Meatless Sausage Crumbles (vegan)
From the kitchen of Lisa Murray, former Harris Center Outreach Manager
“I’m half Italian and grew up devouring bowls of spaghetti with sausage and tomato sauce. I have to honestly say that this vegan sausage totally satisfies my craving for the taste of the meat sausage I grew up eating. The key is in the fennel seeds; be sure to press them with the back of a spoon to gently crush them before adding them to the mix in order to release their full flavor.”
Ingredients
• 1 package (16-ounce) tofu
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon tahini
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon basil
• ½ teaspoon sage
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Crushed red pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Let tofu drain and press out as much liquid as possible.
2. Cook onion in a frying pan with Tahini and a little olive oil.
3. Add all of the spices and stir, being careful not to burn them.
4. Take frying pan off the burner; crumble tofu into the pan.
(Break off pieces with your hand and squeeze it into the pan.)
5. Put pan back on burner; mix well, and cook on medium for about 5 minutes.
6. Put mixture onto small cookie sheet and flash freeze for about 30 minutes.
7. Then store it in a Ziplock bag in the freezer for future use, or use immediately.
To use it in tomato sauce, heat a 28-ounce can of tomato puree and add the frozen sausage (I usually only add half of the sausage and save the other half in the freezer). Simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Serve over pasta of your choice, although my favorite with this is rigatoni.
