Vegetarian gravy??

[RosieH]

While I appreciate the term "vegetarian gravy" is practically an oxymoron, nevertheless I have been tasked with fashioning such this coming weekend.

Can anyone recommend any recipes that don't taste of little more than celery and marmite? I have, of course, JFGIed, but am hoping that the caring sharing bosom of the EDF may yield some reliably choice morsels.

[Brendan]

I made this up off the cuff recently when doing a roast for a vegetarian friend. It worked very well.

Caramelise onions in butter

Add garlic and finely chopped mushrooms

Add lots of balsamic vinegar

Add a little tomato paste

Add some rosemary

Add some vegetable stock

Thicken with flour

[HAL9000]

Substitute olive oil for the butter, and you're almost there: you could add some mustard and ground black pepper and then blitz to smoothness with a blender.

[Otta]

Or just buy the green Bisto, which my other half says is quite nice.

[El Pibe]

Cheat...

http://images.mysupermarket.co.uk/ProductsDetailed/70/019270.jpg

[El Pibe]

ooh, cross post

[*Bob*]

I do something very similar.

Fry cubes of pancetta in butter, add onions and caramelise

Add garlic and finely chopped mushrooms

Add lots of balsamic vinegar

Add a little tomato paste

Add some rosemary

Add some vegetable stock

Carefully pick through and remove pancetta cubes

Thicken with flour

Visiting veggies can't get enough of it.

[Otta]

Seriously, whatever you do, you can't go wrong with Marigold Swiss vegetable boullion powder as a starting point. Olive oil, garlic, mixed herbs, and a bit of corn flower should do the trick. Maybe a splash of white wine.

I'd honestly get a jar of the Bisto though.

[The Minkey]

I made my first onion gravy recently - enough for two. Chop one med. size onion very finely, cook in a little oil until caramelised. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and continue cooking a minute or so until mixed in. Add 1/2 level tsp mustard powder, some worcester sauce, & veg Bisto for thickening, mix well then add cooking water from the vegetables (if you have any) and simmer a few more minutes - simple, quick and tasty.

[the-e-dealer]

Standard Bisto is vegetarian. Always has been.

Pancetta is Meat.

except the Chicken + turkey ones

http://www.aahnight.co.uk/range/bisto-granules/

[maxxi]

Brendan's recipe is not far off but I would leave out the mushrooms, tom puree and balsamic and add mushroom ketchup and kikkoman soy sauce.

Caramelise the onions slowly to release their natural sugars, add flour and slowly add stock (fattened up with the mushroom ketchup, soy sauce, lea and perrins and a spoon or two of redcurrant jelly) - adjust seasoning.

[the-e-dealer]

Careful as very strict veggies will object to the Anchovies in Lea and Perrins. There used to be an an alternative

not sure if it is still around.

Found it!

http://veggiestuff.com/acatalog/vegetarian_worcester_sauce_life.html

[El Pibe]

True, true,

Ok, given the anchovy and pancetta related difficulties I'd go with

-----------------------------------------------------

Fry onions in butter and caramelise

Add garlic and finely chopped mushrooms

Add lots of balsamic vinegar

Add a little tomato paste

Add some rosemary

Place in water with bison head and simmer for 9 hours

Remove bison head

Thicken with flour and reduce

[the-e-dealer]

As long as the Bison is a vegetarian I think that would be ok.

[DaveR]

You don't eat meat, you don't get gravy. Simple as that.

[gwod]

Beef Bisto has no meat products in its ingredient list - my Veggie friends pour it liberally over their Linda Mcartney pies!

[HAL9000]

Beef Bisto has no meat products in its ingredient list ...

Some of the ingredients in Bisto Beef Ready To Use Gravy are definitely not vegetarian:

Water, Maize Starch, Flavouring, Wheat Flour, Salt, Yeast Extract, Sugar, Beef Stock (0.4%) (Beef Stock, Salt), Beef Dripping (0.4%), Onion Powder, Roast Barley Malt Extract, Black Pepper.

[the-e-dealer]

Not Bisto Original - we veggies are traditionalists!

[RosieH]

I love you people, I really do.

Normally, I'd tell the vegetarians that gravy = meat juices and to suck it up, but I want these ones to like me.

So Bisto with all those lovely lovelinesses it is.

And God bless us, everyone

xxx

[the-e-dealer]

Ahh Bisto ! With Sainsbury's Cauldron Roast Yummy. Oh and Roast Potatoes, Onions, Parsnips with Redcurrant Jam, Sprouts, Yorkshires. Heaven

[Huguenot]

Why would you want someone who is so anal that they make you jump through hoops to like you?

It's very rare to find a vegetarian intelligent enough to recognise the flaws in their fastidious behaviour, and those that are wouldn't pick through ingredient lists looking for the slightest infraction.

Ergo, RosieH, you are sacrificing yourself for an idiot. Where is your self respect? Hit them in the face.

[the-e-dealer]

So what kinds or selective eating are not Anal or should we just eat anything.

[Jeremy]

Good to see Huguenot getting into the Christmas spirit!

[????]

lol at a vegeterian seeing something meat based as a 'slight infraction'. 1/10 hugenot.

It's just manners innit - if someone is invited round my house and doesn't like fish I ain't serving fish.

[the-e-dealer]

What about Jews with Kosher and Islamic Halal is that ok? Or do you feel threatened by everyone who isn't like you?