Category Archives: potatoes

Vegan, Gluten-Free Cauliflower/Celery Root Mash is Like Mashed Potatoes, Only Better

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Chef Leah

Winter is a wonderful time for this nourishing dish. It’s creamy and filling, like mashed potatoes, but much yummier and more nutritious! Brewer’s yeast, cauliflower, and celery root are packed with vitamins, and the flavor is slightly sweet, with a bit of a tang.

You’ll be scooping this mash out of your blender or food processor for little tastes before you can even pour it into a bowl. And it’s so simple and inexpensive to make, with only seven ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into florets
1 celery root (celeriac) (about 1 pound), cut into one-inch chunks
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons nutritional (brewer’s) yeast

OPTIONAL GARNISHES

Drizzle of olive oi
chopped thyme

DIRECTIONS

Peel the celery root and either compost the skin or save it for stock. Chop into one-inch chunks and set aside. Mince 2-4 cloves of garlic, and chop the cauliflower head into bite-sized florets. Place these ingredients into a large frying pan with two tablespoons of olive oil. Fry on medium heat setting for approximately ten minutes.

Add 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water and turn down the heat. Cover the pan and simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes until the celery root and cauliflower are tender. Check occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid. Add more if necessary. Remove pan from stovetop and allow its contents to cool for a few minutes.

Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste, nutritional yeast, and a tiny bit more vegetable broth or water. Blend until nice and creamy.

Transfer the contents into a large bowl. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and stir. Garnish with bits of chopped thyme. Eat this concoction warm, and you’ll be in heaven. You can add a bit more olive oil or Earth Balance to the top for additional richness. This mash is also great as a cold dip with gluten-free bread, crackers, carrot sticks, avocado slices, etc. It’s so versatile! Feel free to experiment.

Serves four people. Everyone will rave about this yummy side dish. It keeps well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and tastes just as great reheated as it did on the first day. You’ll never go back to plain mashed potatoes or look at cauliflower in the same way again. Or celery root, for that matter. We just love this dish, and feel confident that you will, as well.

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Warm Your Insides With Vegan, Gluten-Free Cream of Potato and Broccoli Soup

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Chef Leah

We don’t know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but it’s cold and gloomy here. The skies are pitch-black by 5:00 PM, and we do whatever we can to stay warm. Nothing soothes you more on a cold December evening than a bowl of creamy potato/broccoli soup.

The texture is like manna for the throat, and the robust, yet delicate flavor comforts as it fills you up. Invite some friends over for a soup party! Everyone will rave about this delicious meal.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups finely chopped broccoli
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 russet potatoes, chopped (You can leave skins on or take them off. Personally, we like to leave them on).
4 cups vegetable broth (check labels for gluten)
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
Sea salt to taste

OPTIONAL TOPPING INGREDIENTS

chopped scallions
chopped chives
fresh ground pepper
sriracha sauce
broccoli croutons

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pan and pour in the celery, garlic, onion, and broccoli pieces. Fry at medium heat setting until the ingredients are just beginning to turn brown. Add the chopped potatoes, sea salt, and vegetable broth. Stir, and then cover the pan. Simmer the mixture for approximately half an hour until all the vegetables are soft. You should be able to stick a fork in the potato slices with no problem, but don’t overcook them.

[INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS: Saute the celery, garlic, onion, and broccoli pieces in your Instant Pot until they start to brown, add potatoes, salt and vegetable broth, and cook manual, high pressure, 5 minutes. Let natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then quick release.]

Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You will have a large amount of soup, so you’ll need to do 2-3 separate batches. When you’re done with one batch, pour it into a large bowl and start another. The soup’s texture should be thick and creamy.

But wait, you’re not done! Here comes the best part: pour a cup of full-fat coconut milk into the bowl with the soup and stir until everything is thoroughly combined. Pour the soup into separate bowls and garnish with sriracha, chopped chives, chopped scallions, and/or fresh black pepper. If you’d like to make broccoli croutons, just fry a few chopped broccoli florets in olive oil and sea salt until they’re nice and crispy. Remove florets from the pan, let them drain and cool, and toss them on top of your soup!

Serves 4-6 delighted guests. This soup can be served on its own, or with a side salad and/or a loaf of gluten-free bread. It keeps well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and tastes even better reheated. Yum! Now you’re ready to bundle up and face the cold winds.

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Our Vegan, Gluten-Free Hearty Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie is a Winter Feast

Posted on December 4, 2019 by Chef Leah

Brrrrrr! It’s getting cold outside, and we’re craving comfort food! Shepherd’s Pie is an excellent meal for these chilly nights. It’s packed full of lentils and potatoes, combined with mushrooms and spinach, and served on top of gluten-free breadcrumbs. We made this hearty offering as a main dish for our recent Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s also perfect for the December holidays. You’ll feel pleasantly full in no time, ready to brave the cold winds.

INGREDIENTS

8 russet potatoes
2 tablespoons vegan butter or margarine, such as Earth Balance
1/2 cup rice milk
Sea salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cups cremini mushrooms, chopped
3 1/2 cups cooked lentils with a bit of leftover liquid
2 tablespoons dry red wine (optional)
1-2 tablespoons tamari (Don’t use soy sauce, as it contains wheat)
2 tablespoons seasoning blend (We used Bragg, with great results)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
fresh ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup spinach or arugula leaves
1 cup fresh gluten-free breadcrumbs
Dried oregano for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

Boil the potatoes until soft and remove the skins. Mash the potatoes in a large bowl with the rice milk and vegan butter or margarine. Cover your mixture and set aside.

