Taste Testing Store Bought Vegan Gravy: Gravy Knowledge For The Masses

Day 30, in my Month of Vegan Gravy, and I have to admit I'm a little sad, this has been a LOT of work, but such great fun too. Who knew I could talk about gravy for 30 days?! Certainly not me, but thank you Jess, for throwing down the gravy challenge!

But, the thing is, now I feel like I've barely scratched the surface. There's still a whole world of gravy-based dishes out there I haven't touched! Cranberry-Sage Gravy, Sweet-Potato Gravy, Potato Gravy, Spätzle with gravy, Swedish meatballs and gravy, poutine with gravy... {{sigh}}.

Not to fear, I have several more recipes I'll be posting (just not EVERY DAY!) in December, because I just couldn't get everything in. (Like my epic gravy-eating trip to Portland. I want to tell you all about that - but time, time time!!)

However - for today's post I wanted to do something just a little different. Crazy different.

I realize if you're reading through all these gravy posts, you're likely somewhat interested in cooking or making your own foods.

But what about those of you vegans or potential vegans who may NOT cook?

Or those "instant-from-a-package", last-minute, sorts of situations? This is where STORE BOUGHT GRAVY comes in. (*gulp*). Yes. Store bought, instant, pre-made.

While many of us may not cook this way, you and I both know many people who do. And there's nothing wrong with it in so many situations; those newly vegan or vegetarian, college students, single people who don't want to whip up a 6-cup pot of gravy, busy Moms with 15 minutes (literally!) to get food on the table before Cub Scouts or Little League (been there!), folks who grew up on "out-of-the-box" cooking and have a decided taste for it, the lazy among us, or those who just don't trust their cooking skills yet.

We may not admit it, but it's nice to have a back-up - all of us rely on packaged and pre-made once in a while. And thankfully there are a lot of vegan options out there, even if you don't shop the health-food aisle.

So, taking my cue from an idea posted over at Serious Eats where they rated 5 (NON-vegan) store-bought gravies right before Thanksgiving, I decided I would embark on an epic adventure in taste-testing store-bought (pre-packaged) vegan gravies. (But I waited until after T-day because many of these products went on sale. So save this review for next year.)

Forgive me if this is a WORDY, long-winded post, there's a lot I want to cover here:

Little did I know how many packaged vegan gravy mixes there were to choose from; though I doubt most of you will be lucky enough to find these all in one location (and if you do, I hate you).

I shopped at Seattle's Sidecar All-Vegan Grocery, Portland's Food Fight All-Vegan Grocery and Whole Foods. None of these stores are close or convenient, I just happened to be in their neighborhoods during Gravy Month!! Oh, I also shopped at my local Albertson's. From these stores, I chose 10 gravies to test. yes, 10. Crazy, I know.

I tried to be as "scientific" and unbiased as possible. I cooked each gravy exactly according to the package instructions and then had my daughter dish them out into bowls she had color-coded so I didn't know which was which. Then I put just a taste of each gravy on a little, tiny teaspoonful of bland, basic mashed potatoes (also color-coded with toothpicks to match - see picture - potatoes are smaller than they appear).

And then I tasted. And took notes. And had my 'Sprouts' taste too. And took more notes. And grabbed an unsuspecting very-meat-loving teenage tree-delivery boy to taste test too. Those marked (GF) are ones that the packet indicated are gluten-free. Sorry, I don't know enough about gluten-free ingredients to make any further recommendations there.

Even with teeny bites, that's a lot of gravy. And salt. And flavors. Though, I think I've recovered. All in the name of gravy knowledge for the masses. You can thank me later.

My Criteria: (here again, I stole ideas from the "Serious Eats" taste-test)
Texture: rich and smooth, not gluey and goopy, starchy, grainy or floury; not thin or broth-like. Chunks or bits of vegetables (i.e. mushrooms, onion) are OK.
Flavor: I hoped it might taste like real, homemade vegan brown gravy; not too salty, bland or starchy, not just nondescript savory "flavoring", though I may have run out of adjectives because many were just "savory" and not much else. Vegetable, nutritional yeast and herbal notes are nice, but they should complement, not overwhelm. I did not read the ingredients (except in the store to verify they were vegan) so only guessed at the underlying flavors (such as soy sauce, nutritional yeast, garlic, etc...)

I'm not going to trash the worst contenders, or select anyone specifically a "winner" because your tastes are different than mine. I'm a huge fan of homemade and don't typically eat pre-made, packaged items, and frankly most ALL of these had a bit of that "packaged-instant" taste to me, though I admit I was surprised at how tasty some were as well. I will try to describe our taste-testing adventures though, so if you DO have a choice, you can figure out what may work best for you. Granted, I'd probably doctor most of these up with white wine, herbs, mushrooms and whatnot, and after all that, might as well have made my own.

The dry packets all made 1 cup, which isn't a lot when serving dinner, the liquid (or pre-made) gravies varied in amounts.

Here we go, in NO particular order.

Tofurky Savory 'Giblet' Gravy
Tofurky's gravy comes fully made, but frozen; You thaw and then heat on the stove or in the microwave. I heated it on the stove and even with my trusty whisk, it still wasn't as smooth as I would have liked. It started out VERY gloppy but thinned considerably as it heated - could have been slightly thicker in the end, but then, I like a gravy that doesn't run all over everything, either. The predominant flavors here seem to be a fairly strong nutritional yeast flavor with onion, celery and a savory, mildly "turkey(?)-like" flavor. I didn't notice any sage or herb flavors and thought it could have benefited from those, and definitely less salt. I've heard many people rave over this gravy, saying it was "just like they remember turkey gravy", I can't vouch for that, but I know it is very popular in the vegan Holiday Meal world; Since all you do is heat and eat, I can see why it's popular with non-cooking types too. Although the package says "giblets", I don't know what vegan giblets are, nor did I find any in the gravy. I would definitely serve this to omni-type friends if they were open minded or not terribly picky about gravy; you're going to know it's not "turkey" but probably won't hate it either.

Whole Foods Fresh-Made Vegan Mushroom Gravy (from the deli)
I realize including this in my taste test may be a bit unfair. Whole Foods recipes may differ from store to store. And this gravy is fresh made in their deli, not a dry package you mix up, or frozen blob you have to defrost.
That said, this was a most delicious, herby, mushroom gravy with loads of real mushroom chunks and bits of fresh sage. If someone, (like my child) doesn't like mushroom flavors, or any "chunks" in their gravy, this one won't do, otherwise, it's very good!! Personally I LOVED all the mushrooms and herbs, but then, I'm a huge mushroom fan. Other testers liked the flavor, some didn't like the chunky-ness or the "green bits", but that's 17-year-olds for you.

I could have drunk this stuff! The gravy had a rich mushroom flavor with plenty of sage and some onion. It was a bit thin (again, depending on your tastes) but tasted almost like you whipped it up yourself. I think the flavors would have deepened and the gravy thickened if I'd simmered it longer. The mushrooms had a somewhat rubbery texture, and there's a lot of them, but honestly didn't detract (for me) from the final, very delicious, product. I would serve this to anyone, any time, with no apologies.

Loma Linda Fat Free Vegetarian Brown Gravy Quick
This little packet of brown powder surprised me. I thought it was going to be too watery when I started out, but upon simmering, it cooked up quickly and smoothly and the final product was of the perfect thickness, a very dark brown, savory with a good, yet basic "gravy" flavor (sorry I don't have a better adjective) without any strong vegetable, yeast, soy sauce or herb flavors. If you can find it, it's a really nice, very basic (and easy) gravy mix to have on hand, though sodium levels are deceptively high. All the dry packages I tested were high in sodium, but fat-free, whether the main part of the labels stated so or not. This would be a good, basic, brown-gravy fall-back. (Did I say "basic" enough there?)

