Showing posts with label vegan sausage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegan sausage. Show all posts
Sunday, February 24, 2019
MY SEITAN "SALAMI" (WITH "PEPPERONI" VARIATION)
I devised this recipe quite a few years ago, but never got around to sharing it until now. I grew up in San Francisco, in a district with plenty of Italian grocery stores and delicatessens, as well as a father who was half Italian. Salami and pepperoni on crusty San Francisco sourdough bread or rolls were favorites during those pre-vegetarian days. Unfortunately, even to this day, commercial vegan versions leave me unsatisfied.
Over a number of years, I worked on this recipe until I finally came up with one that satisfied my memory of real Italian salami. It's not hard to make and the ingredients are not hard to obtain. I hope you like it as much as we do!
Printable Copy
BRYANNA'S SEITAN "SALAMI" (WITH "PEPPERONI" VARIATION)
© 2019 Bryanna Clark Grogan. All Rights Reserved.
This is a recipe that I devised many years ago. I grew up in San Francisco and used to love the real Italian salami there. So far, commercial vegetarian/vegan versions don't do much for me
This recipe is baked (sort of like my seitan roasts, but it does not require all the kneading and resting.) The flavor is great, especially if you have the patience wait until the next day, and it slices very thinly, yet is moist. It freezes very well!
DRY MIX:
2 cups/10.4 oz./292g pure gluten powder (vital wheat gluten)
6 Tbs oat bran
2 Tbs instant (minute) tapioca (also known as "small pearl tapioca")
(See photos just below-- this is NOT the same thing as tapioca starch or flour!)
(See photos just below-- this is NOT the same thing as tapioca starch or flour!)
4 tsp paprika
2 tsp dry mustard powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp WHOLE black peppercorns
1 tsp salt
WET MIX:
1 1/2 cup dry red wine (can be non-alcoholic)
6 Tbs soy sauce (Please do not use Bragg’s liquid aminos instead-- they are not fermented, which means that they don’t have all the umami flavor of fermented soy sauce,)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbs dark (roasted) sesame oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
COOKING BROTH:
1 3/4 cups water
6 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Mix the Dry Mix ingredients in a medium bowl, or in the bowl of your food processor, blending well.
Mix the Wet Mix ingredients together in a blender. Add to the Dry Mix. Stir and then knead, or process until a soft dough forms. (If you have a food processor, use it-- it makes the mixing very fast and easy.) This just takes a few minutes-- it will seem too liquid-y at first, but will firm up.
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and roll them on a clean countertop into 2 rolls.
Roll and tie the dough tightly in doubled-up cheesecloth, 16" long, as in the photo just below. (See about cheesecloth and twine, and wrapping the rolls, and photos of how to wrap, in MY NOTES at the end of the post.)
Place the rolls side-by-side in a small roasting pan (I use a 10 x 6" oval roasting pan with lid).
Pour the Cooking Broth over them. Cover the pan (use foil if necessary) and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, turning after 45 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Bake longer, if necessary. (See ALTERNATIVE COOKING METHOD below.)
Cool the rolls for at least 8 hours before using (you can freeze them after that, if you like). The flavor improves upon standing. Slice very thinly.
VARIATION:
SEITAN "PEPPERONI":
Use only 2 tsp. of whole black peppercorns
and add 1 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper.
Add to the Dry Mix:
1 tsp dried red chile pepper flakes
1 tsp ground anise seed,
2 pinches ground allspice
To make "Pepperoni", proceed as above, but you may want to make 4 smaller rolls.
ALTERNATIVE COOKING METHOD
When I was first developing sausage recipes, Dori, one of my original subscribers, used the following slow-cooker method on this salami recipe in a trial run, and she really liked the results.
She wrote: "I put the cooking broth in my slow-cooker (the 5 qt. West Bend with removeable oblong pan and 5 heat settings) and set the temperature between 3 and 4."
