Country Breakfast Sausage Gravy
I blew myself and my hubby away with this recipe. Sometimes, the first time’s the charm and this was one of those times. Charming? More like FANTASTIC!
When I used to eat SAD (Standard American Diet) food, biscuits and gravy was one of my favorites when we would go out for breakfast… even though it left what felt like a large, solid lump in my stomach from that pasty, white-flour gravy. Ugh. It was one of my dad’s favorites, too, and I used to make it for him regularly. I wish he were still around to taste this much healthier version! Today is his birthday—he would have been 101! Miss you, Dad. xo
Anyway, this recipe is pretty simple, given its extraordinary flavor and texture profile. It does use quite a bit of cashews for the sauce part of the gravy, so it is NOT low fat. But once in a while I do splurge on something like this. Even omnivores would surely devour this gravy with pleasure. It’s up to you as to what you smother with this groovy gravy. I prefer my almond flour biscuits, which I just posted yesterday! RECIPE HERE Whatever it is, though, this gravy will definitely be the star.
Ingredients
~ for the sausage crumbles
one 8-oz. package tempeh, crumbled
1 tsp ground sage
2 tsp ground fennel seeds*
1 tsp marjoram
½ tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy)
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp ground black pepper
pinch of salt or to taste (optional)
~ for the sauce
2 cups raw cashews
2½ cups water
1 tsp dried onion flakes
*You will need a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle to grind up some fennel seeds. They are an important part of the flavor, so don’t omit them!
Method
Crumble the tempeh (I did this using my food processor… took about five pulses).
Water sauté the tempeh with the rest of the sausage ingredients until the tempeh is tender and the herbs are well incorporated (about 10 minutes). Add bits of water to prevent sticking.
Place the cashews, the water and the onion flakes in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, any blender will work if you soak the cashews for about three to four hours prior.
Add the sauce to the sausage crumble mixture and stir well to combine. Simmer until warm, adding more water as needed to get it to the thickness you desire. Keep in mind, the cashew sauce will continue to thicken as it heats so you may need to add water again if you’re keeping it warm on the stove.
Add love! 💗
Top your favorite biscuits, or whatever else you like, with the gravy.
Serves 4. Enjoy!
