Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Here's the recipe for the mashed potatoes that I made last night, along with Vegan Swedish Meatballs and peas.  These mashed potatoes were the highlight of the meal!  I usually make mashed potatoes without a recipe, so I did my best to record what went into them. 

Recipe:
Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• 6 yellow potatoes, sliced evenly to speed up cooking time
• 1/2 cup plain organic soymilk
• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste

Place the potatoes in a saucepan and add water until they are just covered.  Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.  Drain the potatoes and dump them in a large, deep bowl (or the bowl of your electric stand mixer--I used a hand mixer since I don't have a stand mixer yet).  Mix the potatoes a bit on their own, and then add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy. 

Comments:

Taste:   

This recipe saved our meal last night, in my opinion.  Mashed potatoes are always great, but I think the secret ingredient here--celery salt--really makes the dish.  They have a great fresh taste on top of the garlic flavor.

Accessibility:    

This recipe is easy to make.  If you don't have an electric mixer, a potato masher will work just fine.  I just prefer the electric mixer because it creates the creaminess that I like.      

Ease of Preparation:  

These potatoes aren't difficult to make, but it does take a bit of time to cook the potatoes.

Non-vegan friendliness:  

I've made these potatoes many times and they're always popular.  My extended family raved about them at Christmas and everyone liked them last night.  It's hard to mess up mashed potatoes.   

 Now it's time to eat!

Vegan Swedish Meatballs in Gravy

Last night, Rachel and I made a meal that I had been looking forward to for quite some time: Vegan Swedish Meatballs in Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, and steamed peas--a "deconstructed shepherd's pie," as Simon put it.

Vegan Swedish Meatballs in Gravy with Mashed Potatoes and Peas

The meatball recipe came from my recent Christmas present, The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion.  (Thanks again, Mom and Dad.)  I have to say that the final product wasn't as great as I was expecting/hoping it would be, but the mashed potatoes and peas made up for the meatballs' shortcomings.  I'll record the Swedish Meatball recipe here, and then I'll post separately about my mashed potato recipe.

Recipe:
Vegan Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs

•  1 cup seasoned vegan bread crumbs
• 1 cup organic plain soymilk
• 1 package vegan sausage (I use LightLife Gimme Lean)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Gravy

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1.5 cups organic plain soymilk
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

First, form the meatballs.  Soak the bread crumbs in the soymilk for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine the sausage, onion, garlic, salt, and spices in a large bowl, using your hands.  Add the soaked bread crumbs to the bowl and mix well, again by hand.  Next, shape the mixture into small meatballs (about 1 inch in diameter) and set aside.

Next, brown the meatballs.  It's easiest to do this in batches.  Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Once it's hot, add half of the meatballs to the pan and brown them on each side.  Set those aside on a plate, add the remaining oil and meatballs, and brown them.

Finally, make the gravy.  Heat the vegan butter, vegetable broth, and soymilk in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour and water until the flour dissolves completely.  Add this mixture to the saucepan, season with salt, and bring to a boil.  Simmer until the mixture thickens.  (Note: this took at least 15 minutes for Rachel and me!)

Once the gravy has thickened, add the meatballs and gravy to the skillet and cook until just heated through.  Serve hot with mashed potatoes and peas.

Comments:
Unfortunately, this recipe took a long time to make and wasn't as good as I expected it to be. 

Taste:   

The general consensus among Rachel, Simon, and I was that the meatballs tasted weird.  Rachel was disappointed with the flavor of the dish overall: she didn't like the gravy's flavor, though she thought the meatballs were "fine."  In contrast, Simon liked the gravy while I had the biggest problem with the texture of the meatballs.  Though they weren't awful and I'm ambivalent about eating them again for dinner tonight, I don't think I'll be making these meatballs any time soon.

Accessibility:   

I didn't have any trouble finding the ingredients in this recipe, though the vegan sausage might be difficult to locate for some.  Note that many bread crumbs have milk products in them, so be sure to check the ingredients list on the package (or make your own).    

Ease of Preparation: 

 This recipe wasn't difficult to make, but it did take a long time.  I think Rachel and I were so disappointed by the end result because of the effort that went into the dish.  We spent at least an hour on these meatballs from start to finish.

Non-vegan friendliness: 

As my brother David says, vegan foods that emulate non-vegan foods can be problematic.  Though these meatballs claim to be the non-vegan equivalent to traditional Swedish meatballs, they surely don't measure up as far as taste and texture are concerned.  For that reason, I generally prefer grain and vegetable-based dishes rather than dishes based around vegan meat or cheese substitutes, and this dish was no exception. 

Vegan Hot Fudge

Yes!  Vegans can still enjoy gooey hot fudge brownie sundaes.  We had brownie hot fudge sundaes for dessert last night.  We topped Fudgy Brownies with coconut milk-based ice cream and homemade vegan hot fudge.  (Note: In my experience, I've found that coconut-based ice cream made by So Delicious is far superior to soy-based vegan ice creams.  But, please let me know if you prefer something else!)

Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Recipe:
Vegan Hot Fudge

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 cup organic soymilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water, dissolving the cornstarch fully.  In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, salt, and cocoa powder before adding the soymilk, vanilla, and cornstarch/water.  Stir the mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil for three minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve hot.

Comments:
This was my first time making this hot fudge.  I've only had one other vegan hot fudge at a vegan ice cream shop in New York and it was delicious, so I had high expectations. 

Taste:  

This hot fudge gets the job done.  Our brownie hot fudge sundaes were incredible.  While the hot fudge wasn't quite as thick as non-vegan hot fudge, it was still a satisfying treat. 

Accessibility:   

This recipe is both easy to make and inexpensive.    

Ease of Preparation: 

This recipe is quick and easy.  You can make it ahead of time and heat it up in the microwave, if necessary. 

