imbb 19: i can't believe i didn't eat a vegan either.

you know, when i first saw sam's theme for imbb 19, i thought it said "i can't believe i ate a vegan!" and i thought wow, the food blogging community is giving wholesale endorsement to cannibalism--how totally hardcore!

'course, i was wrong, but that didn't stop me from formulating some recipes. there is still a chance that there will be an imbb: the soylent green edition, so i'll just hold on to those in the meantime.

i started looking for vegan recipes on the web, and came across a lot of negative attitudes by omnivores towards vegan dishes. pretty much the only other food item i'd seen to incur such derision is marmite, and ha, wouldn't you know, marmite is vegan. perfect! i had to make something with marmite. i had to make something with marmite that even carnivores f**k up so i made a gravy. marmite gravy. marmite gravy with roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

i tried it on a carnivore. here's the conversation:

me: eat this.
carnivore: (eyeing it suspiciously) why?
me: just eat it.
carnivore: (tentatively takes a bite, then devours half the plate) hey, this is good. what's in it?
me: (eyeing him beadily) you don't want to know.
carnivore: (runs from table, gagging)

good sign in my book :)


thank you to our lovely hostess, sam!




roasted garlic mashed potatoes

2 medium russet potatoes, baked
4 medium-largish red-skinned potatoes, quartered and boiled in lightly salted water until tender
2-4 heads of roasted garlic
1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

peel the baked potatoes, add to boiled potatoes in a large bowl. squeeze out garlic cloves from the roasted garlic heads, then mash together with a fork or masher, to desired consistency. add olive oil and vegetable stock and continue to mash, or whip with an electric mixer until fluffy. salt and pepper to taste.


marmite gravy

1/4 cup (4 tbsp) olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced or crushed
1/2 a small white or yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup (4 tbsp) all-purpose flour
1-2 tbsp marmite (as always YMMV with marmite, so use your best judgement--you can always add more later)
1 1/2-2 c (to start) water or low sodium vegetable stock
1/2 tsp sage, ground or crumbled
white pepper, to taste
tamari or soy sauce, to taste

optional:
balsamic vinegar
vegan wine
shiitake mushrooms, sliced

sautée the garlic and onion in olive oil, over medium-low to medium heat, until translucent. incorporate the flour to make a paste or roux. cook over low heat, constantly stirring, until the paste darkens, about 10 minutes. don't let the roux burn. add the marmite to the roux.

slowly add the water or stock to the roux; stir frequently. bring it to a boil and allow to thicken. add the sage, optional mushrooms, balsamic vinegar or wine. if you can find vegan wine, i recommend adding it plus a tablespoonful of the balsamic vinegar for added depth and a slight bit of zing, but balsamic vinegar is fine on its own (experiment freely!). if the gravy is too thin, thicken it with a little cornstarch dissolved in cold water. add more marmite, salt and pepper to taste.


Tagged with: IMBB # 19 + Vegan