Recipe Attempt: Country Gravy using Flax (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

This is my first attempt at making gravy with milled flax seed, and I have to say flax worked well as a thickening agent in this particular recipe. The only thing is, this gravy doesn't have quite the same mouth-feel as normal gravy does, and it gave the cauliflower that I paired it with a bit of a "slide-y"(?) consistency. However, the gravy was an excellent sauce for the almond crusted pan fried chicken I made. Overall, I am pretty happy with the result, but not yet satisfied. I will be tweaking around with this recipe sometime in the near future.

In the meanwhile, I decided to put an "Optional add-on's" section below which lists ingredients that I think would elevate the gravy in both texture and taste, but I haven't actually given those options a try yet, so season at your own discretion!

The entire basic recipe is only 1 gram of carbs.


Basic gravy ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 pound raw pork sausage or chopped bacon
• 1 tbsp butter (if you're using sausage or turkey bacon)
• 4 tbsp milled flax seed
• 1 to 1 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional add-on's

• 1/2 cube chicken bouillon (optional)
• 1/4 c chopped onion (optional)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/4 c ricotta cheese (optional, might help the texture)

1. On medium-high heat, brown the sausage or bacon, using butter if not enough oil renders out. Add in any of the optional ingredients at this point. 
2. Stir the flax seed into the pan once the meat browns, and the vegetables soften. Let cook for about a minute, then whisk in the almond milk. 
3. Lower the heat to medium. Let the mixture come to a simmer and thicken, about 5 minutes. Serve either on the side or on by pouring on top of fried chicken. (Side-note: The gravy tends to thicken even more after taking it off the heat and letting it cool for 3 minutes. Add more milk if the gravy gets too thick.)

Nutritional Info (for the basic recipe)

Calories: 827 calories

Total fat: 56 grams

Total carbs: 10 grams

Dietary fiber: 9 grams

Net carbs (entire basic recipe): 1 gram

Protein: 32