The trick to these plant-based sausages is rolling them in rice paper wrappers before steaming and grilling them. The rice paper creates a translucent coating similar to sausage casing, but without pork. These are best served with grainy German mustard (preferably stone-ground) and sauerkraut (look for unpasteurized versions or make your own), but they’re also great sliced into pieces and cooked into a tomato-based barbecue sauce with curry powder—a traditional currywurst!
It might seem like a lot of steps to wrap the sausages, steam them, and grill them, but if you skip the steaming, the rice paper wrappers become brittle on the grill, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but isn’t very sausagelike. If you skip the grilling, the outsides will be gelatinous, which is definitely not sausagelike!
To steam bratwurst, wrap each rice paper-rolled sausage in parchment paper and twist the ends like party crackers, securing each with twist ties or rubber bands. Or place rice-wrapped sausages directly on parchment-lined steamer basket, cutting extra strips of parchment to keep sausages from sticking together. Cool sausages thoroughly before removing from parchment-lined steamer basket.
If you don’t have ground chia seeds, grind whole seeds in a spice grinder or blender, or crush them well with a mortar and pestle. This improves the texture of the sausage. You can also use ground flaxseeds.
You can replace the walnuts with hazelnuts or make the recipe nut free by using sunflower seeds.
Per serving:
In small bowl, mix ground chia seeds with water or beer. Set aside to thicken.
In large skillet, toast walnuts over medium heat for 5 minutes or until aromatic, stirring frequently so they don’t burn. Transfer nuts to plate to cool. Measure spices into small bowl and set aside.
In the same skillet, heat 1 tsp (15 mL) olive oil over medium-low. When hot, add onion and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add all spices and stir; cook for 2 minutes more. Add tomato paste, soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp (30 mL) water. Stir and scrape up sticking spices. Remove skillet from heat.
If using canned beans, drain and rinse them, then dry gently in kitchen towel.
In food processor or blender, pulse toasted nuts to rough pebbles. Add drained beans and skillet contents and pulse to fine pebbles. Some texture should remain.
Transfer to a bowl and stir in chia seeds and breadcrumbs. Using a 1/2 cup (125 mL) measure, form into 8 sausages, place on plate, and chill in fridge for 20 minutes. Add a little water if mixture appears too dry to shape.
Fill large, wide bowl with hot water and add one rice wrapper, massaging it until soft. Place wrapper on cutting board or oiled parchment paper and place a sausage horizontally in middle of wrapper. Fold bottom of wrapper over sausage, fold in sides, and continue to roll up the sausage. Repeat with remaining sausages, placing each on plate when done.
Steam bratwurst for 20 minutes (see “Best bratwurst tips”).
Preheat barbecue or grill. Brush grill with oil and unwrap steamed sausages from parchment. Grill for 2 minutes on each side, or until grill marks appear. Or pan-fry in large skillet with 1/2 tsp (2 mL) olive oil, turning regularly until golden, about 7 minutes.
These mildly spiced salmon tacos served with sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds will bring a party together. Make a small quantity of salmon go further when you pair it with a fresh red cabbage slaw featuring citrus and cilantro. Drizzled with some bright lime yogurt, the flavours come together perfectly. Sustainability status Wild salmon from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are considered among the most sustainable, as the fishery is subject to limited harvests. With salmon stocks in decline, supporting managed fisheries such as these can help maintain populations into the future. That may also mean eating salmon less often than we do now. Salmon is a favourite Salmon is the most popular variety of fish in Canada and the second most popular in the US.
B12-rich mussels are a very good and economical source of protein and iron. Steamed mussels are a classic way to enjoy seafood—and so is this rich, aromatic broth of tomato, fennel, and saffron. Be sure to allow saffron to fully infuse to get the full flavour benefit, and finish off the dish with the fragrant fennel fronds. Sustainability status Farmed mussels are considered highly sustainable due to their low impacts on the environment. They are easy to harvest, require no fertilizer or fresh water, and don’t need to be fed externally, as they get all their nutritional requirements from their marine environment. Mussel prep Selection: Look for mussels with shiny, tightly closed shells that smell of the sea. If shells are slightly open, give them a tap. Live mussels will close immediately. Storage: Keep mussels in the fridge in a shallow pan laid on top of ice. Keep them out of water and cover with a damp cloth. Ideally, consume on the day you buy them, but within two days. They need to breathe, so never keep them in a sealed plastic bag. Cleanup: In addition to being sustainable, farmed mussels tend to require less cleaning than wild mussels. Most of the fibrous “beards” that mussels use to grip solid surfaces will have been removed before sale. But if a few remain, they’re easily dispatched: grasp the beard with your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward the hinge of the mussel and give it a tug. Afterward, give mussels a quick rinse and scrub away any areas of mud or seaweed, which, with farmed mussels, will require minimal work.
The delicate flavour of shrimp is highlighted with just a touch of lemon and a hint of mustard, while radish and celery give some fresh crunch to this dish. Eat it in lettuce cups, on top of greens, or served on whole grain bread for a filling snack. Sustainability status Both wild and farmed shrimp can be sustainable depending on where they’re caught and how they’re raised. See our article “Sea Change” for more information about choosing ethical shrimp.
Steaming fish in parchment-paper packets, also known as cooking en papillote , is a classic technique that allows you to cook all your vegetables and fish at the same time in a quick, easy, and convenient way. Flavours of lemon, garlic, and spicy dried chili make this a simple, yet showstopping meal. Sustainability status Wild-caught Pacific halibut has Ocean Wise and Marine Stewardship Council certifications and is fished using longlines, which is a more selective method of fishing that results in less bycatch. Prep party Involve family or guests in the prep and have everyone make their own packet. Once you’ve mastered the technique, it’s easy to change up the ingredients. Make sure you select vegetables that will cook at the same rate as the fish.