Vegan "Sausage" Gravy and Buckwheat Cakes

When I was young my Grandmother and Mother would make biscuits and gravy and I always loved it. Although I always picked out the sausage... Ground meat was never my thing. When I became a vegan I missed gravy and while soy milk will make gravy I never liked the flavor of it. But we started using Almond milk a while back and it makes a nice gravy! We started just made Pepper Gravy but have now started using  LightLife vegan Sausage. It works really well in leaving that "sausage" flavor in the background making it a heartier gravy as well. I was actually surprised at how the taste was so satisfying. As I mentioned above I never liked ground meat when I still ate meat but this is a really good alternative and I really like it.

1/2 pack Lightlife Vegan Sausage
2 to 3 cups Original Almond milk
2 to 3 tbsp oil/vegan butter (I use a mix)
2 to 3 tbsp Flour
Set burner on Med.
Start by making a roux. Add the oil and/or butter to the pan to melt/heat. Then add the flour. This will make a thick paste. Right after it comes together let cook for a minute to cook out the flour flavor. Don't let it cook to long. The longer you cook a roux the less effective it is. Than add a small amount of milk and whisk till it thickens.  If it isn't thickening turn up the heat some. It may boil a little and that is fine. Keep adding the almond milk till you get it to the thickness you are looking for. Keep it heated without burning it till you are ready to use it. If it has thickened to much while waiting just add some extra milk and whisk.

Buckwheat cakes has also been one of my favorites since I was younger. My Grandfather would always pick my Mom up a back close to the fall and we would enjoy yummy Buckwheat cakes for the rest of the year and into the new year. When I moved out he started picking up that specific brand for me. About a year and a half ago he past away and although I don't use the brand he used to pick up for us I do think of him every time I eat a buckwheat cake. Its a kind of comfort in a loss I suppose. I do make them a little differently these days. Instead of cows milk I use almond. I don't use eggs. And I purchase the small Arrowhead Mills Organic Buckwheat Pancake & Waffle Mix which is Vegan.

Check your brand to make sure there isn't any dry milk or milk fat in it. Make sure you pick up Buckwheat Mix not Buckwheat Flour if you just want to use it straight for cakes. and if you  have never had a Buckwheat cake you are missing out. Try them. They are the texture of a pancake but more savory.  :)