Leahey Golden Gravy
This product also comes in gluten-free, though the one I tested wasn't. This was a a "chicken" style flavor and lighter color than the "brown" and "mushroom" gravies, so maybe that makes this comparison unfair, but I'll include it just the same. I didn't think this had a particularly strong "chicken" flavor, but was still rich and did taste nicely of mild onions and maybe the slightest bit of something that didn't seem quite "gravy" like... curry? turmeric? (I wish I knew my flavors better). I also think there may be a bit of mushroom flavors in this, possibly to make it more "meaty"; I didn't mind at all, but my mushroom-hater chose this as one of her least favorites. This was one of the less salty dry mixes as well. It's pretty basic, I think with a little sage and black pepper, this would be a really tasty "chicken" gravy. OK, maybe I thought that about all of them.

Hain Vegetarian Brown Gravy

This little package was about the most basic of the gravies. My daughter said it tasted "brown". And that's a fairly good adjective. The stuff you got on your cafeteria tray in fourth grade. But in a comfort-food, vegan way. Our not-vegan teenage boy chose this as a favorite. Go figure. It mixed up nice and smooth, it's not gluten-free, just a basic gravy with a slight "soy-sauce" after-taste.

Road's End Shiitake Gravy

Road's End seems to be the go-to instant gravy of choice among vegans, and it is definitely a palatable and tasty gravy. After testing some of the others, I almost thought it needed more salt, but when tasted later, on it's own, the flavors came through nicely - no more salt needed. It comes in several flavors, I chose the Shiitake mushroom variety (because I like mushrooms).

I thought the mushroom flavors came through well (who knows if they're actually shiitake, right?), though it was a just a bit "flour-y" tasting to me (even though it's gluten free). Definitely a nutritional-yeast flavor, and maybe a little garlic(?) and no herbs. It certainly smelled good while mixing it up, that's a plus, as some of the gravies did not. There was the slightest "grainy" texture to this gravy, possibly whatever thickener was used would have benefited from a slower, longer cooking time. You won't really notice that texture if it's over potatoes, rice, etc. (GF)

Redwood Meat-Free Cheatin' Gravy

I really liked this gravy, good luck finding it if you live in the US though. It comes powdered, in a tub and you mix up the amount you want - that may be more difficult for some than just opening an envelope (not meaning to be sarcastic at all, some people want things that require NO measuring, so I thought I'd mention it). It had a rich, roasty onion and vegetable flavor with a slight "malty-yeasty" undertone, but in a good, flavorful way (please don't be skeptical if you're not sure of my description), PLUS it definitely had that elusive sage flavor that I so love in gravies, and so many of the dry mixes seemed to be lacking. This mixed up a little thinner than some of the mixes, but nice and smooth, and not so thin as to be watery.

Chef Bonneau Gravy Mix

This gravy was quite bland and needed some serious flavor boosts; from what, I'm not sure. It was salty enough, but also slightly, weirdly sweet, like too many caramelized onions (even though there were no onions listed in the ingredients). If you wanted to play with it, add mushrooms and wine and garlic, I think the basic flavor was good, but it just needed "more" of it.

Campbells Canned Mushroom Gravy*

OK, this actually surprised me. Not that it was something I'd run out and buy again tomorrow, but since it's available in your (larger) corner grocery store, I could buy it most anywhere if I wanted - and, if you're craving gravy, stuck with NO vegan gravy options and you can't cook to save your life (and you don't live within a hundred-mile radius of ME so I can MAKE you some gravy!) then opening this can of accidentally vegan gravy just might be a life-saver.

It's not bad at all, for what it is. But I don't expect Spaghetti-O's to taste like spaghetti either. The texture was silky smooth almost too smooth, as you'd expect for something from a can. No chunks or green bits of herbs. My kids and our "forced-to-help" non-vegan teen liked it's "basic-ness" (is that a word?) though I thought it was (obviously) quite processed tasting. It has a mildly canned-mushroom flavor and is savory and not-overly-salty and just slightly herb-y enough to make it palatable though, yes, even from a CAN!

*This is the Campbells canned Mushroom GRAVY, NOT the cream-of-mushroom soup. Make sure you read the label.

Simply Organic Vegetarian Brown Gravy

This was one of the saltier gravy mixes; it had a good, savory soy-sauce" and "vegetable-y" flavor, but I just felt it needed to be "watered down" to be less salty. It smelled a lot like the pot roast gravy I remember my mother-in-law making, though not in a bad "cooking meat" sort-of way, just an "old-fashioned" way (if that makes sense?). The texture was somewhat gummy and starchy and the taste was savory and seemed like it might have a bit of tomatoes in it, as well as other vegetables, but it wasn't at all "mushroom-y" (which my non-mushroom child liked). This is a nice, basic gravy if the texture isn't an issue. (GF)

Imagine Foods Wild Mushroom Gravy
This liquid (already mixed-up) gravy was sold in the aseptic pack, like the company's broths and such. It had a lovely silky-smooth texture and very good "mushroom-y" flavor but it was still very "blah" - like someone forgot an essential ingredient. Which is too bad, because it seems like a great idea. I really wanted to like this one too, it smelled good, had great texture and you got a lot in the little carton for the price. Sadly this was towards the bottom of most everyone's list. Again, if you want to play around with it, I think it has a lot of potential, and might even make the base for a killer mushroom soup, but good gravy, it's not.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And THAT, my friends, concludes this month of Vegan Mofo, my personal challenge of blogging a month of vegan gravies, and my daily gravy posts on this blog. Stay tuned, as I said before, there is definitely more to come, I hope you've enjoyed this journey as much as I have. Happy gravy making!!

Michael Natkin's "Mole Aproximado"

Before I wrap up my Month of Vegan Gravy, I need to leave you with yet another go-to recipe: My favorite Mexican (or more correctly "Oaxacan") mole.
Now, many of the supposedly 'genuine' mole recipes out there take hours and days of simmering to perfect - AND have a ton of ingredients that would take me several trips to various international markets just to locate. And the store-bought ones? Quick, sure, but they taste awful! This recipe strikes the perfect compromise, a delicious sauce with all the complexities I look for in a "mole" and made in about an hour!! If you're a fan like I am, you'll LOVE this!! Absolutely the easiest and BEST (authentic) tasting mole sauce EVER. (And yes, mole is also referred to as "gravy" in some areas.)

I ran across this wonderful recipe quite by accident, while searching the internets for something completely unrelated (isn't that how it always happens?). It was posted on a foodie sort-of website that I've since come to refer to a lot, called "Serious Eats". (No, not a vegan website, but still a great place for ideas and inspiration). This recipe looked pretty easy, I had all the ingredients, and since I'd tried several previous mole recipes with little luck, I was hoping this would be a hit. It was.

What I didn't even realize until after I'd made the recipe once, was that it was written by fellow Seattle vegetarian-blogger-chef-acquaintance Michael Natkin, who writes the completely awesome "Herbavoracious" blog, of which I'm a HUGE fan!! I should have known - it's such a great recipe. If you've never tried any of Michael's recipes, definitely check it out - all the ones I've made are definitely keepers! While Michael isn't vegan, a large number of recipes are noted as specifically vegan or very easy to change up. He also notes which ones are gluten-free.

