One of the waist-expanding culprits at most people's holiday meal is the fat laden gravy.
This year, replace a gravy made from pan drippings with this butter-free mushroom ragout recipe from nytimes.com. The sauce is thickened with broth and a tablespoon of flour, while the numerous mushrooms and fresh herbs make for a tender and fragrant finish.
This gravy can accompany several holiday dishes, including mashed potatoes, ham, and turkey.
Ingredients
1 ounce (about 1 cup) dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion or 2 shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 pound wild mushrooms or oyster mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced thick or torn into pieces
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 cup fruity red wine, such as a Ctes du Rhone
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or fresh thyme leaves
1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
Freshly ground pepper
Cant wait to serve this low fat gravy? Click here for the directions at nytimes.com.
Yield: Serves six to eight as one of several side dishes; more as a gravy.
