Veganizing "Friends": Chandler's "Righteous" Mac & Cheeseby Randi / September 13, 2013
I’ve gotten gif happy
This is how I feel about this dessert
I’m having so much fun veganizing food featured on “Friends”! My to-do list for the next few weeks is pretty darn long, but somehow I forgot the subject of today’s post until the lovely dropscone suggested that I do it. Thank you for reminding me of a favorite Ross moment! It comes from the episode “The One with the East German Laundry Detergent”, when Ross, yet again oblivious to others’ feelings and the tone of their words, says the following:
Rachel: (waitressing) Does anybody want anything else?
Ross: Oh, yeah, last week you had a wonderful, nutty, chocolaty kind of a cakey pie thing. (Rachel gives him a dirty look) Nothing, just, just, I’m fine.
YEAH YEAH! With absolutely no other information to go on, we’re going to make the wonderful, nutty, chocolaty kind of cakey pie thing from Central Perk!! For my own benefit, I decided to make it less ‘cake that can be served easily in a coffee shop’ and more ‘cream pie that can be served easily on my table’.
Obviously, if I’m making a pie that I’m going to eat, and I have this little to work off of, I’m going to use Speculoos. I hope you know what Speculoos is. It’s miraculous. If you don’t have access to this European cinnamony cookie butter, use peanut butter! Oh I bet it would be great with peanut butter! Or really any nut butter of your choice. Or just with chocolate!
We’re definitely going to start with a graham cracker crust taken to another level – made not with graham crackers, but with Speculoos cookies! Duh!
Obviously, if I’m making a pie that I’m going to eat, and I have this little to work off of, I’m going to use Speculoos. I hope you know what Speculoos is. It’s miraculous. If you don’t have access to this European cinnamony cookie butter, use peanut butter! Oh I bet it would be great with peanut butter! Or really any nut butter of your choice. Or just with chocolate!
We’re definitely going to start with a graham cracker crust taken to another level – made not with graham crackers, but with Speculoos cookies! Duh!
NB: Trader Joe’s Speculoos cookies are indeed vegan, but their version of the cookie butter is NOT (because of how the sugar is processed, so be careful because the ingredients do look vegan-friendly) SPECULOOS COOKIE CRUST!
INGREDIENTS:
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DIRECTIONS:
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Step 2: We’re going to candy some pecans!
CANDIED PECANS!
INGREDIENTS:
Step 3: Making the Speculoos chocolate mousse! 
Obviously my big jar was already empty SPECULOOS CHOCOLATE MOUSSE!
INGREDIENTS:
SPECULOOS CHOCOLATE GANACHE!
INGREDIENTS:
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DIRECTIONS:
DIRECTIONS:
DIRECTIONS:
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So! At this point, we have this:
- Speculoos cookie crust on the bottom
- A layer of candied pecans
- A pouffy layer of speculoos chocolate mousse
- Then – layer the rest of your candied pecans on top of the mousse (See picture above right)
- Lastly – pour the melted chocolate+speculoos over the top. It’ll be a really thick layer!
- Stick that in the fridge for at least an hour!
And voila! It’s so easy, right? And you end up with this beauty:
Enjoy!! And thanks dropscone for the deeeelicious idea!!!! (And thank you Europe, for Speculoos.) It’s really one of the most delicious desserts I’ve ever made.
Giveaway trivia!!
– What happened to Rachel’s clothes in this episode (“The One with the East German Laundry Detergent”)??
– Do you think Gunther knows what Speculoos is?
Related Posts
Vegan Guide to Michelin Restaurants: Gauthier, Soho
*This post is part of a series in which I eat fancy Michelin-starred meals and then brag about it.
