BRYANNA'S ITALIAN "SAUSAGE" BURGERS WITH ONIONS, MUSHROOMS AND TOFU ROASTED GARLIC AIOLI
Servings: 8
A mildly spicy treat with lotsa trimmings! The burger is a simpler version (with less salt) of my Italian sausage recipe from "Nonna's Italian Kitchen", made into thick burgers.
MAKE THE BURGERS:
2 cups dry textured soy protein granules (TVP)
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs Chinese dark or mushroom soy sauce
2 Tbs yeast extract (Marmite; Vegemite, etc.) (this gives a "beefy" flavor)
2 Tbs tomato paste
8 oz medium-firm tofu, mashed
2 tsp roasted (Asian) sesame oil
Seasoning Mixture:
2 Tbs minced fresh garlic
2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
Additional:
1 cup pure gluten powder (Vital wheat gluten)
8 crusty Italian-style rolls or Kaiser buns
TRIMMINGS:
Bryanna's Tofu Roasted Garlic Aioli:
1/2 a recipe Bryanna's Tofu Mayonnaise OR my Low-Fat Mayonnaise other vegan mayonnaise of your choice
1 head of roasted garlic (see directions at end of recipe), squeezed out of the skins (or 10 cloves of roasted garlic from a from a jar)
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Other:
thick slices of onion (whatever kind you prefer), grilled alongside the burgers, or sautéed in a pan with a little olive oil
sautéed sliced crimini or Portobello mushrooms
crispy lettuce or mixed baby salad greens
Italian Vinaigrette Dressing (low-fat):
3 Tbs chickpea cooking broth or other veggie broth
1 Tbs Asian (roasted) sesame oil
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
OPTIONAL:
Italian pickled eggplant, or grilled eggplant in olive oil, or eggplant relish
Roasted red pepper
Sliced ripe tomato
Sliced marinated artichoke hearts
8 slices vegan mozza cheese (or equivalent shredded)
MAKING THE BURGERS:
In a medium bowl, pour the boiling water mixed with the vinegar, soy sauce, Marmite, and tomato paste over the soy protein granules. Let stand for about 5 minutes. Add the mashed tofu, sesame oil and Seasoning Mixture of your choice.
Cool this mixture thoroughly (you can speed this up by spreading mixture on a plate and freezing for a few minutes) before adding the gluten powder-- this keeps the gluten from clumping into strings.
Mix well with hands. Shape into 8 patties, to fit buns. Steam the burgers over simmering water for 20 minutes. (Make sure to spray the steamer rack with oil first.) Place the burgers on cookie sheets and chill thoroughly before stacking with wax paper in between and refrigerating or freezing in a rigid plastic container with a tight cover.
Steaming cooks the gluten and keeps the burgers moist, but also firms them up nicely when cooled, so they can be browned, grilled or added to recipes later.
MAKING THE TOFU ROASTED GARLIC AIOLI:
Blend the Tofu Mayonnaise, roasted garlic and olive oil well with a small food
processor or hand immersion blender until smooth. Refrigerate.
TO SERVE THE BURGERS:
To brown, use a non-stick pan with a bit of olive oil. To grill, brush both sides with a little olive oil or toasted (Asian) sesame oil first. These work well on an electric indoor grill (you can grill onion slices and mushrooms alongside).
Lightly toast both sides of the buns while you brown the sausage burgers. Serve with the onions, mushrooms, Tofu Roasted Garlic Aioli, baby greens mixed with a little bit of vinaigrette just to moisten, and any of the other options you want.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 435.4 calories; 16% calories from fat; 8.0g total fat; 0.4mg cholesterol; 1054.5mg sodium; 1437.7mg potassium; 52.7g carbohydrates; 9.8g fiber; 3.0g sugar; 43.0g protein, Points 10.2
ROASTED GARLIC
These will keep a week in the refrigerator in a tightly-covered container.
Heat the oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees F. Cut large garlic heads in half horizontally. Place them on foil in a baking pan and drizzle them with about 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil per half. Pull the foil up and crinkle it shut. Bake for about one hour, or until the garlic is soft.