Fun Things to Do With Gravy: Lentil Tamales

One of the foods we love most in the Tofu Mom household is TAMALES. I realize I've posted a dozen different recipes, but it's because we make them so often and are always finding new combinations we LOVE!

My kids will take them cold in their lunchbox or I serve them for dinner, usually with some sort of sauce (yes, sauces are like gravy) to top them.

Here's my latest and greatest tamale filling, made with the Green Lentils from the amazing Timeless Foods (Have you checked them out? Seriously so much better than your average bulk-bin variety lentils!) AND a recipe for the Cheezy Chipotle Sauce that we often top them with. A traditional sauce for tamales would be some New Mexico Green Chile Sauce or even the Mole from yesterday, but the smoky chipotle nicely compliments the earthy flavor of the lentils, and it's what my kids prefer. Enjoy.

Lentil Tamales 

Filling: 

1 cup cooked, Green Lentils (or any variety you prefer)

1/2 cup chopped green olives

1 clove minced or pressed garlic

1/2 tsp EACH: cumin, salt, oregano, onion powder

1/2 tsp or to taste hot sauce

1/2 cup vegan cheese OR mashed potato (to make tamale filling hold together and easier assembly)

--- Mix lentils with chopped olives, garlic, spices and vegan cheese or mashed potato while lentils are still hot. Mash up a bit to make filling stick together (but don't entirely mash lentils). 

FOR TAMALE DOUGH AND FILLING INSTRUCTIONS, SEE MY TAMALE RECIPES HERE: AND/OR HERE: I won't overwhelm you with a giant page of tamale-assembling instructions today.

When tamales are done, unwrap and serve with sauce of your choice (or serve them wrapped, with sauce on the side).

---------------------------

Cheezy Chipotle Sauce

• 1/4 cup raw cashews, (soaked while assembling tamales if you think that far ahead, otherwise soak in very hot water for 5 min or so) 
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk 
• 1 whole chipotle chile in adobo sauce, or to taste (the kind in a can, or 1/4 cup salsa if you prefer milder)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt 
Directions:
 Rinse cashews with hot water while combining the remaining ingredients in food processor. When well blended, add drained cashews and process on high for 1-2 minutes until very smooth. Cook in a sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. (You can stir in some Daiya pepperjack here if you want, but it isn't necessary).
Serve over tamales. (Or baked potatoes, chips for nachos, etc...)

Michael Natkin's Mole Aproximado

I realize Sunday is practically over, but it's been a crazy weekend, so this still counts! This is a SPECIAL-BY-REQUEST post especially for one of my favorite blogger-Twitter-VidaVeganCon people.
Here you go: Mexican (or more correctly "Oaxacan") Chocolate mole.
(I admit it's a re-post, but several people have since asked for the recipe, so... here it is again, well worth re-posting!!)
Now, many of the supposedly 'genuine' mole recipes out there take forever fussing with them, mixing, cooking, simmering to perfection - AND, most of them have a ton of ingredients that would take me several trips to various international markets just to locate. I don't have that kind of time (or patience! I really admire those cook-chef-foodie types who can babysit a simmering pot of whatever for hours on end...).
Anyway. Mole. The store-bought ones? Blargh! Quick-to-make, sure, but they taste awful!
This recipe is pretty much the perfect compromise, a delicious sauce with all the flavors you look for in a "mole" and best of all? 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, check it out!! It's a great place for ideas and inspiration). This recipe looked pretty easy, it was vegan, 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. And it was. Oh it was!!

What I didn't realize until after I'd made the recipe, was that it was created by fellow Seattle vegetarian-blogger-acquaintance (and GENIUS cook!!) Michael Natkin, who writes the completely awesome (and vegetarian) "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 his recipes are, and many others are very easy to change up. He also notes which ones are gluten-free. He has such a great way of making things taste completely sensational and uses a wide variety of unique ingredients in ways I never would have thought of!

Here then, is his fabulous recipe  - with just a FEW of my notes because you know I can't cook ANYTHING exactly as the recipe says to:

(This recipe posted with permission from Erin Zimmer of 'Serious Eats', and the recipe's creator, Michael Natkin. My sincere thanks to you both.)

Mole Aproximado

* 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 

[I like to make this a bit more chocolate-y by using 4-5 ounces of unsweetened dark chocolate, melted. Don't shoot me Michael. ~MH]
* 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 (if using melted chocolate, add later on when everything is simmering in the pan), 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 a few more seeds and not as smooth - straining just makes 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 balanced flavor, but one that you like. 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.

Mushroom Stroganoff Gravy

Mmmm... cleaning out the fridge today I found some beautiful little button mushrooms that had survived almost a week without shriveling into dehydrated bits. Amazing.

The kids wanted baked potatoes, and what better way to serve up MORE Vegan Gravy, right?

I decided to use up the mushrooms and make some stroganoff gravy to go with. Large slices of portabello mushroom work well here too. Use what you have.

Served it tonight with my own (slightly overcooked) custom "blend" of mixed veggies: edamame soy beans, baby carrots and few green beans left from last week's grocery trip (all rescued from the depths of the fridge).

Insanely quick, and easy, and quite yummy.

Stroganoff Gravy

• 2 - 3 cups mushrooms, sliced or cut into large chunks
• (optional: 1 cup "beef-strip" type vegetarian product of your choice - not necessary though, as the mushrooms add plenty of "meaty-ness")
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 small onion
• pinch salt
• pinch pepper
• pinch of powdered sage
• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup white or red wine (or more water)
• 2 vegetarian "beef" bullion cubes
  or: 1 Tbsp. vegetarian "beef"-style broth powder
• 1 Tb. cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup vegan sour cream (I happen to really like "Wayfare Foods - We Can't Say It's Sour Cream", but use whatever)
  or: use this recipe and make your own

Melt margarine in a large pot or trusty cast-iron skillet.
Add mushrooms, "beef"-style strips (if using), garlic, onion, salt, pepper and sage and saute until vegetables are soft.
You may need to cover it for a few moments if they're drying out.
Add 2 cups water, wine and bullion cubes to the mixture. Cook at a a low simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, making sure bullion is fully dissolved.
Mix water and cornstarch, add to mushroom and broth mixture. Bring to simmer or low boil and stir with whisk, until thick.

Just before serving, add vegan sour cream to the mixture, stir gently and heat through (do NOT boil) for about 5 more minutes on low heat.

