Vegan Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Vegan Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Gravy are crazy easy and delicious. Honestly, mashed potatoes win all the time. I like mine creamy and garlicky, too. I picked some fresh garlic chives from my patio garden for this recipe. So perfect!
I love Thanksgiving. I love the food, the company, the drinks, the music, and the “becoming one with my couch.” Being vegan doesn’t mean my Thanksgiving is any less carb and food heavy/delish than any other T-day. There are SOOO many meals you can make. Click HERE for a list of Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes.
OMG… COVID! Preventing family/friend soirées across the world. UGH! This year, it’ll just be me, my sis’, my nephew, and of course, G-dog. It’ll be amazing, no doubt. However, I am so pissed at the stupidity of people. This past year, human stupidity, in mass quantity, has become incredibly evident through both COVID and the election. I mean, what the fuck, people? Is putting on a mask too difficult? Is putting on a mask and following basic rules of socialization too freedom-restricting? Why can’t we all agree, despite our opposing beliefs, that this virus fucking sucks, and that if we all follow VERY easy and basic rules, we might have a chance of getting over this hellacious hump earlier than a down-tick next summer? Let’s all cross our fingers for this vaccine being readily available with access for everyone – like ASAP. Okay, that’s my diatribe for today. I felt the need to put it in this post since holidays are super-spreaders.
Anyway, Vegan Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Gravy are the bomb! I hope you enjoy! Live well, eat well, mask-up well, friends.
For your cooking delight… I LOVE this version…
Vegan Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Ingredients –
For the mashed potatoes:
3 1/2 lbs of potatoes – I usually use russet; however, this time, I use red potatoes and loved it! Also, I keep the skin ON!
2 C vegan milk – I prefer oat milk for this recipe
1/4 C vegan butter
5-7 cloves of garlic – diced (depends on your level of garlic and size of cloves)
2-3 Tbs garlic chives – diced (save some for a garnish)
Salt & pepper to taste (salt for boiling potatoes, too)
For the gravy: (feel free to double this recipe – I usually do)
2 C vegetable stock
2 Tbl soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 C flour
Optional – 1-2 Tbl ground flax
Directions –
For the mashed potatoes:
Cut the potatoes into quarters. Place in a large pot, add salt and cover with water
Bring to boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat once boiling. Cook until potatoes are tender – about 15 minutes
Drain and place back in pot
Heat the milk, butter, garlic, and garlic chives in a pan over medium heat until simmering – remove from heat
Mash and add the mixture from pan, plus salt and pepper
Garnish with a piece of butter and chives
Done!
For the gravy:
Place all ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil
Whisk often over medium-high heat for a few minutes until the gravy thickens to your liking
Done!
Wine pairing –
White – Chardonnay
Red РBarbaresco, Chianti Classico, C̫tes du Rh̫ne.
Beer pairing –
Blonde ale
Vegan Lentil Nut Loaf
Vegan Lentil Nut Loaf is easy, healthy, and delicious! Perfect for dinner, Thanksgiving, or Christmas meals. I make some kind of loaf for every Thanksgiving I have at my home – which is every year. LOL. Sometimes I do a pure lentil loaf, sometimes I do a nut loaf, sometimes a straight-up vegan meatloaf, and occasionally a mushroom wellington (click HERE for that recipe). Needless to say, I just try to change up the deliciousness every year since I host a vegan Thanksgiving annually.
I already had one vegan Thanksgiving thus far! My friend and her daughter came over since we won’t be able to spend the actual day together. It was amazing! We drank too much wine, good beer, and listened to too much Christmas music (is there such a thing?). The kids topped it off with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Round two of unnecessary eating came late night after some porch time with Jack Herer. LOL. That’s also when we thought it was a good idea to dive into the beers. Fuck it, right? We only live once and spending this time with friends is precious. Especially as we are preparing for our inevitable departure to our new home – Shenzhen, China. It couldn’t come soon enough!
This year, our T-day will be with my sister and her son. Simple but perfect. Again, getting that time in with our nearest and dearest! It is HARD with COVID. My Saturday night plans are now on Zoom. Ideal? No. However, still fun. It is really important to maintain connections and stay social during this pandemic. One of the few things that have truly helped.
