Biscuits

Biscuits are ubiquitous in Southern cuisine. They are perfectly at home with breakfast (Tasty Breakfast Gravy), lunch, dinner, or a snack. When my mother was a young girl returning home from school with her sisters, she would take a biscuit left over from breakfast, poke a hole in the side, and fill it with honey or jam.

Prepare:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Ingredients:

• 2C white flour
• 1T baking powder
• 1/2t salt
• 2/3-3/4C buttermilk*
• 1/4C oil

Directions:

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add milk and oil. Stir until till dough leaves sides of bowl. Knead briefly. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to about 1/2 inch thick and use a 2 3/4-inch biscuit cutter or glass to cut out biscuits. Place biscuits close to each other for soft-sided biscuits. Brush tops with milk. Bake at 425 degrees for 14 minutes. Makes approximately 8-9 biscuits.

*Note: You can create buttermilk by combining 1C of milk with 1T of lemon juice. Mix well and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Tasty Biscuit Gravy

On most Sundays, we have pancakes for breakfast. Occasionally I prefer some variety. Biscuits with gravy is a favorite of mine. This post is for the gravy which should always accompany biscuits at breakfast! The traditional white sauce recipe calls for oil and flour to be combined in the sauce pan with milk added after the flour/oil mix has browned a little bit. This recipe omits the oil, but the final results are just as tasty. By substituting sausage with a vegetarian substitute you can achieve a healthier breakfast without compromising on taste.

Prepare:

Preheat sauce pan over medium heat.

Ingredients:

• 3-4T flour**
• 2C milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch of sage
• Vegetarian sausage substitute (Morning Star, etc.) chopped into small pieces and at room temp*

Directions:

Pour the milk and add the flour and spices to a shaker bottle. Shake to combine. Pour the milk into the sauce pan. Using a small wire whisk, stir the milk until any remaining clumps of flour are dissolved. Continue stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Once the sauce begins to boil, cook for an additional minute. Stir in chopped sausage. Continue cooking for an additional minute and serve over biscuits, rice, or toast.

*Note: You can also use chopped tofu or boiled eggs in place of sausage.

**Note: For a medium consistency, the ratio of flour to milk is 1T of flour per 1/2 cup of milk.