Faux "Chicken" Cutlets (Vegan)

Chickpeas are by far my absolute favorite bean. I have not had potatoes, gravy, and chicken cutlets (obviously) in the longest time. I decided to replicate the Thanksgiving comfort-food eating experience with non-meat products. Gravy was not that hard to replicate, but chicken cutlets-that is a challenge! I thought about bean burgers and falafel; what composes these meat-like products? I looked at www.theppk.com for inspiration. What I found was Isa Moskowitz's brilliant Chickpea Cutlet Recipe. Her recipe called for vital gluten flour as a binding agent, but I decided to keep it simple. I worked with what I know, and this is what I came up with:



FAUX "CHICKEN" CUTLETS (VEGAN)

Yield= 4 cutlets

1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (I toasted 1 slice of whole wheat bread and pulverized it in the food processor)
1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic
about 1/4 cup water
about 1 tablespoon olive oil, for greasing

Heat a metal skillet on medium heat.

Dump all ingredients, except water, into a food processor. