Golden Beet and Mushroom Faux Gratin
I don’t like to play favorites, but this recipe is certainly a contender for first place in my book. It really is the whole package: the sweet earthiness of the roasted beets, the savory succulence of the portobellos, and the tangy, nutty creaminess of the layers in between. The gratin is extremely rich and surprisingly filling, but it’s still hard for me to put down my fork. I’m hoping this dish will result in a slew of beet-loving converts!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons coarse sea salt divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 medium unpeeled golden beets well scrubbed and ends trimmed
- 2 large portobello mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a food processor, finely chop the cashews.
- Add the almond milk, tahini, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and garlic powder.
- Blend until the mixture is the consistency of creamy peanut butter, adding water as needed.
- Set aside.
- Slice the beets into ¼-inch-thick slices (a mandolin works well for this).
- Cut the portobellos into large ¼-inch-thick slices.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 9-by-12-inch baking dish.
- Arrange one layer of beets along the bottom of the dish.
- Arrange a layer of mushrooms over the beets.
- Spread half of the cashew mixture over the mushrooms.
- Arrange another layer of beets on top of the nut spread and repeat the layering ingredients in this order (it’s best to end with a layer of mushrooms).
- Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the top layer and sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
- Cover and bake for 55 minutes.
- Serve warm.