Tag Archives: vegan gravy

My hubby and I are dancing the end-of-the-year holiday hustle like everyone else, but I think we’re done shopping. Writing never stops, although some days, like today, the only words I get down are for this blog. The first two hours of my day are usually dedicated to writing.

I have planned the menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but a few things still need some forethought if I want those gatherings to go well. We’ve been invited to a New Year’s Eve potluck. I’m torn between making an avocado-cucumber-tomato salad or stuffed mushrooms—both are easy.

The recipe for the salad can be found here: Cucumber, Tomato, And Avocado Salad Recipe by Tasty, and the Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms can be found here: Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms | Minimalist Baker Recipes.

Maybe I’ll make both.

Books make the best gifts, in my opinion. One year, my parents enrolled me in the Nancy Drew Book Club. I received two volumes every month and usually read each in a single sitting. The Nancy Drew Library: Nancy Drew Book Club Picture Covers (nancydrewsleuth.com).

Today, I will finish wrapping the few presents that haven’t already gone out. I have always found that chore boring, but I am the Queen of Bags. All that is required is removing the price tag from the gift, folding a little tissue around it, and stuffing it into a fancy Christmas bag. Once I jam a little tissue in the top, we’re done—Christmas is served!

No more tape in my hair, no more naughty words, and no more hunting for the scissors I just had in my hands.

It’s sad when the presents for the little ones are out from under our tree and under the trees in their homes because our tree looks a bit lonely. But not for long–we’ll soon have a few sparkly bags under there, a little something fun to open when our older son and a granddaughter and her husband arrive on Christmas day.

Everything I cook will be vegan except Greg’s turkey, and it will all be delicious. I will also make turkey gravy because our son looks forward to it—turkey gravy is his favorite part of Christmas dinner.

Yes, I make it, but don’t eat it. I make an onion and mushroom gravy for those of us who are vegan.

I make all the traditional dishes, substituting Earth Balance vegan margarine and almond or cashew milk for the dairy. I use a homemade vegetable broth to make the gravies and the cranberry-walnut stuffing.

This is my recipe for the most delicious ONION AND MUSHROOM GRAVY:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup white or button mushrooms, chopped
• 1 small yellow or white onion, minced
• 1/4 cup vegan plant butter (regular margarine often has milk lactose in it)
• 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth (set aside ¼ cup to add to thickening)
• ¼ cup good Marsala or Sherry wine
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• Stir the reserved ¼ cup of vegetable broth into 1/4 cup flour, making a paste.
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning (or 1/2 tsp each of sage, thyme and marjoram)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large skillet, melt the vegan margarine and add onion and mushrooms. Sauté for just a minute or two over high heat.

Reduce heat to medium and add the marsala, deglazing the pan. Add the remaining 2 cups of vegetable broth and the soy sauce. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture, stirring well to prevent lumps from forming. Bring to a simmer or a low boil, then reduce heat.

I will also make Stuffed Butternut Squash halves for me and anyone choosing plant-based options instead of Turkey. These look restaurant-fancy, so I will make extra for the carnivores who’ll feel left out if I don’t.

STUFFED BUTTERNUT OR ACORN SQUASH

Ingredients: For 4 servings: 2 small butternut or acorn squash, split and cleaned. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste (optional). Place hollow side up in baking dish and set aside. (I slice a bit off the bottom to give them a flat base, but it’s not necessary.) The remaining stuffing can be baked in a separate casserole as a side dish. Or the recipe will fill 3 or 4 squash (6 – 8 split halves), depending on the size of each squash. Small squashes are best for individual servings.

1 bag bread cubes for stuffing, or 10 cups 1/2 inch bread cubes from 1 large loaf of day-old wheat or other sandwich bread. Sometimes I bake my own bread, sometimes not.

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic (2 – 3 cloves)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (more or less to taste) (omit if allergic to tree nuts)
• ½ cup chopped dried cranberries (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp dried rubbed sage leaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaf
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 – 3 cups vegetable stock OR 3 c. water + 3 veggie bouillon cubes

Stuffing Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Oil a large shallow casserole dish

If using fresh bread – cut it into cubes and spread them on a large baking sheet. Toast at 400 degrees in the oven until golden brown. Set aside in a large bowl.

Turn oven down to 350 degrees F.

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté onions and celery until soft. Add garlic and sauté gently for two minutes (do not scorch!), then add nuts and cranberries and cook until soft. Add parsley, sage, thyme, salt if you choose, and pepper at the last minute to infuse their flavors into the mixture. Cook briefly.

Transfer the veggie mixture to the bowl of bread cubes using a rubber spatula.

• Optional: Drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil into the mixture
• Stir until everything is well mixed
• Add 2 cups vegetable stock and stir until it is absorbed. Add more stock as needed so the mixture is moist but not soggy.
• Spoon the stuffing mixture into the split squash halves and cover each with foil. Place in a large baking dish, bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (175 Celsius or Gas Mark 4) (I googled it for my friends across the pond!), and check for doneness. If needed, bake 1/2 hour longer.
• Spoon the rest into a shallow casserole or baking dish, cover, and bake for 25 minutes. Optional: Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes to form a crusty top.

No matter your holiday traditions, may your table be laden with all the foods you love. May it be surrounded by the people you love, and may they just get along for that one hour.

And may they volunteer to clean up afterward.