Decadent Mashed Potatoes

Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite food in the universe is comforting classic mashed potatoes.  Growing up my Mom always made them pefectly because she made them with lots of love, butter and cream.  Though she never followed a recipe I would compare hers with those crafted by Joel Robuchon, equal parts potato, butter and cream.  When you are craving the ultimate in comfort, give these a go.  Your belly, heart and soul will thank you.

Decadent Mashed Potatoes

4 medium Potatoes (red, yellow or russet)

4 Tablespoons Earth Balance

4 Tablespoons Unsweetened Coconut Milk (from carton)

Sea Salt to taste

Finely Ground Black Pepper (optional)

Boil potatoes whole until fork tender.  Remove potatoes, discard water and allow potatoes to cool enough to handle. Peel skins and place potatoes back in pan.  Turn burner on medium heat and add butter allowing it to just melt.  Mash potatoes in pan with heavy duty whisk or potato masher.  Slowly drizzle in coconut milk and turn off heat.  Continue mashing until creamy consistency is reached.  Add more coconut milk if needed.  Salt to taste and serve immediately.  Add finely ground black pepper if desired.  Deliciously simple and delightfully decadent!

I Dream in Cream

Ok, that blog post title sounds particularly racy but that is just fine with this liberal chick over here.  I have been LOVING all of the blogs and websites out there dedicated to vegan cooking.  I mean, I knew they existed, but now, that I am lovingly creating new vegan dishes in my kitchen every day, they are a mainstay.  I promise to put credit where credit is due when I "steal" other people's recipes.  Unless I am baking, it's pretty unusual for me to follow a recipe to a tee.  In fact, it's an issue I have.

I figure that if there is wiggle room (as many vegan recipes permit) then I am free to wiggle and wander and usually that ends up towards something extra delicious.  Tonight's menu - aside from incessant snacking on all things good like my homemade almond cheese, I have a huge vat of vegetable broth simmering on my stove top with herbs from my garden and plenty of veggie and fruit pulp from my juicing today.

Juicing is awesome.  I felt kind of guilty the first few times I pitched the pulp into my compost bin (certain I was discarding some kind of miracle food) but then realized that at the rate I am juicing, pulp is going to be as plentiful as ever, so, I need not worry about utilizing every damn batch.  I also do not have a dehydrator so making crackers at this point is probably not an option but perhaps a low temp oven would work?  Anyway, I'll get there.  Let's get on to all things cream and why I dream in cream!!

Okay, so ever since I was very young I have incredible memories of things like cold butter, half n half, heavy whipping cream, and my love for them.  I've got more than enough stories about these things so I'll just start with one random memory that stands out at the moment (if you are interested).  I remember my Grandmother (Mother's Mother) eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes which I served her that she specifically asked me to pour heavy whipping cream over.  This memory stands out because she didn't visit us very often.  It also just so happens that while she was requesting this 1000 calorie bowl, the power had gone out in my rural home and so it was dark while she sat and ate her cereal.  Now I am pretty sure I had a bowl of it too.  I never found using cream and half n half in place of milk as strange, just indulgent.  My Mom taught me that sometimes using the richer milk fat can make all of the difference.  And she was right, it does.

So here I am, just under a month into My New Vegan Life and I have vowed that I will make rich, creamy, delectable food so that I never feel like I am missing out on ANYTHING.  Indulgent, after all, is my middle name.  Well, not really, but my parents should have thrown it in there somewhere.  I require indulgence.  It's my lifeblood.  So far here are the creamiest things that I have found on my new vegan quest (not in any particular order):

Coconut (duh!)
Cashews (and her wonderful nutty sisters)
Avocados (best fruit ever)
Beans
Tofu

I am sure this list will grow and grow but for now, it's a start.  I will see you soon and let me know what you'd like to see in the way of recipes for the coming Spring holiday.  I am planning on making an UnBird like I saw on the Vegan Mashup.  Roasted veggies with cashew cream gravy wrapped in filo dough!  Um - yes please!!!  Anyone done that before?  It looked splendid.  Cheers!!  Time for wine.

Day 5, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Cream!

I know I'm capable of continuing to be a vegan so long as I can emulate creamy, rich, full-body flavors in my culinary creations.  Ways I have discovered how to do this thus far:  nuts, coconuts, soy, legumes and vegetables.  One might be shocked at how easy this actually is if you know what you're doing in the kitchen.  It's amazing the creamy textures that can be achieved with these natural ingredients.  Let's start with Hummus, one of my personal favs.  Yesterday I created a layer dip of hummus (Trader's Joes brand but making your own is easy too), my creamy green sauce and finely diced caramelized onions (deglazed with red wine, of course).  Consuming this creamy deliciousness was every bit as satisfying as a bowl of ranch dressing, french onion dip or, dare I say it, blue cheese (something I never thought I would say about anything).  I figure that so long as I can continue to have rich foods while eating vegan, this will be a piece of cake.

Now let's switch gears and discuss what I bought today at the Farmer's Market to begin juicing  Please note, I have not yet used my new Breville juicer.  I opened it.  I looked at it.  I admired it.  Soon it's parts will be sudsy and I will put it's magic to use.  When I do, I'll be sure and let you know.

Today's organic scores:  Pink Lady Apples, Lacinato Kale, Red Chard, Spinach, Broccoli, Golden Beets, Carrots and Lemons.  I have washed and prepped all produce for raw consumption and I'm sure much of it will end up being juice.  My husband is excited to start juicing with me.  He's been so supportive of my new endeavors.  Feeling really blessed right now just to be where I am and continuing to be motivated.  The Western Diet was way too easy to follow but was definitely not going to afford me the years on my life I'm confident the Vegan Diet will add.

But now back to reality and why I'm so totally not perfect.  I'm still smoking cigarettes, about a half a pack a day.  I decided I wasn't going to tackle quitting smoking while I'm busy changing everything else about my daily injest routine.  To date, I only quit smoking cigarettes when I was pregnant.  I have smoked since I was 13 so that means I have smoked for about 22 years.  God that sounds awful.  Certainly it's fluctuated over the years but if I'm being honest, let's just say I'm seriously disgusted by myself.  This addiction has power over me in a sickening way.  Why the hell do I love to smoke so much?  Yuck.

Perhaps after I've gotten veganism down I will tackle this nasty habit.  For now, I'll just admit it and tell you how so totally not proud I am of myself.  And in the news with my other vices, morning cup of the strongest coffee you can imagine with cream (currently soy creamer, though I hear coconut variety is good too) and very rich, robust, red wine in the evenings.  I adore any good Cab but my tastes have gotten a bit more snobbish in my older years.  As long as it costs more than ten dollars a bottle, I'll probably drink it.  And Merlot.  And Pinot Noir.  And Petite Shiraz.  And Zinfandel.  And Meritage.  Ok you get the point, I like red wine, not white.  Thank 'effing God wine is vegan.

Seeing a theme here?!  I am a VERY indulgent human being.  I like my food rich.  Coffee rich.  Wine rich.  Now if only my husband were rich too....  Now that would be dangerous.  Day 5, in the bag.  One thing at a time.  Breathe baby....Breathe....