(NOTE from Bryanna: I happen to have one of these-- it's old, but great for smaller jobs. Look for them it thrift stores. See photos below for the old one first, and then a newer version.)
Below is the newer version, and other brands make a similar product:
Dori continues: "I placed the wrapped logs into the slow-cooker (the broth was hot already). I let it cook covered for 2 hours, removed the lid and turned the logs over - they were already firm when I did this. Let it cook for 1 more hour uncovered - until the liquid was absorbed form the bottom of the pan."© Bryanna Clark Grogan 2019
ALTERNATIVE COOKING METHOD
When I was first developing sausage recipes, Dori, one of my original subscribers, used the following slow-cooker method on this salami recipe in a trial run, and she really liked the results.
She wrote: "I put the cooking broth in my slow-cooker (the 5 qt. West Bend with removeable oblong pan and 5 heat settings) and set the temperature between 3 and 4."
(NOTE from Bryanna: I happen to have one of these-- it's old, but great for smaller jobs. Look for them it thrift stores. See photos below for the old one first, and then a newer version.)
Below is the newer version, and other brands make a similar product:
Cheesecloth is loosely woven cotton gauze, originally used to wrap cheeses, but also used for crafts, cooking, straining and more. Cheesecloth is available in at least seven different grades, from open to extra-fine weave. Grades are distinguished by the number of threads per inch in each direction. Here's an article explaining all!
For wrapping the sausages, I use a double layer of ordinary, all-purpose, household cheesecloth (#10 grade), available in most grocery stores, or dollar stores. (See photos above.)
However, you can use a finer grade of cheesecloth if you prefer (#40 to 90 grade), in which case you will only need one layer. Kitchen Supply Co. is a popular brand and is available from kitchen and gourmet stores and many online kitchen supply stores. Unbleached varieties are now available. Beyond Gourmet is a popular brand and is available from many online sources.
White Cooking or Kitchen Twine is food-grade, biodegradable cotton twine. (There is also an unbleached variety.) It is indispensable for tying off small sausages and wrapping large sausages, seitan roasts, etc. before simmering. There are several common brands and spool sizes, and there are also convenient dispensers, such as spools and twine holders, available. Most kitchen supply and gourmet cookware stores will carry this product, and it is available widely online. Search kaboodle.com and amazon.com or .ca, etc. for a variety of brands, sizes, prices, and twine dispensers.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Sunday, October 28, 2018
QUICK & EASY AUTUMNAL BEAN, GREENS AND CARROT SOUP WITH VEGAN SAUSAGE
QUICKIE POST, once again:
I don't know why I haven't posted this recipe before now-- it's one of our perennial favorite soup recipes. It's not only nutritious and quick and easy to make-- it's adaptable as far as some of the ingredients go, hearty, filling and tasty, and can feed you well for a few days, or feed a small crowd! We love it with vegan apple/sage sausages, but Italian-style are good, too. When I made this the other day, I had no vegan sausages (and I live on an island), so I sliced up a couple of my homemade vegan cutlets and added that instead. It worked out well, although I think I prefer the sausage.
About those "white beans"-- I really like Great Northern beans, but you can use small white beans, navy beans (also known as "pea beans"), cannellini beans, or white kidney beans.
I hope you enjoy this soup as much as we do!
BRYANNA’S QUICK & EASY AUTUMNAL BEAN, GREENS AND CARROT SOUP WITH VEGAN SAUSAGE
Serves 8 to 10
2 cups diced carrots
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
3 apple/sage OR Italian vegan sausages (such as Field Roast or Tofurky), sliced
(NOTE: If you have no vegan sausage, you can substitute sliced seitan cutlets [as in the photos], or reconstituted Butler Foods’ Soy Curls, or other vegan product that you like.)
8 cups flavorful vegan “chiken-y” broth
3/4 tsp. EACH dried oregano, thyme and basil
3 cups cooked, drained white beans [see above] (OR two 15 oz. cans of white beans, rinsed and drained)
10-12 ounces roughly-chopped fresh greens of your choice, such as chard, kale, or baby spinach leaves
(NOTE: If you have no fresh greens, use a 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach or other greens, thawed and squeezed as dry as possible.)
