Biscuits & Tempeh Gravy

Confession: Probably 9 out of the last 10 times I went to WaterCourse Foods here in Denver, I ordered the biscuits and gravy.  It's not that nothing else is good there - the b and g are just so freaking good, I can't help myself.

The biscuit recipe here was inspired by the biscuits at WaterCourse, which have bits of carrot throughout that I think are just lovely.  In addition, they help make the biscuits nice and moist; dry biscuits are my arch nemesis.

The gravy is a basic tempeh gravy: seasoned and fried tempeh, with a sauce that's a little more savory than your basic white gravy but not quite a brown gravy.  That said, "basic" is not to be confused with "bland." I was eating this stuff with my fingers, it was so good.

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Biscuits and Tempeh Gravy


For the Biscuits...
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour*
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 tbsp Earth Balance
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 small carrot, grated fine

*NOTE: I had intended to use all whole wheat flour in these, but I ran out mid-recipe.  Use whatever kind of flour your little vegan heart desires.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a measuring cup, whisk the apple cider vinegar into the almond milk.  Let it sit and curdle.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt.
4. Using a pastry cutter, 2 butter knives held together, or your fingers, cut the EB into the flour mixture until you have pea-sized dough crumbles.  Don't overmix.
5. Pour in the curdled almond milk and applesauce, and fold together.  Again, don't overmix.
6. Fold in the grated carrot.
7. Drop by heaping quarter-cupfuls onto a greased baking sheet or two.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until firm on top and golden on bottom.  Let them cool for a couple of minutes before serving.

For the Gravy...

Ingredients

• 8 oz tempeh
• water
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sriracha red chili sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp sage
• a pinch or two red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 cup no-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
• 1 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp onion powder
• about 1/4 cup flour whisked into about 1/3 cup water
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Crumble the tempeh into a medium saucepan.  Cover 2/3 of the way up with water.  Mix in soy sauce and sriracha.  Simmer over medium-high heat until dry, but be careful to not burn it.
2. Turn the heat down to medium.  Add the olive oil to the pan.
3. Fry the tempeh until it's lightly browned.
4. Add the garlic, fennel, oregano, thyme, sage, and red pepper (optional).  Fry until spices are fragrant and lightly browned.
5. Add the vegetable broth, and allow it to deglaze any sticky bits from the pan.
6. Stir in the almond milk, worcestershire, nutritional yeast, and onion powder.  Bring to a simmer.
7. Whisk the flour into water in a measuring cup, then pour it slowly into the gravy while whisking constantly, until it gets to a consistency you like.  You want it thick, but pourable.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste - take it easy on the salt, as it's probably plenty salty already.  But go nuts with the pepper.

Makes about 14 servings of one biscuit each.  Enjoy!