Immune System Boosting Rich Gravy I am extremely proud of this gravy recipe, as it is smooth, thick, rich and unites the health promoting power of many vegetable super stars (including mushrooms, red onion, carrots and garlic). While the health benefits of consuming mushrooms are no less than staggering, some people, including our oldest, avoid them because of their texture. When my son tasted this gravy, his response was “Wow, Mom, I can’t tell you how good this is!”  It is also gluten-free and freezes fabulously! Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to make it, as you can serve it with my Cancer Fighting Garlic Mashed Potatoes anytime!

Ingredients:
8 oz pkg of mushrooms (white or Cremini), cleaned and roughly sliced
1/2 cup red onion, diced very small
1/2 cup carrot, diced very small
2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed (let sit 10 minutes before using in recipe)
1 tsp poultry seasoning (or 1/4 tsp each: sage, basil, oregano, marjoram)
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
2 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
1 TBSP reduced sodium soy sauce

Procedure:
Add onion and carrot to a dry pan heating over medium-high. When they begin to brown, add a few tablespoons of broth, stir and continue to cook for a 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Add garlic and poultry seasoning, cook for 1 minute before adding cooked rice, rest of the broth and soy sauce. When carrots are tender, puree mixture in blender, until gravy is very smooth. Serve right away or return to pan to keep warm, if needed. The recipe makes ~2.5 cups of gravy, and can easily doubled, if you are feeding a crowd or want to put some into the freezer (it will separate when thawed, but put it all into a pan and whisk while reheating).

Timaree Hagenburger, a plant-based registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), certified exercise physiologist with a master’s degree in public health, has over 20 years of experience as a nutrition professor. She is a sought after speaker, media personality and author, who works with private clients, and in corporate wellness, has contributed to several cookbooks and published her own cookbook, The Foodie Bar Way: One Meal, Lots of Options, Everyone’s Happy (www.foodiebars.com)! Timaree is also the founder of an incredible online membership community, The Foodie Bar Way of Life, that makes loving the food (and living a life) that loves us back… simple, satisfying, sustainable AND FUN! You can contact her about working with her through 1:1 dietitian nutrition coaching, for hands-on cooking instruction and to inquire about arranging a speaking engagement.