vegan Halloween Creepy Black Olive Spider Potato Gratin

We don't do Halloween in our home, but with the weather turning all miserable and cold in the last week, I have been making hearty dishes like potato gratin.  Potato gratin has been on the menu a few times and this time I just could not resist adorning this vegan Potato Gratin with some creepy black olive spiders

I know I am childish, but there is a kid in all of us - right?! 

I was actually inspired to top the gratin with the spiders from a recipe I had seen last year  (see here) where bread is topped with flavoured cream cheese and topped of with black olive spiders, it had obviously impressed me as I had it lodged in the back of my head to try.

I am sharing this recipe with Healthy Vegan Fridays hosted by Rock My Vegan Socks and V Nutrition.

Other Halloween Recipes to inspire you. Those that are vegan are marked with a v, otherwise everything is suitable for vegetarians.  

Bloody Massacred Beetroot Men Pies  v
Black Sesame Seed Butter v
Pumpkins are not Just for Halloween Chilli v
Beetroot Gratin
Beetroot Cauliflower 'Brain' Salad with Feta Cheese
Halloween Inspiration
Red GHOULash v
Blood Beetroot and Raspberry Jelly v 
Vampire Beetroot Scotch Eggs 
Zombie Pies v


Halloween Creepy Black Olive Spider Potato Gratin
Serves 6
Ingredients
800g potatoes, peeled and sliced with a mandolin. Partly cooked.  Lay the cooked sliced potato pieces in a wide gratin dish. 
For the 'Creamy Saue'
1 tablespoon vegan margarine
2 tablespoons plain flour
1/2 litre of unflavoured soy milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Black olives
Method
In a saucepan, melt the margarine gently, then stir in the flour and a tablespoon of the soy milk to make a roux.  Then carefully pour int he remaining milk and stir as you pour.  The sauce will magically thicken to a creamy gold lushness. turn off and remove from the heat.

Gently pour the creamy sauce into the cooked potatoes. 
Decorate with sliced olives to make spiders if you wishTransfer to a large ovenproof casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes gas mark 5/200oc or until the top is golden..