Instructions

1. In a large-size lidded saucepan place the prepared potatoes, vegetable broth, salt, and sliced garlic.  Cook on medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stir it, reduce the heat to a low boil or hard simmer, partially covering the pot with the lid and cook for about 20 minutes or until fork-tender. We like to prepare our potatoes in vegetable broth so that they absorb maximum flavor. And we add a little sea salt to the cooking broth -  flavors become deeper when we season food as it cooks. We put garlic to good use by adding a couple of cloves to the potatoes and broth as they simmer to infuse even more flavor.
2. While the potatoes simmer, in a food processor or high-speed blender, combined the drained cannellini beans and the unsweetened plant-based milk until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to mash into the cooked and drained potatoes they're tender. A homemade puree of cannellini beans and unsweetened plant-based milk replace the heavy cream and butter. These far healthier choices provide the same creamy effect of dairy while adding nutrients instead of empty calories.
3. Using a colander, drain the cooked potatoes while carefully reserving the cooking broth for the gravy.  Add the cooked potatoes back to the large saucepan used to cook them.  If you prefer, you could also transfer the potatoes to a mixing bowl, but we like to use the heat of the cooking pan to keep the potatoes warm. Next, add a little bit of the cannellini cream mixture to the potatoes at a time and mashed the potatoes with a hand-held masher.  Taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly.  If you've cooked and drained a full three pounds of potatoes, you'll likely use all of the bean cream while mashing, depending on how creamy you prefer your mashed potatoes. Cover the mashed potatoes and set aside while you make the gravy.
4. For the gravy, begin by sauteeing the onion and celery in a bit of water over medium-high heat in a medium-size skillet or saucepan. Stir and add water as needed to avoid sticking. Ideally, we use a seasoned iron skillet because of how beautifully it cooks the rice flour in the next step, though any pan will do. Sauteeing the celery and onion in a little water develops a base flavor for your gravy.
5. At this point, as the veggies cook, blend the veggie broth with the tahini in a high-speed blender. Remember to use the leftover cooking broth from the potatoes, combined with additional veggie broth, to equal four cups total.  This tahini and veggie broth mixture added a little at a time to the veggies, develops the sauce flavor base.
6. Next, sprinkle the wilted onion and celery with the fresh sage and brown rice flour, salt, and pepper, cooking while stirring to distribute each among the veggies thoroughly.  As the mixture becomes dry, mix in small amounts of the blended tahini broth at a time.  The heat should be medium-high at this point; we mention this just in case you have turned the heat on the veggies down. Continue cooking and stirring and adding the tahini broth until every drop is incorporated. You create a roux when you sprinkle the celery and onion with brown rice flour, sage, sea salt, and pepper. 
7. Using an immersion blender if you have one, or by carefully transferring to a high-speed blender, blend the gravy until smooth.  After mixing, add the lemon juice a bit at a time and taste to season along with salt and pepper. Everyone's taste is different, but we like our gravy a little peppery, and we use all of the lemon juice. Carefully blending the roux with an immersion blender rids it of any clumps and creates a silky smooth texture.  And using fresh sage and lemon juice to finish off the seasoning elevates every flavor.
8. Serve your Healthy Mashed Potatoes & Gravy with Cannellini Bean Cream as sides to accompany holiday meals or any meal where you want to add some homemade comfort. We highly recommend trying this recipe as a holiday bowl by adding a batch of our gluten-free, mouth-watering, Southern Style Stuffing Muffins to your menu.  This combo is a perfect way to give yourself comfort food without the unwanted fat that usually accompanies comfort food dishes.