So here’s a nifty little gravy that I tried today. It was so tasty that I felt compelled to share it.
Now, I do love vegetables, but if I’m going to sit down to a plate of vegetables for dinner, I want them to have some kind of dressing or something on them. As nice as plain vegetables can be as a side dish, they’re just not something I enjoy as a main dish.
This gravy tastes just like I remember real gravy tasting – thick, delicious, and nicely spiced. I enjoyed it over a root vegetable roast, but really you could put it over anything that strikes your fancy. Whatever you use it on will end up tasting like a stew!
The recipe is as follows:
1 cup chickpea flour (quinoa flour would also be just fine)
1 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 (or more) celery stalks
5 tblsp. olive oil
3 cups hot water, freshly boiled
1 tblsp. shiro miso, dissolved in 2 tblsp. water
2 tblsp. umeboshi vinegar
1 tblsp. balsamic vinegar
1 can chick peas, or mixture of chick peas and fava beans
*1/2 an onion, sauteed, would be an excellent addition to this gravy. So would a few carrots, or a handful of spinach!
Toast chickpea flour in a separate pan on med-high heat for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat when it is lightly toasted.
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Saute celery in oil for 4-5 minutes, until it is cooked but still crisp. Add onion, celery, or any other “hard” vegetable you may be using. Saute until they are translucent.
Add spices (including pepper) to this mixture. Cook for about a minute, until everything is combined. Add the two vinegars.
Add flour to saucepan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk hot water in slowly, 1/2 cup at a time. Stop adding water once the desired consistency has been found – you determine how thick you want it! Once the desired consistency has been reached, cook for another 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly to get the lumps out.
Remove from heat. Finish with the beans. And Voila! Your own vegan, gluten-free gravy. Just as yummy as the real stuff!
Really enjoying reading about your cooking adventures….and one day soon, when I have time to get in the kitchen, I too will reap the rewards of your efforts.
Any thoughts about a wheat-free, dairy-free pie crust??? Hint, hint!
Will definitely come up with something for you over the next few days – renovations have started up again today, so the house is a bit dusty for baking. And thanks for the comment. If I wasn’t enjoying writing so much I would be a little despondent not knowing who’s or if anyone’s really reading…