Biscuits & Gravy

When Nicole Filizetti isn't teaching, she spends time cooking up meals from scratch for her husband and two children. "We're big on having breakfast for dinner," she explains. "Making this veg version of biscuits and gravy seemed like a good way to add some lentils into my family's diet." For an unusually light take on a decadent breakfast favorite, serve this gravy over whole-grain English muffins rather than biscuits. You'll shave an extra 100 calories off your meal, and the crispy texture goes great with gravy. This fantastic recipe won third place in VT's 2008 Reader Recipe Contest.

Servings: Serves 8

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Ingredients

• 1 cup  brown lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup  olive oil
• 1/2 cup  finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup  diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup  diced carrot (1 carrot)
• 2   cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)
• 1/4 cup  plus 1 tablespoons unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons  ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon  smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon  ground yellow mustard seed
• 1/4 teaspoon  red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon  rubbed (crumbled) sage
• 2 1/2 cups  low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup  Annie's Naturals Cowgirl Ranch Dressing
• 8   whole-grain biscuits or 4 English muffins

Directions

1

Bring lentils and 3 cups water to a boil in 2 quart saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 30 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

2

Heat oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper, carrot, and garlic, and cook 5 to 8 more minutes, or until vegetables are tender but not mushy. Stir in flour, black pepper, paprika, mustard, red pepper flakes, and sage; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring after each addition. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until gravy comes to a gentle boil. Remove from heat, and stir in ranch dressing and drained lentils.

3

Split biscuits or English muffins. Lightly toast English muffins, if using. Place biscuits on plates, and top with gravy.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 461, Total Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 3.5 g, Cholesterol 11 mg, Sodium 379 mg, Carbohydrate 55 g, Fiber 11 g, Protein 16 g, Sugars 9 g.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

How to Make Turkey Gravy

Gravy may not make or break the turkey dinner at Thanksgiving or Christmas, but there's no doubt a boatful of rich, flavorful gravy to pour over the turkey, dressing and potatoes is really the finishing touch. And despite all the intimidating talk about perfect gravy being an art form, learning how to make turkey gravy is really quite simple.