Dairy and Egg-Free Potato and Silverbeet Gratin

This recipe is perfect for those summery weekend lunches or dinners, where you get to spend a little more time lovingly slicing and dicing with your favourite tunes on in the background. The creaminess of the potatoes makes it taste a little naughty, but it’s really not., the coconut makes it creamy and wholesome just like Nan used to make, but dairy free - so everyone can enjoy it!

This dish is beautiful when paired with a fresh coleslaw, a big chunk of bread, and shared with friends.

PS. You’ll need a Mandoline slicer for this one - makes it SO much easier, and more delicious.

Prep time 25mins Cooking Time 1hr 10mins

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

6 medium potatoes

1 bunch of silverbeet

1 brown onion

1 leek

1/2 cup of olive oil

4 garlic cloves

1 can of coconut cream (cooled in the fridge for one hour)

1/4 cup of oat milk

salt & pepper

3 slices of thick cut multigrain bread

Dairy Free Down Under Cashew Parmesan Cheese

1 bunch of fresh thyme

The zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup of dairy free butter (I use nuttelex buttery)

For the Coleslaw…

Half a red cabbage

3 medium carrots

Fresh parsley

Dairy Free Down Under Mayo Style

The juice of half a lemon

Half a red onion

METHOD

Step 1 Pre-Heat the oven to 180C, peel and wash the potatoes then slice them (carefully!) on your Mandoline at the 2mm setting

Step 2 Place the sliced potatoes in a large mixing bowl, remove the coconut cream from the fridge and spoon out all of the cream onto the potatoes (it would have settled on top while in the fridge), set the water that’s left aside as you won’t need it, add approx. 5 tbsps of olive oil and an equal amount of oat milk, season with salt and pepper and stir, coating the potatoes

Step 3 Wash and slice the leek, onion and silverbeet, then peel and chop the garlic

Step 4 Toast the bread until well browned and set aside to cool

Step 5 Melt two tbsps of dairy free butter in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, cook the onion with half of the garlic until the onion is translucent, then add the leek and silverbeet, cook for 10mins stirring frequently

Step 6 Grease a large baking dish with dairy free butter and line the bottom with the onion / leek / silverbeet mixture

Step 7 Place the potatoes and creamy mixture on top of the silverbeet mixture and arrange flat, bake uncovered in the oven for 45mins (at the end of this cooking time if the cream sauce isn’t bubbling and the potatoes aren’t slightly browned at the edges leave to cook for another 5-10mins)

Step 8 Melt the remaining butter in a microwave safe bowl, put the cooled bread in a food processor and grind to create breadcrumbs

Step 9 Combine the butter and breadcrumbs in a bowl then add the remaining garlic, the lemon zest, chopped thyme (approx 1/3 of the bunch or more if you like), season with salt and pepper and mix through

Step 10 Spread the breadcrumb mixture over the cooked potato / silverbeet mixture, top with a generous dusting of Dairy Free Down Under Cashew Parmesan Cheese, and put back in the oven to cook for another 10-15mins

Step 11 If you’re making a fresh coleslaw, thinly slice or grate your red cabbage, onion and carrot, mix through a generous squeeze of Dairy Free Down under Mayo Style and lemon juice, and top with chopped fresh parsley

Step 12 Serve with fresh coleslaw or green salad, and maybe a chunk of crusty bread