SEITAN TURKEY SAUSAGE
I was playing around in the kitchen experimenting with seitan. If you are unfamiliar with seitan, it is a wonderful meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten. It is full of protein and very healthy. I really like seitan, but I wanted to change the texture up so it was lighter this time, less of a rubbery chicken texture. So after considerable tweaking, this is what I came up with. I call it Turkey Sausage, as it has the texture and color of ground turkey, but the taste of a mild sausage, thanks in great part to the use of fennel seeds, and poultry seasoning. Give this one a try, you will not be disappointed. It is a bit labor intensive with lots of ingredients, but it really makes a lot, so you can have it for dinner, and have enough leftovers for 4 more meals.
Ingredients:
Wet:
1.5 cups veg broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Dry:
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup chickpea flour (or put dry chickpeas in food processor until turned into flour)
1/4 cup quick oats flour (or put quick oats in food processor until turned into flour)
1tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
3 T nutritional yeast
1 tsp fennel seeds (VERY Important ingredient for that sausage taste) You can use more if you like it really spicy. 1/2 tsp flax seeds
1.5 tsp parsley
S&P to taste
Simmer Broth
8-9 cups water or veg broth
1/2 large onion cut in large pieces
3 stalks of celery cut in large pieces
2 bay leaves
Combine and whisk together dry ingredients, put in food processor until well blended, (NO liquids at this point). Put in large bowl. Then, In food processor, combine your wet ingredients. After both are made you will combine together by making a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients with wood spoon, then use hands and knead for a few minutes. (this is important) If it is too dry add more water. After well blended it should a bit like elastic. (yes, I said elastic) Put back in bowl, cover with damp towel for 5 minutes. In the meantime, heat up 6-8 cups additional veg broth or just water with veg bullion in deep soup pot, chop up 1/2 large onion, and 3 stalks of celery in big pieces and put in with broth with 2 bay leaves just to add a good flavor. (be sure and remove bay leaves after cooking) Once it comes to a boil, turn down to a high simmer, then use your kitchen scissors to cut small pieces off the Seitan roll, and drop in the hot water, turn down to low simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 15 min. Now you will probably start freaking out at this point as you are going to think you screwed up, imagine putting raw hamburger in boiling water what it would like... but it's okay... for this version of seitan, it is supposed to look like this.
When complete remove seitan from pan by draining in a colander. Once completely drained, remove the large vegetables and bay leaves that were left behind from your simmer sauce, then use your spatula or large knife and chop it up in fine pieces and then simply freeze in individual servings. Put them in a freezer bag, and pull out however many you like to add to your dishes. They will last a very long time in the freezer. I find it is great mixed in with onions, peppers, a tofu scramble, chili, and I especially like it with beans and rice. Use your imagination, spice them up however you like, and Enjoy!
I was playing around in the kitchen experimenting with seitan. If you are unfamiliar with seitan, it is a wonderful meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten. It is full of protein and very healthy. I really like seitan, but I wanted to change the texture up so it was lighter this time, less of a rubbery chicken texture. So after considerable tweaking, this is what I came up with. I call it Turkey Sausage, as it has the texture and color of ground turkey, but the taste of a mild sausage, thanks in great part to the use of fennel seeds, and poultry seasoning. Give this one a try, you will not be disappointed. It is a bit labor intensive with lots of ingredients, but it really makes a lot, so you can have it for dinner, and have enough leftovers for 4 more meals.
Ingredients:
Wet:
1.5 cups veg broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Dry:
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup chickpea flour (or put dry chickpeas in food processor until turned into flour)
1/4 cup quick oats flour (or put quick oats in food processor until turned into flour)
1tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
3 T nutritional yeast
1 tsp fennel seeds (VERY Important ingredient for that sausage taste) You can use more if you like it really spicy. 1/2 tsp flax seeds
1.5 tsp parsley
S&P to taste
Simmer Broth
8-9 cups water or veg broth
1/2 large onion cut in large pieces
3 stalks of celery cut in large pieces
2 bay leaves
Combine and whisk together dry ingredients, put in food processor until well blended, (NO liquids at this point). Put in large bowl. Then, In food processor, combine your wet ingredients. After both are made you will combine together by making a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients with wood spoon, then use hands and knead for a few minutes. (this is important) If it is too dry add more water. After well blended it should a bit like elastic. (yes, I said elastic) Put back in bowl, cover with damp towel for 5 minutes. In the meantime, heat up 6-8 cups additional veg broth or just water with veg bullion in deep soup pot, chop up 1/2 large onion, and 3 stalks of celery in big pieces and put in with broth with 2 bay leaves just to add a good flavor. (be sure and remove bay leaves after cooking) Once it comes to a boil, turn down to a high simmer, then use your kitchen scissors to cut small pieces off the Seitan roll, and drop in the hot water, turn down to low simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 15 min. Now you will probably start freaking out at this point as you are going to think you screwed up, imagine putting raw hamburger in boiling water what it would like... but it's okay... for this version of seitan, it is supposed to look like this.
When complete remove seitan from pan by draining in a colander. Once completely drained, remove the large vegetables and bay leaves that were left behind from your simmer sauce, then use your spatula or large knife and chop it up in fine pieces and then simply freeze in individual servings. Put them in a freezer bag, and pull out however many you like to add to your dishes. They will last a very long time in the freezer. I find it is great mixed in with onions, peppers, a tofu scramble, chili, and I especially like it with beans and rice. Use your imagination, spice them up however you like, and Enjoy!
