This was inspired by this blog. I loved the texture of the hot dog, but did not like the celery seeds and felt some additional spices would help. I also omitted the tomato paste, since some household members are sensitive to tomatoes. This is what I came up with. Hope you enjoy. Be sure to visit the blog to see the original and to find other great recipes. It is a terrific site by Susan Voisin.
1/2 medium onion coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons water for sautéing, plus more if required – don’t burn your garlic and onions
3/4 cup cooked pinto beans well-drained
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons tamari
2 teaspoons paprika (or smoked)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1/3 cup oatmeal rolled or quick oats, uncooked – if rolled pulse in food processor to make the flakes slightly smaller
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
Directions
Put the onion and garlic into a food processor and pulse to chop finely. Heat a small non-stick skillet. Add onion and garlic along with 2 tablespoons of water and cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer onion mixture back to food processor.
Add the pinto beans, water, tamari and all seasonings to the food processor. Blend until it’s a thin paste.
Combine remaining ingredients (gluten, oatmeal, yeast, and flax) in a large mixing bowl. Add the contents of the food processor to the bowl with the gluten mix and stir until combined. If it seems that there’s not enough moisture, add another tablespoon or two of water. Knead in the bowl for about two minutes until a heavy gluten “dough” is formed. Don’t knead it in the food processor as over-mixing can make your hot dogs chewy.
Cut off 8 pieces of aluminum foil or parchment paper, each about 6 inches long. Divide the gluten into 8 equal pieces. Place a piece of foil or parchment on the counter. Roll a piece of gluten between the palms of your hands until it’s about the size and shape of a hot dog. Place it on the foil/paper and roll up. Roll the tube back and forth, pressing lightly with your hands, to give it an even shape, and then twist the ends closed. Repeat with the remaining gluten to form 8 veggie hot dogs.
Set up a steamer in a pot and add enough water to come just below the bottom of the steamer. Begin heating the water. Place all the veggie dogs in the steamer, cover, and steam for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before unwrapping. I used an instapot for 40 minutes on high pressure with the steamer rack. I filled the water to just below the rack, placed the dogs on top. Once the cooking was over I did a quick pressure release, took the lid off and let the hot dogs cool until they were easy to handle.
Store the veggie hot dogs in a covered container in the refrigerator. Warm gently in a frying pan or microwave or on a grill before serving.