Thursday, October 27, 2011

Mushroom Gravy over Mashed Potatoes (Tasty Vegan & Gluten-Free Comfort Food)

As starchy side dishes go, there are the rice or grain people, and then there are the potato people. As much as I try to eat brown rice or other whole grain sides to get the benefits from the fiber, when I REALLY want starchy comfort food I go for mashed potatoes. Gravy is a bonus. An even bigger bonus when it is this easy, "meaty" vegan Mushroom Gravy. Confirmed carnivore? That's OK. This gravy is tasty enough that no one will notice it's vegan plus it's more heart-friendly too.


Mushroom Gravy
From "The 30-Day Vegan Challenge by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau"
(Makes 3 Cups)

Patrick-Goudreau says, "Perfect for mashed potatoes, stuffed squash,, or biscuits and gravy. Puree it to make a smooth, creamy concoction, or leave it chunky. As the latter, this gravy is fantastic as a side dish, served over quinoa, or as a topping for Salisbury tofu or tempeh."

2 tsp non-hydrogenated non-dairy butter, such as Earth Balance
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 lb cremini mushrooms (about 20 mushrooms), thinly sliced
2 cups vegetable stock
3 Tbsp flour or other thickener such as cornstarch or arrowroot
2-3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce (I used low-sodium, GF tamari)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
freshly ground black pepper

Heat the butter in a a large skillet and sauté the onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes more, until they soften and turn golden brown.

In the meantime, in a separate bowl, whisk the flour into the stock along with the tamari, thyme, and black pepper. When there appears to be no lumps, and it to the onion mixture and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until thickened, 5-10 minutes.

For smooth gravy, puree it in a blender or food processor. You may want to play a little with the flavor and add more tamari or pepper to taste. Reheat the mixture if necessary on low heat in a saucepan.

*Note: Wheat-free, if using cornstarch as thickener. (Also Gluten-free if using a GF tamari.)


Notes/Results: A delicious and satisfying gravy that you could serve anyone at your table (OK, maybe not the ones allergic to mushrooms, but everyone else at the table.) ;-) Use cornstarch and gluten-free tamari and it is great for those with allergies or intolerances. Serve it over meat for your meat-eaters or over meat-alternatives for your veg friends--it's very versatile. Not the most photogenic dish, but very tasty especially served over some organic buttercream potatoes whipped up with a little olive oil and creamy coconut milk for fully vegan comfort food. A fabulous side dish or, you could just fix a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy and eat it for dinner... cross-legged... on the couch... maybe while watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills... (Not that I would do that of course. I'm just saying...) ;-)


Enjoy!

8 comments:

  1. Haha YOU may not admit to watching the real housewives...but I certainly do and will! This seems like the perfect comfort food!

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  2. I admit, mashed potatoes are probably one of my top all-time comfort foods. Add some gravy and swoon! This sounds and looks so great.

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  3. ooh that looks so good! I think I can smell it from here :)

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  4. That looks absolutely gorgeous. Real comfort food.

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  5. I love mashed potatoes and even though gravy is hard to photograph, I want to eat my screen! Yum! Have you ever tried mixing in corn to mashed potatoes? It's quite delicious.

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  6. I think your mashed potatoes and gravy look incredibly photogenic! The gravy looks very rich and delicious and I'm quite sure is every bit as delicious, maybe even more, than it's meat-based gravy counterpart.

    Sounds like you paired one "not so guilty" pleasure with another;-)
    Good times!

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  7. I just made this recipe and it is outrageously delicious! Thank you for sharing!

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