Finishing Vegan Brunch

Roasted Root Vegetables

Here are the last few things that I've made out of Vegan Brunch, the March cookbook pick for VegCookbook Club. First, I decided to take on the potato, which Isa Chandra Moskowitz says is a must-have brunch item. And since it is close to the holiday weekend, I roasted up some root veggies and made the tempting navy bean gravy.

Home fries close-up

Diner Home Fries
Boiled potatoes were a comfort food for me when I was in college. So I decided to be a potato purist and use the Yukon Gold potatoes that are called for in the recipe. But bland, nutritionally underwhelming white potato varieties just don't thrill me anymore. Maybe I could make a healthier version with sweet potatoes? I did swap a red pepper for the green one, which added some sweetness. And I sprinkled on some paprika for further color. Malt vinegar, ketchup, and mustard were the condiments that I used copiously.

Root veggies close-up

Roasted Root Vegetables
Roasted veggies are my go-to holiday dish. I guess I'm used to a more saucy style of roasting. (Making a sweet/sour marinade and cooking the veggies in a glass or ceramic roasting pan.) However these roasted root veggies are prepared in a drier fashion, spread on a cookie sheet. Simply dressed with olive oil and salt, the cooked veggies were simple and tasty.

The parsnips, turnips, and carrots were excellent root veg choices. I couldn't find golden beets, so I subbed sweet potato. I also added mushrooms and whole cloves of garlic toward the end of the cooking time. I topped the veggies with the gravy below.

Best gravy ever?

Navy Bean Gravy
I'd make this recipe for any holiday because this gravy is the bomb! Super savory, thanks to the thyme, onion, and garlic. And thick, thanks to the navy beans and flour. However eating this sauce doesn't leave you with the heavy, woozy feeling that gravies made with vegan margarines often do. In fact, there were no leftovers because my boyfriend started eating it with a spoon. He thought the gravy tasted "bready," in a good way.