Happy Valentines Day, everyone! Oh, Valentines Day is over, you say? Counter: Valentines Day is about love and chocolate, therefore every day is VDay. To celebrate (the actual one) (well not the actual day (it was a school night!) but close enough to it that it was undeniably for VDay) relatively recently, Husband took me to out to a fancy dinner in London’s main drag of Soho. Now I hear your doubts, because I had them too: What, Soho?! Soho is only good for 1) bros barfing in the streets before it’s even 6pm because alcoholism is a huge and underacknowledged problem in the UK in large part due to the ingrained nature of pub culture and also the lack of sunshine and b) sad sack vegetarian options at chain restaurants (cough *Pret a Manger* cough). Although there is some decent food to be found in Soho, I never heard of a fancy restaurant there that could make a fancy meal for a vegan that was actually impressive or at least better than what I cook at home. Luckily, Husband has read the entire internet and so he discovered the vegan-friendliness of Gauthier, a restaurant that was awarded a Michelin star a few years back.
Happy Valentines Day, everyone! Oh, Valentines Day is over, you say? Counter: Valentines Day is about love and chocolate, therefore every day is VDay. To celebrate (the actual one) (well not the actual day (it was a school night!) but close enough to it that it was undeniably for VDay) relatively recently, Husband took me to out to a fancy dinner in London’s main drag of Soho. Now I hear your doubts, because I had them too: What, Soho?! Soho is only good for 1) bros barfing in the streets before it’s even 6pm because alcoholism is a huge and underacknowledged problem in the UK in large part due to the ingrained nature of pub culture and also the lack of sunshine and b) sad sack vegetarian options at chain restaurants (cough *Pret a Manger* cough). Although there is some decent food to be found in Soho, I never heard of a fancy restaurant there that could make a fancy meal for a vegan that was actually impressive or at least better than what I cook at home. Luckily, Husband has read the entire internet and so he discovered the vegan-friendliness of Gauthier, a restaurant that was awarded a Michelin star a few years back.
it looks like it’s light out but it was not in fact it was very very dark I remember because I almost tripped over already-drunk lads on the way in
In a shocking twist, Gauthier didn’t give us the usual telephonic assurance that ‘oh sure we can accommodate vegans’ like somebody that I used to knowwww somebodayyyyy. I’ll try not to do that a lot more but I cannot stop singing it every time I see or hear the name of this restaurant. (I will also probably stick an incorrect L in there a few times but I will try to remember that I am not talking about Jean Paul.) Anyway, no, I didn’t have to call and ask pweeease feed me Seymour (lets me save my phone anxiety for Congress!), because the fancy French restaurant offers two tasting menus – one omnivorous, one vegan – AS PART OF THEIR REGULAR MENU. Like, if you sit down in one of the dimly candlelit dining rooms spanning the several floors of an old Georgian townhouse on a cushy chair at one of the tables covered with starched white tablecloths and white napkins, you are given a menu that has two pages, and ONE IS VEGAN. That is not a thing that happens! Not at places like this! I think the casualness with which they incorporate the veg tasting menu option into their legitimate Michelized French fine dining is the greatest part about this restaurant. It’s so natural and effortless. Maybe it’s maple leaves. In fact, we could only overhear two other tables in our dining room (the tables are very generously spaced, thanks because I hate other people), and all of our three tables had a veg menu coming. At one table was a young couple definitely on an early date, and the girl ordered the vegan tasting menu. At the other was a group of 4-5 30-something friends, and two of them ordered the veg tasting menu just because it sounded interesting. I heard them say that they weren’t vegetarian but it sounded more interesting than the regular and worth a try. Peopleeee that is how you get more people to try vegan food! Just make it normal and natural and easy cause you didn’t have to cutttttttt me offffffffffffffff…
The experience started off well. The host took our coats and didn’t bat an eye when I also handed her my thick blanketscarf that I love so much that I think I’ll probably write a post about it someday soon. But so it’s giant and anyone else would have been like ahhhh I can’t see, why is there so much blanket! but she handled it like a French pro. We were seated upstairs in the smaller dining area from the still smallish one on the ground floor. Hooray for less chance of cold air hitting me every time the door opens! After only a few minutes, the waiter brought us water and kept us filled the rest of the evening save for one or two slow moments. Huge success for London service! I faked looking at the menu for a few minutes before I was like, what am I doing, obviously I’m getting the vegan menu!
