Every once and a while, I do something outside of my comfort zone that surprises me by how good it is. This recipe is one of those times. One day, I took my daughter to the farmer’s market during the work day to get ingredients for a special project. While I was stopped to get some bread for her to snack on, I noticed cheese curds from the vendor that sparked my curiosity. I asked what to use it for, and the person working told me I could really use it on anything. I don’t eat a lot of dairy, but for this? Count me in.
This is my take on poutine, the Canadian snack. I made a quick vegetarian stovetop gravy and let my gorgeous ingredients do all the talking. The cheese melted beautifully and created curly cheese pulls that stretched for miles. This is an indulgent dish, but so delicious.
Ingredients
1 pound purple potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup cheese curds
For the gravy
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion
2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup water
Squeeze of lemon juice (about 1 teaspoon)
Directions
Cut the potatoes into thick 1/2" slices. Place them in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and drizzle olive oil on top.
Cook the potatoes in the air fryer set to 400°F for 40 minutes, until cooked through and slightly crispy.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
Chop the onions and add them to the pan. Season with salt and stir occasionally.
Once the onions have started to brown, pour the vegetable broth into the pan. Let it reduce slightly, then stir in the garlic powder and nutritional yeast.
Combine the flour and water in a small bowl and whisk together to make a slurry. Pour the slurry slowly into the pan. Stir to combine. (This will help thicken the gravy.)
Once the gravy has thickened, remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lemon juice.
Transfer the potatoes to a plate and top with small pieces of cheese curds, layering as you go to get cheesy goodness in every bite.
Pour the gravy over the potatoes. Serve immediately, while it’s still warm. Enjoy the cheese pulls.
