My Biscuits Vegan Life

OK – this is not my recipe! This is from Isa Chandra Moskowitz, possibly my favorite vegan recipe writer, from her book, “Vegan with a Vengeance,” possibly my favorite vegan cookbook. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe. (I make two tweaks…. LOL) And I want you to go out and buy this book for yourself and your vegan journey. (I don’t know her and get nothing for commanding this of you!) To entice you over into her food world, I’m including this recipe, minus the homemade biscuits. If you want her recipe for the biscuits, which are great, you’ll have it as soon as that book is delivered to your doorstep….. So let’s get to it.

This serves 4 comfortably, with 2 biscuits per person. But I myself would prefer more so maybe 3 is better (still with 2 biscuits per person). LOL.

The ingredient list is in two parts: 1.) Those for the Tempeh Sausage Crumbles; and 2.) Those for the White Bean Sausage Gravy. You’ll need…

Part one – the “Tempeh Sausage Crumbles”

1 8-oz package of tempeh (I like 3 three-grain kind)

1 Tbsp fennel seeds

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried marjoram or oregano (I can’t choose so I use 1/2 tsp of each!)

1/2 tsp of pepper flakes

1/2 tsp of dried sage

2 cloves, garlic minced

**1 Tbsp Bragg’s Amino Acid** (see note below)

1 Tbsp olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

(Note – **This is my first alteration. Isa’s recipe calls for 2 Tbsp of tamari or soy sauce. I find that to be too much for my taste so I cut it in half. And then why not use Bragg’s and get all those aminos? It tastes just as good.**)

Part two – the “White Bean Gravy”

1 15-oz can of white beans

2 Tbsp of olive oil

1/4 c of vegetable broth or water (water does actually work just fine)

1/2 tsp salt

A few dashes of fresh black pepper

**6-8 leaves of fresh sage, chopped**

(Note – **This is my second alteration. Isa’s recipe calls for 8-10 leaves of fresh sage, and it’s to much to my palate. So 6 big leaves or 8 smaller ones.**)

“In a small pan, crumble the tempeh and add enough water to almost cover it. Over medium-high heat, simmer the tempeh until most of the water is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Drain the remaining water and add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.”

Now this is where my laziness kicks in. During this cooking time I could be making biscuits via Isa’s biscuit recipe. But why, when I can get these lovely babies from the grocery store? Yep…. I like making biscuits, but I also like these too: Organic Flaky Biscuits from Immaculate Baking Company. (Yes, they’re vegan.) While the tempeh is cooking, pre-heat the oven and get these ready, because the rest of the recipe doesn’t take much time at all, and these particular biscuits take 16-19 minutes.

Next…. “Puree the white beans with the olive oil and vegetable broth in a blender or food processor until relatively smooth. Add to the tempeh crumbles along with the salt and pepper. Heat through for a few minutes. If you want to make the gravy thinner, add a little more vegetable broth. Mix in the sage and cook for another 2 minutes.”

Spoon the white bean tempeh “sausage” over biscuits and voila! Instant goodness. Again, I LOVE this recipe. Thanks, Isa!

As to protein count: The 8-oz package of 3-grain tempeh I used had almost 48g of protein. The can of cannellini beans I used had 21 grams. So 69 total grams of protein divided into 4 equals just over 17g of protein per serving of the white bean tempeh “sausage” gravy. Plus 3g of protein per biscuit. So if you serve 1/4 of the recipe over two biscuits you’re looking at approximately 23 g of protein!