THE FOOD
As is standard in tasting menu situations, you are brought offbook food to begin. My little snack was an interesting giant cracker, resembling the folds and volume of lavash but in cracker form. It came with two little dishes, one of hummus and one of avocado cream. They were fine, nothing special, but the fact that I was given hummus and avocado, two of my favorite things, plus a breadstuff, made me super happy.
the lighting ain’t michelin starred AM I RIGHT UP HIGH
My first main course was a celeriac and watercress veloute. I just looked up what veloute means – a sauce like velvet. That is a great word for this! It truly was! The celeriac and watercress velvet sauce was lovely, mild but with a hint of the brightness of those two vegetables with none of the bitterness. In the velvet sauce was tiny little baby ravioli that was soo good. I could have eaten a whole bowl of them, but I guess that is what pasta places are for and not fine dining. The ravioli was accompanied in the velvet sauce (I’m going to say velvet sauce as many times as I can) by pieces of crisp green apple, which sounds weird but went perfectly with the velvet sauce components. All those green flavors were so carefully chosen and so compatible. According to the menu, the velvet sauce also contained ‘fondant’ but I didn’t get any wedding cake so I’m gonna ignore that part.
ohh this onion’s wearing an onion hat fiddle dee dee and la di da
Next was the Stuffed Roscoff Onion, which I assume is a type of onion. Despite being all about onion, I really enjoyed it! The onion was filled with potato cream (like liquidier mashed potatoes) and drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction. It was a lot of onion, and I wish they could have bioengineered (GMOS BABY) a thinner outer layer so that it wasn’t such big bites of thick onion casing, but it was still very good. It conveyed a sort of meat and potatoes feel but without the meat. Obvs. I just googled “Roscoff onion” and the first result was the wiki for “Onion Johnny” and I am laughing too hard right now to read what it says.
Blursula
I would very much enjoy the next dish for dinner tonight, if they made it bigger/normal dinner sized. The Tofu & Swiss Chard Gratin combined many of my favorite things in a familiar, delicious way, with an upgrade in garlickiness, which is quite impressive considering how much garlic I use in my own cooking/life. The little tofu circle was firmer than you usually find when non-Asian restaurants attempt to use tofu. It was topped with Swiss chard plus an herby green puree sauce on top. Then, oh but the garlic. Roasted garlic puree covered everything, and then fried crispy garlic pieces. I think the puree might have been black garlic which makes me very happy, and based on zero knowledge I’m going to say black garlic is more potent than regular because man alive was I oozing garlic from the pores for days (months? we’ll see!) after eating it. Would recommend!
looks like bones it’s not
My Whole Caramelized Parsnip came next, which I was not very excited about because no matter how much this country tries to foist the love of the parsnip upon me, I’m just not very into them. They are like fruity earth bads. But this was good! The whole parsnip was served with a minted parsnip puree and all in a liquorice-infused broth, so they were really playing it risky with things I usually hate but together they worked well. There were Terra chip-like thingers atop the food pile so that’s nice. All in all this was a very nice dish but seemed much more British than French, and a little meh for my tastes.
flitteries
Continuing their theme of using one ingredient in many different forms in one dish, no matter how uninspired it would become, the next and final savory dish was Roasted Cauliflower, which also had a raw cauliflower salad with it. I’m okay with cauliflower but not when it’s being presented just as itself. I like it as fake mashed potatoes and like whipped into a cheese sub. Just roasting cauliflower and then also NOT roasting cauliflower and putting it on a plate for me does not impress me much and now I have a new song in my head. Thank goodness it was also served with a bit of truffle puree, which can save anything, but it was too much cauliflower to not nearly enough truffle puree. I guess because you have to be stingy with that most amazing stuff but then have more of another sauce. Also cauliflower is a REAL hard food to end on when you are already full. It’s hard to eat it when you don’t really want to eat anything more. You start with a vegetable like that, not end with it!
