Koko's Kitchen

Canada Day is coming up on July 1st, so I thought I’d come up with a little tribute to a classic Canadian dish – poutine. For those of you unfamiliar with this delicacy, it consists of french fries, gravy, and melted cheese curds. Maybe it sounds strange- but I promise, it’s delicious! I changed things up (obviously…) and baked french fries, with a plant-based “mozzarella” and a miso gravy that I could literally drink straight from the bowl. Depending on how many potatoes you use, you may have some leftover gravy. I love this gravy on Buddha bowls, or with roasted veggies!

Gravy:

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 Tbsp miso paste
• 2 Tbsp flour
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp cashews

In a frying pan, melt coconut oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently. This should take a full 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one more minute. Whisk in the flour, and cook for a 3-5 minutes until browned and giving off a nice, nutty aroma. Add the warm vegetable stock and whisk until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the black pepper and the miso. Let cool slightly and add this mixture to a blender with the cashews. Blend until smooth. If you need to thin it out slightly, add a bit more vegetable stock and re-blend.

Vegan Mozzarella: (adapted from here)

• 1/4 cup raw cashews (soaked in water for several hours and then drained IF you don’t have a high powered blender)
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp tapioca starch
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Fries:

• 3-4 Russet potatoes, sliced thinly into fries
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 F. Toss the fries with a generous drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through until fries are crisped on the outside.

Place in an oven-proof baking dish and top with mozzarella and gravy. Turn the oven to broil, and broil for a couple minutes until cheese is bubbling. Top with fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!