I think for most of us Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin is a love at first bite kind of thing. I know it was that way for me. And it is one of those recipes that you know is dangerously addictive. It is so creamy and delicious and you can devour it without realizing how much you ate!
I am yet to meet a person who does not LOVE this dish. The challenge though was to convert this to a healthy recipe: gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, soy-free and to make it low-fat!
Why Low-Fat?
Our livers are not designed to handle high fat. We do much better on lower fat intake, contrary to popular belief. Lowering fat has helped people reverse diabetes, lose weight, heal eczema and psoriasis and reverse all kinds of autoimmune conditions. And you might read this and think I don’t have any symptoms so I would not need to lower my fat intake. That is not quite right. You should aim to keep your overall fat intake lower to help protect your liver from overburden.
Why Grain-Free?
Grains can be hard on digestion. And they can also make it harder to heal from streptococcus bacteria and some skin issues, like eczema and psoriasis.
Can you really make Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin dish taste delicious whilst making it healthy?
So my goal is to provide you recipes that not only are delicious but also are helping your body heal and thrive, like this Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin dish! We make this about twice a year and its a huge hit at our Thanksgiving Table. I promise your friends and family will not miss the traditional butter and cream laden version of this dish. It tastes amazing with a few key substitutions and lots of flavor from the herbs and the cashews and oat milk instead of dairy.
Healing abilities of the ingredients in the Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin
Did you know that potatoes are one of the most healing foods?
Most people think they are doing something bad for their health when they indulge in creamy potatoes au gratin ….. and if they are indulging in your standard potatoes filled with butter and cream, that is bad. However, while this recipe may taste like you are indulging, you are actually helping your body heal.
Potatoes
Yes, the potato, despite the bad rap it has gotten throughout the years, is actually an incredibly healing food!
The truth is, it is what people add to the potato that has made them so bad for us. Most people add toxic oils, cheese, butter, milk and cream to potatoes. This combination of fat plus glucose creates insulin resistance and feeds every type of cancer.
In fact, the entire potato, skin included, is beneficial for our health.
Potatoes are particularly high in Lysine in its bioactive form. Lysine fights cancers, liver disease, inflammation, and viruses such as Epstein-Barr (EBV) and shingles. Furthermore, potatoes will help ward off liver disease, strengthen your kidneys, soothe your nerves and digestive tract, and reverse Crohn’s, colitis, IBS, and peptic ulcers – all of which result from viruses that the Lysine helps destroy.
In addition to the Lysine, potatoes are also rich in potassium, vitamin B6, and other amino acids. Not only are potatoes antiviral, but they are also anti-fungal and antibacterial and contain nutritional co-factors and enzymes as well as bio-active compounds which help prevent you from getting too stressed out. As brain food, they also help to keep you grounded and centered.
Emotionally, potatoes offer a firm foundation of strength when we feel blurred, dizzy, foggy, or troubled in our lives. They are very grounding. Helping us to move into humbled confidence within.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a powerful healing herb that has been used for thousands of years as an antiseptic, antidepressant, analgesic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, aphrodisiac, and expectorant. In addition, rosemary boosts the immune system, alleviates nerve-related symptoms, fights off bacterial and viral infections, aids respiratory ailments, strengthens digestion, and improves circulation.
Working as a strong anti-inflammatory, rosemary helps reduce the ailments of those who suffer from autoimmune disorders. It also contains properties that work like antihistamines which made it ideal for people with asthma and chronic migraines.
Because it has diuretic properties, rosemary can be helpful when dealing with edema, gout, and kidney stones. Furthermore, rosemary can increase the blood flow to your brain, giving help to those with memory loss and difficulty concentrating while also alleviating depression, anxiety, and stress.
Of course from a culinary perspective, rosemary goes really well with potatoes and in this Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin we also pair this with another healing herb, thyme!
Garlic
Garlic is highly medicinal!
“One raw crushed clove of garlic contains the antibiotic equivalent of 100,000 units of penicillin” – Anthony William, Life-Changing Foods
Additionally, garlic contains very strong antibiotic, anti-fungal, anti-cancer, and anti-viral properties. The allicin in garlic has been proven to lower cholesterol and blood pressure significantly. With strong anti-inflammatory properties, this tiny herb is critical for healing from any autoimmune disease
Thyme
The power of this humble herb is that it can help you fight all kinds of viruses, like flus, colds, coughs, stomach viruses and it is one of the few herbs that will remain in your system even after 24 hours. It has staying power. I love that this herb has such a high place in the culinary world (and that is why I added it to our Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin recipe) but then also is super medicinal as well. Thyme is the embodiment of “Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food”.
Deliciously Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe: A Perfect Side Dish for Any Occasion
Equipment
- 1 casserole dish 8x8 or a 9 inch round dish
- 1 saucepan
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp vegan butter (I recommend Live Monty's)
- 1 white or sweet onion finely chopped
- 12 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup all purpose gluten-free OR cassava flour (if you want it grain free)
- 2 cups oat milk (I like Malk or Elmhurst)
- ½ cup raw cashews (can omit to keep low fat)
- 1 cup vegetable broth (I like Bonafide Provisions salt free)
- 1 cup vegan mozzarella grated
- ¼ cup chives finely chopped
- ¼ cup parsley finely chopped
- Sea Salt to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and make sure to have an 8x8 baking dish ready to assemble the recipe.
- Place the mozzarella cheese block in the freezer, potentially overnight to ensure it is frozen solid by the time you are ready to make this recipe.
- Blend the oatmilk, cashews, salt (if using), pepper, and nutmeg together. Blend for 1 - 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth.
- Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan, then sauté the onions and garlic until golden brown.
- Then pour the blended mixture into the saucepan. Reduce to low heat and cook for 1 -2 minutes.
- Add the flour and mix until evenly combined, avoiding clumps. You will need to keep stirring to get the clumps out, if they form.
- Then add the vegetable broth. Let it cook down for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Let the mixture cool and then transfer to a mixing bowl and add the fresh herbs, rosemary and thyme.
- Use a mandolin to thinly slice the potatoes.
- Add the potatoes to the oatmilk mixture and toss a few at a time until all are coated.
- Transfer the potatoes to the dish. If you are using a round dish, you can arrange the potatoes in a circular pattern, upright on their thin edges, or lay them flat, which works better in a rectangular dish. But it is your preference, as it does not affect the taste but rather the dish's aesthetics.
- Once the potatoes are in the dish, pour the remaining sauce over them.
- Spread the grated vegan mozzarella cheese over the potatoes. I recommend freezing a block of Miyoko’s mozzarella cheese. Once you take it out of the freezer, grate quickly. It makes the process much less messy and quicker.
- Cover the dish with parchment paper. Many people use foil for this step, but I am not a fan of using Aluminum anywhere near food. It is a toxic heavy metal. If parchment does not work for you, you can also cover the baking dish with a baking sheet. It works just as well.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when poked with a knife.
- Then remove the parchment or the baking sheet and bake for an additional 15m to brown the top.
- Garnish with chives and parsley to serve
Notes
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