Sometimes, I like to be sneaky. And I mean that in the nicest way possible because when I’m sneaky in cooking, it’s just some added nutrients and benefits. Most recently, snuck some mushrooms into our usual mashed potatoes. I asked Joe if he could tell if anything was different, and nope – he couldn’t! Mushrooms are subtle in this recipe, but there is enough to get a good serving and dose of nutrients. They are a good sources of selenium, an antioxidant mineral, as well as protein, and iron.
This recipe would actually be perfect for kiddos who may hate mushrooms. When I was growing up, I despised them. It wasn’t until probably… 23 or so that I embraced mushrooms. Now, I cannot get enough… to the point where I am adding them to my mashed potatoes – ha!
Actually, while I was making these I hit a road block worth noting. I realized after I boiled the potatoes and mushrooms that I only had vanilla almond milk in the house – nothing else. Ughhh vanilla mashed potatoes, no. If this ever happens to you – don’t panic just yet! It took me a few minutes of staring into my pantry to have it hit me – duh… just make your own quick almond milk. And when I say quick, I mean quick.
All I did was add 1/2 cup raw almonds (or you could use cashews) to my magic bullet with about 2 cups of hot water. Nope, I did not soak them… ain’t nobody got time for that when they want mashed potatoes. I blended for about 2 minutes, or until it looked creamy. Take a fine strainer and place over a large bowl while you strain the almond milk. There will be a lot of almond shavings so you may have to clean the strainer once or twice to get all the milk through. But seriously – that’s it! This quick fix worked perfectly for me, and the potatoes were just as creamy as ever. So no matter what you are making in the kitchen and you need more milk than you have (or you know, not vanilla or sweetened milk), this is a fast tried and true alternative.
Okay, now onto the recipe ;)
Recipe
Serves: About 4-5 people
You will need:
- 3-4 medium potatoes, diced with skin on
- 1 cup button mushrooms, diced up small
- 1/3 cup non-dairy milk (more or less depending on preference)
- 2 tbs Earth Balance butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To make:
- Add your diced potatoes to a large pot of boil and bring to a boil. After about 10 minutes, add the diced button mushrooms. Cook both until tender, about 20-25 min.
- Strain potatoes and mushrooms and add to a large bowl.
- Add non-dairy milk, butter, salt, and pepper – blend with a hand-mixer until smooth and creamy. You can add more or less milk depending on how chunky or smooth you like yours.
A simple recipe with the addition of some added nutrients. I have to say, it’s perfect for adults because hello… adult mashed potatoes, but also great for picky eaters who need a little more than just creamy potatoes. I’m totally making these for Thanksgiving in a few weeks.
Are you a sneaky cook? I mean like… black beans in brownies and sweet potatoes in mac and cheese? I totally am, and I don’t feel the least bit sorry about it. As long as you can’t notice the difference, it’s fine ;) I’d love to hear what you sneak into some of your recipes.
Have a gorgeous day! xx bianca
