Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Green Mashed Potatoes

Ok, you and I know both that these are just mashed potatoes with puréed spinach. I have fancied them up with some Unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk and some smoked salt. But with St. Paddy’s day just around the corner it’s a perfect way to dress up tomorrow’s dinner. (Don’t panic the “beef” in the pic above is Gardein‘s vegan beefless tips.)

To make the cooked potatoes in the slow cooker use the Slow Cooker Beyond Easy Baked Potatoes. Once they are done (they can cook all day while you are at work), make sure to use a clean pot holder to handle the cooked potatoes with since they will be really hot then split them open and scrape the flesh out into a bowl.

This isn’t a slow cooker recipe if you boil your potatoes on the stove, but either way they are great for St. Paddy’s Day!

Green Mashed Potatoes

Serves 3 to 4

  • 1/2 cup Unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 2 large cooked potatoes, peeled
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon(s) Earth Balance
  • smoked salt, to taste (or 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke and plain salt)

Puree the nondairy milk and the spinach in a blender until smooth. No matter how you cooked your potatoes transfer the insides (no peel) to a bowl and mash the potatoes. You can use a mixer after you add the liquid and Earth Balance, just make sure not to over mix or they will get gluey. Mix everything together.

Note: If the mixture is too thick make another spinach coconut milk batch and add it to the mixture as well.

Slow Cooker Beyond Easy Faux Mashed Potatoes

On my eating plan there is no white potatoes for 3 months. After that I can have them once a week, which is plenty. I miss my chili potato, but bean chili goes great over sweet potatoes too!

In the winter it’s fairly hard to give up mashed potatoes so I came up with this compromise. You can just use cauliflower or parsnips by themselves. I just like them together too. You could also add in wasabi or roasted garlic to make them fancy.

Slow Cooker Beyond Easy Faux Mashed Potatoes (gluten-free)

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 – 8  hours

  • 1 large head of cauliflower, broken into small ‘trees’ (frozen is fine too)
  • 4 -5  parsnips, chopped (peel if not organic)
  • optional – 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • filtered water
  • 1/2 – 1 cup milk of your choice (I use unsweetened soy or almond milk)
  • 1/4 cup Earth Balance
  • salt and pepper to taste

The night before: Peel the parsnips if they aren’t organic. Chop the parsnips and break down the cauliflower. Store in the fridge until morning.

In the morning: Place the veggie in the slow cooker. Add about 1-2 inches of water. Cook on low 6 – 8 hours.

Before Serving: Pour out some of the water if needed – you don’t want this to be too soupy. Add 1/2 cup milk and Earth Balance and use immersion blender. You have to keep at it until they look like mashed potatoes. (They will – I promise!). Season to taste.

Serve with some mushroom gravy over it for a special treat.