After several days in a row of heavy rains, high winds and low temperatures, I developed a wicked craving for biscuits and gravy. I rarely make it myself because I can’t top (or even match) my favorite almond gravy at Vita Cafe in Portland, Oregon. So, I don’t make almond gravy. Instead, I usually go with a white bean-based gravy or, like this one, a hearty mushroom-thyme gravy.
Although I typically prefer my mushroom gravy over my old-fashioned rolled biscuits, I had a special request to make cornbread. I used the cornbread muffin recipe from my Southern Green Cornbread Cakes and left out the topping. I thought the cornbread muffins might be a suitable substitute for biscuits in this case. It’s good to be right.
This particular recipe is loosely based on this one from Isa Chandra Moskowitz.
Mushroom Gravy
Yield: About 3 cups
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 of a yellow onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz crimini mushrooms (half sliced thinly, half chopped)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rubbed sage
1-2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- In a bowl or measuring cup, combine water, onion powder, Italian herbs, garlic, salt, pepper and flour. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook onions until just beginning to turn translucent.
- Add garlic, mushrooms, thyme and sage. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add half of the water-flour mixture to the mushrooms and stir frequently until simmering.
- Add remaining water-flour mixture and simmer until the mixture thickens, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in nutritional yeast. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm.