Serve over noodles or rice (or a potato if you want!).

"Chipped Beef" or "Bacon" Gravy

I have a VERY non-vegan friend who grew up on that 1950's, all-American breakfast staple, chipped beef gravy.
He's never going to be converted to veganism, but is open-minded enough to enjoy most of my cooking when he's at my house (fortunately for him, or he'd starve). He had asked numerous times if I could re-create the comfort food of his past, animal-free, for him. Since I've never had this odd dried beef/chipped beef product that he raves about, I had to wing it rather randomly.
But gravy is my signature "thing" so I had to at LEAST give it a try, right?

Since I know of no veggie replacement for chipped beef (nor do I care to put much effort into researching exact substitutes) I used a veggie "bacon" type product and it actually seemed to do the trick fairly well.

For purists, I guess it's more "smoky" and less salty than the original, but it was a hit with my friend - and whether it's "like the real thing" or not, (and I'm not fooling myself into thinking it's anything close) it's very tasty and I consider it the ultimate compliment that he enjoys it so much.

And it's simple, so I thought I'd share.

"Bacon" Gravy

• 1 recipe Creamy Country-Style Gravy
• 1/4 tsp liquid smoke or Bacon Salt (yes, they're vegan)
• 1 Tablespoon margarine (in addition to gravy recipe)
• 1/2 to a whole package fake "bacon" of your choice, depending on how much you want in the gravy; (or make your own "bacon"from tempeh, seitan or whatever). I use LightLife's Smart Bacon because it's what I have available and the texture works well. The Yves veggie bacon works really well too but I can't buy it locally.

Slice uncooked "bacon" crosswise into small strips or bits. Put into large cast iron skillet with 1 Tbsp. margarine, stir around to separate and fry until cooked but not crispy.
Add gravy ingredients as called for in recipe and cook as directed. Season with liquid smoke or Bacon Salt when gravy is cooked.

Pour over lightly buttered toast or English muffins. Yum.

Southern Tomato Gravy

I'm dragging out my second World-War II inspired recipe. Basic, cheap, tasty food that many of our parents and grandparents ate (and survived on!). Tomato Gravy originated in the Southern United States and apparently was a favorite with Army cooks who often served it to troops when ingredients for "typical" gravy were scarce.

Tomato Gravy is milder and creamier than a garlic-y, herb-flavored Italian-type tomato sauce, but it's not exactly like brown gravy either. It's GOOD STUFF though, especially on breakfast-y stuff. Grits, scrambles, hashbrowns, biscuits.

If you've never had tomato gravy, it's just one more thing I highly recommend that you try.

I used to LOVE having this over at a friend's house, in high school. His Mom served it over toasty, buttered white bread (which I wasn't allowed at home - possibly why I loved this gravy so much!). She's the one who told me how her father had worked in an Army mess hall and fondly remembered this gravy being served on many occasions.
I didn't know people called it "Tomato Gravy" though, and spent years looking for a recipe for that "yummy tomato-sauce stuff". Thank goodness for the Internet, as I just re-discovered it a few years ago and have been inventing new uses (besides toasted Wonderbread) ever since!

It's also good on greens, pasta, gnocchi, "meat"loaf or (like any gravy) pretty much anything.

Southern Tomato Gravy

2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup soy milk or soy creamer (I prefer the creamer)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch cayenne
15-ounce can chopped or sliced, stewed tomatoes


Get out your cast iron skillet again. Heat the margarine or oil over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a whisk until it is lump free. Let simmer for a moment or two, to toast the flour just a little bit, and then remove from heat, and stir in the half cup milk, a little at a time.

Put back on the burner, stir and bring to a boil, it will thicken considerably, and very fast. You’ll be left with a very thick mixture. Remove from heat, add the sugar and seasonings, whisking continuously, then slowly add the juice from the tomatoes. Put back on heat and simmer (very gentle boil).

In a shallow bowl, smash the tomatoes with your fork or a potato masher to make them sort of choppy or shredded. This gravy is not smooth, so you don't have to work real hard at smashing them. The lumpy tomatoes are actually what give it the characteristic texture.

Once gravy has come to a good simmer, add the tomatoes.

Bring back to a medium simmer (but don't let it boil hard) and stir with whisk for 3 to 5 minutes until gravy thickens.

*(optional: several tablespoons of nutritional yeast, whisked in at the end, are particularly delicious if you like that sort of thing.)

**(optional: A couple shakes "Bacon Salt" or a drop or two of liquid smoke are really good here too, depending on if you want the "smoky" flavor; Southern Tomato Gravy is often, but not always, made with bacon drippings - blergh).

Serve over toast, biscuits, whatever.

Authentic New Mexico Green Chile Gravy

Forgive the long, wordy post (I've posted the recipe before, but I can't help myself).

Today's post for Vegan Month of Gravy travels to one of my VERY favorite parts of the country, the sunny, dusty Southwest, to bring you one of New Mexico's signature dishes, Green Chile Sauce; more fondly called Green Chile Gravy, especially by the state's "old-time" residents. And it is essentially a "gravy" with green chiles added.

If you've been fortunate enough to visit, or live, anywhere near the spectacular "Land of Enchantment", you'll have discovered that this delicious gravy-sauce and it's counterpart, Red Chile Sauce, are EVERYWHERE, even McDonald's sells green chile burgers!

This is not some Tex-Mex vinigar-y, tomatillo-jalapeno-cilantro "green" spicy sauce, but a totally different creation alltogether. New Mexico green chile gravy contains none of the above ingredients but is instead simple, earthy and made up primarily of smoky, roasted peppers.

To make it right, you'll need real, genuine New Mexico green chiles. If you can't locate them locally (and few of us can) New Mexico's famous chiles are available shipped fresh, for a price, or better yet, go visit during chile harvest. Totally worth the trip.

The fat, green chiles (sometimes called "Hatch chiles" after the town where large numbers are grown) have a distinct, fruity, rich flavor, with a mellow but building heat. Sometimes they're hotter than others. They've been compared to Anaheim chiles, but seriously - there's no comparison.

