Our Veggie Kitchen

I took my seitan on the road through rural Washington, visiting two foodies that are both very omni. They both were surprised, stunned that a seitan sausage tastes good. My Italian Sausage passed the taste test with my olive-skinned father and his Mediterranean roots, so it's time to post.



Italian Sausage
1/2 cup white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cold vegetable broth
1/4 cup tvp
1 1/2 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs soy sauce
1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp anise seed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes.

The process is similar to Andouille (illustrated here)

Combine the vegetable broth with the tvp and let sit until it softens. Mix the anise seed, fennel seed and red pepper flakes in a mortar and bruise with a pestle. Get your steaming apparatus set up and bring water to a boil while you assemble the seitan. Tear 6 sheets of tin foil (about 5 inches each) and have ready.

To prepare seitan, mash beans with a fork in a flat-bottomed bowl. Add the wheat gluten, nutritional yeast and spices, including fennel, anise and pepper flakes. Mix together with your fingers, then incorporate with the mashed beans into a coarse meal. It is not necessary to be thorough, just make sure the beans are not clumpy. Pour in the remaining ingredients and mix together with your fingers, until a moist dough is formed. Add a tablespoon or two of water if necessary.

Divide the dough into six equal parts. With each part, form into a log about 5 inches long. Roll the dough in foil and twist the ends. Place the wrapped 'links' into a steamer and steam for about 40 minutes, until the sausage is firm.

Edit: ingredient list did not include tvp.

6 Servings: 201 cal (5g fat, 15g carbs, 25g protein)