Meatless Monday: Chickpea cutlets

I kept seeing the same recipe pop up in blogs and around the Internet so I knew it was something worth looking into. And as I read the recipe for chickpea cutlets, I realized why there was so much talk about them.

Patties: Can never seem to cook right (dark spots) though they always taste OK.

A cross between seitan and chickpea patties (and from the same site I got my seitan recipe!) the chickpea cutlets are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. The spices give this a nice hint and reminded me of Thanksgiving. The recipe makes eight that will be a little larger than a patty, so think the size of a cutlet or chop or something along those lines. I had mine plain with roasted vegetables, but I can see a nice gravy on top and greens or mashed potatoes.

Chick salad

I froze some and then took them out and defrosted them. They held up fine, so this is a great recipe to make extra for later. My later wasn’t too much later. Since my coworker Sharon brought in rosemary from her yard, I cut some patties into pieces and made a chicken salad for sandwiches mixed with fresh rosemary, celery, mustard, a little Greek yogurt and walnuts.

Chickpea cutlets

Ingredients

• 1 16 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup vital wheat gluten
• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• Olive oil for pan frying
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or grated
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and knead together for about 3 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed.
3. Preheat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over low-medium heat.
4. Divide the cutlet dough into 2 equal pieces. Then divide each of those pieces into 4 separate pieces. To form cutlets, knead each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly 6 by 4 inch rectangular cutlet shape. The easiest way to do this is to form a rectangle shape in your hands and then place the cutlets on a clean surface to flatten and stretch them.
5. Add a moderately thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. Add more oil, if needed, when you flip the cutlets. They’re ready when lightly browned and firm to the touch.

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