Mole Aproximado

This recipe is posted with permission from
Erin Zimmer of Serious Eats
and and the recipe's creator, Michael Natkin.


* 8 dried ancho chiles or a mixture of ancho and pasilla
* 4 cloves garlic
* 1 large tomato, cored and halved
* 2 slices bread, toasted and cubed
* 1 small onion, diced
* 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
* 1 pinch of cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
* Salt
* 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (bitter orange if you happen to have it) [I haven't tried this with bitter orange, I admit ~ MH)
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Remove the stems, seeds and ribs from the chile peppers. You might want to wear rubber gloves for this. Cover them with boiling water and weight them so they stay underwater. Leave to soak for 30 minutes while you prepare everything else.

In a hot, dry skillet, cook the garlic cloves and tomato for about 5 minutes, turning a couple of times.

Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking water. In a blender, combine the chiles with the garlic, tomato, bread, onion, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, sugar, salt and cocoa power, orange juice and 1/2 cup of the chile soaking water. Puree very thoroughly, adding more liquid as necessary until you have about 3 1/2 cups. Strain. [Sometimes I don't strain this, it's still good, just not as smooth - just more dishes to get dirty!! ~MH]

Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over a medium flame. Pour in the mole, and simmer for about 30 minutes, lightly covered. The sauce should darken and become more concentrated.

Taste and adjust the seasonings. Can you taste the various herbs and spices? The chocolate? The chiles? Is there a bit of acid and enough salt? Aim for a complex, balanced flavor. Also add a little more liquid or simmer a bit longer to get a pleasing saucy texture, like a thick tomato sauce.

I love this with tamales or even a simple bean burrito - and the leftovers (what?) even go great with chips or keep in the fridge nicely for over a week.

And one quick note (also gravy related). I was going to do a "Swedish meatballs and gravy" post, but ran out of time. I don't have a good recipe of my own anyway. Instead, if you want Swedish meatballs and gravy? You MUST TRY THIS RECIPE from my friend and fellow blogger Matt of "Our Veggie Kitchen". GOOD STUFF!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's wrap-up of VEGAN GRAVY!! You may be surprised, shocked, amazed or completely dumbfounded. (Actually it may not be a complete "wrap-up" - I have a few more gravy-related posts that I haven't finished. I'll probably be blogging gravy well into December...)

The Sopranos Sunday Gravy

Tony Soprano:

"I don't mean "white" like Caucasian. I mean a white man like our friend Cusamano. Now he's Italian, but he's 'Merigan. It's what my old man would have called a Wonder Bread wop. He eats his Sunday gravy out of a jar."

Hungering for America: Italian, Irish, and Jewish Foodways in the Age of Migration by Hasia R. Diner; Harvard University Press, 2003.

"Italian-Americans; most specifically those in the greater Chicago, Boston, Providence, and New York areas favored the term gravy (rather than sauce) for their tomato based meat sauces."

Yes, indeed, (if you're a 'Sopranos' fan, you'd know this) the Italian meat-and-tomato pasta covering we usually know as "sauce" is better known to many as "gravy" or "Sunday gravy".

While marinara sauce was usually a fresh-tasting blend of tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, basil and herbs, and ragu was bits of meats (and ground meat) cooked in a tomato-based sauce, "Sunday gravy" is more of a slow-cooked "peasant food" meal-in-one made with whatever was left at the end of the week; less herbs and seasonings, but flavors developed by simmering several cuts and types of meats and bones (basically whatever was available) with tomatoes and vegetables over a low heat for hours (or all day Sunday while the family went to church and so forth) until the meat infuses the sauce with lots of flavor and it thickens. It's almost a cross between typical brown gravy and tomato sauce. At dinner-time, the meat is then removed and served with the sauce and pasta, or saved for another day's meal.

I've taken the actual recipe from my "Soprano's Family Cookbook" and modified it LIKE CRAZY (obviously) to make a "Sunday Gravy" that is of course vegan but still stays faithful to the heritage and idea behind the recipe, with a slow-cooked 'meaty' and gravy-like tomato sauce. This recipe is VERY hearty, definitely enough protein for several meals. I've found I only use a little bit of the sauce and end up freezing the rest or storing in the fridge for another day. REALLY good stuff though, and well worth the effort!!

Italian 'Sunday Gravy' ala "The Sopranos"

Makes about 8 Cups

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large portabello mushrooms, cut in 1-inch chunks
2 tbsp fennel seeds
1 lb. vegan Italian-style sausage links (homemade seitan or I like the Tofurky brats) cut in chunks
1 lb. seitan cutlets, cut in strips or Gardein beef 'tips', quartered
1 onion, cut in smallish chunks
1/2 cup celery (if desired)
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup tomato paste
Three 28-ounce cans Italian peeled tomatoes (or two cans and 2 cups chopped fresh)
1 cup water
1 cup brown "beef" style, mushroom or vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 whole cloves
1 bay leaf

The original recipe also has 2 lbs. of meatballs simmered in the sauce. You can use a package of 'Nate's' or your own recipe, but I find that to be major overload. Depends on how much "meat" you want.


Serve with:
2 pound box medium shells or rigatoni or some other "heavy" pasta that holds up to the texture of the sauce well; cooked and still hot
Nutritional yeast or whatever Parmesan substitute you prefer

To make the sauce:
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Put fennel seeds, portabello chunks, "sausage" and "beef tips" or whatever seitan product you're using, onion and celery, in oil and turn occasionally until "meats" are nicely browned on all sides.

Add the garlic and cook for about two minutes or until golden. Add tomato paste and mix into "meats" and garlic, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Take off heat. With a food mill, puree the tomatoes, with their juice, and add into the pot. Or, for a chunkier sauce, just chop up the tomatoes and add them. Add broth and water.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cloves and bay leaf tied in a cheesecloth square. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours (or in a crock pot 4 hours-to-all-day, on very low). If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little more water.

If you want to use meatballs too, add them 1/2 hour before end of cook time.

To serve:
The original recipe has you remove the meat and serve it as the next course. That doesn't work so well with mushroom and seitan chunks so I leave it in the sauce.

Cook pasta.
Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast or whatever 'cheese' works for you.

Enjoy with pasta while watching your favorite episode of "The Sopranos"

Dreena Burton's "Thick 'N Rich Gravy"

Day 27 and yet another completely delightful gravy recipe that I think everyone should try. You have a year until next Thanksgiving to sample all these gravies, remember.

This time, my recipe-of-the-day for (drum roll) - - - "Vegan Month Of Gravy" is posted with permission from Vegan-Super-Mom-Cookbook Author Dreena Burton.

You're probably familiar (or should be!) with her cookbooks like "Eat, Drink & Be Vegan", "The Everyday Vegan", (and a new one coming out soon - SO excited!). EDBV was absolutely indispensable to me when I started to switch my family over to my "weird vegan" lifestyle. I love that Dreena has 3 kids at home to cook for, just like I do! Her recipes are definitely child-friendly and win the ultimate seal of approval in THIS household: Recipes my kids actually ask for again and again!

So, back to my original point: you need to try Dreena's "Thick 'N Rich Gravy". It's sort of a cross between gravy and "cheezy sauce" and SO GOOD on pasta, rice or veggies!
If, like me, you're initially not sure of an ingredient (I usually cannot stand molasses, for example) please try it anyway. You will be pleasantly surprised, I PROMISE! (And as a personal guarantee, if you don't like it, I'll come to your house and eat it for you.) I also like this particular recipe because it stays "gravy-like" in the 'fridge (if you actually HAVE leftovers) and doesn't turn into a gelatinous bowl of goo. Nice for using the next day with leftovers.

