Recipe!

Punk Rock Gravy

...from the pages of -Vegan with a Vengeance- (Moskowitz)

I admit it; I have Autumn Fever! While I refuse to complain about something I cannot change (Arizona summer), I have found myself hallucinating about cooler weather as of late. I blame this ailment for my recent visions of comfort food. I thought it best to air the malady and share my daydreams of Thanksgiving grandeur.

"Veg*n Thanksgiving?" you ask.

"YES!" I reply. Nearly three years ago I created my first vegan Thanksgiving feast... a great success, if I do say so myself. What do I think was the secret? Punk Rock Gravy!!!

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
approx. 2 & 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 med. onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 tsp. mustard seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained, OR 1 (16oz) can, drained & rinsed
2 pinches ground cumin
2 pinches paprika
pinch dried rosemary
pinch dried thyme
pinch dried oregano
pinch ground coriander
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Mix the flour with 2 cups of water until the flour is mostly dissolved.

Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Add the olive oil and let heat for 20 seconds or so. Add the onions and mustard seeds; cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are browned and the mustard seeds are toasted. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the chickpeas; use a potato masher to mash them--you don't want to mash them into a paste, just make sure each one is broken up although if there are a few whole ones left that is okay. Add the herbs and spices, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits of onion.

Lower heat and pour the flour mixture into the pan. Stir constantly until a thick gravy forms. Stir in the nutritional yeast. If it looks too thick and pasty, add more water and mix well. It may look like it doesn't want any more water added to it, but just keep mixing and it will loosen up.

Keep warm until ready to serve. Makes about 3 cups. And most importantly, don't wait until November to make this!!!

ps. soy milk makes GREAT mashed potatoes. :-)