Joe's Special-Inspired Sausages

A while back, I mentioned in my post Joe's Special with Tofu , how I came to love this dish.  I also now believe, although at the time I was uncertain, that my Toasted Joes must have derived from the same origin at some point: the dishes are too similar.  Anyhow, I've made Joe's Special at home several times with various versions of soy products, but I wanted something different and unique for my blog.  I thunk and thunk on my thinking log with my pot of vegan honey close by and was struck by the idea of making sausages with these ingredients. Ta dah!  These came out really tasty with very few ingredients, and the texture was very pleasant.  Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Joe's Special-Inspired Sausages

Ingredients:

6 oz. bag of spinach leaves, chopped small, approx. 3 cups chopped
3 cups mushrooms, chopped small, approx. 10 mushrooms
1 - 14 to 16 oz. pkg, tofu, water-packed, drained
2 and 1/2 cups water, divided
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 and 1/2 cups gluten flour

Directions:

In a large pot, steam the spinach and mushrooms over medium heat for ten to fifteen minutes, until shrunken and tender.  Meanwhile in a blender, break up the tofu and add, along with two cups of the water and the seasonings.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into a large bowl, and add the veggies. Stir well.  Add the gluten flour and stir.  Knead for a minute or so, just until everything is well incorporated and there are no overly wet or dry spots.   Tear fifteen pieces of aluminum foil and set aside. Take a clump of dough, about 1 and 1/2 times the size of a golf ball, and stretch out into a sausage shape on a strip of foil.  Roll the foil over at least three times, making sure you press it gently around the dough. Twist each end shut.  Place in the pot you used to steam the veggies.  Do the same with the rest of the dough.  Steam for 45 minutes over medium heat.  Near the end of the steam time, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Pour 1/2 cup of the water onto a baking sheet that has a lip around the edge.  Add more water if needed to make sure the baking sheet has a thin layer of water.  When the sausages are done, carefully unwrap each one and lay on the baking sheet.  Bake for thirty minutes, turning the sausages halfway through.  Add a bit of water to the baking sheet, if it's all evaporated.  They are ready to be served with a nice vegetable and grain for a hearty meal.  These are very tasty!  Makes 15 sausages.  Serves five hungry vegans for dinner and for lunch the next day.

Sesame Asparagus and Thanksgiving, 2013

For this Thanksgiving, I was inspired to remake a recipe I cut out of the newspaper and made several years ago, modifying it to make it my own.  Sesame Asparagus has such a beautiful presentation, perfect for the holiday table.  As usual, my family each got to pick up to two dishes they wanted for Thanksgiving.  Since most of them turned out to be Asian dishes, the asparagus fit right in.  Below is this year's unconventional menu.

Dinner:
Tofurky - picked by me
Roasted Potatoes - picked by SR
Gravy - picked by me
Steamed rice - picked by JK
Plain, Lemon Grass and Mushroom Tofu - picked by JK
Pizza - picked by GR
Hot and Sour Soup - picked by SR
Soy Chi'k'n - picked by SR
Sesame Asparagus - G made sure we had a veggie, and I made this one
Cranberry Sauces - general consensus

Drinks:
Apple and Grape-Apple Ciders - all the Blessings

Dessert:
Pecan Pie - G's working on perfecting his own recipe!  All he asked of me was to make the crust.
Black Tie Cheesecake  - GR picked and made it because I was sick, so sweet!

My plate couldn't even fit everything on it, nor could I finish this feast!

Black Tie Cheesecake - GR did an awesome job!

G's Pecan Pie, a delight in the works

Sesame Asparagus

Sesame Asparagus

Ingredients:

2 bunches of asparagus
Non-stick spray
1 Tbs. and 1 tsp. sesame oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbs. soy sauce or tamari sauce
1 and 1/2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 tsp. vegan sugar
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 tsp. sesame seeds

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Trim or snap off the tough ends of the stems of the asparagus.  Spray a baking sheet with the non-stick spray.  Spread the asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Drizzle one tablespoon of the sesame oil over the asparagus.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for fifteen minutes.  In the meantime in a small bowl, mix together the remaining teaspoon of sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar.  When the asparagus are done, place on a serving platter. Drizzle the sauce over the top, and garnish with the almonds and sesame seeds.  Tasty and different!  Feeds five hungry vegans.