Well, here's a piece of shocking news for all of the meat-loving, vegetable-haters out there: vegan food can be AMAZING.
Before you all start throwing pieces of bacon at me, let me explain. If you gave me a plate of alfalfa sprouts and raw celery dressed with weird fake turkey and soy cheese, I would still be absolutely disgusted. That, in my opinion, isn't "real food". One thing I discovered when I was forced to cook without meat, butter, cheese or flour was that vegetables naturally shine when you allow them to. You shouldn't cover up a beautiful piece of broccoli by steaming it until it's mush and dunking it in velveeta cheese sauce. You should drizzle it with full-bodied, rich olive oil and slowly roast it until it's slightly charred and crisp, and finish it with a touch of himalyan pink salt and cracked black pepper. This may sound weird; but in my year of veganism I learned to treat food with respect.
This is a recipe for one of the first vegan comfort foods I cooked that made me feel like a human again. Vegetarians and carnivores alike have never left a single bite of these potatoes behind. Hope you enjoy!
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Vegan Mashed Potatoes (w/balsamic caramelized onions and chipotle crema)
- 10 medium-sized (or appox 1 lb) organic red bliss potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- extra-virgin olive oil
- approx 1/2 cup Vegenaise (GMO, egg-free "mayo", made with heart-healthy oils)
- 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1/2 yellow or white onion, sliced into arches (here's a good link on how to do that: http://www.wikihow.com/Cut-an-Onion)
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp organic cane sugar, palm sugar or agave
- 2 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper, to taste
In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add a sprinkle of salt. Chop the red bliss potatoes into small, 1-inch squares, and toss into the pot when the water has reached boiling temperature. Cover with a lid and stir every few minutes until the potatoes are fork tender (approx 15-20 minutes).
While they are cooking, chop the adobo peppers into small pieces (this is a very messy process- I tend to use a piece of wax or parchment paper underneath). Then, in a small mixing bowl, combine the peppers and adobo sauce with the vegenaise and mix with a spoon.
In a small skillet, heat up approx 1 tsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions, 1 tsp rosemary, the sugar, and a sprinkle of sea salt and cracked black pepper. As soon as they start to become slightly charred on the outside, add the balsamic vinegar, and turn the heat down between low and medium-low. Let them slowly caramelize, watching and stirring occasionally. They should be finished around the same time as the potatoes. When they're done; turn off the heat and leave them in the pan.
In a large skillet, turn the heat to medium, coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil, and toss in the minced garlic. When the garlic starts to become soft and fragrant, use a slotted spoon to add the boiled potatoes into the skillet. If some of the water from the pot gets in the pan- don't worry; the starchy water will help to soften the potatoes and bind the ingredients. Smash the potatoes with the back of a fork or wooden spoon and then season generously with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, cayenne, and the rest of the rosemary. Then add approx half of the chipotle pepper mayo to the pan. Stir well, season to taste, and when you've reached desired flavor and texture, cover and turn the heat down to medium low for approx 4-5 minutes.
Serve the mashed potatoes warm, garnished with the herbed caramelized onions, a fresh sprig of rosemary (to make them look extra classy), and a drizzle of the chipotle crema.
Oh, and if you don't tell people these are vegan....they'll NEVER know...muahahaha.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!
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