Veggie Sausage

[rogpayne]

In a concerted effort to reduce my weight and control my blood pressure I am for the foreseeable future going to lessen my meat intake. I therefore need to try some veggie type sausages and being a complete novice when it comes to Veggie type products I am a bit stuck!
I have always loved meat and always make my own sausages with a variety of recipes. So is there anyone out there who can help with this problem! Many thanks.

[tristar]

You could try this old one on my site, Garden Sausage, can't remember where it came from originally, but seemed quite popular at the time.

I am sure that some of the others on here have some ideas, vinner posted this once some time ago:

You can adapt any recipe by replacing the meat with beans or grains, and adding eggs or egg whites. These can be formed into patties and fried or roasted , or put into Casings. If the vegetarians can't eat the casings, a substitute, albeit expensive, is to use leeks. Trim whole leeks and blanch in simmering water fo 2-3 minutes, then drain and place in cold water. When cool, genlty push the center out of the leeks, and use the hollow leek outers as casings. Or, try this recipes:

Polish Veggie Sausage

8 ounces tempeh (from the health food section- ask your veggie friends)

1 can (15 ounces ) cooked beans (any color), drained and rinsed (I use red kidneys)
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp dried savory
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 large eagg whites
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Steam tempeh for 10 minutes, cool, then coarsely grate with a box grater.
Put in a food processor with all the ingredients, and pulse until thouroghly blended. Place in pastry bag (or large ziplock bag with a corner cut off).

Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter. Pipe a 3/4 inch line of the sausage mixture along the plastic fo about 5 inches. Gently roll up the plastic wrap into a sausage shape. Tie off one end with kitchen string, then tighten the ohter end and tie off.

Continue until all sausage is used up. Place in simmering water, and poach gently for 10 to 12 minutes. Plunge into an ice bath, then cool completely.

t serve, gently reheat in a little oil until lightly browned.

Richard

[rogpayne]

Thank you for the recipes I have printed out both and I will give them a try. I did like the idea of using a leek for the casing but for me the casing is not an issue I only wish to watch a few things like my weight etc. I am not doing this out of any conviction about eating animals though I understand those that do not wish to eat meat. One of my friends, sadly no longer with us could not eat meat again no real conviction but it made him sick every time he tried.

Still not sure what tempeh is. I do not know any other vegetarians here and we have no vegetarian shops around this part of Thailand. Is it some sort of hard soya? They have plenty of that around here.

Many thanks I'll let you know the outcome.

[tristar]

"Tempeh is a fermented food made by the controlled fermentation of cooked soybeans with a Rhizopus mold (tempeh starter). The tempeh fermentation by the Rhizopus mold binds the soybeans into a compact white cake.":

Very common in Indonesian and Malay cuisine, should be available in Central World supermarket if you have one close to you. Should be on the same shelf as the Tofu. The brand is called "HealthyMate" and is supplied by:

Sampran Food Co., Ltd.
18/4 Om-Yai, Sampran, Nakornpathom, Thailand 73160
Tel. (622) 420-6079-85 Fax (662) 420-3194 E-mail : info@healthymate.com

The Shan peoples and some of the northern Thai people have a similar product called "thua nao", just a different shape!

Hope this helps,
Richard

[Snags]

I would have thought if you where concerned about your health and weight the main problem with sausages is the fat and the salt not the meat.
A vegetarian sausage would require a fair bit of salt and fat to give it flavour and stop it being dry.
Treat sausages as a treat and not a regular meal is probably a better alternative than making a second rate version. IMO

[rogpayne]

Your right of course but I am keeping my meat for the luxury end of my diet smoked beef and pork for example. I also think that there may be a place for a good alternative to meat sausage. Then again I may well be completely wrong, having never tried to make a veggie sausage I really don't know. So in the spirit of adventure lets give it a try, I'll let you know what the outcome is next week, I now have at least two recipes to try. Thanks for your comments. I never thought I would have to even contemplate doing this but.... Needs must when the devil drives as they say.

[wheels]

There's a vegan take on a Glamorgan sausage that looks interesting here:

http://thegvc.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/ ... -sausages/

Otherwise why not try one of Captain Wassname's low fat sausages:

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopi ... ht=low+fat

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopi ... ht=low+fat

HTH

Phil

[quietwatersfarm]

Chicken or Turkey sausages?

[tristar]

Quietwatersfarm is right, how about chicken or turkey? The recently posted turkey, spinach, and feta, is absolutely fantastic!

Richard

[captain wassname]

If your main concern is calories then you should look at low fat sausages as mentioned chicken ,turkey, low fat cuts of pork (trimmed of fat) and trimmed leg of lamb

Jim

[rogpayne]

Captain wassaname, what great name Jim. Yes thank you and the others for the comments regarding low fat alternatives. Yes, fat and to some extent salt is my main concern but I am also looking to go more vegetarian for a while as I believe this can help with the reduction in blood pressure. I am. Confirmed and signed up member of the eating meat brigade. So whatever I do it will hopefully reduce my meat intake. This will be very hard to do so any possible sources of meat lookingproductsmay ease the pain! This weekend I plan on a cook alternative sausages weekend. So perhaps we will have something to passonnext week. Thanks again for all the help.

[rogpayne]

Hi Graham,

I am experimenting with various recipes at the moment, I have some great flavours but no texture. I am about to try tempeh when I can buy some and green lentils which stand up better to cooking than most or so I am told. If you have any ideas then all suggestions gratefully received! This is going to prove a hard nut to crack. I am not looking for a sausage subsitute exactly just something that tastes good and has some texture.
Roger

[wheels]

Roger

Sorry, I have deleted Graham's post - he is a spammer from Pakistan, not a US based sausage-maker as he claims.

Phil