Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Veggie Dogs (Seitan)

Is it possible to make homemade veggie dogs with great flavor and less sodium than the commercially prepared pre-frozen counterparts at the grocery store? We covered the basic steps for making seitan, but if you missed that post, please look here: Meatless Wonders 101 (Wheat Meat or Seitan) We are using the same basic ratio of 1 1/2 cup gluten powder to 1 cup liquid (concentrated vegetable stock if you're vegetarian). For added color I often use 1T paprika and 1T Pero® Caffeine Free All Natural Beverage. I've found the caramel color to be fantastic by adding just a few teaspoons of the powder. I add 1 tsp liquid smoke to the stock as well as 2 tsp cracked black pepper, 1T minced garlic, 2T minced onion and a 1/2 tsp sage. Combine with the liquid.

See how dark it gets? Normally light colored gluten will look grey when cooked. I've never seen a grey meat that really appealed to me. Ever.
Cut the gluten ball into 4-6 pieces, depending on the size of the veggie dogs you prefer.

Lightly oil a foot long piece of foil. Squeeze the gluten into a thin log, then roll tightly in the foil, twisting the ends.
This recipe makes 4 "bratwurst" size sausages or 6 hot dogs. Simmer on high in a crock pot 2-3 hours. I make 20 at a time in my gallon size crock pot.
When finished cooking, allow to cool. You can brown the sausages in a little barbecue sauce on the stove, or place the unwrapped sausages in freezer bags and freeze for later use.
Slice thin for pizzas or for breakfast burritos.

Other Sausage flavors
(If you are vegetarian, feel free to use vegetarian stock as the liquid and omit the bullion) All the dry ingredients are added to the dry gluten before mixing. I use the low sodium MSG free bullion if I use it instead of fresh stock:
Pepperoni: Use 2 tsp beef or vegetable bullion, 1 tsp liquid smoke or sesame oil, 2 tsp cracked black pepper, 2 tsp dry oregano, 1 T minced fresh garlic, 1T paprika (for the color...or you can use dark coffee or pero.)
Mild Summer sausage:
Use 2 tsp ham or beef bullion, 1T mustard seed, 1 tsp cracked black pepper, 1 tsp liquid smoke, 2 tsp powdered sage, and 2 tsp minced rosemary.
Breakfast sausage:
Use 2 tsp beef or pork bullion 1T minced fresh rosemary, 2T maple syrup(mixed with the liquid), 1/4 cup dry onion, 1 clove fresh pressed garlic and 1 tsp pero or instant coffee for color.
Shrimp sausage for seafood chowders:
4 tsp shrimp bullion, clam juice for the liquid, 1T dry minced parsley, 1 T dry chives, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp lemon zest and a dash of Tabasco.
Southwest Roasted Chile Sausage:
4 tsp chicken bullion and 2 tsp each:ground cumin, new Mexico Chile powder, cilantro, lime zest 1 tsp liquid smoke.
Italian Fennel Sausage:
2 tsp pork or beef bullion, 1/4 cup minced onion, 1 1/2 tsp fennel seed, 1 T mustard seed, 1 tsp all purpose Italian Seasoning, 2T minced garlic, 1 tsp ground pepper.
Greek Sausage for gyros:
2 tsp beef bullion 2 T garlic, 1T fennel seed, 1 1/2 tsp dill seed, 1T dry mint, 1T fresh minced rosemary, 1 tsp liquid smoke, 4 tsp pero or postum granules, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes.
There you go.

9 comments:

Dori said...

So, the un-chicken chicken didn't really grab my attention--but sausage, pepperoni, hotdogs? I'm listening.

Question on the ground sausage texture...grind it up before or after it has been cooked? Thanks!

Chef Tess said...

Yeah! I'm glad the sausage grabbed you. Great question on the grinding for ground sausage. I run it through a meat grinder after I cook it. Great for just beef flavor if you want to do hamburger replacement that way as well.

Donna said...

I have to say - I'm not a vegetarian; really far from it, in fact - but those look GOOD. I would try those.

Shelby said...

LOVE this post. I am going to try these - and share them with my mother. We have made gluten many times in the past - have never made hotdogs like this!

ES said...

Is there any way to make these or any veggie meat if you can't have gluten? I'm gluten-free but I would love to be able to make food like this and save on the expense of meat!

Ariana Anderson said...

I am in love with your site---over and over again....

?: Is there anyway to make veggie dogs /meat without gluten??? They look so good and such a frugal way to supplement meat.

Thanks! Ari

--
Ariana Anderson
The Frugally Rich Life
www.thefrugallyrichlife.wordpress.com
GF, dairy-free, sugar-free recipes (+ "normal" version) and frugality
Email: thefrugallyrichlife AT gmail DOT com
Twitter: FrugallyRichAri

Rhona said...

I made some of the breakfast sausage the flavor was good but it was really chewy almost like eating rubber is this how it is suppose to be or do I need to grind them first?

Chef Tess said...

If you add a little more liquid to the initial mix, it will be less chewy (about 1/4 cup more water). Use less and it will be more firm.

Leetah said...

I know this is an older recipe but I found it and they look amazing, I cannot wait to try these. I have a question about the simmering process. When you say simmer do you mean cover the foiled seitan with a simmering broth/water in the crock pot or did you mean steam it?