The beauty of a plant based diet is that there are so many tasty options. I know before we made the move to plant based, we were pretty much stuck in a 'chicken and veggies' rut.
These days I love to explore, mix it up and try new things, especially since there are so many veggies I never even tried! The next time you think you have tried it all, head to your local asian food market and discover vegetables you never knew existed! But even more common veggies, like turnips, never made it onto my table very often, until I went plant based.
Now I feel so passionate and excited about trying new things with the endless possibilities that plants offer. Some days I just can't bring myself to resort back to something as tried and true as mashed potatoes.
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE potatoes. They show up plenty on my plate, but this little recipe puts a twist on the norm by mashing turnips and cauliflower, topping with roasted brussels and chickpeas, then saucing with the cooking liquid.
This end result is a surprisingly dynamic dish, bursting with flavor, and pleasing to the eye.
Roasted Brussels and Chickpeas
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 2 cups of Brussels sprouts, cleaned and quartered
- 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 tsp. almond butter
- 1 Tbls. nutritional yeast
- 3 Tbls. soy milk
- 1/8 tsp. cumin
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
In a bowl whisk the almond butter, nutritional yeast, soy milk, cumin, and nutmeg until combined.
Add the brussels and the chickpeas to the bowl and toss to coat.
Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet in a single layer.
Sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the brussels have begun to brown and are tender. Stir once after 15 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Mashed Turnips and Cauliflower
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 2 Tbls veggie broth
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 turnips, cleaned and diced
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets, tough stem discarded
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 Tbls. molasses
- salt to taste
Instructions
Heat 2 Tbls veggie broth in a dutch oven over medium heat.
Saute the onions until golden, but not browned.
Add the broth, molasses, turnips and cauliflower and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Salt to taste.
Drain the vegetables from the broth, reserving the broth.
Mash the vegetables with a potato masher, stick blender, or traditional blender, adding reserved broth as needed. Blend until creamy and smooth. Set aside.
Return the remaining broth to the dutch oven and add 3 tbls arrowroot dissolved in 4 tbls. of water. Stir.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and stir until the broth has thickened. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Spoon the mashed vegetables onto a plate and top with thickened broth. Additionally top with roasted vegetable, toasted nuts, or your favorite topping.
