Scalloped "Cheesy" Potatoes
3 lbs potatoes
4 TBSP of Earth Balance Spread (or fat of choice)
1/2 chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
4-6 ounces of fresh mushooms
5 TBSP of flour
2 and 1/2 cups of non-dairy unsweetened milk
1/2 cup of nutritional yeast (bulk or packaged at health food stores, on-line or some grocery stores.)
Prepare (I just cut eyes out, left most of the skin on) potatoes. Bake in 350 oven for approx 25 min (for small to medium potatoes) until half baked. Cool. Then slice into slightly greased 9 x 13 pan and sprinkle with salt.
In a sauce pan melt:
4 TBSP of Earth Balance
Toss chopped onion, minced garlic and mushrooms.
When veggies are sauteed and tender add 5 TBSP of flour and blend together until pasty.
Stir in 2 and 1/2 cups of non-dairy unsweetened milk of choice. (i.e, almond, soy, oat or rice)
Stir over low heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast (bulk or packaged at health food stores, on-line or some grocery stores.)
Pour "cheese" veggie sauce over potatoes.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Not the best picture. But the potatoes were pretty tasty. Even the non-vegans scarfed them down. Win. Win.
Every dessert we had was Vegan. And, again, no one complained. The chocolate cake was a little crumbly, but oh so good.
These cookies are amazing.
Orange Cranberry Pecan Coconut Cookies
1 Cup Coconut Oil
1/2 Cup Sugar
Zest of one small orange. (zest before juicing)
Juice of one small orange
1 Cup chopped nuts of choice
2 and 1/4 Cups flour (King Arthur, unbleached, Oat or spelt flours or a blend)
1/2 to 3/4 Cup of dried cranberries
Set oven to 350. Blend coconut oil and sugar until mixed. Add zest and juice. Mix. Add flour, stir. Add nuts and cranberries. Roll into small balls, or use small cookie scoop. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 350 oven for 11 minutes. NOTE: These little guys are frail. Loosen them on the cookie sheet. Cool for a few minutes, then place on cookie rack. Store in the refrigerator or they are really fall apart crumbly.
Rob and I were able to pass up the half and half, the ham, the venison (that wasn't tough. Ha.) and a few more non-Vegan items without feeling super deprived. Because the vegan dishes were pretty delish.
And boy, did we ever have fun with Kombucha and the mother. Several brave souls tried a sip of both Kombucha and Kefir. And there were some seriously hilarious expressions on people's faces when they were introduced to Mother in her new home. She now resides in a 6 quart crock pot crock. She was getting too big for her huge pickle jar. One of her babies is now living there. Mother is fully unfurled across the top of her tea bath. Pulling back the curtain on her was quite the trip. Ha. Ha. We also did do a little I Pad/I Phone research and found that Kefir has tons of probiotics...
