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Sunday Snapshots: Basil Wrapped Vegan Sausage

April 1, 2012 by Nancy Lopez-McHugh 34 Comments

Spicy Vegan Sausage; spicy; sausage; vegan; vegetarian; basil; fresh basil; sausage wrapped with basil; basil wrapped vegan sausage; recipe; Spicie Foodie; recipe; healthy; low-fat; no animal product; meatless sausage

This past week I ate a few new things I’ve never tasted before. The first was a vegan sausage that tasted out of this world. Many of you are familiar with my love of vegetarian and vegan foods. But what I have never mentioned is that tofu is not very high on the list of vegan foods I like. This tofu vegan sausage might just change my mind.

Spicy Vegan Sausage; spicy; sausage; vegan; vegetarian; basil; fresh basil; sausage wrapped with basil; basil wrapped vegan sausage; recipe; Spicie Foodie; recipe; healthy; low-fat; no animal product; meatless sausage

I found the vegan sausage at a local organic and health food shop. It is 100% vegetable and it is a bit spicy. The texture threw me off a bit because it felt like chewing on a crumbly sausage. Though the taste wasn’t identical it reminded me of Mexican chorizo. After a few bites the idea of wrapping it with fresh basil leaves popped in my head. That was a great idea because the taste was phenomenal. If you can find a spicy vegan sausage do give it a try. I can’t wait to go buy more.

lamb salami; blue cheese; spread; blue cheese spread; saltine; crackers; saltine crackers; snack; crackers and cheese

The second new food I tried this week was lamb salami. We found the salami at a Middle Eastern grocery store. It smelled similar to other salami but the taste was different. Different in a really good way, it too had a slight spiciness to it. Now this is were the weird part comes in, we ate the salami with blue cheese spread and saltine crackers. Yes, you read that right, blue cheese spread with lamb salami. This was hubby’s brunch “creation”. It sounds really strange but once I took the first bite I was hooked. You have to try this weird combination.

rilled; fennel; fennel bulb; recipe; olive oil; easy; fast,Spicie Foodie, Spicy Foodie

The last new food I tried this past week was fresh fennel bulbs. I’ve been wanting to try fennel for a long time but never knew what to do with it. That is until a recent conversation with my mother-in-law. She spoke of grilled fennel bulbs with such gusto that she persuaded me not to wait any longer. All I did was cut off most of the top, rubbed with a little olive oil and grilled it, the taste was so incredibly good. It has a similar taste to the seeds, that is a slight anise taste. I can’t wait to cook it again.

What about you guys, ever tried any of the foods in this post? Or did you try any new foods this week?

Happy Sunday! See you tomorrow, I’ll be sharing a shrimp recipe.

 

Filed Under: Sunday Snapshots

« YBR – Your Best Recipes of March 2012
Shrimp Creole Inspired by Emeril Lagasse »

Comments

  1. Rosa says

    April 1, 2012 at 07:02

    Lovely clicks! I’d like to try such a sausage…

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 1, 2012 at 07:48

      Thanks Rosa! I hope you can find it near you.

      Reply
  2. Tya @ Note Etc. says

    April 1, 2012 at 12:01

    even though you said that blue cheese and salami are weird to combine, but I looked that is so tempting! and I’m into spicy food

    cheers

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 1, 2012 at 12:08

      It is weird but really, really good :)

      Reply
  3. Liz says

    April 1, 2012 at 12:03

    So stunning on your blue and white plate…and the combination of sausage and basil sounds incredible! I tried salsify in a salad this week…I had to google it to see what I was eating :)

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 1, 2012 at 12:09

      Thank you Liz! I just Googled salsify, lol! I’ve seen it here but haven’t given it a try yet.

      Reply
  4. Hester @ Alchemy in the Kitchen says

    April 1, 2012 at 12:25

    Hi Nancy, I’d need more convincing on the vegan sausage but the lamb salami sounds wonderful as does the fennel. I love fennel seed but have yet to fall in love with the bulb. Perhaps it is time to try it once again. Your gorgeous photos make me want to rush for the olive oil and the chargrill.

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 1, 2012 at 16:16

      Hi Hester,

      I wish I could send you some vegan sausage. Even hubby, who doesn’t like tofu, thought it was tasty. Give the fennel a try again, you never know :)

      Reply
  5. Jean (Lemons and Anchovies) says

    April 1, 2012 at 14:04

    I’m intrigued by the sausage and wasn’t sure that I’d like it until you likened it to Mexican chorizo. Now, I’d like to taste it! :)

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 1, 2012 at 16:17

      Hi Jean,

      It was surprisingly good :) I hope you can give it a try sometime.

