Tag Archives: vegetarian cooking

Biscuits & Gravy

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I had never tasted biscuits and gravy until I was in my teens.
Biscuits and GravyWhen I finally did, I believed I had discovered ambrosia, the food of the gods (there is a dish commonly served up as “ambrosia,” but it is a sickening, gloopy abomination). In fact, one of the reasons I originally chose to move to the South was that it was a place that I could get biscuits and gravy.
If done right, the biscuits are crisp and buttery on the outside, but soft and either flakey or cake-like on the inside, and the gravy is creamy and warm, but also spicy.
When my daughter became a vegetarian, the gravy had to be re-invented.
One of my proudest moments came one Easter a few years back. A friend of ours, Tyler, had given up meat for Lent, and piled up a big plate full of my biscuits and gravy and was digging into them talking about how glad he was to finally be able to eat meat again. We had to tell him he was still keeping his Lenten vows.
The key to biscuits is several things: Don’t over-work the dough, and have a good blend of baking soda or power, fat, and a little bit of something acidic.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups TVP (texturized vegetable protein)
  • 2 tsp. Onion Powder
  • 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • 1Tbsp Sage
  • 1 tsp. Paprika
  • 1 tsp. Worcester Sauce
  • 2 tsp. Soy Sauce
  • 1/2 cup Red Wine
  • a bit of Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Oil
  • 1 cup Yogurt (this began as buttermilk, but I like the viscosity of yogurt better; if you are vegan, use some substitute, but add a dash of an acidic, like vinegar or lemon juice; if it is a liquid, use less)
  • 1 tsp. Baking Soda
  • 2 cups Flour (pastry flour might actually be better, but suit yourself)
  • 1Tbsp Baking Powder
  • 1  tsp. Salt
  • 6 Tbsp cup cold Vegetable Shortening
  • a bit of cold butter
  • Extra Oil
  • Extra Flour (maybe half a cup?)
  • Extra Milk (maybe 2 cups, maybe more)

Step 1, gentleman, start your sausages: In a jar or bowl, combine the TVP, seasonings, wine, vinegar, oil, and whatever else suits your fancy. Leave it to soak a bit, you that the TVP absorbs the moisture.

Step 2, start leavening: In a bowl with some extra room (it could expand), combine the yogurt and the baking soda. Let this sit.

Step 4, turn on the heat: Pre-heat the oven to 475 degrees.

Step 5, sift & cut: Sift the flour, the baking powder, and the salt together. Cut in the shortening and the butter, allowing it to form a crumbly mixture.

Step 6, mix: Add the yogurt to the flour, just enough to get it to all stick together; mix it to get this, but as little as possible–only enough to get it all moist & sticking together.

Biscuits 1Step 7, roll & cut: Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it is a half an inch or so thick. fold it over, and roll it just a bit. Cut into biscuits with a biscuit cutter, or a juice glass, or a cookie cutter, or a cutlass, or whatever you prefer.

Step 8, bake: Place the biscuits on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes, more if necessary.

Biscuits & Gravy 3Step 9, the gravy: In a big ol’ skillet with some oil (be generous!), fry the TVP mixture until it gets a bit of texture and brown. Add a few tablespoons of flour and let them absorb some of the oil. Slowly add milk, while stirring, and let simmer.

Step 10, monkey with the recipe: If it is too thin, dissolve some flour in some more milk and add it too it; if it is too thick, add some milk. If it is too bland, add more salt or sage, or pepper; if it is too spicey, add more milk. when it is fine, turn off the heat or put on low.

Final step, serve: The gravy is traditionally served over a split biscuit, Biscuits 2so that it absorbs the gravy, but adds some texture. You can add eggs on the side, or sausage, or whatever you like. You can have extra biscuits to sop up the gravy, or for apple butter. Go out and face the day.

French Lentil Soup

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IMG_2021

I realized that I had not done a proper entree for a while.
I am also coming to realize that the bit of philosophy at the end of my recipes might be the best I produce all week.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb green french lentils (about 2 cups), washed and picked over
  • 2 qts vegetable stock (add more liquid if you like a thinner soup)
  • 1 or 2 bay leaves
  • 2 Tbs olive oil (olive, canola or peanut)
  • 1 onion, finely minced
  • 2 carrots, finely minced
  • 2 stalks celery, finely minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium peeled raw sweet potato, chopped or shaved into large bits (it cooks really well if you shave it with a vegetable peeler, but this is time consuming.
  • 1 Tbsp. either fines herbs or Herbes de Provence.
  • Salt to taste

Step1, Low Boil: Put the lentils, stock and bay leaves in a large pot. First, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pot. Let this simmer for an hour or more, like bitter resentment.

Step 2, Low Sauté: We are making a Mirepoix here mirepoix(I like mirepoix; mirepoix are cool). Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot (or pan if you don’t own two pots) over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Stir the mixture until it begins to cook, then turn it to low and let it slowly cook for an hour or so. About 20 minutes before the lentils are ready (or you are), add the sweet potato; about 10 minutes before they are ready, add the garlic.

Step 3, mix it up: Add the lentils to the mirepoix (unless you used a pan, then add the mirepoix to the lentils). This is a good time to fish out the bay leaves.

Step 4, fiddle a little: Add the herbs and more salt to taste, if desired, and cook 15-30 minutes more. Add more things or other things until it seems right.

Step 5, share it with other people around your table: Add some freshly baked bread, maybe some salads, some good cheese, and share it. As always, there may be leftovers for monks, students, et.al.

IMG_2025Is this the basis of community? No, not really. It’s not a bad place to start, but this is hospitality. Friendship is when others bring cheese (or wine). Community would involve helping with the fine mincing, or washing & drying the dishes together.

Peace Lentil Soup

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Peace_Lentil_SoupRed Lentil Soup
My daughter Grace acquired this recipe at a potluck after a march to support a Palestinian homeland, so we call it “Peace Lentil Soup;” marching is necessary, because there is so much to be outraged about, but I believe that the basis of peace is eating together. This soup is promising because it is cheap, delicious, and doesn’t involve killing anything. 

Ingredients:

 2 Tbs oil (olive, canola or peanut)
1 onion, chopped (or 1 cup frozen, chopped)
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin (more to taste)
1/2 tsp ground coriander (more to taste)
2 tsp curry powder
1 (28-oz) can chopped tomatoes in juice
1 lb red lentils (about 2 cups), washed and picked over
2 qts chicken or vegetable stock (add more liquid if you like a thinner soup)
1/4 tsp ground pepper (more to taste)
Cayenne (optional, to taste)

Step1, Sauté: Heat oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, cumin, coriander, curry powder.
Stir together for about a minute until the garlic is fragrant.
Step 2, Stew: Stir in tomatoes with their juice.
Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly.
Stir in lentils and liquid.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Step 3, fiddle a little: Add more salt to taste, if desired, and cook 15-30 minutes more until lentils have fallen apart and thickened the soup.
Using the back of your spoon, mash the lentils against the side of the pot to thicken the soup further.
Add the pepper and cayenne to taste.

Step 4, share it with other people around your table.
Hey, Hipsters: you gotta eat. Have some of your friends over and have soup. One of the most sincere (that means not ironic) things you can do is eat with people in your own house. It is really good with water or iced tea, but especially gPeace Lentils Left Overood with a sweet white wine, a crisp pub cider, or a complex local IPA. The last time I made this, I served it with salads and corn cakes with some sharp, hard cheeses, and the next 3 hours of  conversation were so lively, so lovely that I forgot that I had made dessert.
As always, there may be leftovers for monks, students, et.al.