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Hot for Food's Lauren Toyota, a whiz in the kitch, has a genius for taking rich, fatty, classic dishes (Mon Dieu!) and turning then into cholesterol-free, guilt-free superfoods that taste decadent but are good for you. Exhibit A: Lauren's luscious Leek Gratin! Watch the video, follow the written recipe below and enjoy! C'est magnifique!

Leek Gratin Recipe, Makes 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Filling
2 white potatoes, peeled & diced (about 2 cups diced)
3 large leeks
3 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon salted vegan butter, divided
juice of ½ a lemon
1 C unsweetened nondairy milk
½ C low-sodium vegetable stock
¼ C nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon ground sage
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Topping
⅔ C bread crumbs
½ C vegan smoked gouda, shredded
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon sea salt
fresh dill springs, as garnish

Bring a pot of cold water to a boil with the diced potatoes. Cook until very tender.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

While the potatoes cook prepare the leeks by trimming off the excess green parts from the top. Remove any tough outer layers around the bulbs that might not look so fresh. Trim the root end off the bottom of the bulbs and then slice in half lengthwise and wash off dirt and debris from between the layers of the bulb.

Pat the leeks dry and coat your baking dish and the leek halves with 1 tablespoon of vegan butter.

Drain potatoes from the boiling water and add to a high-powered blender with garlic cloves, the remaining 3 tablespoons of vegan butter, lemon juice, non-dairy milk, vegetable stock, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, spices, and salt and pepper. Blend on high until very smooth.
Pour ⅓ of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange the leeks in the baking dish. Then pour the remaining sauce over top and even it out. The leeks will be fully coated in sauce.

Combine the topping ingredients except the dill, and sprinkle over the top in an even layer. If your dish is quite full to the top edge place a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and place the gratin above on the middle rack. This will catch any bubbling sauce that might overflow. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.

Depending on your oven you might need to move the dish to the top rack for another 5 to 10 minutes to get the top more crispy and brown.

For more of Lauren's fabulous recipes, visit: https://www.hotforfoodblog.com