this is not nor could it ever be mistaken for a salad
I was excited for an Italian-style salad ender before the dessert came, as my menu said the next dish was to be a Clementine Givree, which was described in the menu as a Clementine and Coriander Salad with walnut oil. I was so excited for this, but then I was given…mango sorbet? I do not like sorbet. I have had so much sorbet at restaurants over the years that unless you are giving me chocolate sorbet (or vanilla; no one has ever made that that I’ve seen) I do not want it. So to get fruit sorbet when I was expecting salad? my favorite food? Blurghhh. I guess Givree means ice but then why did you describe it as a salad? And why was it super super sweet and mango flavored? I am still quite mad.
garbanzo goop
Why was I mad and not just disappointed?? Well, because my next dish, my first ‘official’ dessert, was Mango Vacherin, which I’m guessing means flipping MANGO SORBET BECAUSE I GOT MORE OF IT. I mean, I should have said something but by this time it was getting busier in the restaurant and I just couldn’t. Also, it was presented differently so it wasn’t the exact same plate, though it was the same main component, so I feel like we would have argued over that and things would have gotten lost in translation and it would have been more annoying and frustrating than two servings of blasted supersweet mango sorbet. The saving grace of all of this, and one of the coolest things ever, is that this second helping of sorbet was served in a meringue shell – MADE OF AQUAFABA. Yes, vegan blogger friends, the liquid from the can of chickpeas that whips up like egg white and opened up literally millions of doors for our cooking and baking achievements, the goop (not Gwynnie’s) that we haven’t stopped raving about since it first appeared on our radar circa Vida Vegan Con 2015, well that shit has made it to an actual French restaurant. I heard the waiter trying to explain to the table next to us what it was and it did not succeed because later I overheard them saying to each other “I don’t understand how they got chickpeas to look so white” so alas, not everyone is #blessed. But I was and still am pretty excited about this discovery and so pleased to see amazing vegan innovation used in the mainstream. As long as they don’t take credit for it.
just knock that trolloppy dollop of sorbet off my chocolate and we’ve got a party
After the thrill of the aquafaba died down, I realized I still had another dessert coming. Joshgads, I was full! But the next dessert was chocolate and that NEVER happens at omni restaurants, let alone French restaurants. It’s always – as we have seen for two courses now – fruit sorbet, which is why I despise it. So it was a mixed bag o’ feelings when my Chocolate and Passionfruit Tart came out with — PASSION FRUIT SORBET. Jesus f-ing H that’s three scoops of fruit sorbet in one meal, 2 scoops worth that I let melt instead of choking down. Like, guys, I know you are really world class French chefs and it’s amazing that you are cooking entire vegan tasting menus on the regs, but did you really think 3 courses of fruit sorbet was a good plan? It’s not a good plan! I’d rather you failed to plan because you done planned to fail. Luckily, the chocolate tart was incredible. It was so thick and gooey and melty, like when you melt chocolate chips to bake with but you let the microwave go too long and/or you add a cold liquid and the chocolate seizes instead of liquefying? you know what I mean? or do you always melt your chocolate without a hitch? It was like seized chocolate but with a little bit more give and lot less broken heartedness. Oh man I loved this! Just like eating hot truffles (the chocolate kind not the above mushroom kind).
you say it like fweeeeeee
As usual with these sorts of tasting menus, when we thought we were finished, having asked for the bill, another plate of desserts came out. Husband got little French pastry cakey jawns and I was given a little pate de fruits (see caption) and two ginormous vegan marshmallows! That was very exciting but I was too full to eat them both. I wish they incorporated these into a more interesting first dessert with the meringue instead of the sorbet, and then if you want to force sorbet on me do it at the secret check-food stage so I can decline it without seeming rude. Regardless, it was very cool that they had vegan marshmallows. Maybe I’ll make rice krispie treats now. Treat.
Overall it was a very enjoyable meal, with some low points but mostly medium-to-relatively-high. I wasn’t blown away, but aside from the sorbets, it was a truly lovely dinner. I would totally recommend this place to groups of mixed company (vegans and omnis) or anyone looking for a fancy time in Soho.