Salt & pepper to taste
In a large, heavy pot sauté the carrots, onion and garlic in a little oil of choice (dark sesame oil is nice and flavorful) over medium heat until they have softened, adding a squirt of water if needed to keep things moving. Add the garlic and vegan sausage slices and brown a bit.
(NOTE: If you’re pressed for time, dump the carrots and onion into a microwave-safe casserole with a cover [Pyrex is good] and microwave this for about 6-8 minutes, until the onion and carrots are softened. Then dump it all into your hot, oiled pan with the garlic and sausage slices and stir over medium-high heat until you get the onions ans sausage a bit browned.)
Add the broth, herbs, white beans and greens to the pot, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.
OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL STEP: If you want a “creamier” soup, take out 3 or 4 cups of the soup (minus the sausage slices) and process it until smooth in a large Pyrex batter bowl with a hand/immersion blender, then add this mixture back to the soup pot and mix well.
Nutrition Facts for one serving:
Calories 314.68, Calories From Fat 51.95, Total Fat 5.95g, Saturated Fat 1.25g, Cholesterol 2.46mg, Sodium 1812.07mg, Potassium 1071.18mg, Carbohydrates 52.06g,Dietary Fiber 9.60g, Sugar 3.41g, Sugar Alcohols 0.00g, Net Carbohydrates 42.46g, Protein 15.53g
Enjoy!
Sunday, January 1, 2017
SMOKY VEGAN SAUSAGE AND POTATO CHOWDER
I don't know about you, but, after all the feasting and festivities, we feel like eating pretty simple food. But, given the cold Northern wind blowing here today over the water, it's got to be solid winter food-- solid, but not stodgy. Tonight, of course, we're having my vegan version of Hoppin' John, a New Year's tradition with Southern roots (I do have ancestors who hailed from Virginia). The beans (or black-eyed peas, in this case) are for luck, along with some cooked greens for money, and some corn bread or brown rice (I haven't decided yet).
But, after that, we often have winter soup meals. (I love making soups, in case you hadn't noticed!) So here is a soup that I developed some years ago, but have not ever posted on this blog. It's a creamy chowder-- so warming and satisfing-- but with a few twists. I hope you enjoy it!
BRYANNA'S SMOKY VEGAN SAUSAGE AND POTATO CHOWDER
Serves 6
Can you ever have enough good soup recipes? Not in my book! This recipe uses a bit of smoked salt for extra flavor.
4 cups vegetarian bouillon (I prefer Better-Than-Bouillon No-Chicken Vegetarian OR Better-Than-Bouillon Vegetable broth pastes-- use a little more salt with the vegetable base)
1/2 lb sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced celery
1 bay leaf
1 tsp smoked salt (or sea salt with a few shakes of liquid smoke)
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 vegan "Smoked Apple Sausages", sliced (Field Roast or Tofurky brands)
1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk of choice
1/2 cup medium-firm tofu OR firm to extra-firm SILKEN tofu
2 Tbs potato starch
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Optional:
smoked paprika (pimenton) for garnish
Mix together the broth, sweet potatoes, potatoes, green onions, red pepper, celery, bay leaf, and smoked salt in a medium soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until the potatoes are just tender. Add the corn kernels and the sliced sausage and heat through.
In a blender, combine the milk and tofu with the potato starch until smooth. Pour, stirring, into the hot soup. Stir until it thickens (potato starch thickens when mixed with hot liquid-- it doesn't actually have to cook). Add pepper to taste and taste for salt.
Serve hot, sprinkled with the optional smoked pimenton, if you like.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 248.2 calories; 20% calories from fat; 5.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 586.5mg sodium; 558.1mg potassium; 36.2g carbohydrates; 6.9g fiber; 8.2g sugar; 15.8g protein; 4.6 points.
I wish you all a Happy New Year!
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