"I Can't Believe It's Vegan" Gravy

Admittedly, I was a little scared as I patrolled the internet for a carnivore-accepted gravy suitable for my family. They all had such an odd mix of ingredients and I really wanted to impress. You know, so I don't look like a crazy hippy or something. Vegan food is delicious, and I wanted to prove it through gravy!

This recipe came from a cute website called VegWeb. It has a different taste than other gravies I have had, but in a good way. It has a sort of tang to it that goes wonderfully with stuffing and mashed potatoes. Everyone in my family liked it, and happily dumped it on just about everything except for the pile of barcequed ribs that they were feasting on.

And the best part about this recipe is that it is easy!

In a pot on medium heat, add:

• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• a dash of onion powder
• a few dashes of garlic powder
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional, but I would recommend it)
• a few generous dashes of soy sauce
• a small squeeze of mustard (I used spicy mustard rather than yellow)
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance
• salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

Whisk it all together, heat to a simmer, and taste for proper seasonings. I think I might have also dumped in a splash of sherry, just for fun. I am looking for an excuse to make this recipe again. Enjoy!

Baked Cardamom Pears

This was dessert for day seven of the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart.

Cardamom Baked Pear

This is probably the easiest and mess-free recipe in the meal plan I have been following. All I did was cut a pear in half, scoop out the core with a spoon, fill the core with golden raisins, sprinkle the whole thing with ground cardamom, and bake in a covered dish at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven.

While these are fairly sweet, it is all natural sugar enhanced with a little bit of spice. I bet these would also be wonderful as a warm, homey breakfast. I kept pestering Helen about having one, and she finally acquiesced to a little bite. She found it to be so good that she ended up eating the whole pear half. I think we've got a keeper!