Overall it was a very enjoyable meal, with some low points but mostly medium-to-relatively-high. I wasn’t blown away, but aside from the sorbets, it was a truly lovely dinner. I would totally recommend this place to groups of mixed company (vegans and omnis) or anyone looking for a fancy time in Soho.
Gauthier, Soho, London, England, United Kingdom, Europe?
Water speed: Great! London, you’re getting it! I could cry with pride! As fancies do, they offered still or sparkling and we do one of each and it’s so nice.
Service: Very nice to start, although as the restaurant got busier it was harder to flag anyone. But nice, and great for London where customer service is usually like haha no.
Bathrooms: The bathrooms were seriously like a scene from Moulin Rouge, with dark burgundies and interesting mirrors and like a whole vanity table set-up? It was weird how much time I wanted to spend in there.
Food: Very nice and solid, although not as innovative as I would like. The British seeps through. If they got rid of the triple sorbet horror show it would be very horosho. #wordplay
Bonus: It is so damn cool to know that a fancy restaurant will cater to veganism without having to do a lot of preparatory legwork. And it’s nice to have an upscale option for going with nonvegan fancies, like business colleagues or relatives.
Water speed: Great! London, you’re getting it! I could cry with pride! As fancies do, they offered still or sparkling and we do one of each and it’s so nice.
Service: Very nice to start, although as the restaurant got busier it was harder to flag anyone. But nice, and great for London where customer service is usually like haha no.
Bathrooms: The bathrooms were seriously like a scene from Moulin Rouge, with dark burgundies and interesting mirrors and like a whole vanity table set-up? It was weird how much time I wanted to spend in there.
Food: Very nice and solid, although not as innovative as I would like. The British seeps through. If they got rid of the triple sorbet horror show it would be very horosho. #wordplay
Bonus: It is so damn cool to know that a fancy restaurant will cater to veganism without having to do a lot of preparatory legwork. And it’s nice to have an upscale option for going with nonvegan fancies, like business colleagues or relatives.
Happy Thanksgiving! Vegan Recipes and a Full How-To Guide…Sort of
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Even though my last name rhymes with Pilgrim, Thanksgiving was never my favorite holiday. I hate how people focus on the actual turkey, on all the death and suffering masquerading as the central food and important ‘tradition’, rather than making it just about being with people you love. (Or despise.) But I loved being with my family and playing games and laughing a lot. And of course sneaking vegan sides and desserts into the mix! This year, I’m not with my family. I’m not even in America for chrissakes! But we’re still celebrating Thanksgiving. I miss not having lots of people around, but I do get to have my first entirely vegan Thanksgiving dinner! Yay!!
Even though my last name rhymes with Pilgrim, Thanksgiving was never my favorite holiday. I hate how people focus on the actual turkey, on all the death and suffering masquerading as the central food and important ‘tradition’, rather than making it just about being with people you love. (Or despise.) But I loved being with my family and playing games and laughing a lot. And of course sneaking vegan sides and desserts into the mix! This year, I’m not with my family. I’m not even in America for chrissakes! But we’re still celebrating Thanksgiving. I miss not having lots of people around, but I do get to have my first entirely vegan Thanksgiving dinner! Yay!!
Apparently the Brits are willing to make me smile today, because not only are the Thanksgiving episodes of “How I Met Your Mother” playing on TV, but the commercials they just ran during them showed Philly City Hall AND the American show “Paternity Court”! The caption said “You’re the father” and the guy just FAINTED flat out! It was the best thing.
Anyway, I made tons of food over the past few days, mostly things I’ve never made before. Thanksgiving is about tradition and making the same stuff every year? F that! This is your chance to be a vegan chef all-star and show off. Okay you can do that with the same old favorites I guess. I’m sorry, ‘favourites’.
First, the most important thing to decide is what you’ll be having for dessert. Then work up the rest of the meal from there! It’s like how people choose their shoes first and then plan the rest of their outfit. (Does anybody actually do that?) You’ll have to make it to the end of this post to see our treasure treats.