Non-vegan friendliness: 

Though Simon notes that the fudge "is missing the consistency that I'm looking for" in a classic hot fudge, everyone at dinner last night seemed both uncomfortably full and unquestionably sated by the end of the night.  The hot fudge is a great sundae topping regardless of it's thickness.  That said, I'll definitely make this again with a few adjustments and report back on any changes in thickness.

Asian Cabbage Slaw

Here's the recipe for the Asian Slaw we had at dinner last night.

Asian Slaw

Recipe:
Asian Slaw

• 1 large cabbage, shredded
• 6 scallions, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped finely
• 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
• 3 tablespoons sesame or canola oil
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. 

(Yields more slaw than you'd think!)


Comments:

Taste:  

I love this slaw, even though I was never a big consumer of mayo-based cole slaw.  It's crunchy, tangy, and delicious. Unfortunately we didn't have all of the ingredients listed above for the slaw last night (due to my own lack of organization), but it was still a good side dish.

Accessibility:  

While the vegetables are all quite accessible, the sesame oil is both expensive and difficult to find.  We used canola oil because of this.  However, I don't think the slaw's taste suffers too much without the sesame oil. 

Ease of Preparation: 

The ingredients in this recipe require a fair amount of preparation, between the chopping and toasting; but, once the ingredients are ready, you just toss them into a bowl.  Easy.    

Non-vegan friendliness: 

I imagine this recipe is the same as a non-vegan version would be: it's an Asian-inspired cabbage slaw, so mayonnaise would never play a part. 

Pea Pesto Crostini

Last night, we hosted four of our friends for dinner and a game night.  We'd been trying for months to find a night when all seven of us were available, so it was great to finally get everyone together and we had a lot of fun!  The menu was pretty disjointed--it didn't stick to any particular cuisine--but we still ate quite well.

Here's what we had:
Appetizers: Chunky Guacamole and chips; Pea Pesto Crostini
Main Course: Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce served over brown rice; Asian Slaw
Dessert: Hot Fudge Sundaes with Fudgy Brownies

I'll blog about the Pea Pesto Crostini here, and then I'll do a separate post for the Asian Slaw and the Hot Fudge recipes. 

Pea Pesto Crostini

Recipe:
Pea Pesto Crostini

Pea Pesto:

• 10-ounces frozen peas, defrosted
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup vegan bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Crostini:

• 1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• olive oil
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved

First, prepare the pea pesto.  Process the peas, garlic, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper in a food processor until well combined.  Then add the olive oil and process until the mixture becomes smooth.  Season the pesto with additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.  Set aside.  

To prepare the crostini, lightly drizzle or brush olive oil over the baguette slices and toast the bread.  Top each slice with pea pesto and tomato halves and serve.

Comments:
We've made these crostini several times before and they're always a crowd-pleaser. 

Taste: or 

They taste incredibly fresh and delicious.  They're a great, non-messy appetizer.    

Accessibility:  

We had most of these ingredients before going grocery shopping.  They're all quite standard ingredients, so you should have no trouble finding them.

Ease of Preparation: 

This recipe couldn't be much simpler: you put ingredients in a food processor and you're done.    

Non-vegan friendliness: 

I've served this to many non-vegans and they all raved about it.  In fact, we ended up making it as part of dinner last night because Rachel was SO excited to have it again.  Last night we had the vegan pea pesto detailed here in addition to a non-vegan version (the bread crumbs were replaced by Parmesan cheese), so it's also a flexible dish. 

Thai Curried Veggies

If you're looking for a recipe with a lot of produce in it, you've come to the right place.  This recipe for Thai Curried Veggies contains a long list of vegetables--some of which are making their first appearance in this blog.  (Simon doesn't really like cauliflower, but somehow it found its way into this curry!) 

Thai Curried Veggies

Recipe:
Thai Curried Veggies

• 2 - 14 oz cans unsweetened coconut milk (we used "lite" coconut milk)
• Curry paste (This comes in several varieties, including red, green, Massaman, or yellow--listed from most to least spicy.  We used green.  Be sure to look for a brand of curry paste without fish sauce.  The instructions on the container will tell you how much to use.) 
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 - 16 oz package extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes
• 2 yellow potatoes, diced
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 bunch cauliflower florets
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into long strips
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

First, pour half of one of the cans of coconut milk into a large frying pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cook the coconut milk for a few minutes until it begins to smell sweet (about 3 minutes).  Add the curry paste and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring often to combine the paste and coconut milk.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.  Then stir in the remaining coconut milk, tofu, potatoes, and cauliflower, reduce the heat, and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the red peppers and cook for 5 more minutes.  Finally, add the basil and cook for an additional minute, adding salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve hot over brown rice.  Yields 4 servings.

Comments:

Taste: 

This dish wasn't one of the best we've made so far.  It didn't have a bad taste, but it also didn't have much taste.  Rachel and Simon both described the meal as "bland," which isn't necessarily what you want your curry to taste like (unless you do!  This could be a good dish to make for a spice-fearing friend.).  I thought the dish had a nice taste, though I did add some crushed red pepper flakes to add spice. 

Accessibility:  

We had no trouble finding any of the ingredients in this dish.  We found vegan curry paste in our local Giant.  You can really use any variety of vegetables available, so it could be a great seasonal dish.  However, this dish did end up being a bit more expensive than others due to all of the fresh ingredients.  

Ease of Preparation: 

This dish was easy to make and didn't take too long.  There is a lot to chop, but the actual cooking was a breeze.  

Non-vegan friendliness: 

Curry is a very non-vegan friendly dish in general.  However, I know many non-vegans who might object to the tofu in this dish, especially since it's not browned and crispy.  It's probably not the best vegan dish to make for a skeptical non-vegan.