Sauté the onions in olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan. Cast iron is best. When the onions are translucent, add the garlic and mushrooms and continue sautéing until they are golden and the mushrooms are cooked through, but not mushy.

Add the lentils and their liquid and simmer. Stir in the optional wine, tamari, seasoning blend, thyme, and pepper. Cook for about five minutes on medium heat, then add cornstarch. Toss in spinach and cook until the leaves are just beginning to wilt. Continue stirring until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Scatter the breadcrumbs across the bottom of a two-quart baking dish. Ladle the lentil mixture inside, smoothing it to make sure the surface is even and free from lumps. Spread the potato mixture across the top and sprinkle with a bit of additional thyme and/or oregano.

Bake in a pre-heated, 400-degree oven for 30-35 minutes. The edges of the potato mixture should be browned and slightly crispy. Cut into wedges and serve! This dish is great with a salad or a variety of other holiday or non-holiday sides. Serves about 8 hungry guests. You can refrigerate any leftovers in a secure container for up to three days. Happy winter, and be sure to stay warm out there!

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Pepper, Peanut, and Potato Sabzi: A Simple But Elegant Meal With an Indian Flair

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Chef Leah

You’re faced with a dilemma: you want to eat an elegant international meal, but you don’t have much time and/or cash on hand. What’s a hungry gourmet to do? The answer is simple — whip up a platter of our vegan, gluten-free Pepper, Peanut, and Potato Sabzi! Though it looks deceptively like a simple, stir-fried dish of potatoes and peppers, once you experienced your first bite, you’ll know there is something special going on. The exotic flavor comes from the addition of cumin and fennel seeds, spices that are popular staples in Indian cuisine. The peanuts add protein, and the potatoes are hearty and filling. Just perfect for these chilly autumn nights!

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large russet potato, chopped
2 medium-sized bell peppers, chopped (red is best, but you can also use yellow, orange, or a combination)
1 teaspoon sea salt (NOT iodized!)
1/4 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about half a lime)

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

chopped cilantro
hot sauce
extra lime juice
tortillas
cooked basmati rice

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat setting (cast iron is best). Add the cumin seeds and cook for a minute or so until they start to turn brown. Stir in the fennel seeds and onion and continue cooking for about 4-6 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently!

Stir in potato and distribute evenly across the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes until the potatoes begin to soften. It’s okay if they’re a bit browned in spots. Stir in the sea salt and bell pepper. Cover the pot again and cook until peppers are cooked through (about 5-7 minutes). Ideally, the peppers should be lightly charred on the bottom, but not burned. You can peek occasionally to make sure.

Stir in the peanuts and lime juice and cook, uncovered, for another couple of minutes. Remove the pan from the burner, and ladle the contents onto several plates. That’s all there is to it! You can garnish with hot sauce, cilantro, extra lime juice, or whatever your heart desires. Also, this mixture can be served over basmati rice or corn tortillas if you want to get really fancy. But it’s perfect all on its own!

Serves 3-4 guests. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and taste great reheated. We guarantee that you’ll love this inexpensive but exotic and delicious meal.

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Eat Hearty With Our Vegan, Gluten-Free German Potato Salad (Stovetop and Instant Pot Recipe Included!)

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Chef Leah

Fall is coming on strong! We don’t know about you, but we’re craving some carbs! It’s best to stick to the healthy kind, like organic potatoes. Recently, we found ourselves with a small sack of red potatoes — don’t ask how THAT happened — and wanted to do something fancier than just boiling them and slathering some Earth Balance over the top. So we modified a German potato salad recipe, substituting tempeh bacon for the animal variety, and were wowed by the results! We purchased smoky bacon tempeh from the supermarket, and discovered that it imparted the delicious flavor that is so essential to German potato salad. Try this dish, we think you’ll be impressed by its authenticity.

INGREDIENTS

6 cups sliced red potatoes (you can use small white ones, as well, or a mixture)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
1/2 chopped red onion
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 cup stock water (from boiling potatoes)
1 package tempeh bacon strips

INSTRUCTIONS

Slice potatoes into 1/2 inch disks, cover with water, and boil on stovetop, or place in steamer basket over water in Instant Pot and cook on manual for 3 minutes and natural pressure release. The potatoes should be tender, but not too soft. Meanwhile, fry the tempeh strips in a bit of olive oil until they are crispy but not burned. Remove from pan and set on a paper (or cloth) towel to drain off excess oil. Combine vinegar, mustard, onion, liquid smoke, and black pepper in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Crumble in bits of tempeh bacon. Scoop 1/4 cup of water from the top of the boiling potato pan, or take 1/4 cup water out of the bottom of the Instant Pot once potatoes are cooked, and add to mixture. Stir some more until everything comes together.

Remove potatoes from stovetop or Instant Pot and drain excess water by placing them into a colander. Shake off any remaining water and pour the potatoes into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir with a large spoon. The mixture will smell divine! You’ll be able to tell when it’s done, because it’ll look delicious and you’ll want to dig right in.

German potato salad is best enjoyed hot! You can serve it all by itself, or with a side of gluten-free bread. It’s a great addition to potlucks! This dish is super-hearty, due to the winning combination of potatoes and protein-rich tempeh. Serves 4-5 hungry people. It keeps well in the refrigerator, securely covered, for 2-3 days. Warning — you may find yourself sneaking into the kitchen for late-night snacks! We feel confident that you’ll enjoy this autumnal favorite as much as we do.

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