Free Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson Page B

pepper
    Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, add potatoes and cook until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and let sit for 10 minutes, or until still warm but cool enough to handle. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl.
    Heat the soymilk until steaming hot, either in a small saucepan on the stovetop or in the microwave.
    Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes well. It’s okay if there are still some little chunks in them. Add half of the hot milk, the melted margarine, garlic, nutritional yeast flakes, salt, and white pepper, mixing well. At this point, you can continue mixing by hand, or can use an electric hand mixer with beater blades. Add more hot milk as necessary, until the potatoes are soft and fluffy. Add freshly ground pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings and serve right away while hot.
    Variation: Substitute plain soy creamer for the soymilk, if you are craving something richer. You can also increase the margarine to 4 tablespoons, if desired. For a parsley variation, add ¼ cup minced fresh parsley when you’re adding the other seasonings.
    This recipe is open to all kinds of customizations. Sometimes I will reduce the milk by ½ cup or so and stir some hot gravy right into the mix. Delicious! You can also substitute roasted garlic for the fresh (4 to 8 cloves). Feel free to also substitute Yukon Gold potatoes for a nice buttery flavor, or large brown russet potatoes. You can also peel the potatoes, and use a potato ricer, which will give you a beautiful silky texture.

Garlic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
    These roasted sprouts are deliciously addictive,
and an especially easy recipe to make. I have watched this recipe turn Brussels sprouts haters into lovers with a single bite. These are delicious served as a fall or winter side dish.
    MAKES 4 SERVINGS
    1 pound small fresh Brussels sprouts, rinsed
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    A couple of pinches of kosher or coarse sea salt
    2 to 3 large cloves garlic, pressed
    Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    In a medium bowl, toss together the Brussels sprouts, olive oil, pepper, and salt, until the sprouts are well coated.
    Spread the sprouts into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Place them in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sprouts are just tender and crispy on the outside. You may need to give the sprouts a stir or two during baking, so that they roast evenly.
    Carefully scoop the hot roasted sprouts into a bowl. Sprinkle fresh garlic into the bowl. Add additional salt to taste, and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss well and serve.

Diner-Style Dressing
    Being from the west coast, we refer to dressing as “stuffing,”
but calling it dressing seems more appropriate here. This dish is full of flavor, with toasted bread cubes, fresh sage, onions, celery, and dried cranberries. The dressing is delicious for Thanksgiving, but just as good at home any time of the year topped with homemade gravy.
    MAKES 6 SERVINGS
    1 ½ cups vegetable stock or 1 ½ cups very hot water plus 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetarian chicken-style bouillon powder or cubes, or to taste (this will depend on the saltiness of the bouillon you’re using), plus more as necessary
    7 cups lightly packed cubed
French bread (1 baguette)
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    4 small stalks celery, thinly sliced
    1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
    2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
    2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried
    Â½ teaspoon dried marjoram
    Freshly ground white and black pepper, to taste
    Fine sea salt to taste
    Â½ cup dried cranberries
    2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, melted
    Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
    In a measuring cup, mix together the hot water and bouillon powder. In a large bowl, drizzle the hot bouillon over the bread cubes,