During chile season, the peppers are roasted outdoors over fire in these big, rotating, round wire drums. You can smell chile smoke as they char, and hear the seeds and skins popping and crackling from blocks away. Totally an experience!! When it's time to use them, the skins are peeled off and the soft chiles are chopped and cooked in whatever recipe.
The red chile is actually the same pepper, but picked later in the season so it is red (ripe), it's not roasted, but dried, ground into powder and blended with liquid to make the thick, dark, spicy, red chile sauce.

For you trivia nerds (OK, maybe that's just me) chile peppers are New Mexico's largest agricultural crop; used at practically every meal, celebrated in songs and at festivals, and the subject of the Official New Mexico State Question, "Red or green?"

The question refers to the color of chile you want on your food and you'll get asked at every Mexican (or New Mexican, sorry!!) restaurant. (And the correct answer? "Christmas". Meaning you'll have both red AND green.)

I think the reason many of us know very little about New Mexico's green chiles is because they don't transport so well. They're a fragile seasonal vegetable, (well, yes, technically a fruit) and the only way to really appreciate them is freshly fire-roasted, though the fire-roasted, frozen variety are actually surprisingly good that's your second choice. Tasteless, acidic, canned, slimy green chiles are absolutely not an option here. Stop reading now if you think you're going to try this recipe with canned green slug peppers.

Most larger grocery stores stock the frozen tubs of "Bueno Foods" brand frozen roasted chiles though, and they will work nicely for this sauce (they're also less labor intensive, as they've been chopped and peeled for you); but for me, there's just something magical about buying a package of smoky, still-warm, freshly-roasted chiles early in the morning at the Farmer's Market in Santa Fe...

Anyway - exciting news, (for me anyway), two years ago, our "local" (Seattle) Whole Foods brought in some Hatch chiles and an authentic roaster for the fall, and I was able to get fresh-roasted green chiles without traveling half-way across the country to get my "fix".

I tend to LOVE anything New Mexico, can you tell? This gravy-sauce (which isn't a bright cilantro green, but more tannish-roasty-green color) is absolutely heavenly, and perfect over enchiladas, tamales, chile rellanos, burritos, potatoes or grits especially.

New Mexico's Famous Green Chile Gravy

3 tablespoons oil or margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup onion , chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
2 cups roasted, peeled/seeded/chopped New Mexican green chile peppers
3 cups vegetarian chicken-flavor broth
1 teaspoon salt
(optional: a pinch of oregano and/or a pinch of cumin can be added if you prefer a bit more spice, personally I like mine plain.)

In heavy-bottomed sauce pan, saute onions in oil, stirring every now and then, over medium heat, until they begin to brown. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook another 2 minutes but do NOT let garlic brown.
Stir flour in with onion mixture. Stir a bit and let flour "cook" for a few minutes. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in broth.
Add green chilies, salt (if needed) and oregano and cumin (if using) and mix well.
Bring to a boil, lower heat but keep at a simmer, stirring with wire whisk frequently, 20 to 30 minutes, to allow mixture to reduce.
The sauce should be like a medium-to-thin gravy and bind chilies and onions together.
Store in refrigerator up to a week if you can resist drinking it straight from the pan.

Mushroom and Miso Gravy

Wow. VEGAN MONTH OF GRAVY BLOGGING, day 15, half over already! So much to share, so little time!

Today's recipe, Mushroom-and-Miso gravy, happens to be one of my favorite gravies to go over brown rice. (ALL gravy is my favorite for

something, in case you haven't figured that out by now...)
Not sure when I decided that this particular gravy and rice combo was the way it "should" be, but I've made it as a fast, easy supper for years (with the help of a rice-cooker); simple, warm, filling comfort food with a slightly "Asian" twist. Sometimes I get all crazy and add tofu cubes, stir-fried veggies and turn it into an Asian-stir-fry-gravy mess. That's good too!!

They say that boiling miso destroys the beneficial properties, so I always add it at the end. It's good stuff, give it a try!!

Mushroom and Miso Gravy

1 cup vegetable broth, (I actually use a "beef" style vegan broth here, I like the stronger taste and rich brown color in this gravy, you can use 1 cup water if you prefer it milder and less salty)
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms (I like shiitake or morels here if I can get them, but regular button mushrooms work well too)
1 -2 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons white miso (or any variety)
fresh ground pepper

Combine broth, mushrooms, ginger and oil in a small saucepan. Bring to rapid simmer, then cover and simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes.
In a small container, combine cornstarch with just enough water to dissolve. Whisk it into the saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook just until the gravy thickens.
Remove from heat.
Combine miso with 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Stir into the gravy.
Season with pepper to taste.

Lentil Gravy

I'm fascinated by vintage WWII cookbooks and recipes. First, because the recipes are usually quite cheap to make; and second, many of them are by default, vegan, or "almost" vegan.

The product of desperate and creative housewives who needed to feed their families affordable and filling meals, despite the fact that milk, butter and meat were very limited, and "rationed" during war time; I think a lot can be learned from their ingenuity and frugal tricks.

This recipe is most likely from that era; one I found on a yellowed card in my Grandmother's handwriting in my Mom's recipe box. I asked my Mom about it, and she said "I think I remember Mother making it when we were kids, she couldn't always get certain ingredients".

Of course it intrigued me and I decided to try it for myself. The (vegan-ized) results were quite tasty and have become a popular part of our gravy collection.

As a side note, I've discovered I really like this recipe made with the Green Lentils from Timeless Foods. I received a combo package from them some time back and am ABSOLUTELY in love with their products. If you ever want to try amazingly tasty (and organic) "gourmet" lentils and grains, I can't recommend them enough, seriously better than any other lentils I've tried (and I grew up on the stuff!). Even the green lentils cook up pretty brown, you won't have green gravy, don't worry.

This recipe is a great way to use up leftovers too, if you have any.

That said, let's start with my Grandmother's original recipe:

Lentill Gravy

Heat one cup of water (or for special meals, use milk or cream if affordable). Add a cupful of cooked, seasoned, soft lentills which have been rubbed through a sieve to remove skins.
Add pinch of salt and pepper.

Stir while heating.
Once mixture is boiling, thicken with a teaspoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk.

Serve hot on nicely boiled potatoes, rice, or well cooked macaroni.