"Thick 'N Rich Gravy"
From "Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan"
used with permission from the author, Dreena Burton

1 cup vegetable broth of your choice
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (you can use more or less, depending on if you like more of a "cheesy" flavor here or not)
1 Tablespoon mild miso
1 Tablespoon tamari sauce
1 large clove garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder
2 Tablespoons tahini or cashew butter (I tend to use tahini here, cashew butter is a bit sweeter and you may want to use more vinegar then)
1 1/2 - 2 1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1/2 tsp agave
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons water, or as needed to thin

With a hand-blender, or in a food processor, blend all ingredients except water (and start with just 1 Tablespoon vinegar). Place mixture in a pot on medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring as needed. Once it starts to boil, turn heat down and let it simmer gently (still bubbling) 2 - 3 minutes until thickened. Taste and add more vinegar if you want, and/or thin with water if desired.

Gingersnap Gravy with Tofu-Schnitzel Cutlet

I decided this was a great afternoon to re-post one of the odder sounding foods from my German heritage: Gingersnap Gravy.
Yes. Spicy, sweet, ginger-molasses cookies... mushed up in gravy. Could we get any stranger?
Welcome to Day 26 of blogging Vegan Gravy.

Anyway, gingersnap gravy? Sounds crazy 'till you try it! I admit, as a kid I turned up my nose for years. Cookie-gravy. Not interested. And besides, gingersnaps are my LEAST favorite cookie in the world. But, you can guess the rest of the story - once I (finally) tried it, of course, I was just as enamored as I am with all the other gravies out there.

So, if you're still not convinced, don't think "gravy" exactly, OR cookies - think "spicy sweet-and-sour sauce". The tomato juice, vinegar and broth definitely temper the "sweet cookie" flavor. You'd never know they were in there if you weren't whipping up the gravy yourself.
Besides, it's the perfect thing for next year's Octoberfest.
I'll even throw in the "Schnitzel-Style Tofu Cutlet" recipe that goes so great!

Gingersnap Gravy

1 small onion, chopped fine
2 tbsp. margarine
1 cup tomato juice
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup brown sugar
10 vegan gingersnap cookies, crushed fine
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp onion powder

In a small skillet, cook onion in the margarine until very soft, put a lid on the pan if onion starts to brown too much.

Meanwhile bring tomato juice and broth to a simmer in medium saucepan. When onion is very soft and somewhat browned, add to saucepan and broth. Add brown sugar, cookies, vinegar and onion powder. Simmer on medium, stirring with wire whisk frequently, until cookies have dissolved and thickened the sauce. (If you want to run through a blender at this point, for a smoother gravy, that's your choice - it's good either way).
Pour over 'Schnitzel', red potatoes or German veggie-meaty item of your choice...

Tofu-"Schnitzel" Cutlet

Cutlet:
2 pounds extra-firm tofu, sliced in 3/4 inch sliced (frozen-thawed-pressed is best here, but regular firm, straight from the package works too).
OR you can use tender homemade seitan/gluten cutlets here, though they won't absorb much, if any, of the marinade.

Marinade:
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup broth
1 tbsp marmite or soy sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke (or Bacon Salt)
- - -
1/2 cup whole-wheat (or rye) flour
2 teaspoons caraway seeds, crushed if possible
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 cup dry whole grain breadcrumbs
oil to fry, I prefer coconut oil here

Slice tofu approximately 1/2″ thick.
Marinate overnight in Marinade.

On a plate, mix together flour with spices.
In a bowl, stir together milk and liquid smoke.
Place breadcrumbs on another plate.

Drain tofu slightly, leaving it a bit damp. Line up your plates for 'dipping': Flour, milk then crumbs.
Dip tofu in flour mixture, then milk, then breadcrumbs, coating on all sides. You may need to press the coating on a bit.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and carefully place tofu "cutlet" in hot pan. Fry on each side, approximately 4 - 5 minutes, until golden. Repeat with remaining tofu.

Keep warm in a single layer in the oven.
When all are finished, serve with Gingersnap Gravy.

To serve this the way I remember from growing up:
Surround with steamed new potatoes dressed with margarine and parsley, and some good sauerkraut (NOT canned, acceptable from a glass jar, but the 'fresh' stuff straight from the deli is my preference) .
Alternatively, I love this with steamed broccoli, kale, beets and a fresh carrot salad. Any of those fall veggies work well here.

Happy Thanksgiving? Or Not.

Now that we're 25 days into A Month of Vegan Gravy - it's time for a small confession. I know it seems un-American, non-traditional, sacrilegious, anti-family and downright wrong, but I'm just not a Thanksgiving Day fan. Even more of a surprise since I love cooking and all things foodie. No, we spent the morning cooking (*gasp*) real turkeys and feeding the homeless. Later, we went to a movie, had Thai food and swam in the motel pool. And it was unanimously agreed upon as the best, most stress-free Thanksgiving my girls and I have had.

I have a multitude of reasons for not being a fan - and won't go into them in great detail here.

Well, maybe I will rant a little.
OK.

Read on at your own risk, but I'll warn you, there's no gravy; that'll be back tomorrow, no worries.
(As a disclaimer: I love my extended family, we DO get along, and they are not the horrible, inflexible, misunderstanding ogres I may make them appear to be with my ranting. But I still have a few issues with Thanksgiving...)

First of all, I don't consider my kids to be "picky" - nevertheless, they don't like most of the traditional (vegan versions) of "Thanksgiving" foods.
And I see no purpose in every year, imposing these six or seven foods on them (just because someone deemed them 'traditional') when they will eat kale, beets, okra, sushi, hot chiles and virtually every other (vegan) food in the entire world! Clearly no one's in danger of malnutrition.

I know, who doesn't like rolls, mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, green beans and pumpkin pie, right?
But those are their preferences, and I don't "make" them eat what they don't like. There are much bigger battles out there. Judge my parenting if you dare. They would have made bad Pilgrims, what can I say.

In light of that, it seems an unnecessary struggle to cart them off to whatever family is hosting our fairly "traditional" dinner, (don't even go there) only to have to explain (again) that:
1.) No, I don't force them to "take some of everything and then clean their plates" (and I'm, literally, a large example of what *can* happen when that is imposed)
2.) My children are not un-greatful, but they will NOT "eat what is served them if they're hungry enough".
3.) And no, the starving children in China will not benefit from my children's clean plates.

OK, :whew: end of THAT rant.

Second, not to whine, but I have a very tight budget (both time AND money) and making my all-vegan dinner PLUS providing requested several dishes to share with the whole extended family Thanksgiving potluck stretches my budget outside my comfort zone. Especially when I then find that someone brought a "regular" (non-vegan) pie (or whatever) anyway, because they "weren't sure they'd LIKE mine". Really? *grumble*grumble*

Third, speaking of Pilgrims, I'm just not all that convinced the history books have it correct. That day in 1621 when Pilgrims invited their "friends" the Native Americans and supposedly shared their "bounty" with the Indians in a harvest feast? Yeah, most, if not all, of the food was actually brought and prepared by the Indians. The Pilgrim crop had failed miserably that year, but the agricultural expertise of the Indians had produced corn, without which the Pilgrims would have died.

