Monday, July 28, 2014

Meatless Monday: Italian Sausages from Going Vegan


It has come to my attention that the fine folks over at Herbivore Clothing are now in posession of my newest book, Going Vegan co-penned with Gerrie Lynn Adams, with photos by Celine Steen.  This is great news!  Please support indie business, especially vegan indie businesses.

Now on to a Meatless Monday recipe straight from the pages of the new book.  Italian sausages.  Remember to wrap those sausages tight, and wow all your friends and skeptics with your hand made vegan sausage prowess.


Italian Sausage on a bun with Tofu Mayo

Italian Sausages
*Nut Free
*No Added Sugar
These protein packed weiners are juicy and full of Italian flavor.  They taste great on their own, or on a bun with grilled peppers, sliced or crumbled onto a pizza, or chopped up and mixed in to a marinara sauce to pour over pasta. (Special thanks to Julie Hasson for her genius steaming method!)

1 cup (235 ml) vegetable broth
1 block (12 ounces or 340 g) soft silken tofu, drained and mashed with a fork
1/4 cup (66 g) tomato paste
3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
1/2 cup (80 g) finely diced white or yellow onion
1/2 ounce (14 g) fresh parsley, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup full tightly packed)
2 tablespoons (17 g)  minced garlic
1 tablespoon (6 g) dried whole fennel seed
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes, more or less to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, more or less depending on the saltiness of your broth
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
2 cups (288 g) vital wheat gluten flour

You will also need:
8 sheets of aluminum foil measuring about 6 x 12-inches (15 x 30-cm).

Add all ingredients, except vital wheat gluten flour to a large mixing bowl and mix until well incorporated.
Add in the vital wheat gluten flour and mix until a stringly dough forms.
Allow dough to rest for 20 minutes to allow the gluten to develop.
Divide into 8 equal portions, about 1/2 cup (5 ounces, 140 g).
Form each piece of dough into a sausage shape and place near the long edge of the foil.
Roll up the foil and twist the ends tight.
Don't leave space in the foil! Roll the foil tight, and twist the ends so it is as tight as possible. This makes the seitan have to cook in a confined space, forcing the sausage to be dense. I almost always have one pop out of the end, but the rest stay in tact. To prevent blowouts, I just make sure the foil is wrapped around the sausage a couple of times to make it stronger. 
These can be steamed or baked.
To steam, bring the water in your steamer to a boil.  Carefully place the sausages in a single layer in the steamer basket and steam for 45 to 60 minutes.  Remove from steamer (they should be firm to the touch) and allow to cool enough to handle.
To bake, preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).  Place the sausages in a single layer on a baking sheet, seam side down.  Bake for 30 minutes, flip and bake an additional 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool enough to handle.
Once cooled, remove from foil and refrigerate, or freeze until ready to use.
While you can eat these right out of the steamer or oven,  I have found that after they are unwrapped and cooled overnight they get nice and firm, and the flavors stand out more.
To reheat, they taste great pan fried or grilled (as shown in the picture above) to reheat.

Yield: 8 sausages






4 comments:

Babette said...

There are the best sausages I have tried!

Joni Marie Newman said...

Thanks! Glad you like them :)

Philippines Food said...

Spectacular post and thanks for these all great idea's.

alinevill said...

so seriously ingenious! can't wait to make these.

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All recipes written by me, Joni Marie Newman, unless otherwise noted. Please feel free to refer to or link back to any of my recipes, but please ask for permission, and remember to give credit when reprinting recipes in their entirety. I do provide links to affiliate programs (such as Amazon) in which I receive a small commission for items purchased. I do not provide paid reviews. All reviews done on products or books are of my own unsolicited opinion. On occasion I may receive a book or product to review. I will note when this is the case, but rest assured, it will not affect the authenticity of my review. Thanks!--Joni