Biscuits and Gravy 2 Ways

Let me warn you, just because I said this was a pescy/veggie blog doesn't mean it's a health-food blog. I love old-fashioned country meals; my mother was an expert, and she made two things that became my favorite foods as I grew up. One was meatloaf which, I'm sorry to say, I still have not been able to recreate without it's main ingredient: meat. The second, though, was biscuits and gravy -- sausage gravy, to be specific. I am proud to say that I have designed not one, but two new ways to make that old favorite: one is vegetarian, the other vegan. As my favorite food, I thought it would be only fair to make it my first post.


Vegetarian Biscuits and Gravy

Mom's biscuits

Prep time: 20 minutes
Oven: 450 degrees F

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients together with french whip or fork. Stir in melted butter (or vegetable oil for lower-cholesterol biscuits) with a wooden spoon. Add milk gradually, stirring until soft dough is formed. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased (nonstick!) baking sheet. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes. Allow biscuits to cool 5-10 minutes.


"Sausage" Gravy

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

1/2 lb Gimme Lean sausage (or other meatless ground sausage-flavored product)
1 small yellow onion
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
generous grinds of black pepper
medium pinch of kosher or sea salt

other suggested seasonings:
smoked paprika
toasted onion powder
garlic powder
Bacon Salt

For anyone accustomed to making gravies with a roux, my method will seem a little strange here. Traditionally, one would brown the sausage, scoop out the meat and use the pan drippings as the fat for the roux. There are two problems with using fake sausage: one is that it doesn't produce any drippings, and the other is that it does need to be browned in a pan before it can join the gravy (even though all it really needs is to heat up, if it doesn't brown first the texture is all funny). I also dislike doing dishes, so I refuse to cook the sausage in a separate pan and add it later. That being said:

Pour your milk into a measuring cup or other container, and set aside (this works much better if the milk is at room temperature).

Use a medium-sized skillet with high edges, on medium heat. Melt the butter, adding the "sausage" and onions after the butter is melted but before it's gotten too hot (brown butter is not delicious in this situation). Break up the "sausage" with a spatula into small-bite-sized pieces and season, stirring with the butter until the sausage is slightly browned and the onion is translucent. Spread the flour over the mixture, stirring until it looks like the "sausage" has gotten coated in a paste or dough (which is your roux).

SLOWLY (I cannot stress that enough) add milk to the mixture; a tablespoon at a time is really enough. Stir constantly, incorporating each portion of milk as you add it. If you add the milk too quickly, the gravy will never thicken and it will be very lumpy. Continue to add milk until you reach the desired consistency (you may need more or less than called for).

Sample the gravy at this point (the fun part!) and add additional seasonings as needed.


Vegan Biscuits and Gravy

"Mom's" Vegan Biscuits

Substitute 1/3 cup butter with vegetable oil, and 1 cup milk with plain soy yogurt. Follow recipe as above.

Also, for a really lovely subtle sweet flavor, try using vanilla soy yogurt. This is great if you'd like to eat the biscuits plain, or with preserves, and surprisingly they're also very good with gravy!

Vegan "Sausage" Gravy

Substitute butter with vegetable oil, and milk with vegetable broth. For a little extra creaminess, you could use a mixture of soy milk and vegetable broth, but I personally feel that the soy gives the gravy a weird flavor. Follow recipe above.

The most fun part!
Crumble a few biscuits into a bowl, cover with a generous portion of gravy, and enjoy!