Think about it. The Pilgrims, who came from England ridiculously unprepared to survive, ended up relying almost exclusively on handouts from the overly generous Indians–were actually the western hemisphere’s first welfare recipients. Though the Native Americans tried their best to help, they weren't usually "friends" with the whites, and in fact, those who came within the vicinity of the Pilgrim settlement was often subjected to robbery, enslavement, or even murder.

My daughter's American history book for 5th grade in 2010 doesn't even touch on this aspect. You'd think we could be a little more up-to-date, but then, what would we do with all the "Happy Indian-Happy Pilgrim" cut outs and bulletin board decorations, right?

Personally? I think Native Americans should be allowed to pelt us with tomatoes just like my favorite episode of Northern Exposure. Here's a clip. Watch it and enjoy the nostalgia of my favorite TV show, then read on...



What you don't see is that after Joel is pelted by tomatoes, his receptionist, Marilyn Whirlwind (played by Elaine Miles), explains that around Thanksgiving, the Native Americans throw tomatoes at the white folks because, “Tomatoes look like blood but they don’t hurt.” It’s the same reason that the whole town is festooned with skeletons and “death’s-head pumpkins.” For the American Indians, who make up a large portion of Cicely’s population, Thanksgiving is about the systematic slaughter of their people and their culture, so they “celebrate” in their own way, while the white people play their part as the willing victims of vegetable assault. (Which reminds me, I have a GREAT Tomato Gravy-Marinara I need to share!)

So. I've mentioned vegetables and vegan food, thus fulfilling the requirements for November's Month of Vegan Blogging extravaganza. I didn't give you a gravy recipe today, but please stay with me (even after my ranting!) I won't let you down - more gravy wonderfulness awaits tomorrow, not to fear.

Pumpkin Polenta with Pumpkin-Seed-Sage Pesto

To all my American readers - Happy, Happy Day-Before-Thanksgiving-Dinner Day!!
(And Happy Day Of Vegan Gravy, Number 24!)

No last-minute-dinner-and-turkey-themed post here though. I'm on vacation, hiding out from cooking, food, family and the insane frenzy that accompanies this day way too often.
In fact, the Sprouts and I are in Portland, Oregon, city of all things vegan (including a million places to get vegan gravy made by people more, and possibly less, competent than myself).
I'm POSITIVE you'll hear all about our adventures soon! But until then, stay tuned with this retro-pumpkin post.

This makes a great Pumpkin-themed pre-holiday lunch, it's a nice way to use up that extra little bit of cooked pumpkin left over from Holiday baking, OR it's handy any time you want to impress the non-vegan-socks off someone.

Pesto, once again, is a "sauce", not exactly a "gravy" like you'd put over mashed potatoes, but I promise you, I've actually seen it referred to as "crushed-herb-gravy-sauce" in some of the old, 60's era European cookbooks that I have in my collection.

You can use canned plain pumpkin here if you want, or if you want to use fresh: Bake or microwave a small pumpkin (the sugar-pie type, not the big jack-o-lantern type - or any dense winter squash will work) until soft.

Scoop out squash and mash or puree. Measure out 1/2 cup squash for this recipe:

Crispy Pumpkin Polenta Triangles

1/2 cup squash or pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons soymilk

1 tablespoon margarine

1/2 tablespoon agave or maple syrup

Salt

1/2 cup polenta cornmeal (or coarse ground cornmeal)

1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for frying

In a medium saucepan, combine the pumpkin with the water and bring to a boil. Add the soymilk, margarine, agave and a generous pinch of salt.

Add the polenta cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Cook over low-ish heat, stirring until thickened and cornmeal is cooked - about 20 minutes.

Scrape the polenta into a loaf pan and refrigerate until firm. When firm and chilled, run a knife around the sides of the pan and unmold the polenta. Slice into 1 1/2 -inch squares/rectangles, and then crosswise into triangles;

Fry the triangles in batches, turning once, until deep golden and crisp, about 2 - 5 minutes per side.

Transfer to paper towels or brown paper bag to absorb excess oil and drain. Keep hot in low oven.

Now, make Pumpkin-Seed Sage Pesto to go with:

Pumpkin-Seed and Sage Pesto

3/4 cup lightly packed fresh sage leaves (from 2 large bunches)

3/4 cup raw, hulled pumpkin seeds/raw pepitas (about 4 ounces)

1/4 cup (packed) fresh parsley leaves

1 - 3 garlic cloves

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

4 Tbsp raw cashew pieces

squeeze fresh lemon juice

Put cashews in bowl of food processor and blend into a fine powder.

Using on/off turns, blend sage leaves, pumpkin seeds, parsley, and garlic in processor until mixture is finely chopped.

With machine running, add 3/4 cup oil and squeeze of lemon juice and blend until thick paste forms.

Transfer to small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Warm for a few moments in a saucepan. If it gets too thick, add several tbsp. non-dairy milk.

Serve crispy hot polenta triangles with pesto sauce.

As you can see, I had a hard time getting a picture, my kids kept eating the polenta before I had enough to photograph!

Julie Hasson's Cranberry Merlot Sauce

Today's "gravy" recipe is not exactly gravy, at least not in the traditional sense. But it is a "sauce" - and sauces are synonymous with "gravy" in some other languages, right?
Besides, I think it deserves mention during my "Month of Vegan Gravy" (for Vegan MoFo). Ever since I discovered this wonderful stuff, I've included it in Holiday meals or Sunday Dinners where I would also have gravy. And everyone I serve it to pours it just as liberally over their nut-loaves, veggie-turkey, chick-pea cutlets and (*gulp*) I've even had some of my relatives use it with the dead-bird kind of turkey...
Cranberry Sauce seems to be a standard item at most Thanksgiving tables, but this takes plain old jelly-in-a-can cranberries up SEVERAL notches. It's super easy to throw together at the last minute; looks, smells and tastes impressive and will win you raves reviews from everyone, I promise! Again, the alcohol cooks out, though I did use a grape juice/pomegranate juice blend instead once and it was also very good.

This recipe is graciously shared by one of my favorite local cooks, Julie Hasson. She's the author of 5 cookbooks, does the awesome vegan online cooking show "Everyday Dish" (which you should watch every episode of over Thanksgiving break, if you haven't already - go, do it now!).
She and her hubby own the completely delicious food cart "Native Bowl" in Portland. And best of all, she's also a great resource; graciously (and patiently) answering every question I tend to e-mail her about what to do and where to eat vegan when I'm IN Portland!!

If you'd like to watch the "Everyday Dish" episode for this cranberry sauce, go here:

Cranberry Merlot Sauce

Posted with permission from the author, Julie Hasson

Not only are cranberries delicious, but they’re also a great source of antioxidants. Although you may be tempted to cut down on the sugar in this recipe, it’s a pretty tart sauce.
Makes 2 1/4 cups

1 cup red wine (port wine works great too) [I've used grape-pomegranate juice here with good results, though a Washington State Woodward Canyon Merlot would be my fave ~MH]
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (or a touch more to taste)
1 12-oz package fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup orange juice or the zest and juice of 1 orange
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

In a medium saucepan combine all of the ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Reduce heat slightly and simmer 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Cool and serve.

Copyright © 2008 Julie Hasson

Seriously, that's all there is to it! Easier than gravy even! Try it, it'll make a great addition to your table on Thursday!

Apple-Pecan-Bourbon Gravy (And Vegan Pecan Pie)

Welcome to Day 22 in the Great Gravy Experiment of Vegan MoFo Blogging, 2010.
Still going strong, plenty more recipes to share.

