"SOS(vegan);" Probably some whining, too....

When I was a little kid, my dad introduced me to SOS, which he swore was a Navy-oriented dish of creamed chipped beef on toast. Later on in life, I found out that some folks called SOS a dish of creamed ground beef, or, what my family always called "hamburger gravy." Either/eyether, right? Whatever you choose to call any of it, it involves some type of chopped up meat and a cream sauce, which is served over whatever you want to serve it over: I prefer mashed potatoes, you might like toast, noodles, or rice. Anyway...and btw, I'm not going to tell you exactly what SOS means here, because the last time I said it on a public board, I was soundly trounced for using a "bad" word, lol. SOS is "$&!! on a Shingle," ok? So I've always loved gravies, and last week started craving the SOS type meal, and figured that probably TVP would do the trick. And, much to my delight, yes, it did. There's not a real recipe here, because it's pretty much an "as-you-like-it" type dish, but I'll give you the general idea, and you can run with it, ok?

"SOS" using TVP...vegan

One cup TVP granules
Enough oil/margarine to coat the bottom of a medium skillet
One onion, diced
1/2 tsp. ground sage
One tsp. minced garlic...I use the kind in the jar
One tsp. liquid smoke
About 3C water
About 1 Tbs. cornstarch
Half of a 10-oz. bag of frozen peas and carrots
Salt and black pepper to taste...I like a lot of pepper and not much salt

Cook the diced onion in the oil in the skillet over medium heat until it's transparent and starting to soften. Add the dry TVP granules, sage, and minced garlic, and, stirring, cook for about five minutes, until everything is coated with the oil, the garlic is just starting to brown a little, and everything smells good.

Mix the liquid smoke with the two cups of water, and add to the skillet, add the frozen peas and carrots, and bring it all to the boil, and let it simmer about 15 minutes, to make sure the granules soften nicely. Mix the cornstarch with the last cup of water, and after the granules have simmered the 15 minutes, add the water/cornstarch mixture. Allow this to come to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for a few more minutes, to allow the mixture to thicken up somewhat.

If you want to, while the onion is cooking, you can also add bell peppers, celery, mushrooms, anything you can think of that you think would be good. The more veggies you can put in, the better it's going to be, both in taste and nutrition. I also think that if there's any leftovers, you can, if you want, add some kernel corn, and make a shepherd's pie from this, altho I didn't. I just kept reheating it as gravy, and pouring it over stuff, lol...mashed potatoes, plain bread, biscuits, you get the idea, right? I really liked it, and will make it again, I have no doubt, as it's really easy and doesn't take too awfully long.

Well, I thought I was going to whine, and well, yeah, I guess I will. Nah, not too much after all: I'm just in one of my funks, don't like it, don't know what to do about it, don't feel really well physically and don't know what to do about it. So, waaaaaa, waaaaaaa, waaaaaaa. This, too, shall pass.

Until next time, Happy Eating.

TVP Sausage Crumbles #2(vegan); Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits

I'm really enjoying fooling around with the TVP crumbles, and have found another sausage recipe, one that I like a little better than the first one I posted here. This new one is an adaptation of one that Barbara Kingsolver's daughter, Camille, put into the book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," by Barbara Kingsolver. The book is excellent, well written and very interesting, about the Kingsolver family's experiment to eat ONLY locally grown, harvested, and butchered foods for one whole year. Camille writes a lot of recipes for us, as well as writing down some of the family's menus for a week. Barbara raises turkeys, and her description of female turkeys in heat, and then being broody, had me roaring. If you've not read this book, I really wish you would.

Anyway, here's the #2 sausage recipe:

1C TVP granules, hydrated per package instructions(1 cup dry granules, 7/8 cup boiling water, mix together and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. Easy. Or I wouldn't bother with it, you know that, right?)
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tsp. minced garlic(I use the kind in a jar. Easy.)
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 to3/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. EACH dried oregano and dried thyme
black pepper to taste
pinch cayenne...optional...use more if you like. I didn't use any. I don't like hot.

Mix the seasonings in a bowl. Add the TVP and combine well. Either form the mixture into patties and fry in a little oil until browned, or fry the crumbles as is in oil.

After I had the crumbles browned the way I wanted them, I added two cups of water, and let it come to a boil. Then I added one tbs. of cornstarch, mixed in about a quarter cup of water, stirred that well, and let it come to a boil, and then a simmer for just a few minutes.

It was good the way it was over biscuits, altho I have to admit that I used too much cumin, the 3/4 tsp. was too much for me. The next night I added about 3/4 cup of frozen peas and carrots and about another cup of water, and let that come to a boil, and then a simmer for about ten minutes. That was even better, and I put it over potatoes. And, did the same thing the third night, by which time, it was gone. I'll make it again, but with less cumin. Seems to me that it would be a good base for a Shepherd's Pie: don't use quite as much water, so that it would be thicker, put it in a greased pan, and cover the top with mashed potatoes. Bake it at 350ºF for about 30 minutes, or until it's bubbling and the 'taters are brown.

The "buttermilk" biscuits are from an old cookbook of mine, called "The Metropolitan Cookbook," put out by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, copyright 1953.

"Buttermilk" Biscuits
Preheat oven to 450ºF................................makes about 12 biscuits

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup shortening
2/3 to3/4 cup buttermilk: one cup soy milk with one tablespoon cider vinegar OR lemon juice, stir, and allow to sit for a few minutes.

Mix dry ingredients together. Blend in shortening with fingertips or pastry blender. Mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal. Add enough milk to make soft dough which can be handled, stirring with fork. Turn out onto slightly floured board. Knead lightly for about 1/2 minute and roll or pat to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with 2-inch floured cutter or glass. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet from 12-15 minutes. Or, ignore all that, and drop by spoonsfuls onto the cookie sheet, and bake just the same. Easy. Guess which way I do it!?!?!

So, there ya go, gravy recipe and a biscuit recipe. Now scramble some tofu, and have you a good breakfast. Until next time, Happy Eating!