CHARLOTTES WEB – Homemade Vegetarian Sausage

Charlotte’s Web was one of my favorite books/movies growing up. Maybe it is what originally lit that spark in my heart, igniting my love for animals. Maybe it was the character of Fern, whose kindness and fight to “rid the world of injustice” at the break of dawn by convincing her father to spare a little runty pigs life was what planted the seed of compassion for animals within me… Or maybe it was Charlotte the spider, who, despite her size, proved she could do great things. Whatever the story may be, there is no denying that it made a positive impact on me. The story of Charlotte’s Web teaches compassion, love, strength, kindness, overcoming adversity in the face of great odds, and the importance of not giving up – on yourself and on those you love.  And really, WHAT are more important lessons than those?! I absolutely adore this story.

So… We are “saving Wilbur’s” around the world tonight by making our own homemade faux sausage. There are many delicious sausage alternatives available on the market (such as Tofurkey, GimmeLean, & Field Roast)… Most (but not all) are soy-based. My family does enjoy these store-bought soy-sages, but its great to know that I can quickly blend this up if the mood strikes! So I know this “sausage” alone isn’t a meal, but its your choice what to do with it! We enjoyed eating our homemade sausage on some buttermilk biscuits with some soy cheese… they are also great alongside some scrambled tofu and toast… or just dipped in syrup or mustard… or if you prefer, on these yummy spelt flour biscuits.

Please note: This mix definitely tastes the best right after it is made, so just mix it together and fry it right up. You can even cook it into links if you’re feeling fancy. (**When we originally made this, we refrigerated some for the next morning, but the next morning, it had lost some of its spicy sausage-ness… and I’m really not sure why… any guesses? I’d really like to figure that out! Anyway, trust me – if you just mix, cook and eat, it is unbelievably yummy and VERY sausage-y. In fact, my husband and I thought it tasted just like the kind we usually buy, but without soy and the preservatives.**)

My husband makes an awesome white soy-sage gravy (using GimmeLean). I love the flavor of it, but we’re looking forward to using this homemade sausage next time to see how it turns out. I will let you know! But until then, I wanted to share this soy-free veggie sausage recipe with you as is, because I was very impressed at how easy and delicious it was to prepare. It is a great alternative to the store-bought “sausage”!

My daughter also made this easy spider web craft in honor of Charlotte, though it would also be a fun Halloween craft! Simply draw a web with glue and then go to town with the glitter!

Vegan Breakfast Sausage

• oil for frying – a couple of tablespoons
• 1 cup brown rice, cooked (I like to cook mine in vegetable broth)
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp ground flax
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1  1/2 Tbsp tamari/soy sauce (I use the low-sodium kind)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp black pepper (or a little more if you like it really spicy)
• 1  1/2 tsp sage
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp thyme

1) Stir together flax and water. Wait 1-2 minutes until it thickens and then whisk again. Set aside.

2) Pulse the oats several times in a food processor.  Add the cooked rice and pulse several more times.

3) Add remaining ingredients, including the flax/water. Blend until it’s just mixed. You don’t want it creamy – you want some texture in there – so a few pulses should do it… then you can mix it together more with your hands before shaping it.

4) Form balls (about ping-pong ball sized) and flatten them into patties about 1/4″ thick. It may help to have slightly damp hands to keep it from sticking.  It makes 9-10 patties if you do it this size.

5) Heat 1-2 Tbsp of oil in a pan over med high heat and brown patties on each side! Let sit 2-3 minutes on paper towel to cool… Devour!

(I was thinking about attempting to make a gluten-free version of these soon, just to see if it works… using quinoa instead of rice, arrowroot flour and gluten-free oats. I don’t know if it will hold together well enough, or even if it would taste anything like sausage, but it may be worth looking into!)

Oh we’ve got
Lots in common where it really counts
Where it really counts, we got large amounts
What we look like doesn’t count an ounce
We’ve got lots in common where it really counts
(Wilbur) you’ve got feathers, I’ve got skin
but we both our outsides hold us in
(Calf) I’ve got hooves, you’ve got web feet
but we both stand up to eat
Cause we got
Lots in common where it really counts
Where it really counts, we got large amounts
What we look like doesn’t count an ounce
We’ve got lots in common where it really counts
(Wilbur) you’ve got a beak and I a snout
but both of us can sniff about
(Horse) you’ll say quack and ill say neigh
But we’re talking either way
Oh we’ve got
Lots in common where it really counts
Where it really counts, we got large amounts
What we look like doesn’t count an ounce
We’ve got lots in common where it really counts
(Charlotte) you’re born to swim and I to spin
But we both love this world were in
We share the sun, the Earth, the sky
And that’s the reason why
We’ve all got
Lots in common where it really counts
Where it really counts, we got large amounts
What we look like doesn’t count an ounce
We’ve got lots in common where it really counts