But let me digress for a moment. I find statistics fascinating. Resources like Google Analytecs, and Sitemeter end up being pretty absorbing reading for me, in a geeky, 'Numb3rs' sort-of way. I love following the traffic on my blog; where people are from, what search brought them here and what recipes are most popular. My "Chick'n and Dumplings" had been the reigning recipe for quite a while, but in the last two weeks the most searched vegan recipe (no, not gravy) has been "Vegan Pecan Pie". No surprise, being that Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

So for those of you still searching, this has nothing to do with gravy, but in a shameless self-promoting way, here's the link to my Vegan Pecan Pie recipe. And it's foolproof!! I've made this dozens of times since posting and it's always a HUGE HIT!!! Seriously? I'm not gaining anything by sharing the link, I just want everyone to have good pie for T-Day.

That said, let's get down to today's gravy (before my power goes out AGAIN!)
This gravy recipe ALSO contains pecans, (which happen to be my favorite nut - aside from a few people I know). I may be a bit spoiled though, as I have a great (free!) source for these often expensive little gems - my friend Shaun (check out his great little newbie blog) lives in New Mexico, and he brings me big bags of them from his Granny's pecan trees. Pecan orchards in New Mexico. Who knew?

Anyway, this gravy is a bit different from the savory "meaty" gravies that I've been blogging. I personally think it's absolutely wonderful for a special Thanksgiving or other Holiday main dish though. Not to worry, the alcohol cooks out. I've used it with baked acorn squash; roasted root veggies; over wild rice pilaf; seitan "turkey", vegetable-nut 'loaf'; and, my absolute favorite - the super-amazing "Cranberry Hazelnut En Croute" that the fabulous people at Field Roast gave me last Thanksgiving. Try this when you're feeling all fancy (even though it's very simple)!

Apple-Pecan-Bourbon Gravy

* 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
* 2 cups apple juice
* 3/4 cup bourbon (I like plain ol' Wild Turkey brand, or, just use more apple juice)
* 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 rosemary sprig
* 3 tablespoons margarine
* 1 apple, chopped, (no need to peel)
* 1/4 cup chopped onion
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 cups chicken-style broth
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 tsp. powdered/rubbed sage
* 1/4 tsp. powdered thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Toast pecans in a dry skillet until fragrant and starting to brown. Watch them carefully, once they start browning it happens FAST! Set aside.

2. Bring next 5 ingredients to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Lower heat and simmer on medium for 10 minutes until reduced a bit. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf and rosemary.

3. Melt margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in apple and onion; sauté 6 - 8 minutes or until onion is tender and apple begins to caramelize. Add pecans.

4. Remove from heat.
Whisk in flour, and put back on heat. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until flour is smoothly distributed and mixed into juices and margarine.

5. Gradually stir broth into apple-pecan mixture. Then add water, herbs, seasonings and apple juice mixture to pan.

6. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Slow-Cooked Mushroom Gravy; A Gift From Friends

Welcome to Day 21 of my "Month of Vegan Gravies" project!

The gravy recipe in today's post is special to me because it comes from my friends, Danica and Heather (the incredibly talented duo behind the "Soundly Vegan" blog).
When we met for the first time, they actually brought me a take-out container of homemade vegan "comfort food": Their awesome homemade tofu, AND a pint of this fabulous gravy! I was in awe. I still am. You have no idea what a treasure the gift of homemade food is to someone who often feels like a worn-out meal-cooking-machine for an always-hungry family!
I've had the privileged of sharing their table numerous times since, and let me just say, their meals are even more amazing than their blog's award-winning photography conveys, if that's possible. Yes, that good.

The original recipe, along with instructions for their home-made tofu and Tofu-Chicken-Fried-Steak, are posted here at their blog. You need to go check it out. EVERY single thing Danica and Heather create is going to start you drooling like Pavlov's dogs, I promise.

And if you don't manage to make anything else on the blog (you ought to) at least make this gravy, it is one of the richest tasting, most decadent gravies I have run across. We lovingly call it "Mushroom-Crack-Gravy" because it's that addicting.

I didn't make a single change (which is unusual for me) except to provide you with a recipe for the mushroom broth that is a component of the recipe. The comments in [brackets] are theirs.

Slow-Cooked Mushroom Gravy
Posted with permission from the creative minds at Soundly Vegan

1 onion, diced
8 oz fresh mushrooms, diced [Use whichever mushroom blows your hair back.]
6 cloves garlic, minced
fresh thyme [I tied 6 sprigs together with kitchen twine to make a bundle.]
5 cups mushroom broth, divided {*see recipe below or use store bought, your choice}
sea salt
freshly-cracked black pepper
½ cup white wine [I used a sauvignon blanc that I had on hand.]
olive oil
¼ tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
all-purpose flour
¼ cup non-dairy creamer, optional [I used So Delicious original coconut creamer.]

Directions:
Sauté the onion in a drizzle of olive oil on medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, mushrooms and thyme and sauté until the mushrooms have given off their liquid and are starting to dry. This should take 30 minutes or so.

Add the wine and turn up the heat to simmer off the alcohol.

Add 4 cups of mushroom stock and reduce heat back to low. Simmer at lowest temp possible, until reduced in volume by half. This takes about an hour.
Transfer half of the gravy to a blender and pulse until pureed. Return it to the pan. Add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.

In a separate pan whisk together the flour and 2 T olive oil, cooking for a few minutes until the flour has a nutty scent. Add one cup warmed mushroom stock, whisking as it’s added. Add the roux to the gravy and bring to a low boil until thickened then reduce heat. You can add in the non-dairy creamer at this point if you wish a more creamy, Southern-style gravy.

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*Mushroom Broth

This broth recipe is not from the fine ladies above, so if it doesn't turn out, blame me, not them. (No worries, it's also a great recipe.)
You'll need part of this recipe for the gravy above, but the leftovers will come in handy!! Mushroom broth can be used in place of any broth, but it is especially good at replacing beef broth because many mushrooms have a beefy flavor. This isn't an overly strong broth, let it simmer to reduce longer if you want a more concentrated taste.

4 ounces of dried wild porcini, crimini, oyster or morel mushrooms (whatever combo you like, or can find.)
3 cups chopped, fresh mushrooms of your choice
2 Tb. olive oil
8 cups water
Sea salt
Black Pepper

Place dried mushrooms in a medium sized stock pot (or crock-pot if you have a smaller one) and add water. Add a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper.
If cooking on the stove:
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer.
While dried mushrooms are simmering, saute fresh mushrooms in oil in a medium skillet, keeping pan covered. When releasing their juices and cooked through, add to pot with dried mushrooms.
Continue to simmer on medium-low, covered, for 45 min. Check that water level doesn't get too low, it should cover mushrooms at all times. After 45 min, turn off heat and let set for another hour.
If using a crock pot: put dried mushrooms and water in crock-pot. Turn to high.
Saute fresh mushrooms in oil in a medium skillet, keeping pan covered. When releasing their juices and cooked through, add to crockpot with dried mushrooms. When liquid starts to bubble, (about 1/2 hour) turn crock-pot to low and cook three hours.

When mushrooms have cooked in broth, add two more cups of water, stir and allow to cool for an hour, then strain (I prefer to use a cheesecloth-lined strainer, to get all the bits) pressing the mushrooms to get all the liquid. (I actually squeeze them with my hands).

This broth keeps in the fridge for several weeks and also freezes well.

