I AM SO STOKED OVER THIS, CAN'T YOU TELL BY MY CAPS LOCK?!
Pictures and precise measurements coming soon!
This recipe is one of my favorite brunch recipes, though it's not one that I'll make for just anyone, as it's not as easy to throw together as tofu scramble. I guess when 'baking' is involved, I automatically think 'strenuous labor' or something of that manner. It also uses a blender, which means I might as well sign the rest of the day away for dishes, right? Nah, it's really not that bad at all, and ugh it's so worth it.
This recipe (or really, combination of recipes) came about because I had been trying to find a vegan biscuits and gravy recipe that's not only delicious, but also was not just gluten + gluten + gluten. Most tend to be biscuits + flour-based roux + gluten-based veggie sausage. I do not need all'a that stuff.
First, we start with the Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits, which are ripped straight from Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. (Whom I fawned over in this other blog post already.) The only thing I do differently is use Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour rather than 'regular' flour. It works very well for these biscuits, as the sweet potatoes already give them a different texture.
Isa's Sweet Potato Drop Biscuit Recipe
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose flour, or in this case- Bob's Red Mill GF Flour (plus 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2-3 tablespoons of cold water
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper (you can skip the paper, the biscuits will just have dark bottoms).
In a medium-size bowl, mix together the mashed sweet potatoes, oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Use a sifter to sift in the flour, baking powder, and nutmeg.
Fold the flour into the sweet potato mixture with a wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened and crumbly; be careful not to over mix! Add 2 tablespoons of water and knead 5-6 times until the dough holds together, adding the extra water if needed. Don’t knead too much or it will toughen the biscuits.
Drop the dough in golf ball size pieces onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are lightly brown and firm to the touch.
Okay, now here comes the fun part- I get to try to transcribe a recipe I don't measure! This will all be approximations. Let's give it a shot. This gravy recipe came about because I'd tried making bean gravies that ended up too thick and grainy, and I'd also tried flour-based gravies that lacked substance. So, let's do a bit of both!
Panda's Bean Gravy
2-4 cloves minced garlic
1/2-1 diced onion
a good amount of oil/butter/Earth Balance
a few tablespoons to 1/4 cup of your choice of flour
1 can beans (I prefer white beans, but any soft beans will do.)
1/2 cup water or veggie stock
herbs
salt and pepper to taste
In a blender or food processor, blend the can of beans with about 1/2 cup water until smooth. Sometimes I add fresh herbs to this mixture for easy chopping.
Then, make a roux. In a saucepan, sauté the onions and garlic until browned in about 4-5 tablespoons of oil/butter. There should be some extra oil in the pan for the roux- add more if needed. Whisk in the flour slowly. I often use enough flour that it turns into a paste, because this ensures a thick gravy. Slowly whisk in the blended bean mixture to make the gravy. Water down if needed for desired consistency.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and herbs. Nutritional yeast works well, too! Oh, and I usually add a squirt or two of Bragg's Liquid Aminos.
Serve the biscuits and gravy on a bed of greens. Top with diced fresh tomato! Or maybe sun-dried tomatoes. That's a good idea. I'll have to try that next time.
-Panda
