Just last week, I completed my plant-based nutrition certificate program through the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell. The program really opened my eyes up to the wonders of whole foods and plants. Lately, I’ve been incorporating more wholesome ingredients into my recipes. The program was a natural progression for me in my studies as I’ve always eaten a mostly plant-based diet. Kevin, on the other hand, is a meat-eater and would not trade his meat for plants. He has been receptive to incorporating more plants into his diet after trying many of my vegan twists on some of our favorite foods. The best part about the switch from using animal byproducts to using plant-based alternatives is how good the final product tasted. Even Kevin, who was skeptical at first, has been pleasantly surprised by how good the vegan alternatives were. With the end of one of my certificate programs, I have freed up some time after work for the rest of this month to let my creative juices run wild in the kitchen. Next month, Kevin and I will be taking a trip to visit his sister, brother-in-law, and their adorable children on the west coast. We’re both excited to see his family. His parents will also be visiting. It’s always nice to see Kevin’s parents. We don’t get to see them a lot throughout the year since they live in Hong Kong, but when they do visit, we usually spend endless hours reconnecting over good food. I’m excited to be able to get a short break from work, classes, and projects. The last two weeks have been busy for me at work, so I haven’t had a chance to test out too many recipes in the kitchen. When I do get to spend time in the kitchen, I always find joy in losing track of time and creating new recipes. Weekends are my favorite time to experiment with recipe development and putting new twists on some of my favorite foods. Oftentimes, my recipes are tied to my cravings. If I have a strong craving for a specific food, I try to put a new spin on the food whether in the ingredients or the sauce. Today, I woke up craving some biscuits and gravy, a southern staple. I didn’t grow up eating biscuits and gravy, but once Kevin and I moved to the Midwest and met our current friends (some of which who grew up in Tennessee), we were introduced to this delightful combination. It took just one bite to win me over. I love the combination of the flaky, warm biscuit paired with the savory, creamy gravy. I wanted to create a vegan twist on this southern staple, so I made some vegan biscuits with mushroom gravy. I swapped out the butter and whole milk and used refined coconut oil and almond milk instead. The biscuits turned out fluffy and flaky and tasted almost indistinguishable from biscuits made with butter and whole milk. The mushroom gravy was creamy and savory. I added a bit of liquid aminos to the gravy to give it a little something extra. There is just something about a flaky biscuit drenched in a creamy, savory sauce. It satisfies your hunger, warms your body, and feeds your soul. My vegan spin on this southern classic made for the most satisfying simple Saturday morning (game day) breakfast.
For the biscuits:
· 2 cups all-purpose flour
· 2 tablespoons baking powder
· ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
· 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
· 5 tablespoons refined coconut oil
· ½ cup almond milk
For the mushroom gravy:
· ½ tablespoon refined coconut oil
· 6 large mushrooms, thinly sliced
· ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
· 1 teaspoon liquid aminos
· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· ½ teaspoon garlic powder
· 1 cup almond milk
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2) In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
3) Add in the refined coconut oil. Use your fingers to combine the coconut oil and flour mixture together. Continue mixing until you achieve a crumbly texture.
4) Once you achieve the crumbly texture, fold in the almond milk. Stir until a dough begins to form. Dust your work surface with flour and pour out the dough. Gently bring the dough together forming a large, thick circle. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out about 6 biscuits. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5) Bake the biscuits in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the biscuits from the oven when they are puffed up and golden brown.
6) To make the mushroom gravy, heat a skillet to medium heat. Add the coconut oil. Swirl the oil around the pan. Add the sliced mushrooms, kosher salt, and liquid aminos. Cook until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the flour. Cook for a minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Add the black pepper, and garlic powder. Stir to combine all ingredients. Slowly add the milk and cook until the gravy begins to thicken, about 3-5 minutes.
Takeaways: The refined coconut oil works very well as a replacement for butter. The biscuits ended up being flaky and fluffy just like buttery biscuits. The liquid aminos when added to the mushroom gravy added an extra depth of flavor.