Basic, cheap and nutritious food, right?
Well, here's my veganized version, based on the above. I used So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk as it works well in ALL my gravy recipes, and the mild coconut flavor especially compliments the lentils here. Obviously, this recipe will work just fine with any lentils and plant milk you might have on hand:

Lentil Gravy

• 2 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk (Unsweetened!) or any plant milk, divided
• 1 cup soft cooked Green or regular brown lentils, seasoned or plain (I usually cook onion and herbs with my lentils.)
• 2 Tablespoon flour + 3 Tablespoons cold water
• pinch salt, pepper and sage

Blend lentils with 1 cup milk in the blender or food processor until very smooth. (Or if you want, you can try "rubbing them through a sieve" like my Grandmother suggests.

Yes. I tried it. It takes FOREVER and makes a big mess, but the end result is, indeed, a VERY smooth puree. Do what you want.)

Heat remaining 1 cup milk in your trusty cast iron (or any large) skillet.

Add lentil puree.

Heat over medium, stirring frequently to make sure the mixture doesn't scorch.

Raise heat just enough to bring mixture to boil.

Stir in the flour-water mixture and boil until mixture thickens, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat.
Taste and add salt, pepper and sage as needed (depending on how much seasoning the lentils had to begin with).

Serve.

We LOVE this gravy over rice or a hearty, homemade wheat toast.

Vegan Béchamel Sauce

Béchamel sauce sounds like something all fancy-schmancy that you might never have reason to use, but really it's just the French word for "white sauce" - and an important ingredient in many French recipes.

And you just MIGHT have reason to use it, even if you don't do any "French" type cooking. In scalloped potatoes, or white lasagna, or creamed peas and new potatoes, or Moussaka, or creamed spinach. You'd be surprised.

You might also be surprised how easy it is...

Vegan Béchamel

2 Tbs. vegan margarine (I prefer Earth Balance)
2 Tbs. white flour
1 1/4 Cups UNSWEETENED plant milk of your choice

1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch salt

In your trusty cast-iron pan, melt the margarine on medium heat.

Add the flour and whisk to form a "roux". (What is a "roux"? It's a paste of flour and fat that you can cook a little or a lot, depending on the color you want your finished sauce.)

Whisk over medium until the roux darkens to just BARELY golden-tan, or just a few minutes.
Add the milk slowly, whisking as you go, making sure there are no lumps.

Whisk until all the milk is incorporated, then add the nutmeg and salt to taste. You just need the tiniest bit of nutmeg.
Remove from heat after the sauce has simmered and thickened into a smooth gravy-like sauce.

Cashew Gravy

We've done bean gravy, hummus gravy, brown gravy, white gravy: every vegan NEEDS a good Cashew Gravy recipe in their collection too, right? I use this one a LOT because it's quick, doesn't require much thought or effort, and I always have the ingredients on hand. It's super easy (OK, I say that all the time, but this one really IS super easy, and seriously, I DO NOT cook stuff that's difficult very often.)

My Mom first pointed me to this recipe years ago, it's originally from "Fast Cooking in a Slow Cooker" with a few (well, actually quite a few) of my own modifications. (Also posted last year during MoFo by fellow blogger Megan (of the FABULOUS "Megatarian" blog)

Interestingly, one of my modifications is the same as Megan's; you do NOT need to do this in a slow-cooker.
I used to make it that way, but when my original slow-cooker broke, I tried it on the stove and discovered it's JUST as good and a lot faster! (It even works in the microwave, but I haven't done that in ages, so can't remember exactly how!!)
Enjoy any way you would cream gravy OR brown gravy. It's YUMMY stuff!!

Creamy Cashew Gravy
2 1/2 cups very hot water
(or sometimes I use part water, part plant milk, just depends on how decadent I want to be, the water needs to be as hot as your tap water gets, but not boiling, it helps the cashews blend smoother)
1/3 cup raw cashews
(It's ideal if you soak these for an hour or overnight and then drain; but I often forget, or don't plan ahead, and it still turns out fine)
1/4 cup rolled oats
(quick or slow cooking but NOT the "steel-cut" ones)
3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce or 1 Tbsp. Marmite
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
(This is NOT the same as bread-making yeast or brewer's yeast. Find it at your health-food store, bulk aisle or online. Look it up and read about it if you're not familiar with it, I don't want to take the time and space here to do a whole tutorial on "nooch" - as many of us fondly call it.)
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 pinch powdered sage

1/8 tsp. salt

1. Put all the ingredients in the blender or food processor, EXCEPT just add 1 1/4 cups of the water. Blend until smooth - this could take several minutes. The longer you blend, the smoother the gravy. Blend, blend, blend.
Pour into a pan or medium cast-iron skillet.

2. Put the rest of the water in the blender. Blend again to make sure you got all the cashew mixture. Add this to the pan.

3. Turn on heat to medium, bring to a gentle simmer, whisking often (but not constantly as you need to with other gravies). Cook for about 5 - 7 minutes until thickened. If it gets too thick, add a little water or plant milk. (I usually season with a little salt and a lot of pepper, but that's just me).

That's it!! SOOO easy!!!

Hummus-Tomato Vegetable Sauce

This is sorta like "gravy" and I'd thought about it when I saw the MoFo "Iron Chef" contest with the secret ingredient..... CHICKPEAS! But I didn't see the contest until too late to post enter. Watch for next week's though, I'll be ready!

Anyway, I'm still posting, because this is a fave sauce/gravy type recipe and one that's a little unique too! This is how I use up that last bit of hummus when I have "extra" (haha). Doesn't happen often, as hummus goes faster than ice-cream in this house.

This sauce is mostly vegetables, held together with a bit of really tasty sauce, but it goes great over rice, orzo pasta or polenta.

(A note on hummus, if you've never made your own, PLEASE DO!!! Here's my hummus recipe. It is only 999 BILLION times better than store bought. And super easy. And cheap. Especially if you cook your own garbanzos. Which makes it sound difficult, and it's really not. I digress.)

Easy Vegetable-Tomato-Hummus Sauce

• olive oil
• 1 eggplant (about 12 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 10 med mushrooms, sliced
• 1 smallish zucchini, sliced
• 1/2 bunch broccoli rabe—stems cut into small pieces, leaves coarsely chopped
• Salt
• 3/4 cup vegetarian "beef" flavored broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 -3/4 cup hummus (use store bought if you must, or make your own and save the rest for snacking and such!)
  
  
• In a large (I use cast iron) skillet, heat a little olive oil over high heat. Add the eggplant and cook for 1 minute.
  