I’ll have a few more vegan Thanksgiving recipes posted in the next ten days, and then my annual vegan Thanksgiving menu post with some T-day trivia for your holiday. Treat yourself to some early T-day grub because “fuck it,” it’s COVID and we might as well! On that note, cheers!
To get you in the holiday spirit…
Vegan Lentil Nut Loaf
Makes 8 slices
Ingredients –
2Â C brown lentils (I use Trader Joe’s steamed lentils)
1 1/2 C walnuts – chopped finely
1Â Tbl olive oil
3 Tbl vegetable broth
2Â C yellow onion
1/2Â Cup carrot – diced
1Â C celery – diced
4Â cloves garlic – minced
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
3 tsp oregano
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2Â C tomato paste
1Â vegan egg equivalent – I use a flax “egg” – 1 Tbl ground flax with 3 Tbl water mixed well
1Â 1/4Â C breadcrumbs
For the glaze:
1/3 cup ketchup (I use a good ketchup – Portland Ketchup)
2 Tbl balsamic vinegar
1 Tbl real maple syrup
Directions –
Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat
Add the onion, celery, carrot, and salt – mix and cook for about 7 minutes
Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes
Add the broth, lentils, oregano, thyme, sage, and salt & pepper and cook for 5 minutes more stirring ocassionally
In a large bowl, add the lentil mix, breadcrumbs, vegan egg, and tomato paste – mix very well (use a masher or your hands)
Flatten the contents of the bowl into a loaf pan
Evenly spread glaze on the top of the loaf
Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes
Done!
Wine pairings –
Red – Barbaresco, tempranillo
White – Chardonnay
Beer pairings-
German hefeweizen, English brown ale
Lentil Soup with Sauteed Mushrooms (Vegan)
Lentil Soup with Sauteed Mushrooms (Vegan) is now definitely making an appearance on Thanksgiving… though not on my original menu. If you are a lover of the lentil like myself, I have no doubt you’re a lover of lentil soups. This is a classic lentil soup recipe that I’ve topped with loads of sauteed mushrooms and fresh cilantro because that is what I had that lying around in the fridge. Waste not! My food philosophy that I am constantly touting “(like the mind, food is a terrible thing to waste).” Mushrooms are my ultimate fave as well, and I nominate autumn as the season of the shroom! I used white mushrooms, as they were in my fridge, however, you could use any mushroom in this soup.
Personally, I deem this soup to be simplicity in its finest form. It’s a small twist on a classic soup but it is delicious, healthy, easy, and displays itself beautifully, especially if you’re serving guests. It’ll make you look like a savvy chef for sure! Bust out the dusty apron and fool people into thinking you’ve been slaving all day! That is, unless, it’s Thanksgiving. In which case, you’ve undoubtedly been slaving all day. For T-day, I drink wine whilst cooking. This makes everything better. 😉 Naturally, some good tunes and food sampling (duh) will sweeten the deal, too.
Hope you enjoy and have a fabulous Thanksgiving with those around you. Gobble, gobble, gobble up! 😉
- 1 lb dry lentils (rinse first)
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 carrot - diced
- 1 stalk of celery - diced
- 1 onion - finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
- 1 cup cilantro
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 8 cups veggie broth
- 3 Tbl olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Heat a large pot with olive oil
- Add the onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of salt - stir occasionally
- Add the garlic for the last minute (about minute 7)
- Cook for approximately 8 minutes
- Add the lentils, broth, bay leaves, and cumin
- Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low (about 40 minutes)
- Meanwhile, heat a pan with oil and add the mushrooms with salt
- Add the cilantro in the last minute (about minute 9)
- Cook until lightly browned (about 10 minutes)
- When lentils are done, add salt & pepper to taste
- If too thick, slowly add more veggie broth until you reach your desired consistency
- Pour the soup into bowls and then top with the mushroom mix
- Done!
- Serve with a rustic bread
- Wine- Chianti OR Sangiovese
- Beer- Winter Ale
