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Vegetarian holiday cooking

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Ellemeno:
We have several vegetarians in the family.  This gravy is delicious.  Three years ago, when the turkey gravy ran out, some of the meat-eaters grumblingly tried this, and chose to have it again the subsequent years.  Very flavorful and a lovely tawny color.  Also, loaded with all the B vitamins, including B12 (usually only found in animal products), so it really helps handle the stress of the day.

Golden Gravy

Put some flour in a dry pan.  (I like using whole wheat flour, but for a really smooth, polished sort of sauce, use white flour, or even that Wondra shaker stuff.)

Heat it slowly over heat, stirring.

Add nutritional yeast, roughly the same amount as the flour.  (Not bread yeast or brewers yeast or any other kind - nutritional yeast.  I use the large flake, but small flake would probably turn out the same.  Usually found in the bulk food section of good grocery stores.)

Pour in some olive oil and mix it til it's sort of like damp beach sand crumbles, still heating.

For the next five minutes, don't focus on anything but this.

Get a bunch of water (a pint or so?), and slowly add it to the sand mixture, stirring the whole time.  It's very fun when you first start adding the water, it hisses and thickens quickly.  Keep stirring, and adding water.  How much you add is up to you, depends on the thickness you prefer. 

Add tamari (shoyu) to taste.  (Not that Kikkoman or La Choy stuff.  The real stuff like Westbrae or San-J.)

Keep cooking for a little while.  Keep stirring.

Dee-licious on mashed potatoes, though throughout the year we usually have it on brown rice.

No foolin', my very non-health food in-laws love it.


Meryl:
That sounds really good, Clarissa.  I'm glad to know of an alternative to meat gravy for when I get the cravings.  :)

Does 'some flour' mean enough to cover the bottom of the pan or more/less than that?

Ellemeno:

--- Quote from: Meryl on November 20, 2006, 03:12:33 pm ---That sounds really good, Clarissa.  I'm glad to know of an alternative to meat gravy for when I get the cravings.  :)

Does 'some flour' mean enough to cover the bottom of the pan or more/less than that?

--- End quote ---

Are you a vegetarian, Meryl?

I know, I didn't give amounts.  For the three of us, on a regular evening, my guess is I use about half a cup of flour, half a cup of yeast, 2-3 tablespoons of oil.  But that's guessing, I just throw 'em in.  It's never turned out bad, just thicker and thinner, stronger and less strong.

Nutritional yeast and tamari is one of those magical flavor combinations that is more than the sum of its parts.  Like sour cream and brown sugar, a wonderful flavor alchemy. 

serious crayons:
That sounds really good, Elle. Thanks! BTW, what do the vegetarians in your family eat for a main course on Thanksgiving?

Ellemeno:

--- Quote from: latjoreme on November 20, 2006, 05:42:24 pm ---That sounds really good, Elle. Thanks! BTW, what do the vegetarians in your family eat for a main course on Thanksgiving?



--- End quote ---

Well, Tofurkey has now become a tradition.  I don't care for it, but that's what some people like, so I make it.  Everything else is edible by all.  My husband was a hardcore vegan for several years, which meant we had two sets of stuffing and two sets of mashed potatoes, those with dairy products, and those without.  Now that he has slacked off to being easier-going about butter and other dairy products, we just have the one kind of stuffing and mashed potatoes.  So really, the turkey is the only meat dish on the table, since no one seems to care for mincemeat pie or anything like that.

Update - Oh wait, and the turkey gravy, but we already covered that. :)

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