Vegan Sausage Croquettes Recipe

One of the best new cooking tools I've recently acquired is the spring-loaded scoop. It makes quick work of dispatching both sweet and savory concoctions. It's so much easier than rolling and shaping by hand. Thank you Alton Brown for convincing me I need this. 

In this case I used a small one to create little balls of italian sausage style goodness using tofu and oats.

The textural magic happens when the oats absorb the excess moisture in the tofu. Even when you drain it overnight, it still has a lot of liquid inside it. The oats soak that up and help to create a pleasing texture.
 
Ingredients
One 14 oz pkg firm tofu, dried overnight *
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
2 tbls canola oil
2 tsps fennel seeds
2 tsps Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp crushed pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbl salt
1 tsp black pepper

This is an easy recipe. It's minimal effort for maximum flavor. 

When I was a kid, I loved sausage. I loved the combination of spices that were typically found in a classic Italian sausage. 

As an adult, I don't love the meat, but I still love that wonderful combination of herbs and spices. That's what you'll taste in these little vegan beauties. 

Instructions
Buzz everything up in your food processor until you have a dense paste. Cover the chute of the food processor and allow the mixture to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or spray it with non-stick spray. 

Scoop the mixture using a 1.5 inch scoop and arrange them evenly on the tray. It'll yield 16-20 croquettes. 

Store the tray in the fridge while you preheat your oven to 400 F. 

Bake for 15 minutes. 

* To dry your tofu, remove from the package and discard the liquid. Wrap in a kitchen towel and leave in the refrigerator overnight.