Yam "Au Gratin" with Nuts & Gravy

Hey vegetarians out there--shake what your mama gave you! The imitation meat thang can be overrated. It's important to remember that you're a vegetarian because you like vegetables. So, here we've gone and stolen some tricks from the carnivorous Frenchies and applied it to yams, cauliflower and cashews. Savoir Faire indeed.

"Au Gratin" with garnish
2 purple yams
1 bulb ginger
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. rosemary
2 Tbs. ground black pepper
1 Tbs. salt
1 cup raw cashews
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. ginger powder
1 Tbs. dry mustard

Cauliflower "Gravy"
2 heads cauliflower
2 Tbs. fresh ginger, sliced
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tsp. Sriracha sauce
1 Tbs. basil, chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Skin the yams, and slice width-wise into thin chips. Skin your ginger with a spoon, and slice into thin strips, reserving 2 Tbs. for later. Toss the yams in a large bowl with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.

2. Then place yams in a casserole dish in layers with the ginger, add the excess olive oil and bake until yams are tender (about 30 minutes). Place another pan filled with water in the oven to keep the yams from drying out.

3. In a skillet, toast the cashews on medium heat until they begin to brown. Toss often to avoid burning. When they start to color, turn flame on high and add 1 Tbs. soy sauce and 1 Tbs. vinegar. When the liquid is nearly gone, repeat and add ginger and mustard before removing.

4. Steam the cauliflower until semi-soft, remove and strain. In a food processor, blend the cauliflower and ginger in shifts, adding splashes of coconut milk and veggie broth until the mixture is smooth.

5. When blended, put in medium sauce pan, add soy sauce and Sriracha, and simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat. Once gravy is nice and hot, remove from heat, add basil and set aside for at least 10 minutes for the flavors to marry.

Beverage: Westmalle Trappist Dubel
Soundtrack: Yo La Tengo's And then nothing turned itself inside out.