Recipe: Pumpkin Grits with Creamy Mushroom Spinach Topping for One (Vegan, Gluten Free, Nut Free)

 

'Tis the season I often have a partial can of pumpkin in my fridge, needing to get used in something. The great news about pumpkin is that it's versatile and you can stick it into savory things as easily as into sweet things. It's also just as much at home for breakfast as it is for dinner, and although I would generally eat grits for breakfast, you could also just as easily have this as with dinner.

As with most of my recipe adventures, I looked at a few other recipes along the way. I would say the two most influential were the grits from the Rabbit & Wolves recipe for blackened tofu with cheesy grits and a non-vegan recipe for brown butter pumpkin grits. But a whole lot of this just came from what I thought would taste good (I was right!).

This is a single serving; size up as needed for whoever you are feeding.

Pumpkin Grits with Creamy Mushroom Spinach Sauce
Serves: 1

For the grits:

1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons soy milk (or whatever non-dairy milk you like)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup quick cooking grits
1 tablespoon vegan butter
3 tablespoons pumpkin puree

For the topping:

1/2 tablespoon vegan butter
1-2 sliced mushrooms
1 cup baby spinach
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened non-dairy creamer
1 tablespoon soy milk
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped green onion

Step One: Make the grits.

Mix water, 6 tablespoons soy milk, nutritional yeast, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. In a steady stream while whisking constantly, slowly add in the grits. Lower heat to simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the grits are soft and creamy, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.

When the grits are done to your liking, stir in 1 tablespoon vegan butter and the pumpkin puree.

Step Two: Make the topping.

Melt 1/2 tablespoon vegan butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms in a single layer and brown, flipping as needed. When your mushrooms are done, add the spinach, a pinch of salt, and garlic powder and cook until the spinach has wilted. Add non-dairy creamer, soy milk, and chopped green onion. Cook, stirring, for a minute or so until thickened. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Step Three: Serve it.

Place the grits into a bowl and smooth out the top. Add your spinach and mushrooms. Enjoy.