Top of the Morning!

I've recently discovered a love for Southern Biscuits and Gravy but on day 3 of healthy eating in twenty-ten I'm not ready to fall off the wagon, or is it get on the wagon? Either way, pork sausage is not a part of my plan so I opted for Morning Star Sausage Crumbles. Not a bad alternative but I had to add a tablespoon of oil as there was no fat to speak of to make the roux. It got pasty so I fried the dickens out of and it got a little better.  I think next time I would fry up the sausage, leave the fond ( sticky bits) and 1/4 of the sausage in the skillet, make the roux and sauce and then add the remaining sausage back in. My daughter in law Cate, and son Ben thought it tasted pretty good too. It's nice to have a supportive family!! Cate suggested the addition of mushrooms to the sauce and I wish I would have thought of that. Mushrooms often add a nice meaty flavor to dishes. I can hardly wait to try it again.

For the  biscuits, I used a smidgeon more than half all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour. I want to maximize my wheat and grains without compromising the taste and texture. I've begun incorporating whole wheat flour in half increments to everything that requires flour. It provides a nice nutty flavor and a delightful texture you can feel in your mouth. When you purchase the soymilk for baking and sauces double check to be sure you don't have vanilla. Even 'plain' has a sweet taste. Look for unsweetened and it's usually in the healthy food aisle, not refrigerated.

The taste was great and my gentleman husband thought it was fine. His tastebuds tend to lean to the refined sugar, chocolatey end of the spectrum so I was flattered. We're doing a little paradigm shifting and I'm enjoying it very much. It takes a lot of planning and a little creativity but I'm beginning to see that I don't have to eat dairy, sugar, and meat to feel satisfied and create meals that are tasty. Perhaps my tastebuds won't be unemployed ad infinitum after all but I haven't told you about my cupcake disaster yet so the jury is sill deliberating.

If you have a few extra bucks invest in a good baking scale. It makes a huge difference in flour and dry good measurements. Look for one that will 'tare' and you'll never have to move the bowl. Mine is a My-Weigh KD-8000 and it weighs in ounces, gram, kilograms and pounds. It's a good investment.

All the best, Kate

Whole Wheat Baking Powder Biscuits

7 oz all purpose flour
6 oz whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ounce butter
2 ounces shortening
1 cup unsweetended soy milk soured with 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine dry ingredients, butter and shortening and work with your fingers until mixture resembles small crumbs.
Add soymilk and stir until it comes together.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead slightly then flatten into a large disk of dough about 3/4 inch thick. Cut with 2" biscuit cutter.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Soymill Gravy with Sausage Crumbles.
1 pound Morningstar sausage crumbles ( not Italian style)
Coursely chopped mushrooms (whatever increment you want)
1 Tablespon olive oil
1.25 oz all purpose flour
2 cups unsweetened soymilk
2 sage leaves chopped
lots of pepper
salt

Fry the sausage crumbles, mushrooms and olive oil  in cast iron skillet.
Set aside 1/2 to 3/4 of the sausage in a seperate bowl
Add the flour and cook 3-4 minutes
Slowly add the unsweetened soymilk and cook until a nice gravy forms
Add the remaining sausage back in
Add sage, salt and tons of pepper.


Add the olive oil and flour and cook for 3-4 minutes.