Sunday, February 8, 2009

Apple Sage Chickpea Sausages

1 15-oz can chickpeas
1 cup vegetable broth (no-chicken broth is good)
1 tbsp tamari
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp microplaned ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped dried apples
1 tbsp rubbed sage
healthy pinch of sea salt
few good twists of fresh black pepper
1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten

Set up your steamer basket with water and turn it on. Destroy the chickpeas in the food processor. Not pureed, but no whole peas should be in there. Add the gluten and mash it around. In a measuring cup, combine the broth, garlic, smoke, ginger, red pepper, oil, apples, and sage. Add to the bean/gluten mixture. Knead by hand. Add more gluten if it's too wet. When combined, divide into six balls. Roll each one in a piece of foil, and twist up the ends so it looks like a present. Or a tootsie roll. Set the sausages in the steamer, and cover. Steam for 45 minutes. Cool. Remove foil and slice. I like them grilled or thrown in the frying pan. Serve with mashed potatoes and applesauce.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Half a Eff

I listen to Adam Carolla every morning on my iPod, and one of the things he says that makes me laugh the most is when he calls someone "half a eff," as in "half a fuck," and every time without the "n" on the end of the "a."

Anyway, dinner was a half a eff.

I tried making chickpea apple sausages with sage. I got the texture right, the salt, the spice...but something was missing. I think it might be nooch and more olive oil. Once I get it straight, I'll post the full eff.