SUN-DRIED TOMATO & PINE NUT SEITAN SAUSAGES

 

When I saw a link to these babies pop up in a Vegan MoFo blog (I can’t remember which one as I have become totally overwhelmed with all the action going on) I knew I had to make them and I had to make them soon. I never ate sausages when I was a meat-eater as I never liked the crappy meat they use in them. It always scarred me what could actually be in that sausage. So yeah free sausage sizzles at Bunning's did nothing for me. These on the other had sounded great! Sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts and my new found favourite,  seitan, what could be better. None of the ingredients were overpowering and the sausages fried up beautifully in the pan with a crisp brown skin.  Served up with some homemade pasta and a simple tomato sauce and a little balsamic crème these made a perfect meal. Now that I have braved these ones I will have to come up with a few flavours of my own.

This yummy recipe comes from Veggie num.num. Although not 100% vegan I recommend you check it out to see what other wonders you can find!!

 

Makes 4 large Sausages

Ingredients

For the sausages

• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

• 1/2 a red onion

• 1 red chilli

• 75g sundried tomatoes

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 1/4 cups vegetable stock

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 250g gluten flour

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp paprika

• 4 x pieces of cheesecloth 30×30 cm each

• 8 x pieces of kitchen twine

For the cooking broth

• 6 cups vegetable stock

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

• 2 bay leaves

Directions

1.	By hand or in a food processor finely dice/mince the toasted pine nuts, red onion, chilli and sundried tomatoes.
2.	Whisk the stock with the olive oil and tomato paste until smooth.
3.	Combine the gluten flour with the dried thyme, paprika and processed pine nut/sundried tomato mixture in a large bowl. Slowly add the stock mixture to the dry mixture, combine until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
4.	Divide the dough into four equal portions, roll out each portion to form a sausage, place each sausage onto a piece of cheesecloth, roll tightly and tie off each end securely with pieces of twine.
5.	Bring the stock, garlic and bay leaves to boil in a deep-sided pan, add the sausages, side-by-side and turn down the heat, allow to gently simmer for 45-50 minutes until the sausages are firm to the touch.
6.	Once the sausages are cooked remove from the pan and allow to cool before carefully removing the cheesecloth. {Sausages can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week in an air tight container with the cooking liquid}
7.	Sausages can then be fried in a pan until golden and added to your favourite recipes.

• I served this with Homemade Pasta and Fresh Grape Tomato Sauce from Vegan Yum Yum

Vegan MoFo 2010 Day 25 recipe comes from: Veggie num.num Check out Trudy’s beautiful blog for another serving suggestion and more photos.