  It'll absorb all the oil, so add a little more (sorry!) and add the mushrooms, onion, zucchini and broccoli rabe stems and cook for about 5 - 7 minutes or until vegetables are getting soft.

Stir in the broccoli rabe leaves, cover and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Put the veggies in a bowl, sprinkle with a little salt and set aside.

In the same pan, turn heat to med-high and whisk together the vegetable "beef"-flavored broth and tomato paste and cook until the liquid is reduced about in half, about 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the hummus. It will thicken a bit and form a sauce.

Stir in the reserved vegetables, season with salt and pepper if you think it needs it (sometimes I add other herbs, but it's fine as is) and serve over rice or orzo pasta or a tofu scramble.

SO YUM!!

Porcini Gravy; A Post In Which I Go All Typo-Nazi

My blog post today is a mini-rant, and not entirely off topic, but one I need to get off my chest.

I'm an English geek.

True story. (Which you will, most likely, NOT believe after reading a few of my punctuation and grammar-abusing blog posts).

I actually proofread term papers for a long list of college students to supplement my almost non-existent income. (It's much harder to proofread your own stuff, and besides, no-one's paying me to do it.)

Anyway.
My rant is this:
One of my favorite (and shall remain unnamed) vegetarian restaurants advertises their weekend special, EVERY WEEKEND as "Biscuits and Porcine Gravy".

You see the problem here, right?

The definition of "Porcine" is "related to, containing, or having to do with pigs or swine".

That would make it "PIG GRAVY" which, I know for a fact, they do not serve at this lovely little cafe.

Yes, you're all jumping to their defense and saying "Calm down! It was just a typo. They meant 'Porcini'. It's mushroom gravy. Porcini mushroom gravy."

And I'm sure you're right.

My problem lies in the message.
They advertise their special on Twitter, often on Facebook, have an A-frame signboard in front of the Cafe, and a card posted at the counter with weekend specials.
All advertising "Porcine Gravy" .

Hopefully the rest of the world also realizes it's a typo (or wretched iPhone autocorrect) and knows they're selling mushroom gravy.
But maybe not?
I worry. My inner spelling geek won't let it rest.

So, I pointed it out to them, kindly, trying to be funny.
NOT trying to make a big deal.

"I think it's "porcinI" gravy, not "porcinE"..".

To no avail.

Several times:

"Haha, love the play on words, funny joke, but guys - you're not selling PIG gravy..."

No one got it.
The blunt approach:

"Is this a typo? Is it supposed to say PORCINE?"

Perplexed look.

But today, finally, I went back to my fave little cafe, with my friend and fellow blogger Bethany (Of the "Spotted Devil Cat" blog).

I had complained to her previously about my obsession with this particular typo. We went to the counter to place our order and Bethany simply looks at the ad and says "I think you want that to say PORCINI, not PORCINE."

The lovely little counter-girl looks at the sign and says "Oh my gosh, you're right! It should be spelled P-O-R-C-H-I-N-E, right?"

"No" Bethany persists. "It's P-O-R-C-I-N-I. Like the mushroom. Not P-O-R-C-I-N-E, because, you know, that means pig!"
Bethany is so GOOD at this. I am impressed.

We took our coffees and sat down.
Five minutes later, I look up, and wonder of wonders, the sign at the counter has been changed. Their weekend special is now "Biscuits and Porcini Gravy".
"I knew it bugged you," Bethany said. Hahaha, oh how right she was.

(And can I just add, I have had their Porcini Gravy, and it is quite good. No pigs involved.)

The sign has been changed, The typo corrected. Disaster averted. I can go to bed happy tonight.
But to all restaurants out there: Please double-check your ads, menu and signs for typos. Unless you WANT to serve "Pig Gravy" and some people do.

Tomorrow maybe I'll figure out how to make my OWN PORCINI GRAVY!

White Bean Gravy

And another morning dawns in my "Blogging A Month of Vegan Gravy" experiment. Am I tired of the stuff yet? Not a chance! My kids? No, they're thinking they've hit the jackpot and thrilled with non-stop gravy!

So, "Bean Gravy".... sounds dreadfully, stereotypically vegan, doesn't it? Actually this stuff is from an old World War II cookbook back when no one could afford butter and milk and meat and the things I like to leave out of gravy anyway. (I only changed the vegetable broth) and it's now one of my fall-backs. A "nothing-in-the-cupboard" staple that has filled hungry tummies many times.
It's also nice to share with people who think they can't find all those "weird vegan ingredients" but want a recipe anyway.
Especially good over whole-wheat toast on a cold winter morning. (Which sounds pretty typical-vegan too, doesn't it?) Actually, my kids like it over chunks of sourdough bread, no whole wheat, no toast, just gravy and bread. Either way, enjoy!

White (or Navy) Bean Gravy

1 Tablespoon olive oil or melted margarine
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
3 Tablespoons (I prefer fresh) thyme and/or sage, chopped fine
Several dashes (or a lot more) fresh black pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup flour
1 fifteen-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed (or the equivalent, cooked from scratch)
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
Salt, to taste (if needed)

Preheat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion in the oil for about 5 minutes or until it starts to get tender - add garlic and saute another minute or two. Add garlic and herbs and black pepper and cook for about 3 minutes more. While that is cooking, stir the flour into the broth until dissolved. Add the onion-herb mixture to the broth and whiz in blender, food processor or with an immersion blender.

Mash the beans coarsely with part of the broth mixture, they can be as smooth or as chunky as you like, I prefer some of the beans be almost whole but to have a creamy base to them.
Then add mashed beans (with remaining broth) to the saucepan. Whisk immediately and lower the heat to medium. Simmer (you should see small bubbles) and stir the gravy often for about 10 minutes while it thickens.

Once the gravy thickens, reduce the heat to low. Add water a tablespoon at a time, to make gravy the thickness you prefer.
Cook for about 5 - 10 more minutes, or more, to let the flavors deepen, stirring occasionally. Add more water as necessary and taste for salt. Keep gravy covered and warm until ready to serve.

Bourbon 'Cream' Sauce

Since yesterday was a fairly boring post, I thought I'd liven things up with a little bourbon.
Specifically my recipe for silky, smooth "Bourbon Cream Sauce".

Mmmmmm. I could drink this!
(No worries, the alcohol cooks out).

I "invented" this recipe after tasting a friend's very NOT vegan version at a restaurant.