      Reply
  6. Suzi says

    April 1, 2012 at 14:29

    The basil wrapped vegan sausage sounds fantatic. What brand was that? I would make these. Beautiful presentation and I love that second photo.

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 1, 2012 at 16:19

      Hi Suzi,

      It was a local, here in CZ, organic store’s own brand. I would suggest you look for a spicy version of the brands available. Thank you :)

      Reply
  7. Sumayya Jamil says

    April 1, 2012 at 15:43

    beautiful! as always gorgeous pics and recipe! can’t wait to tr this!

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 1, 2012 at 16:19

      Thanks!

      Reply
  8. Ramona says

    April 1, 2012 at 19:09

    I have a hard time eating vegan meat substitutes… I would just rather eat vegetables. I am curious about this vegan sausage since you said it is spicy. Lamb salami… and fennel bulbs… all very interesting. I have not tried either myself. :)

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 1, 2012 at 20:07

      I would then to agree with you Ramona. But curiosity takes over me :)

      Reply
  9. Sandra says

    April 1, 2012 at 19:38

    I would eat this in a heartbeat, they look so good.

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 1, 2012 at 20:07

      Thanks Sandra!

      Reply
  10. Vicki Bensinger says

    April 1, 2012 at 19:45

    The vegan sausage sounds interesting and wrapped with basil sounds even better. Not sure I’d be a fan of the lamb salami, I do love lamb but salami gives me indigestion, but the fennel is more my cup of tea. The fennel looks and sounds very tasty. Your photos as always are stunning!

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 1, 2012 at 20:08

      It was surprisingly good. Thank you!

      Reply
  11. tania@mykitchenstories says

    April 1, 2012 at 21:14

    You have made that vegetarian sausage sound very tempting, it must be in the brand, cause the ones I tried were a bit smooth and had no spice…..sadly. There are a few small artisans playing with lamb salami in South Australia, and one of my favourite vegetables in the world is fennel. I just cut it supper fine and mix it into salads or with blood orange and its juice to make a dressing with, dijon mustard and basil to have with fish or chicken…. love it

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 2, 2012 at 10:32

      Hi Tania,

      I love your fennel salad, will have to try it. Too bad about the vegan sausage and lamb salami. Thanks!

      Reply
  12. Marsha @ The Harried Cook says

    April 2, 2012 at 01:11

    Beautiful pictures, Nancy! Especially love that fennel… Looks SO delicious!

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 2, 2012 at 08:20

      Thank you Marsha!

      Reply
  13. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

    April 2, 2012 at 01:25

    I was planning to roast and eat fennel bulbs but haven’t had the chance. Grilling sounds like a great idea (as I can ask my husband to do it. :-)) Never tried vegan sausages before. I like your idea of wrapping in the basil. They look pretty!

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 2, 2012 at 08:20

      That’s great, and yes ask him to do it:) Thank you Nami!

      Reply
  14. suzanne Perazzini says

    April 2, 2012 at 04:57

    I love fennel. When living in Italy we ate a lot of fennel but mostly raw. You take off the tough outer leaves and then dip it in a mixture of olive oil, salt and tabasco sauce before eating it. Great aniseed flavour. It’s harder to find here in New zealand but I still seek it out for the occasional salad as a treat.

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 2, 2012 at 08:21

      Hi Suzanne,

      Oh that sounds so good! Thanks I’ll be trying that next time:) Sorry you can get it often.

      Reply
  15. Magic of Spice says

    April 3, 2012 at 14:39

    I love fennel and most especially grilled…looks delicious :) I have never actually tried and vegetarian/vegan “meats”. I guess I have the assumption that they taste like meat. Of course I have made some of my own, but they are far from meat like foods, lol. Sounds interesting though and looks wonderful. I am not a huge tofu eater myself, but on occasion I do enjoy :)
    Lovely photos!

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 3, 2012 at 14:41

      Vegetarian and Vegan meats don’t taste like real meat. Sometimes that is a very bad thing because they can taste just horrible, lol. Thanks sweetie:)

      Reply
  16. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says

    April 3, 2012 at 23:41

    Just when I thought I’d finally finished my fennel obsession (I’ve been eating it almost daily for for some time now!) you’ve tempted me to grill some!

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 4, 2012 at 06:47

      Lol, it’s really good grilled Sylvie ;)

      Reply
  17. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says

    April 9, 2012 at 05:24

    I just had a taste of fennel for the very first time. Love it!! Can’t wait to experiment further by grilling :)

    Reply
    • Spicie Foodie says

      April 9, 2012 at 08:07

      It really is tasty, I’m smitten with fennel now;)

      Reply

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