Enjoy!! And as the crazy-busy Holiday season rolls around, remember what a precious gift a home-cooked meal can be; Never hesitate to share from your kitchen, it can be a LIFE-SAVER, even for someone who cooks all the time!!

Bryanna's (wheat-free) Fat-Free Brown Gravy

Eeek! Somehow I almost forgot to post today's lovely addition to my "Month of Vegan Gravies"!! Whatever was I thinking!!

Today's entry is a LOW FAT gravy (you knew I had to post at least one, right?) and it's absolutely delicious!!
I have to admit I'd never tried this exact recipe before today, but when I asked my neighbor to the north, the fabulous Bryanna Clark Grogan, if I could blog her Fat-Free Brown Gravy recipe, she suggested this wheat-free version instead. I jumped at a chance to try it, and it's just as good as the original!!
I LOVE that it has a "Microwave" version, I haven't tried that, but plan to soon, just 'cause I'm curious.

If you're not familiar with Bryanna's recipe blog - "Notes From a Vegan Feast Kitchen", or her cookbooks and many wonderful recipes, I suggest you check them out SOON! She has awesome Holiday ideas and a bunch of fool-proof seitan recipes (which would ALL be good with this gravy, just sayin'...) that are some of my favorites, especially.

So, back to the gravy - I was making VeggieMommy's Pecan VeggieMeatballs for dinner anyway, and while I usually make them with a Sweet-and-Sour sauce, this seemed the perfect opportunity to test out the gravy instead. I am so very glad I did, as this is going to become a regular in the gravy rotation around here.

I used some wine, which Bryanna suggests as an option, (because you know by now that I use it often in cooking). I may have 'toasted' the flours a bit over-much, as they were a darkish tan, but the gravy still turned out really, really good!

The following is posted with permission from Bryanna Clark Grogan, written exactly she sent it to me. ~YUM!

BRYANNA'S FAT-FREE VEGAN BROWN GRAVY
(MADE WITH OAT AND CHICKPEA FLOURS)

"This fat-free and delicious brown gravy will become a low-fat staple."

1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons oat flour (grind rolled or quick oats in a dry blender or electric coffee/spice mill)
4 tablespoons chickpea flour (besan)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
(optional) a few shakes of gravy browner, such as Kitchen Bouquet

**"Ham" Gravy Variation:
Add 1/2 tablespoon ketchup, 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

In a heavy saucepan over high heat, whisk the yeast and flour together until it smells toasty. Off the heat, whisk in the water, soy sauce, salt, and gravy browner, if using. Stir constantly over high heat until it thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-5 minutes. This can be made ahead and reheated.

Microwave option (this is what I use):
In a 1 1/2 qt. microwavable bowl, mix the flour and yeast. Toast this in the microwave on full power for 3 minutes, uncovered. Whisk in the water, soy sauce, salt, and gravy browner, if using. Cover and cook on full power for 3 minutes. Whisk. Cover and cook again for 3 minutes on full power. Whisk.
Note: You can make half the recipe in a 4-cup microwavable glass measuring container, and cook as above, but in 2 minute increments.

Variations:
You can use some wine instead of some of the water, if you like, and you can add steam-fried mushrooms, onions, vegetarian "hamburger crumbles" and other vegetarian meat alternates, if you wish.

Recipe Source
Author: © Bryanna Clark Grogan 2008

Isa's "Punk Rock Chick Pea Gravy"

If you're collecting fabulous gravy recipes, (and you are, right? Vegan Month Of Gravy isn't going to be around much longer!) this is one recipe that absolutely-freakin'-everyone needs to have. And make. Often. Like, now.

This is the gravy that beats all gravies, hands down. It's another of my "recipes from someone else's cookbooks", another favorite I've used for years - invented by the queen of vegan recipes, the fabulously talented Isa Chandra Moskowitcz.

And what, you may ask, is this fabulously tasty, wonderful gravy-of-amazingness?

Punk Rock Chick Pea Gravy.

From the equally wonderful cookbook, Vegan With A Vengance.
The stuff of legends. Gravy of the gods. A meal in a pan.
If you haven't heard of it by now, you're missing out. I promise I'm not exaggerating, or making this stuff up.
OK, so, I admit *blush* it took me a year or so, after buying the cookbook to attempt this, back in my gravy-ignorant days. It's not something you whip up in thirty seconds, and doesn't have a short ingredient list, but that doesn't matter. The recipe is easy and the stuff is amazing. You WILL love it, I promise. I am addicted to the stuff, seriously.

Isa graciously gave her permission for me to post this recipe, (I want to make that clear), but it's also available in Vegan With A Vengeance (which, if you don't have already, you should go out and get, before you make the gravy because there's a bazillion or 150 other recipes that you'll love in there as well.)

She probably didn't know I have the world's crappiest camera and a poorly-lit kitchen in which to photograph said gravy, causing it to look FAR less appetizing than it actually is. Rest assured it's much prettier than this!

OK, seriously, enough raving about the gravy; As I've said many times, I don't use a lot of "other people's" recipes, but I see no sense in trying to improve on something that is THIS good. Really, really good!!

Don't be intimidated by the ingredient list, everything works together wonderfully. I now present to you (drum roll please...)

PUNK ROCK CHICK PEA GRAVY
Posted, with permission from the author, Isa Chandra Moskowitz

* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 + cups water
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 medium onion, quartered and sliced thin
* 2 teaspoons mustard seeds (I use black mustard seeds sometimes, hence the black specks in my picture)
* 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
* 2 cups or 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
* 2 pinches ground cumin
* 2 pinches paprika
* 1 pinch dried rosemary
* 1 pinch dried thyme
* 1 pinch dried oregano
* 1 pinch dried coriander
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 lemon, juice of
* 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
* 1/2 cup water, if needed

1. Mix the flour with 2 cups of water until the flour is mostly dissolved. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add the olive oil, onions and mustard seeds; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are browned and the mustard seeds are toasted.
4. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes more.
5. Add the chickpeas; use a potato masher to mash them (they don't have to be mashed into a paste, just make sure each one is broken up slightly; a few whole ones left are ok - though I usually mash mine up pretty well.)
6. Add the herbs and spices, soy sauce, and lemon juice.
7. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits of onion.
8. Lower heat and pour the flour mixture into the pan.
9. Stir constantly until a thick gravy forms.
10. Stir in the nutritional yeast.
11. If it looks too thick and pasty, add a little of the extra water and mix well. (I admit, sometimes I make this with soy or rice milk - makes it extra smooth and creamy. And we all know creamy gravy is gooooood.)
12. It may look like it doesn't want any more water added to it, but just keep mixing with a wire whisk, and it will loosen up. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Sadly, your plate will look like this when you're finished.
And you'll wish you'd made a double batch.

Grits and Gravy (Of Course!!)

Because my favorite thing to put gravy on is GRITS.
Grits MUST have gravy, and because this is (in case you've forgotten or just tuned in) The Month Of Vegan Gravy , I present my favorite breakfast in the entire world.

You all know about gravy - or you SHOULD by now, (if not, where have you been the last 18 days?) so let me talk a little about GRITS (yes, I feel this is still in keeping with my theme)...

Grits are a classic breakfast cooked-cereal item in the American South. No, they're not exactly a familiar food here in the Pacific NorthWest, but we discovered them while visiting my sister in Florida many years ago and they are now, ironically, one of my kids' all-time favorites; as well as my fallback, go-to breakfast, the way some people reach for instant oatmeal...
.
For the uninformed, "grits" (or "traditional white hominy grits") are somewhat different than yellow cornmeal and it's all in the way they're processed.

