Italian Sausage (vegan)

Vegan Month of Food 2017

"Lines and Light"

(a line of original poetry or a photo of Michigan light every day for the month of October)

Day 29:History: What would you cook for your favorite historical figure

Light on a secret place

(That pinkish stuff all over the place is the most flavorful sauce made from the juice of my roasted tomatoes, Dijon mustard, and vegan Ranch dressing. OMG.)

(Day 2. I  chunked up the leftover sausage, sauteed them in a bit of oil and added to to jarred Marinara sauce. Better than meat!)

In honor of the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation of the church, I decided to make sausages, mashed potatoes, green beans, and roasted tomatoes for my favorite reformer, Martin Luther. If there has even been a single person who has changed world history, it’s Luther! Reformations and Counter-Reformations and new denominations of Christianity and huge divisions in the church – there’s no way he could have known what his influence would be. I totally admire his willingness and bravery to speak his mind, even to the point of excommunication!

(If Mrs. Luther had fennel, she would have used her Brazilian mortar and pestle to grind it,
just like me.)

He stood before emperor and said, “I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”  Think of it! That’s crazy!

My favorite Martin Luther quote is this, “You can’t keep birds from flying over you but you can keep them from nesting in your hair.”

Another Luther gem, “The devil should not be allowed to keep all the best tunes to himself.”

If you don’t know much about Martin Luther, I suggest that you watch one of the many movies made about him, or even take a glimpse at Wikipedia. He was a pretty fascinating guy. I’m positive his beloved wife, Katherina, made him this meal.

If you haven’t made homemade vegan sausages, fear not! It’s so easy and way better than store bought ones. I find most of the brands way too salty for my taste. These are simple to make and it really doesn’t take much time. My recipe is based on Isa Chandra’s Italian Feast Sausages, from her Vegan Brunch cookbook.

(I know what you're thinking.....but trust me, these are so good!)

Here’s what you need:

¼ C chickpeas

1 ¼ C vital wheat gluten

1 C broth made from Chicken Style Seasoning (find that amazing recipe  HERE )

1 T olive oil

2 T soy sauce

4 garlic cloves, grated finely

¼ nutritional yeast

2 t fennel seeds, crushed

1 t red pepper flakes

1 t sweet paprika

1 t dried oregano

(My famous drizzle sauce: juice from my homemade roasted tomatoes, (I call it liquid gold),
 dijon, and Ranch.)

Here’s what you do:

Smash the chickpeas with a fork until every single one has been smashed. Add the gluten and mix a bit. Make a slurry with the remaining ingredients, whisk, and pour over the dry stuff. Use a wooden spoon and then your hands to mix everything together. It will seem wet. It won’t be too  long before you observe long threads of gluten in the mixture – that’s when you know you’re ready for the next step.

Divide the stuff into 4 sausages and carefully wrap them in aluminum foil. Steam them for about 40 minutes! Voila! They are ready!

I like to cut them lengthwise and fry them a bit. Serve with mustard, or sautéed onions and garlic, or in sauces, or on bread, or sliced into disks. Very good.