breakfast sausages of a different sort

i am always looking for different ways to cut certain unhealthy things out of my diet or adding new interesting and tasty alternatives [to meat]. while i still enjoy eating meat here and there and savour it when i do, i tend to eat a lot less than i used to.

these breakfast type "sausage" patties are a neat alternative to the regular meat ones and have the added benefits of being made from grains, are compelety vegetarian, and are healthy — apart from tasting great.

note that when you make these, there are different kinds of bulgur wheat grinds — basically, coarse, medium and fine. each grind has a specific use. here we are using a medium grind, or the number 2 one. also, you need vital wheat gluten flour which is necessary to hold the mixture together and give it a chewy texture. alone, it would not hold up without it. sage is also essential for the flavouring, so don't hold out on it.

remember, any recipes i post here are open to interpretation and none of them are really going to be exactly the same as the real mccoys however i want to post things that are almost the same as the real thing. i was quite happy with the results of these and always have a batch in my freezer for when i am in the mood for them.

vegetarian style breakfast sausages

ingredients:

1 c. bulgur wheat [no. 2 type (important)]
1 c. boiling water

1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp (or ground up cube) vegetarian beef flavouring
1 tsp salt

2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c. vital wheat gluten flour

1 egg white

method:

in a bowl, combine the bulgur with the spices and the hot (boiling) water. let the hot water get absorbed by the bulgur by covering the bowl so the steam does not escape about 20 to 30 minutes.

stir in the oil, garlic and vital wheat gluten flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. add the egg white and mix again. let rest 10 minutes.

prepare a cookie sheet and heat oven to 350 F.

take a 1/4 c. measuring cup and fill it about half way. compact this well by pressing down. make sure it is well pressed. carefully remove the patty by turning it over and whacking it down on the cookie sheet. fix it by using your hands to press things back together.

do this will all the mixture. bake for about 10 to 12 minutes until it is firm and somewhat browned. you may turn them and cook another 2 to 3 minutes if you like but it is not necessary. take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit before handling.

use right away or freeze. you can also fry these later along with your morning eggs in the same pan.