Can you all believe it's November already? Do you know what that means? That my favorite holiday is just around the corner. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year because of its emphasis on family without being preoccupied by gifts. Also, the food doesn't hurt.
The Husband's family is an interesting mix of vegans and carnivores, so Thanksgiving with his family is filled with both traditional and creative dishes. There are a couple vegetarians on my side of the family that have inspired some great dishes, too. Over the years, I have enjoyed amazing vegan dishes cooked by others, and whipped up a couple vegan recipes myself. Between now and Thanksgiving, I plan on sharing some of these recipes here.
(cooking! with a rather large belly! also, how terrible are those orange linoleum counters? i'm trying to own it with the cafe curtains)
This first is a twofer! After the jump, my mom's amazing vegan gravy recipe (with some minor tweaks by me) and my mashed cauliflower (mashed potato alternative) recipe.
Mashed Cauliflower
A tasty, vegan, and very healthy alternative to traditional mashed potatoes.
Servings: 4
1 medium head of cauliflower (1.75 pounds)
5 cloves garlic (or less if you're not a complete garlic fiend)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
salt + pepper
1. To roast the garlic: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While oven preheats, separate 5 garlic cloves from the head of garlic, leaving as much of the skins intact as possible. Chop the top 1/4 - 1/2 off the top of each clove, just exposing the top of the clove. Take a strip of aluminum foil at least 4 inches wide and and shape it into a bowl. Place garlic cloves in the aluminum bowl with the cut-off tops upright, and arrange the aluminum foil around them to prop them up. Drizzle cloves with olive oil. Loosely pinch the aluminum foil together above the cloves to close the bowl and put in the oven for 30 minutes, or until cloves are softened. Set aside.
2. Chop the cauliflower into florets. I quickly describe how to do this here.
3. In a large pot, fill with an inch of water and place a steamer basket in the pot. Place over medium-high heat. When water begins to boil, dump cauliflower florets into the steamer basket and cover with lid. Steam until a fork easily pierces the florets, about 7-9 minutes.
4. Remove cauliflower from pot and put into food processor. Squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins and add to the processor as well, along with 1 tablespoon of the chives. Run food processor until everything is processed to the appropriate texture - however you normally like your mashed potatoes.
5. Garnish with extra chives and serve with vegan gravy!
Mom's Vegan Gravy
A tasty, vegan, and somewhat unhealthy gravy that goes wonderfully with mashed cauliflower, vegan stuffing, and more. I've made some small tweaks to it because I can never leave well enough alone.
Servings: 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons diced white or yellow onion (roughly 1/4 of an onion)
3 tablespoons diced crimini or button mushrooms
2-3 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 - 1.25 cups low sodium vegetable broth
pinch of dried sage
pepper to taste
1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and saute for another 3-5 minutes, until onions are translucent and mushrooms are cooked through.
2. Add soy sauce and nutritional yeast. Whisk in flour, forming a paste.
3. Whisk in broth slowly, followed by sage and pepper.
4. Stir constantly for 3-5 minutes, until gravy begins to thicken. If it becomes too thick, add some water. Keep over very low heat until ready to serve.
(yum! looks like useless carbs, dairy, and meat...but it's not!)
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