It was delicious but, like most recipes, I figured it could be much more delicious AND animal free.

Sub a little cashew cream, experiment a couple ten times and there you go! This stuff is SO good.

I especially love this sauce on roasted new potatoes, sweet potato gnocchi, baked winter squash, butternut ravioli, even brown rice!! OK. I confess, like most all the other gravy and sauce recipes, it's good on pretty much ANYTHING!

And no, I have no idea what you would substitute for the bourbon.

Perhaps another recipe altogether...

Bourbon Cream Sauce

• 3 Tb. margarine (This recipe is the perfect vehicle for the new Earth Balance Coconut Spread; the mild coconut flavor is a great compliment!!)
• 2 Tb. flour
• 2 shallots or mild, white onions, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups vegan "chicken"-style, or vegetable stock
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 cup bourbon
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup very hot water
• Salt and pepper

First, make the "cashew cream" by blending cashews and hot water on very high until as silken and smooth as your processor or blender will make them. This may take a few minutes.
If you know your blender is wimpy, soak the cashews for a couple hours first.
Set cashew cream aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the margarine and flour, whisk until smooth and just starting to turn golden.
Add the shallots or onion and garlic.

Saute for 3 minutes, stirring constantly so as not to over brown.
Then add the bourbon, maple syrup and vegetarian stock.
Keep whisking it, and raise the heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Once it's boiled, lower heat enough to keep simmering but not scorching.
Let simmer until sauce thickens somewhat.
When sauce has reduced and thickened a little, add the cashew cream. Whisk and let heat all the way through.

Sauce may thicken a bit more at this point.*
Add salt and pepper to taste—usually several good pinches of salt.

Serve over whatever.

*If the cream sauce thickens too much, add a little water to thin it out!

Vegetable Stock. The most boring post ever,

While we're on the subject of gravies (in case you missed it, this is my personal attempt to blog A MONTH OF VEGAN GRAVIES for the "Vegan Month of Food" project) I'll share my favorite vegetable stock recipe. Plain, basic, boring vegetable stock. I'm running for "Most Boring Vegan Mofo Post Ever". But basics are good. We all need a few basic recipes in our repertoire.

I've already admitted to you that I use premade, packaged or boxed broth at times for convenience, (*gasp*) but when I have homemade stock in the freezer, it's definitely my preference; The flavor is SO much better.
There are only a billion or so "vegetable broth" recipes out there on the Internets, and if you have one you like, by all means use it!

This is mine, however, and if you haven't yet tried making broth, it's a fun little adventure.
The vegetables vary according to whatever produce I might have around, but this is the basic outline I work from.

Use whatever you have, but try and have some onions, mushrooms and root veggies, don't worry if it's not quite 2 cups of this or 1 cup of that.

Contrary to what you may have read though, peelings and scraps aren't the best thing to use for broth. As with everything else you make, use the best tasting ingredients you can get ahold of; it will make the final product so much better.
This may look like a long, involved recipe with lots of ingredients, but it's all pretty basic, and goes together very easily. Just cook a bunch of vegetables and herbs in a big pot.
Once cooked and cooled, this freezes nicely. 2-cup containers make it convenient for gravy-making.

BASIC VEGETABLE STOCK

• 3 onions, sliced
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1 tsp dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 Tablespoon black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice berries, dried juniper berries OR pickling spices
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 2 celery ribs, chopped (no leaves)
• 1 medium leek, chopped
• 10 medium mushrooms, quartered OR 1 cup dry shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted (the dry ones actually give more flavor)
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 4 garlic cloves, halved and smashed
• 1 cup chopped turnips, parsnips or rutabaga, optional
• 1 small fennel bulb, chopped, optional
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon Marmite or other concentrated vegetable broth base
• 2 cups red wine
• 5 quarts water

Saute sliced onions in olive oil over medium heat until browned. this will take a while, but is the basis of a great-tasting broth.

While onions are cooking, place the herbs and peppercorns in a tea-ball, or a piece of cheesecloth and tie with twine to make a sachet; this makes removing them much easier.

Heat a large stockpot over medium heat and add the rest of the vegetables and 2 Tbsp. oil. Cover and "sweat" the vegetables until soft: (cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the vegetables are softened, 5 - 10 minutes) - a little browning is OK though, too.
Add the browned onions, the herb sachet, tomato paste, Marmite, water and wine - should be enough to cover the vegetables by several inches, at least. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low simmer and heat uncovered for 2 hours, skimming off the foamy stuff on top, if needed.

Strain the stock through a colander lined with cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. The cheesecloth makes for a clearer broth.

Use the stock immediately or cool in 'fridge. The stock will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.

I like this for soup base and for gravy, adjust the seasonings to your taste (I always say that, but MY tastes are not the same as yours; You may have to play with it a bit, or a lot! But that's the fun of cooking!)

To make gravy with this stock, just use it wherever your favorite recipe asks for "broth or stock".

Mushroom Red Wine Sauce

OK. If you haven't been following along, October is "Vegan Mofo" and I'm blogging about gravy all month. Blah-blah-bah. I'm not going to introduce this every time now.

You all get the idea, and if you want something besides gravy you'll have to peruse the other completely FABULOUS blogs.

Anyway. Gravy. Day 5.

Now it's time to get down to some of my favorite gravy-recipe variations.

Wait.

I take that back.

Anything (vegan) with the word "gravy" is my favorite.

No, seriously, this really is one of my favorites, and it's perfect when you want to be all fancy and grown-up and serve something "special" for dinner.

Mushrooms and red wine, made into a gravy-sauce thing.

Best recipe ever.

Or at least as good as the other 50 or so gravy recipes I have.

This is delicious over roasted veggies, potatoes, lentil loaf, chick-pea cutlets or any "beefy" flavored seitan-gluten type thing.

Or, not that I would know, but it might even be edible eaten plain, standing in front of the 'fridge at midnight when you're craving something mushroomy and salty and good.

Anyway. I digress.

This recipe is fairly easy, but you do have to simmer (or "reduce") until the liquids evaporate several times, so it takes a few minutes.

Mushroom Red Wine Sauce

• 1 pound of fresh mushrooms, sliced (anything works, but a mix of oyster, cremini, shiitake, etc. will give a richer flavor)
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1/2 a medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, or 1 tsp. Marmite stirred into 1 Tbsp. hot water
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• OPTIONAL: 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• OPTIONAL: 2 Tablespoons fine chopped fresh parsley

Melt margarine in cast iron skillet.

