One of the hardest parts of being a new vegan (or even an old seasoned vegan) is trying to keep up with all the new products out there. I must have spent over $50 looking for the "right" vegan cheese my first year being a vegan and I have over 50 vegan/vegetarian cookbooks in my arsenal but not all the recipes are the greatest. I’m the first born so I’m used to being a Guinea Pig and now I’m your Vegan Guinea Pig. So here are my recommendations and critiques. Let me know what you think!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Black Bean Sausage

Hello vegans! Oh how I’ve missed you. The last few months have been all about school and finishing up my second book Quick and Easy Vegan Celebrations. Life is finally getting back to normal and I’m finally getting back to the folks that I love – you of course! I’ve been cooking and eating up a storm all up and down the East Coast and I have so many great recipes and restaurant reviews to share with you.

Right now I’m obsessed with fresh whole foods and eating gluten and soy free whenever possible. Gimme Lean Sausage has been my breakfast sausage of choice for a while now but it doesn’t exactly gel with my new whole foods, gluten free, soy free mission. Don’t get me wrong, soy and gluten are delicious but you can eat delicious nutrient and protein packed food without them, just trust me on this one. Black Bean Sausage is my new favorite breakfast treat with a little fresh fruit (Costa Rican pineapple is my obsession right now) and a little Tahini Coffee from Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food.

Black Bean Sausage
Makes 4 Sausage Patties

1 tablespoon canola oil
¼ cup diced yellow or white onion
¾ cup black beans
¾ cup cooked brown rice
2 tablespoon brown rice flour
½ teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Warm oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add sautéed onions, black beans and brown rice to a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are combined and there are no large pieces of black bean left (do not puree).

Turn out into a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients, use your hands if you need to.

Form bean mixture into balls that are approximately ¼ cup big then flatten them into patties.

Pour a thin layer of canola oil into a large skillet or griddle (I use a big cast iron griddle) and warm over medium heat. Add patties and cook until brown and slightly crispy on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

22 comments:

  1. So glad you're back! And this is a terrific post for getting back in the groove. I can't wait to try it.

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  2. This looks great! I can't wait to try it!
    I am a bit tired of synthetic food, such as very far-from-soy soy "sausage" from the store. A bean alternative seems like a nice change. (:

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  3. That sounds yummy! I know the pain- I keep going back to certain processed foods because they're so addictive!

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  4. Another book? Woho!

    These sausages sound amazing! I'd like to try this bean based version soon. It sounds fantastic and although I like gluten, I'd sometimes like to try something different.

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  5. Hi Alicia,

    I see you have cumin twice in the recipe? Is that a typo? Thanks so much! I love your site.

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  6. So excited about your new obsession with whole foods and soy free/gluten free direction! I will definitely be on board with this. Being new to the vegan world, I'm ready to branch out as well! Does your new cookbook reflect this? I'm so excited no matter what. I LOVE your comfort foods book. Can't wait to try the black bean sausage. Thanks!! :-)

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  7. Thanks Anon! That extra cumin was supposed to be cayenne. All fixed.

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  8. Hi Alicia,

    Can these be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen before cooking? Or can they be stored for a while after cooking? Thanks

    May 10, 2010 11:56 AM

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  9. Hey Traci,

    These actually get even better if you refrigerate them for a day before or after cooking, it really gives the fennel seed time to work it's way through the sausage. I haven't tried freezing them yet but I don't see why you couldn't, they should hold up just fine.

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  10. Looks fantastic! Have you made a breakfast sandwich with this yet? I'd imagine it would be great in a biscuit.

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  11. Hey Chris! Actually I have. I made a big fluffy biscuit, added a piece of sausage and I've alternated between using Galaxy Foods Vegan Slices (American Flavor) and We Can't Say It's Cheese Cheddar spread. Sooooooo good.

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  12. sounds good, nice to have a gluten free sausage recipe!

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  13. This sounds really good! I like the seitan and soy sausages, but it is nice to have something that doesn't sit like a rock in your stomach. I'll have to try these out sometime!

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  14. Sounds great. I haven't tried the "We Can't Say.." brand yet. My cheddar of choice at the moment is Daiya. (drool)

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  15. Cool - I can now say, "bye-bye!" to Morningstar! Thx Alicia :-)

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  16. You are fantastic & I am really looking forward to trying this! I've tried one other soy & gluten free sausage recipe but it's always a bit dry.

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  17. I made these last night and they were SO GOOD! I actually forgot the flour but it worked out fine without.

    Very easy too and different from anything in my current rotation. Can't wait to make them again!

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  18. I have been looking for a good sausage recipe! I bought an immersion blender with a food processor attachment and I couldn't wait to try it out. I stumbled across yours last night and made a tofu scramble with black bean sausage. I shaped mine into links and it worked marvelously! Thanks

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  19. Sounds tasty. I don't have brown rice (I never buy it, because I don't like it), but I guess it should work with quinoa or bulgur too?

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  20. Hey :) Bit of a random question, but the 3/4 cup measure of rice - is that the measurement of raw rice, or after it's been cooked? Just curious because I'm going to try making these this weekend and don't want to mess it up by adding too much or too little! Thanks :)

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  21. Per the directions it is 3/4 cup cooked brown rice.

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