washed and patted dry - depending on size (I made 6 small)
2 1/2 cups kosher salt
1 head garlic, top sliced off
2 - 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 teaspoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter (or Earth Balance Vegan butter)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450. Put salt in a 9x13 pan.  Press the potatoes into the salt, making sure they're not touching.  Place the 2 sprigs of rosemary and garlic (cut side up) into the pan
Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hr.

Remove the pan and take out garlic head.  Brush the potatoes with the olive oil and place back in the oven for 15 min on 500.

Squeeze the garlic head into the butter.  Chop up about half of that additional rosemary sprig and combine it with the butter and garlic.

Serve the baked potatoes with the garlic butter mixture.

A seriously amazing dinner I would make again (vegan or not)!