A few weeks ago I bought a package of Field Roast Apple-Sage Sausage at Whole Foods in Oklahoma City. I don’t get into the city very often, but when I do, I make a pilgrimage to WF with a long list of vegan staple items. When I got home I took a look at the ingredients on the package of sausage and realized that I could make my own at home, saving money and eliminating some of the more mysterious ingredients. Since I’d also recently (successfully) made seitan pepperoni and seitan chorizo sausage I figured it wouldn’t be too hard and it would be fun trying. If it didn’t work out, I could always go back to buying it from WF. I deliberately avoided looking for a recipe online and developed this one on my own – and I must say, I’m inordinately proud of the results.
Smoky Apple-Sage Seitan Sausage & Red Onion Marmalade Sandwich
Makes 2 Sandwiches
Sausage:
(recipe makes 6 sausages)
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 2/3 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
4 cloves garlic, finely minced or microplaned
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. rubbed sage
1/4 dried apples, plumped in hot water
1 tsp. dried onion
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 tbsp. Red Onion Marmalade
Vegenaise or tofu mayonnaise to taste
Grainy mustard to taste
Handful of fresh greens
4 slices Onion & Mustard Seed Braid Bread (or any good quality whole grain bread)
Make the sausage:
In a small bowl, whisk together the vegetable broth, apple juice, Liquid Aminos, water and apple cider vinegar. Set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the vital wheat gluten, whole wheat flour, nutritional yeast, garlic, poultry seasoning, rubbed sage, dried onion and black pepper. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the vegetable broth mixture; add the dried apples. Stir until a dough begins to form, then knead for about 3 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, tear six pieces of foil measuring about 8″ x 8″. Preheat the oven to 350F.
Divide the dough into six equal pieces and shape each into a log about 6″ long. Place a sausage near the long end of a piece of foil and roll the foil – somewhere between loose and tight – twisting or folding the ends. Continue with the remaining 5 pieces. When the oven is hot, place the foil packets directly on the oven rack and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Allow the sausages to cool in their foil packets on a wire rack for about an hour before unwrapping. The sausage is now ready to use, but slicing will be easier after chilling.
Make the sandwiches:
Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high. Taking two sausages, slice them each nearly in two (length-wise), leaving just enough so that the halves stay together, but so that you can lay the sausages flat in the pan. Lightly brown both sides of the sausages. Meanwhile, spread two slices of the bread with mayo and the other two slices with mustard. Spoon 2 tbsp. of red onion marmalade each on two slices of the bread and layer on some greens, add the browned sausages and top with the remaining pieces of bread. Slice sandwiches in two and serve.