Alton Brown explains it best:

"Cornmeal (like you'd make polenta with) is made from ground dried corn. Grits are made from ground, dried hominy (which is still corn, but treated slightly different). To make hominy, you start with field corn that's dried. Then the dried corn kernels are soaked in a solution of baking soda, lime, or wood ash ("lye water") for a day or two. (Sounds yummy, huh?) The kernel's shell pops off, and the kernel swells to twice its size. Kernels are rinsed more than once, then dried again, and finally ground into grits."

OK. So, they're like white, coarsely-ground cornmeal, like polenta, but not...
The directions for what to do with grits are on the box. That's the best "recipe" I can give you, because each brand and type are different.
Go buy a box and try them. Very warm, creamy, homey "comfort food" sort-of stuff, but with more texture and character than, say, Cream of Wheat....

Cook up the grits, follow the directions, and when grits are done, spoon into a bowl, and top with a TON of Sausage Gravy.

To make "Sausage" Gravy?
Use my "White Gravy" from my earlier post, and simply add a TON of smashed-up, fried bits of whatever vegan breakfast-sausage product you prefer, as you're stirring and thickening the gravy at the end.
Or, use my HOMEMADE SEITAN SAUSAGE recipe if you want.
Sausage is optional, it's good without too!

I'll leave you with this completely irrelevant, but hilarious picture of our cat... this is exactly how I feel after a breakfast of grits and gravy. Food coma...
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.
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Vegan "Chicken" Gravy with Dumplings

Day 17 of the Month of Vegan Gravy dawns nasty, cold and wet in the aftermath of a crazy windstorm. My fence is blown down in the back yard; my poor, confused dogs can't go outside; school for me and my kids is delayed (or cancelled) due to power outages and trees in the roads. DEFINITELY a day for some good, old-fashioned comfort-food.

This is my vegan version of a decades-old "Grandma-from-Iowa" recipe for Chicken-and-Dumplings; my Grandma always called it "Gravy and Dumplings" so I feel it rightly deserves a place in this month's line up. While Grandma wasn't vegan, I'm thinking she would probably approve of how closely this copies the original.
This recipe tends to get more Google hits than almost any other I've posted, so someone out there must be looking for vegan 'chicken' and dumplings fairly often.

Be patient, I've included lots of options, and notes, in this recipe - because, though everyone seems to love it, I still look at it as a work in progress; almost every time, I seem to tweak it just slightly, trying to get it "more" perfect...

Don't be put off by all the ingredients, the end result is well worth it and the ingredients are all pretty basic.

Vegan 'Chicken' Gravy and Dumplings

For the 'Chicken' and Gravy:

(**Note: We're now assuming every time I say "chicken" that you know it's mock, fake, faux, vegan and I don't need to put quotes around it or spell it like "chik'n'n" or whatever. Thanks. It saves me so much time not typing all those "quotes"!)

• 8 oz. of your favorite vegan chicken meat substitute or chicken flavor seitan:
  (*I always use Morningstar Farms Recipe Starters Chick'n Strips here; I much prefer the taste and the way the texture holds up is perfect, though the Gardein brand works very well too, and homemade seitan is awesome if you have a "chicken" recipe you like!)
• 6 cups vegan chicken-flavored (or vegetable) broth;
  (A really nicely-flavored broth is essential here - I use Bill's Chick'nish or Chef Bonneau's, but use whatever you prefer. The 'Wolfgang Puck' vegetarian one is really tasty too.)
• 1/2 cup white wine - the kind you drink, not "cooking wine".
  (if you don't have it, just leave it out; I like cooking with wine - it adds a lot to the flavor, but isn't crucial to the end result)
• 5 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 or 3 twigs fresh rosemary if you can find it
  
• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 1 onion, chopped (or sometimes I use a leek)
• 1 garlic clove, minced (of course I use more!!)
• 1/2 teaspoon each, finely crumbled dried or fresh tarragon, sage and thyme (again, if you don't have all these, use what's available)
  
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  
  
• 4 boiling potatoes (1 + pounds) cut into smallish chunks
• 2 carrots, cut into chunks
• 3 celery stalks, cut into pieces
• a cup or so of frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional, but tasty and pretty)
• 1 cup + sliced mushrooms, lightly sauteed (optional but tasty, especially if your broth isn't especially thrilling)

For Dumplings:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  (I use 1/2 whole-wheat sometimes, but that's up to you - I haven't exactly gotten proportions and cook time down for all whole-wheat - it can make the dumplings really heavy and dough-y if you use much more)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup shortening or 2 Tbsp coconut oil, soft but not melted
  (Crisco is vegan, and what I originally used to use.
  Margarine doesn't do so well here. Use what you have though, anything's better than lard like Grandma used! Ugh!)
• 3/4 cup soymilk + 1 Tb. lemon juice or vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped chives or parsley (optional, but again, it's pretty)
  
  

INSTRUCTIONS (Put it all together):

Chicken:

Put the chicken, broth, wine, cloves and bay leaves in a 4 to 5-quart stock pot with a tight-fitting lid.
(You can tie the cloves, rosemary and bay leaf in some cheesecloth if you want, otherwise, just fish them out later, or try not to eat it when serving it.)

Simmer gently, partially covered, for 10 - 15 min. or so, while prepping veggies.
Transfer the chicken to a plate or bowl.
Let stand until cool.
Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl. Set aside.

Melt the margarine in the stockpot.
Add the onion and if you're using the optional fresh mushrooms, you can add them here too.
Stir and cook over medium-high heat for 3 - 4 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and herbs; cook for 2 - 3 more minutes but do NOT let garlic brown.
SLOWLY sprinkle in the flour, whisking carefully - add pepper and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the reserved broth that you cooked the chicken in.

Bring all this to a simmer, stirring constantly, and simmer for about five minutes, it should make make a smooth, thin gravy-like-sauce.
Add the potatoes, carrots and celery to the sauce.

Simmer over low heat, partially covered, for 20–25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but still firm.
Check frequently, and add water if needed, to make sure the sauce isn't too thick and things aren't burning!
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and add back to the vegetables. (If you 'tear' the chicken it looks much more authentic, which you may or may not prefer; just sayin'...)
Stir in the peas and parsley and chopped fresh greens if you're using them. Cover and bring up to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
You now have Chicken and Gravy.

Dumplings:

While the vegetables are simmering, mix up the dumplings.
For the dumplings, mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Using your fingers, work in the shortening/coconut oil until the mixture is crumbly.
Make a well in the center and pour in the soymilk/lemon juice mixture. Add the chives or parsley if using.
Stir quickly with a fork until the ingredients are just mixed.

When the Chicken and Gravy and Vegetables have all cooked, take a tablespoon and drop the batter on top of the gravy, to make 14 - 16 small dumplings, leaving space between them.

Sometimes when I'm feeling all Martha Stewart-ish, I shape them into balls by hand a little, so they aren't so rough.
Cover the pot and simmer, (over as low a flame as possible) without lifting lid, stirring or disturbing, for 15–20 minutes.
If you prefer the dumplings to be less moist, and more dry and biscuit-like, set pot in a 350-degree oven for about ten minutes at this point.
Spoon into bowls. Make sure every serving gets chicken, veggies, gravy and dumplings.

My Grandma's recipe says "Serve at once."
What?? Like we're going to wait around at this point??

Garnish with parsley or chives if you want.