Mike’s Easy Vegan Mashed Potatoes

by Maria Theresa Maggi on September 6, 2013

Mike's Mashed Potatoes in Food Processor

My son is a man of many talents. When he’s not making a music video about befriending the grim reaper, or jumping off a cliff into the Clackams River with his new bride,  or figuring out how to install a screen door, or remastering his original music for Marmoset, he makes a mean bowl of vegan mashed potatoes.

And when he comes up with something, whether it’s behind the camera or in the kitchen, it’s nearly always so original that I can’t even wish I had thought of it myself, because I just know I never would have.  Like his sculpture professor once said to me at one of his art shows in college, “You start out wondering how in the world Mike is going to get his idea to work. You just don’t see how. But then he really does make it work and it’s amazing.” It was extra fun for me to hear his professor describe a creative dynamic I’d lived with since he was four. It’s this very quality that makes all his projects so inspired and, in the case of food, uniquely delicious. Like these mashed potatoes.

The last night of my stay in Portland for the spectacular wedding weekend, it was just the 3 of us, and we decided to have a potato night. Kelly made some yummy sweet potato French fries with horseradish ketchup. When Mike offered to make his special mashed potatoes, her eyes lit up and she smiled she assured me enthusiastically that I would like them. To go with the starches, we steamed up some broccoli and put it on a bed or chopped red cabbage—“for color” as Kelly so wisely chose.  She also made a nice avocado dressing to put on the top of the purple and green veggies. And Mike and I scattered some black beans over everything, just for food measure.

But the real star of our potato plate were Mike’s easy vegan mashed potatoes. The secret ingredient? Fresh lemon juice. (I never, ever would have thought of this myself.) And lots of garlic. Mike cubes but doesn’t peel the potatoes to steam them, then throws them in the food processor with lots of fresh garlic, lemon juice, almond milk, and some Bragg’s. The night I was there he left the Bragg’s out in deference to me. Kelly decided they were just as good without it. But I’m thinking Mike will put it back in when I’m not around to police the sodium.  He also happened to forget the rosemary he usually adds (they have a large bush out in their yard), but that didn’t stop us from going back for seconds.

I’m really lucky my son and his wife walk the plant-based whole food talk with me, and eat healthy vegan food. I always know when I visit them the kitchen will be stocked with things I can make a meal out of. And best of all, we really do enjoy simple meals like our potato night. Or veggie taco night. It’s nice to have company eating healthy.

When I suggested I might use a pinch of freshly grated lemon zest instead of the Bragg’s to amp up the flavors, Mike thought that was a good idea. He and Kelly had several small russets we used up, but these are the potatoes I had at home:

3 yukon golds, one red, and one purple potato

3 yukon golds, one red, and one purple potato

The combined effect of the bits of colorful potato skin, lemon zest, and fresh rosemary bits made these mashed beauties into confetti potatoes, which I thoroughly enjoyed. My “recipe” remake at home made two good sized servings, but I confess I ate them both.

 

Maria (moonwatcher)

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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Carole September 6, 2013 at 1:05 pm

Great recipe Maria! I have written it down to make! I hope to cook much more now that the fall is here! Thank you!

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2 Kitty September 6, 2013 at 1:48 pm

My husband – a self-confessed Potato-fanatic – will love this recipe. Thanks Maria 🙂

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3 moonwatcher September 6, 2013 at 8:39 pm

Welcome, Kitty, and thanks! Hope your husband enjoys the recipe. 🙂

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4 Dmitri September 6, 2013 at 2:25 pm

Don’t the potatoes get gummy in the food processor??

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5 moonwatcher September 6, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Hi Dmitri, and thanks for your comment. I suppose that may be a matter of personal taste, but no, these mashed potatoes were not gummy. I think it may be steaming them than helps prevent that, but I’m just guessing. You could also mash them by hand or with a food mixer, if you’d prefer. Hope that helps.

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6 Veronica September 6, 2013 at 5:01 pm

Potato night sounds awesome! I just got some broccoli from my CSA and was wondering what I was going to do with it… So I’ll whip up these potatoes and steam up the broccoli and throw in a couple other things. Thanks (to you and your son) for the great idea and post!

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7 moonwatcher September 6, 2013 at 5:14 pm

Thanks, Veronica! I’m betting you’ll putt together a pretty tasty potato night of your own!! 🙂

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8 karlyn September 8, 2013 at 8:19 am

Hello Maria- I can’t wait to try this recipe, sounds delish! I am in the market for new cookware and was wondering what type you are showing in your picture? Thanks so much for sharing your life story with all of us! You are so inspiring to me : )

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9 moonwatcher September 8, 2013 at 8:46 am

Hi Karlyn, I am glad these sound delish to you!! I have a very small narrow kitchen without much storage space so I chose a Cuisinart combination blender and food processor that works from the same lightweight pedestal, which is lightweight and can be put away easily. It’s okay, but I would not recommend it if you use your food processor a lot for large amounts of food, because this one is small, a 3 or 3 1/2 cup capacity, I think. That’s fine for me, because I don’t use it much, or only do part of a larger recipe in it, and finish the rest by mashing it up in a bowl. The two servings of mashed potatoes I made fit fine in this food processor, but if I had doubled the recipe I would have had to run two batches or use my hand mixer instead. Hope that helps. (Plus, it’s really LOUD!! LOL)

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10 Lee at Veggie Quest September 8, 2013 at 11:18 am

Maria, these mashed potatoes sound incredible! Tell Mike he’s a genius–my mouth was watering just reading about them. I can’t eat potatoes too often (I think I’m sensitive to nightshades), but the next time I have them, this is the recipe I’ll be making! I might even try it with cassava; I bet it would be equally delicious.

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11 moonwatcher September 8, 2013 at 4:34 pm

Hi Lee!! Thanks so much–I’ll be sure to pass what you said along to Mike–he’ll be thrilled. 🙂 Your version with Cassava sounds intriguing. I’ve never had it before, but I read it can be used like potatoes. That’s cool!

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12 Nicole O'Shea September 8, 2013 at 5:26 pm

Those sound really good! I am sharing this recipe with the potato and garlic lovers I know!

xoxo

Nicole

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13 moonwatcher September 8, 2013 at 10:52 pm

Thanks Nicole! 🙂 xo

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14 Alixe Stam September 11, 2013 at 5:21 pm

Hi!
I’m very new to all of this (I’ve been doing it for 4 weeks now-I just did the McDougall 10 day program), and love all the great recipe ideas. I’m curious as to what the green thing is that you use to steam your potato. I’d like to get one!
Alixe

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15 moonwatcher September 11, 2013 at 6:21 pm

Hi Alixe! Welcome to my blog and welcome to this wonderful way of eating! The “green thing” is a silicone steamer. 🙂 I got this one on Amazon. Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.com/Chefn-Sleekstor-VeggiSteam-Silicone-Steamer/dp/B001QXDRIM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1378948792&sr=8-3&keywords=silicon+steamer

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