Leftovers Edition Episode II - Vegan Ranch Mashed Potatoes

 It's starting to feel like autumn in Brooklyn. The trees on our street are starting to lose their leaves and I'm trading in my afternoon iced tea fix for a mug of Earl Grey. Hot. The other day Dan and I left our apartment to walk around the city and drink coffee by the fountain in Bryant Park. I'm even thinking of starting my triennial* Buffy & Angel marathon to celebrate the season change but have been distracted with the second season of the British Being Human while I bake and bake and bake. I know you're all judging the choice but sometimes it's nice to mix up your vampire television consumption.


Because our oven is full of baked goods and our stove top is crowded with pots of caramel and berry fillings... it's been hard to find the time and space to make a proper dinner. That's where all those leftovers come in handy and lord knows we have enough. We get a lot of questions about what we do to make those leftovers special and for tips on how to reinvent a dish. In particular, how to make the Ranch Mashed Potatoes I mentioned like a year ago. So here they are! Ta-Da! One of my very favorite ways to enjoy potatoes! Sorry for the delay.

I think if you're looking for an easy recipe to make your dinner a little more special, you've found it. The vegan sour cream does make them a bit creamier and I recommend getting some vegan bacon bits like Bac-Os to toss over the top because the smokiness and ranch really work. And if you're one of those folks who doesn't just live off potatoes... I recommend grabbing some Match Vegan Meats and making these "chicken fingers" and making a pot of smokey collared greens too. And if you're an over acheiver who really loves food and your friends, you'll toss all that on a piece of toasted baguette and pour a little gravy over the too. You'll have an open-faced sandwich that will win over the heart of even the meatiest of your loved one. I mean that sandwich is like the Kenny Rodgers of sandwiches**, little bit country - little bit rock & roll and a whole lotta awesome.


SIGH. Now I'm hungry. To the electric hand mixer!




Vegan Ranch Mashed Potatoes

• 1/3 Cup Vegan Ranch Dressing Dip
• 6 Medium Red Potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Milk
• Margarine and Vegan Bacon Bits for toppings

Boil the Potatoes in a 2 quart saucepan - make sure you have enough water to cover the Potatoes. Once the Potatoes are tender when stab them with a fork, drain the Potatoes through a colander. While still steaming hot, pour the cooked Potatoes back into a large mixing bowl and blend with a Pastry Blender. Add Soy Milk and Ranch Dressing. Blend with an electric hand mixer till it is perfection! It takes less than 5 minutes. . . be sure and get all the lumps out. Serve hot enough that your Margarine will melt nicely over the top of your mashed potato bowl but not so hot it's like you're serving lava. If for some reason your Potatoes cooled while you were blending them, you can always microwave them for 30 seconds and then do a quick blend to distribute the warmer Potatoes throughout the bowl. Sprinkle some Vegan Bacon Bits over the top and enjoy!

* Yes. This is a word. 

** I sincerely mean that.