Cheesy Bean Potato Tots by Small Changes Big Benefits from Flavour with Benefits
Vegan Cheesy Bean Potato Tots with Ranch Dressing
These beauties are all plant based and oil free. Using the best from beans, potatoes, nutritional yeast and hemp seeds, you have a treat that could be used for an hors d'oeuvre or a great side dish for dinner. Either way, it uses easily acquired ingredients and is vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. Use the vegan “Ranch dressing” to dip or pour over the tots. Enjoy.
Flavour: Aromatic cheese with great texture from the beans and potatoes.
Benefits: Low calorie, zero cholesterol and high in vitamin B12. A great source of copper, calcium and zinc which help in metabolism, muscle health and stamina and as a bonus, it is fibre rich too.
Yield: 12-13 tots
Total time: 45-55 minutes
Equipment: blender or food processor, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, foil and sheet pan
“Cheesey” Sauce
2 tbsp (29 ml) lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
¼ cup nutritional yeast (add more if you like cheesey flavour)
¼ cup (59 ml) filtered water
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp tamari or ½ tsp salt
Blend and set aside until mixed into the bean and potato mixture below.
Bean and Potato Mix
1 cup (180 g) cannellini beans (canned and rinsed)
1 cup (180g) red kidney beans (canned and rinsed)
2 small (276 g) potatoes, washed with skins on
Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C).
Use either a grater or the attachment on the food processor to shred the potato into hash brown or roti pieces.
Add the beans into the mixture and pulse until mixed but not pureed. Texture of potatoes and beans is nice to see, and you don’t want to extract all the water out of vegetables.
Put contents into a bowl and gently mix the “Cheesey sauce” (see above) into the potato and bean mixture.
Place foil onto a cookie sheet and measure out ¼ of mixture using a measuring cup to measure. Use your hands to shape the tots into a round or other preferred shape. Note: you can use oil on the foil if you wish, but it should not be necessary.
Place on cookie sheet a bit apart so that they do not touch. This will make getting them off the foil easier.
Bake at 375°F (191°C).for 30-35 minutes. The outside should be golden brown and still somewhat soft. If you wish to bake longer to make the interior less soft, cover with foil to prevent burning.
While they are baking, prepare the “Ranch” Dressing.
“Ranch Dressing”
Prep time: 5 minutes
Equipment: blender or food processor
Yield: 1¾ cup, (253 g)
½ to ¾ cup (117-177 ml) filtered water
1 cup (170 g) shelled hemp seeds
¾ tsp tamari, soy sauce or salt
2 cloves garlic (if you are not a fan of spicy, use 1 tsp garlic powder instead)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground mustard seed
3 tbsp (44 mls) apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp dried dill, crushed
½ tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)
½ cup (52 g) purple onion, diced
Blend and set aside until needed. Can be refrigerated for 1 week to 10 days.
Use the “Ranch Dressing” to dip the bean and potato tots into. Decorate with slices of sweet red and yellow peppers. Eat.