Recipe: Toamto Gravy II (used for a macaroni dish)

Veganizable in the obvious ways

Mr. Big Food made this as a sauce for baked macaroni. A nice vegan variation on mac & cheese. Also, he used broccoli stock rather than water. No need to let those vitamins go down the drain when you boil veggies!

“Instead of tomatoes, you can use canned tomato juice or canned tomatoes.” 

TOMATO GRAVY II  

1 oz (2 Tbsp) butter (“the size of a large egg”) 
1 onion, cut into thin slices 
4 whole black peppercorns 
3 whole allspice 
1 whole clove 
Pinch ground cinnamon 
½ bay leaf 
Pinch thyme 
Piece of lemon rind “about the size of a thumb nail” 
1 Tbsp sugar, plus more if needed 
2 Tbsp flour 
10 medium tomatoes, well ripened, chopped, with juices 
Soup stock or water (the former preferably homemade—see recipes in this section) 
Salt 
2 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice (optional) 
A little red wine OR sour cream (optional) 

Melt butter in a saucepan or deep skillet and fry onion slices until golden. Add peppercorns, allspice, clove, cinnamon, bay leaf, thyme, lemon rind, and sugar. Add flour and mix well. Add tomatoes and their juices, and simmer, mixing frequently. Add soup stock or water when juice from tomatoes has evaporated. Cook, add salt to taste, and add additional sugar, and vinegar or lemon juice, if any is needed. “Some people add a little red wine or sour cream.” Strain gravy through a strainer.