Anyway, I made tons of food over the past few days, mostly things I’ve never made before. Thanksgiving is about tradition and making the same stuff every year? F that! This is your chance to be a vegan chef all-star and show off. Okay you can do that with the same old favorites I guess. I’m sorry, ‘favourites’.
First, the most important thing to decide is what you’ll be having for dessert. Then work up the rest of the meal from there! It’s like how people choose their shoes first and then plan the rest of their outfit. (Does anybody actually do that?) You’ll have to make it to the end of this post to see our treasure treats.
Or I guess I’ll just share the picture now.
Next, you want to check off the important sides. Do you want mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing? All three? I would have made all three if it wasn’t going to just be my husband and me for dinner. I decided on mashed potatoes, garlicked.
Do you want to eat greens this year? I did, so I roasted some Brussels sprouts in olive oil and pink salt. The best is that there were literally 8 sprouts in the package I bought. It’s like the most paltry showing of vegetables at any meal ever.
Good evening, TWO Brussels sprouts
Which gravy will you make? Is it a mushroom-based gravy? Is it from a recipe or something you wing? For me, it’s the Punk Rock Chickpea Gravy from “Vegan with a Vengeance”, with extra soy and nooch, and with butterbeans because the chickpeas in England DO NOT MASH. I tried mashing chickpeas here and the little f-ers evaded the pressure Every. Single. Time. Then I tried just squeezing them to death with my hands and they POPPED OUT ACROSS THE ROOM. And I am pretty strong. I just…the chickpeas here are possessed.
More sides more sides! If I had my druthers I would probably say druthers more and then have made some kind of kale thing. But luckily, Husband requested the green bean casserole of his younger days. Now, I realize that so many of you have had green bean casserole at every single Thanksgiving dinner with your families. It’s like a huge thing right? I never even heard of it until Isa posted a recipe on the PPK a few years ago. I know! But Husband’s family always had it so I had to make it even though green beans roasted in mushroom soup sounds revolting. I planned on using Isa’s recipe but couldn’t find vegan mushroom soup for the life of me, so my friend Elli (who is too cool for blogging) helped me out. Recipe below!! And guess what….it’s freaking AMAZING. Convert over here.
Then, what’s your main?! Will you make the famous chickpea cutlets? (Yes.) Or did you buy a Tofurky roast in America where it costs like $8 and not like here where the high street Whole Foods sells them for THIRTY FREAKING POUNDS?? (That is about $100 dollars.) Even if you gave me the money for that, I could not stomach buying it for that price. Even if Donald Trump himself was like, I’m kind of an ass, but here’s a million dollars; you must spend it on overpriced Tofurky. Okay maybe then I would. Unless the money smelled like cheese.
And then make cranberry sauce. No one eats it, right, but if it’s not there it pisses off Santa or something. Also, making it from scratch makes all your pots and stirrer majiggies a beautiful deep pink through the next few uses.
OH OH and biscuits!! You can make pumpkin biscuits if you want. I guess that would make sense. But this year I veganized Alton Brown’s perfect regular southern biscuit recipe and they are delicious. Recipe below!
So if you followed my instructions? guidelines? stream-of-consciousness blogging style that we all have learned to love/deal with? you now have a killer menu that would impress even the pickiest omnivore on this oh so special American day! This was my menu. I made all of it from scratch!! So proud!
- Perfect Southern biscuits (recipe below!)
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Cranberry sauce (recipe below!)
- Punk Rock chickpea gravy from Vegan with a Vengeance
- Isa’s chickpea seitan cutlets
- Traditional green bean casserole (recipe below!)
- Mashed potatoes (recipe below!)
- Pumpkin cheesecake from Vegan Pie In The Sky
- Brownie bottom peanut butter fudge pie (I’ll share a recipe another day if people ask for it)
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
I had no idea about this so-called traditional Thanks day dish until after I went vegan! Crazy! I was going to make the PPK version, but I couldn’t find vegan cream of mushroom soup. So my vegan food guru Elli (@catsxdogs on instagram) told me how to make a delicious version without store-bought soup! Yay!