Cook the garlic in margarine over moderately low heat, stirring, until barely translucent/starting to cook.

Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened.

Add mushrooms and soy sauce and turn up the heat and sauté everything over medium, stirring, until mushrooms give off liquid and it evaporates.

This will take a few minutes, so don't get bored and run off to watch Glee, watch your pan closely.

Once the mushrooms are starting to brown, add wine and vinegar and boil down until liquid is thick and syrupy.

Stir cornstarch/water mixture and sugar (and rosemary, if using) into mixture in skillet and, once again, you guessed it, bring mixture to a boil, stirring, and simmer 2 (or so) minutes until it thickens.

Remove from heat.

Stir in parsley, and season with salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

Basic Brown Gravy

To my way of thinking, there are two "basic" gravies; White (or country) Gravy and Brown Gravy. Then there are forty-eleven-billion variations on a theme.
Learn to do these two first though, and do them well; Then you can change an ingredient here or there and make just about ANYTHING!!

A Brown gravy that has that rich, homemade, "simmered-for-hours" flavor takes a little practice, paying attention to details and being sure you're using the best tasting ingredients for the recipe - but it's NOT DIFFICULT, I promise.

I am leaving a lot of that "taste" factor up to you, because you know what works for your kitchen, ingredients you have available, your taste preferences, your kids taste and texture preferences, and your life!!

So we've tackled the basic White Gravy.
Read on, for my take on Brown Gravy.

One of the secrets to good brown vegan gravy is finding a stock or bullion that's not overly salty, and has a flavor you really like. Because that's what your gravy is going to taste like.

Sometimes I make my own broth, and that's definitely good! But I'm perfectly willing to admit that I "cheat" and use the packaged stuff for convenience and consistency too.
So. Make your own (I'll be posting recipes for that later) or check out your regular grocery store, health-food store, online, whatever is available to you; Read labels, buy stuff, try it, taste it, cook with it, until you find the vegetable-based broth or bullion or stock base that gives the best flavor in your gravy.

You may have to experiment a little at first, or actually combine several to get exactly what you're looking for - but that's OK, do what YOU like!

I don't like to suggest too many brand-names, because each person's tastes are different, but I know 4764784848 of you are going to ask anyway, and that's OK :), I'll mention some that I like, and are available around here, so they're what I use, if I don't make my own (more on that later): Bill's Best"Beaf", Better Than Bullion "No Beef" Base, and Imagine Foods "Beef-Style" Vegetarian Broth. If these are too salty, feel free to water them down. If they're too bland, jazz them up with red wine, garlic, herbs, a teaspoon of tomato paste, onion, mushrooms, whatever...

Brown gravy seems to be better interpreted in the vegan restaurants I've visited, though it still ends up a bit on the bland side at times; maybe most people like it that way, who knows.

PLEASE, don't be afraid to add herbs, seasonings, whatever YOU like!! (A tip: If you find something you like but still feel it isn't "rich" enough, try adding a little concentrated yeast extract like Marmite or Vegemite or even soy sauce as a last resort.)

The following recipe is a slightly tweaked version of one I've posted before; another one of those "basics" I use often.

It IS a little more involved, time-wise, than the White Gravy, but still simple enough.
And the results are well worth it. This is a very flavorful "Brown Gravy", the comfort-food stuff my family likes best on mashed potatoes or with meatballs, a lentil loaf, nut burgers or seitan/gluten.

Rich, Brown Gravy

• 28 oz. Vegetarian "beef" or vegetable broth (I usually use "Imagine Foods" in the aseptic box, but you can make your own from scratch, from bullion and water, or do whatever you want to get the flavor you want, just have 28 oz. of brown, flavored, brothy-type liquid to start out with.)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped celery
• 2 Tbs. red wine (the alcohol cooks off, or just use apple cider or more broth)
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 tsp. sage (1 Tbsp. chopped fresh is awesome here if you have it)
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Earth Balance or other margarine
• 2 T. all-purpose flour

STEP 1. Combine first 8* ingredients in a medium saucepan.
*NOTE: For even richer flavor, brown the mushrooms and onions in a pan with a little oil first, THEN add to saucepan and continue. The browning step is not necessary but definitely amps up the flavor!!

Bring to a boil; cook at a low-to-medium boil for about 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 2 cups (I just eyeball it, it needs to reduce somewhat, but isn't a huge deal if it's a little more or less)

STEP 2. Strain broth mixture through a sieve into a bowl; press vegetables to get all the juice out and then discard solids. (I know, I know!! This step sounds sounds wasteful, but it results in a nice silky-smooth gravy - if you want chunky vegetable gravy just skip the 'straining' step and chop the vegetables finer, or puree - Alternately, you can save the cooked veggies and add them to a loaf or patties).

STEP 3. While broth cools a bit, melt margarine in large cast iron skillet; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add flour, and mix to make a paste
Cook 2 minutes or until a bit browned or tannish, stirring constantly (This is your thickener or "roux"). Don't let it get any browner!
Take off heat and allow to cool a bit.

STEP 4. While off the heat, SLOWLY add 1/4 cup broth mixture to roux, little by little; stirring well with a whisk. Slowly add in remaining broth mixture, still stirring well with a whisk.

STEP 5. Turn heat back on to medium-high.
Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer (just barely bubbling) for 3 + minutes, or until thick, stirring (with a whisk) constantly. I can't emphasize the stirring part enough. Gravy takes attention, so don't try it the first few times when you have toddlers, kittens and gerbils running amuk in your kitchen. Not that I would know, just sayin'....

Adjust seasonings to taste (more salt or pepper maybe, sage, Marmite, onion powder, a drop of lemon juice - a bit of any of these will definitely brighten the flavor.)

Serve with potatoes, noodles, dumplings, meatballs, over toast, straight from the pot with a spoon, whatever... YUM.

What brand of packaged, vegetarian broth/stock/bullion do YOU use?

Gluten-free White/Country Gravy

So you've all mastered basic white, or 'country-style' gravy now, right? That's awesome!

But, I can hear some of you saying "Well, this is all great, but MY Grandma-Aunt-Mom-Uncle Phil used to thicken her (or his) gravy with cornstarch, and said that was the ONLY way to make gravy."

