Comforting Creamy Potatoes To Fend Off The Impending Stresses of Graduate School.

 Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Cashew Cream

Gluten and Soy Free

The past few days I've been craving scalloped potatoes. The kind we used to have when I was little (pre-vegan), that came out of a box with those dried little discs that magically became potatoes. I loved the soft, creamy cheesy goodness, and for some reason I've been craving that same comforting feeling recently. It may be the impending school year, with all of the hustle, the meetings, the long nights and the little time I'll actually be able to spend in the kitchen once it all begins again. Yep. That's probably it. Anyway, I decided to come up with a vegan version, utilizing one of my favorite vegan power foods - the raw cashew! It makes phenomenal raw cheesecakes and deserts, and luxurious vegan cream sauces and cheeses, all while packing a powerhouse of healthy nutrients and protein. I love it. And what better ingredient to help make a healthy vegan version of a a heavy cream and cheese laden classic like scalloped potatoes? To amp up the flavor I added a few cloves of sweet and mellow roasted garlic to the cream sauce. Added to that we have nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, paprika and a hint of nutmeg just to tie everything together.

I originally tried this recipe with Yukon Golds, and it was really good, but not quite what I had hoped it would be. The next time I tried it, I used Russets, and OMG what a difference! They were perfection, absolute perfection. Couldn't stop eating them. So good. All potatoes are not created equal. At least, all potatoes are wonderful and beautiful in their own unique and individual ways, but Russets were made for this recipe. I think red potatoes would also be quite nice, but Yukons were just to hearty. The Russets just melt in your mouth. To make these even fancier, you could totally add some fresh chives, thyme, or even rosemary to the cream sauce. I just didn't have any on hand last night. I served this with brown rice and sauteed lemony garlic kale, but it would be a great side dish to a whole range of main dishes. I hope you enjoy it!

Scalloped Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Cashew Cream

• 1 recipe roasted garlic cashew cream (recipe follows)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, or water
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 cup TBS nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

• 2 lbs Russet potatoes, thoroughly washed, peeled and cut into 1/8" slices

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a casserole dish (I usually just take about 1/4 tsp of olive oil, and a clean dish cloth or small piece of paper towl, and smear it all around the dish), and set aside.

Slice your potatoes and place them in medium sized bowl. Set them aside while you make your cream sauce.

In a small sauce pan, whisk together your roasted garlic cashew cream and all remaining ingredients over medium heat. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, or until everything is just heated through - you don't want it to quite reach a simmer or boil, because you'll be touching it with your bare hands. Remove from the heat, and pour half of the cream over the potatoes in the bowl. Mix about with your hands or a spoon (if it's too hot - give it a minute, pour yourself a cup of tea, check your e-mail, come back in a bit), making sure that all of the potatoes are nicely coated with the cream sauce.

Now, pour a few tablespoons of your left over cream sauce in the bottom of your casserole dish, and sort of tilt your dish from side to side so that the cream coats the bottom of the pan.

Begin layering your potatoes into your casserole dish. You can fan them out in a circle, in neat little rows, or as haphazardly as you please, as long as their fairly evenly spaced, so that they cook evenly.

I like to set out a layer (neatly or not), then pour a few spoonfuls of cream the reserved over the potatoes before beginning my next layer.

Once you've run out of potatoes, pour whatever cream sauce you have left from the bowl on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle with a little more paprika if you like, cover with tin foil, leaving a small corner open so that steam can escape, and bake covered for about 50 minutes.

My sprinkles were a little on the heavy handed side...

Remove the tin foil, and baked uncovered for another 15 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.

Roasted Garlic Cashew Cream

• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 tsp olive oil
• pinch of salt

The night before you're going to make this recipe, put your raw cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Cover with a plate and let soak overnight.

The day of- roast your garlic! Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. 

On a small piece of aluminum foil - about a 10" rectangle folded over to make a 5" square - place your peeled garlic cloves, cover them with 1/4 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Wrap up the sides tightly to create a little tin foil packet, and place in the oven for about 35 minutes, or until your house smells like a giant bulb of garlic. Remove from the oven, carefully open your packet, and set aside to cool.


While you're garlic is roasting, you can make your cashew cream. Drain your soaked cashews and place them in a blender or food processor 1/2 cup of water and process until smooth and creamy - about a minute (if you need to add a little more water, go ahead - you want a coconut milk-like consistency).

Add the roasted garlic cloves, and pulse a few more times just to break them up. Place in the fridge until you're ready to use it.