As far as processed foods go, I don’t see a major difference in choosing animal meat or meat analogue products as long and you aren’t sacrificing taste. The truth of the matter is that both are, well, processed! For those of us who stay away from animal flesh for the most part, a plant based diet sometimes requires creativity to hit the spot. Making your own vegan sausages is really satisfying, since you can not only customize the flavor to anything you wish, you can add weed to them for a fatty, crumbly dose of faux pork, chicken, or beef anytime.
Just like as good bowl of ramen, a hearty dose of fat is going to help mimic the taste and texture of meat. Like all sausages, generous seasoning is also key to flavoring everything the way it should taste. Adding cannabis is a genius hack for last minute medicated snacks and all manner of dinners from lazy to gourmet.
Vegan Cannabis Sausages
Danielle Guercio, 2017; Adapted from Post Punk Kitchen Sausages + Chickpea patties
Makes 5 large sausages; 5mg THC per sausage estimated
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup white cannellini beans, rinsed canned or cooked dry
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1 head roasted garlic
- 1 Tbs nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- Pepper to taste
- Dried herbs
- 2 Tbs Cannabis Olive Oil*
It may seem like a messy process, but this is a one-bowl-one-fork operation. To make the sausages, you are primarily mashing beans before mixing them into a dough with the dry and wet ingredients.
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Unlike bread or flour dough, vital wheat gluten is a concentrated gluten that helps adhere the beans and other components of the sausages into a bouncy, meat like texture when cooked. Typically this ingredient is used to make homemade bread come out better and last longer, so look in the baking aisle.
In a large bowl, mash beans with a mortar until they are completely smashed, but leave a little bit of texture, you don’t want hummus. Next mix in the seasonings, breadcrumbs, and oil before mixing with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and stir with the fork until it makes a sticky, stiff dough.
Cut strips of foil that are roughly 5” long and the full width of the roll. Scoop a hefty portion of the dough onto the foil and shape into a log. This will be hilariously similar to rolling a joint, and the irony is omnipresent.
Steam for 40 minutes to create the shape, they will pull together and you don’t need to obsess over the shape. You will definitely want to sear them to get a crispy exterior before further eating, whether you make into a sandwich or continue into sausage and pepper territory as I have.
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To turn a few sausages into an Italian American classic, cut in half and crisp in the oven with some oil. Remove from the oven and add 2 chopped red and green peppers, shallot and onion to taste with salt, pepper and olive oil. When the veggies are wilted add the chopped up sausage and heat through. Serve on a roll like the carnival pros do.
*Cannabis Olive Oil
Decarboxylate 3.5g of finely ground cannabis at 225 degrees for 20 minutes in a tightly sealed, oven safe container. Put in lidded mason jar or vacuum sealed bag with cannabis and four ounces of olive oil. Heat in water bath just under boiling for at least 1 hour. Strain and chill to use in recipes
Don’t be shy about customization! You can make them small for appetizers, breakfast link size, or even one giant pinwheel like we do in New York. Flavor play is also key here, try some maple and thyme or some pepperoncini and parsley, the choice is yours! Simply sear and serve for the (almost) real thing at a moment’s notice.
Photos: Maria Penaloza