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 400g green beans (That’s just what it said on the package! I don’t even know what 400g translates to in America talk! I’ve been here too long already! Okay I googled it and it’s like 14 oz. That doesn’t help me at all. Use like a pound.)
- olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound basic white mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup white flour
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 very strong bouillon cubes (I used one liquidy pot kind and one organic powdery kind. Diversity!)
- 2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk
- 2 cups crispy fried onions (storebought, don’t make these yourself you crazy animal)
Directions:
- Clean, trim, and chop your green beans.
- Boil them in salted water for 7 minutes. Drain and leave in colander for some minutes.
- In a large saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil for about 6 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and cook down. Stir to avoid burning.
- Add the flour and butter and cook for another minute.
- Add the bouillon cubes and plain almond milk and stir stir stir!
- Cook, stirring, until thickened.
- Remove from heat and mix in green beans.
- Mix one cup of your fried onions into the whole shebang.
- *NB: If you are making this ahead of time, stop here, cover with tin foil, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Spread the whole mix into a casserole pan at least 1 inch deep.
- Spread the rest of your fried onions over the top of the casserole.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Cover lightly with tin foil if you fear your onions will burn.
- Say ta dah!
MASHED POTATOES
Not so much a recipe as a reminder. You prob know what to do but here’s what I did!
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds small potatoes (not like ‘hey that’s just small potatoes’, but actual small potatoes.)
- 1/3 cup vegan butter (you may say that’s a lot but I’m a dreamer/it’s Thanksgiving!)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened plain soy milk
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
Directions:
- Boil the potatoes in a big pot of salted water. I let them go for about 20 minutes just to be sure.
- Drain but keep the potatoes in the pot.
- Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Mash it with a masher until desired consistency. I used a masher for the first time today and it was SO fun. Much better than using an immersion blender.
- Say ta dah!
CRANBERRY SAUCE
so fancy
I could only find frozen cranberries, so if you are using fresh, you probably have to add a bit more water to adjust for the ice melt. Or, if you are in America, your cranberry bag probably has a/this recipe!
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 1 pound cranberries
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Directions:
- Mix the water and sugar in a big pot.
- Add the cranberries.
- Boil!
- Boil and stir!
- Are the cranberries popping open?
- Keep stirring as it boils!
- Is it getting thick?
- Do this for like 10 minutes then let it sit for 15 or till cool.
PERFECT SOUTHERN BISCUITS
Biscuits, man! Ughhh so good!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup vegan butter (boy I wish they sold Earth Balance here)
- 1 cup unsweetened plain soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Add the milk and vinegar in a measuring cup. Put it in the fridge!
- Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Add the butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter. I have a pastry cutter and I thought it was the bee’s knees but lately I’ve been using my fingers. Weird.
- Get the curdly milk out from the fridge and pour it in the bowl.
- Mix ever so gently, super gently, to get all the flour mixed in.
- Don’t overwork the dough. The Alton directions say to knead and roll out and cut into circles, but this was the stickiest dough I’ve ever come across, so I made drop biscuits.
- Drop ½ cup size spoonfuls on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 16 minutes.
- Say ta dah!
Finish it off with at least one pie per person and you are a golden vegan!
Definitely make the Pumpkin Cheesecake. It’s so good, especially with a Speculoos cookie crust! Here is the recipe. I never do the pecan topping because who needs it? Also, I like seeing the swirl!
Definitely make the Pumpkin Cheesecake. It’s so good, especially with a Speculoos cookie crust! Here is the recipe. I never do the pecan topping because who needs it? Also, I like seeing the swirl!
I also made a Brownie Bottom Peanut Butter Fudge pie!
I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful! It’s so nice to have a completely vegan holiday. I can’t wait until the next one! I guess that’s Christmas. I guess I have to make two pies per person for that one. Because of Jesus.
We barely made a dent, haha. Come over for leftovers! Also husband got me flowers! So nice!