OR "That gravy looks great, but I'm gluten-free. Can you make it without flour?"

Indeed there is more than one (or two or three) "authentic, real, American, genuine, Grandma-approved" ways to make gravy.
It's about personal preference. I prefer gravies thickened with flour, but I'll often use cornstarch (or arrowroot, potato starch or tapioca flour), depending on whom I'm cooking for, and what I have on hand.

I'll give you those recipes too. Who knows, you may find you prefer one over the other.

Gluten-free White/Country Gravy

• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup plant milk of your choice. (JUST REMEMBER, use unsweetened, unflavored, "plain", unless you like almond-vanilla-flavored gravy)
• 2 Tablespoons margarine
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• pinch sage (OR nutmeg instead of sage, if using for "creamed vegetables")

Combine corn starch with 1/4 cup water. Stir with fork until blended. Put milk in a small saucepan; add margarine, salt, pepper and sage (or nutmeg).

Turn on heat, and stirring constantly with your wire whisk, bring to a boil over medium heat, pour in cornstarch/water mixture and boil gently for 1 minute.
Remove from heat.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Use as is, or stir in cooked (vegan) sausage bits; cooked, crumbled tempeh; sauteed mushrooms; use it to make creamed peas and new potatoes; melty (vegan) cheese; whatever you want!!

Creamy Vegan Country-style Gravy

Hold on to your saucepans. Heeeere we go. It's "Vegan Month of Food" (Vegan MoFo).
And in case you missed it, I'm blogging A MONTH OF VEGAN GRAVIES.

This should be fun!

Just the obligatory public service announcement reminder before we begin: "This will NOT be a low-salt, low-fat, high-fiber, vegetable-and-vitamin-and antioxidant-filled month of recipes. If you're looking for those, there's a whole list of other vegan bloggers HERE."

That out of the way, I'm going to jump right in with my personal favorite here, and one that many restaurants (both vegan and non-vegan) can't quite seem to get right:
Basic Cream Gravy or Country Gravy - also known as sawmill gravy, white gravy, milk gravy and sausage gravy (if you add sausage - obviously).

This is the gravy most popular in the American South and is typically used on top of those meaty favorites (all of which can be veganized easily) like biscuits and gravy, "SOS", Chicken fried steak, grits and gravy, or eggs and gravy.

Basically milk, fat and flour cooked into creamy deliciousness.

Comfort food at it's best.

So: Let me just say a word to the many vegan (and other) restaurants out there: Good gravy can MAKE OR BREAK YOU! Learn to do it right! (Yes, I remember gravy from the non-vegan olden days when I didn't care what ingredients it had exactly).
I'll be doing a few restaurant reviews later on; EVERY time I have the good fortune to go to a vegan restaurant, I ALWAYS order gravy. Sometimes I feel like I need to make an instruction sheet to leave with my check.

• Too much flour, and your gravy will get thick and pasty.
• Too little fat, and the flour will taste "raw" and the gravy will not thicken properly.
• Not stirring CONSTANTLY may cause lumps, or scorching.
• Not adding a bit of salt with the "milk" before cooking will make it bland, the salt needs to "cook in" to the gravy.

Country gravy has a very mild flavor which is enhanced by whatever you might add to it (like sausage) I promise it's not hard though. I'll post a slightly more involved recipe at a later date - one that uses cashews or almonds. Yum.

Quoting Wikipedia:

"White gravy is essentially a béchamel sauce with the roux (thickener - more on that later) being made of meat drippings and flour (Don't freak out, of course I'm going to make this vegan!!)
Milk or cream is added (calm down) and thickened with the roux; once prepared, black pepper and bits of sausage or other meats are sometimes added."

So how in the world to make this stuff vegan? This one's easy!!

If you've never made gravy, or had bad luck in the gravy-making area before, read my "NOTES", hopefully, they may prove helpful.

BASIC CREAM (WHITE) GRAVY

• 1 1/2 T. vegan margarine of your choice
• 1/4 cup flour

(NOTE: I prefer white flour here, makes a whiter and smoother gravy, but use what you want)

• 2 cups unsweetened rice milk or oat milk

(NOTE: any other UNSWEETENED AND PLAIN non-dairy milk are fine, though rice or oat milk seem to give the most accurate taste without any other flavors coming through. MAKE SURE you are using PLAIN AND UNSWEETENED plant milk. Anything else will give your gravy a sweet or possibly "vanilla" taste. Not Good!)

• dash of salt, sage and black pepper

Place iron skillet on medium-high heat for about one minute to heat it up. Add margarine and melt to cover bottom of skillet.

NOTE: Any skillet will work, I just tend to like my cast iron one for this. ALWAYS use a balloon-shaped wire whisk for gravies. There is no substitute here, and you need the whisk to mix the fat and flour particles into the milk evenly.

Whisk flour into the fat and cook over low heat for 1 minute.

NOTE: I do not brown the flour here (or make a roux), as it makes the gravy more brown or tan, I just stir it into the margarine, let it sizzle and bubble JUST a few seconds and then stir in milk.

Remove pan from heat and whisk in milk a little at a time. Add 1/8 tsp (pinch) of salt at this point.
Return to medium-high heat and stir occasionally while the gravy comes to a simmer (bubbles form and break, but not boiling violently) and thickens.
Stir continuously working lumps to the side and bottom of the skillet until few or no lumps remain and gravy thickens.
This stirring and thickening is important to cook the flour into the gravy, so the gravy doesn't taste like raw flour.
When it's thickened and simmered for a few minutes, turn off heat.
Taste and add just a shake or two more of salt, rubbed sage (dry) and pepper to taste.

NOTE: The seasoning part is up to your individual preference. Usually I add a little more salt, but that's all.

That's it!!!!!

At this point, you can serve the gravy as is; or think of it as a basic canvas to create a masterpiece - add cooked, crumbled "sausage" (any vegan variety of your choice will do) beans, mushrooms, or any cubed veggie or veggie-meat that you like, anything's good with gravy.

We'll talk about some variations later on...

And what do you do with it? You really need to ask? Drink it straight from the pan! (OK, my children really DO that, but I suggest putting it OVER other yummy foods!)

Try it over biscuits, toast, grits, breaded-fried seitan cutlets, nut burgers, savory waffles, lentil loaf, "chicken-fried-tofu" or whatever....

Happy Gravy-making!