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.

Potato Asparagus Stack

Russet potatoes. Fresh asparagus. Olive oil. Tarragon. Dijon. What’s not to love? Plus it’s pretty on a plate. Honestly, good enough for company!  If you don’t happen to have marjoram, try some dried coriander. Either one will give the dressing the desired lemony punch you are looking for.  Inspired by www.vegan4one.com

Here’s what you need:

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

3-4 T lemon juice

½  C olive oil

1 t tarragon

1 t Dijon mustard

1 t marjoram

Here’s what you do:

Peel and slice the potatoes. Drop them in boiling water and simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Remove them from the water and toss them in some olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast them in a 425 degree oven to your liking. I turned my over a few times, and gave them a quick blast under the broiler at the end. Plan on about 15 minutes.

Cut the asparagus in half, toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the same oven, but for much less time.

Make the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, olive oil, tarragon and marjoram.

Stack it all together and drizzle with the dressing. 

(printablerecipe)

And if you're not sick of asparagus yet this year (and who ever gets sick of asparagus?) you might also like these recipes: 

Linguine with  Chicken, Asparagus and Raspberry Vinaigrette 

Veggie Salad Nicoise 

Sausage Bundles in Balsamic Glaze

Still working my way through the long list or promised recipes. Curious? Click here. 

I served these at an Irish Dinner Party that I donated to a silent auction for my son’s band. A local couple won the dinner (way back in October) and they had their party in March, which seems like forever-ago. (Did it really take this long to post this???)  My menu that evening was full of Irish goodness: fish stew, glazed corned beef, classic mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, cabbage, and for dessert, an over the top carrot cake.

I went pretty simple with the appetizers: cheese straws and these sausage bundles. The recipe for the cheese straws can be found here, on my other blog (Food Talk: Mlive). Believe me, when I insist that you add both of these to your appetizer collection.

Here’s what you need:

1 pound bulk pork sausage

1 egg

½ C Panko bread crumbs

½ t basil (or oregano or sage)

½ C water

½ C ketchup

2 T brown sugar

1 T soy sauce

1 T balsamic vinegar

Here’s what you do:

Mix the meat, egg, bread crumbs and basil well with a fork. Make small balls, about 1 inch in size. Patiently brown them in a tiny bit of oil over medium heat. Turn them delicately with a tongs. This is your only chance to get them nice and brown, so be patient.

Mix the ingredients for the glaze. Pour over the bundles and continue to cook, reducing the liquid till it’s almost gone. It’s nice and sticky. 

On another note: I sauteed an entire head of cabbage with a Granny Smith apple and a huge sweet onion for about an hour to create the BEST cabbage side dish. Sometimes I do this and serve it over plain egg noodles.... totally yum (if you are cabbage lovers, like we are :)) Look at those great colors!