Day 5 & 6 - Smoked Apple Sage "Sausage" and Sweet Potato Fries (4.9 & 10.2010)

Friday nights are supposed to be a fun, easy going night in my book.  It's nice to have a laid back night after a long week where you can kick back and look forward to/get ready for the weekend.  I wasn't feeling like spending a whole lot of time in the kitchen tonight so I decided to venture out and try something new!

While at Whole Foods, I browsed their "faux meat" section and remembered how much I love Field Roast Grain Meat Co's "sausages."  They have a couple different flavors and my favorite (or at least the only one I know I would like) is the Smoked Apple Sage flavor.  It's a unique combination of Granny Smith Apple, savory Yukon Gold Potatoes and pungent rubbed sage and ginger.  They use traditional sausage making techniques and they are juicy, tender but firm, and are packed with fruit, veggies and seeds.  They also don't dry up after a couple minutes on the grill.  They're FANTASTIC!

These truly taste like meat.  I had to keep checking the package to make sure there were no "animal" products in them.  I couldn't believe how much I like them as I've never been a big fan of meat.  They're completely vegan & completely delicious! Amanda was amazed at how you literally could not tell the difference between a regular sausage and these. It probably helped that not only does it look and taste like meat; it tastes like delicious meat.  Even when cooking, a meat aroma filled the air.  I really didn't know how she'd react as she was  a hardcore, tofu-hating carnivore.  She used to consider poultry a vegetable and bacon a spice.   But she loved them!

If you’re not a vegetarian or vegan, you may have enjoyed a few jokes about Tofurkey or Veat vegetarian meat substitutes. Even some vegetarians turn their noses up at “fake meat” based on principle.  But as far as I'm concerned if it isn't meat what harm is being done? 

Why Non-Vegetarians Should Be Interested

If you’re a 100% meat-eating person who has never taken an interest in vegetarian products, here are a couple reasons you may want to give it a whirl - even if you're looking to give up meat a day or two a week to help the environment or your health.

• Great Taste. These products are delicious!
• Health. Eating less meat and more high-fiber grain and veggies is healthier for you.
• The Environment. Eating less meat and dairy products helps combat global warming. More greenhouse gas is generated from animal-generated methane* than from automobile carbon emissions.

Since all we had to do was fry the sausages up in a pan, I knew I could make sweet potato fries in a flash.  They're so yummy homemade and I had a couple sitting around so I cut em' up and threw them in the oven.  So easy & tasty!!  We served the sausage on a couple of buns with the fries and some steamed broccoli. Here's my recipe for Sweet Potato Fries :-)

Vic's Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes, cut into large French fries
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place the cut sweet potatoes into a microwave-safe dish with the water. Cook on in the microwave for 5 minutes on full power. Drain off liquid, and toss with Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Arrange fries on a baking sheet in a single layer.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once, or until fries are crispy on the outside.

THE VERDICT:

Vic: "This is one of the best gourmet "imitation" meat companies in the world!  The apple-sage savory sausage links are so flavorful and I can't wait to try out their other products and the fries are one of my fave recipes."

Amanda: "No comment - eating."  (She was too busy gobbling them up to give a review but I think it's safe to say she loved them.)

Day 6- Giordano's Deep Dish Pizza!!!

The lucky Slone fam had some good friends & their kids over for pizza and fun :-)  It was a great night with great conversation and yummy food!!  Happy bellies all around!!  Back to cooking a 'real' dish tomorrow!!