On Our Table: Vegan "Buttermilk" Mashed Potatoes with Brandied Cranberry Sauce

Approaching the holiday entertaining season, it’s increasingly important to be cognizant of special dietary restrictions of the friends and family with whom we’ll be sharing home-cooked meals in the coming weeks and months.

With November being “World Vegan Month,” we thought it would be a good time to highlight a classic and mouthwatering holiday recipe that’s popular with vegans and non-vegans alike. This brandied cranberry sauce is a recipe that Melinda “Min” Johnson – owner of FIKA Cantina, Lexington’s first and only all-vegan eatery – pulls out every holiday season, and one that she says “hits every time.” We've also included Johnson's vegan "buttermilk" mashed potatoes recipe.

Note: The cranberry sauce makes a great topping for traditional turkey or “meatless” turkey, or mashed potatoes.

Photos by Theresa Stanley

Slow-Cooked "Buttermilk" Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 7-9 large red potatoes (washed and dried, skin on and diced)
  • 1 stick of vegan butter
  • 1 TBSP garlic (minced)
  • 1/2 TSP onion powder
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary (chopped)
  • 1 TBSP parsley
  • 2 TSP salt
  • 1/2 TSP pepper
  • 1/2 TSP lemon pepper (optional)
  • 1 1/2 C+ vegan “buttermilk” (1 1/2 C almond or cashew milk + 1 TBSP lemon juice)

After cooking: add more buttermilk (1/2 C), butter (2 TBSP), salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Method:

Set slow cooker to low, longest length if cooking overnight (I usually do this so I have time to prepare other things— so easy) or high, 6-hours if cooking during the day and need for dinner. Rub butter to coat pot and leave remaining butter to melt in pot. Add potatoes, garlic, seasonings and buttermilk. Allow to cook. Once finished, mash potatoes in pot and add 1/2 C buttermilk and 2 TBSP butter and additional seasonings you may like. Upon adding additional buttermilk, potatoes may seem liquidy. Not to worry, the potatoes will absorb and fluff up fine. Garnish with fresh parsley and/or rosemary and cracked pepper. You can spice this recipe up by adding cayenne pepper as well, with chopped onion.

Brandied Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages fresh cranberries
  • 2 1/2 cups coconut sugar (or sugar of your preference: brown, raw, white cane)
  • 1 orange
  • 1/3 cup brandy or orange  liqueur

Method:

  • Rinse the fresh cranberries and place inside a jelly pan or rimmed baking sheet. Pour sugar over cranberries.
  • Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until cranberries burst.
  • While cranberries are cooking, zest one orange and place zest aside. Using the same orange, slice in half and juice.
  • Upon taking cranberries out from the oven, add brandy or orange liqueur, orange zest and juice.
  • Garnish with thin orange slices (for aesthetic). May be served warm or chilled.

This dish can also be frozen, though it will lose potency and upon thawing will require more brandy.

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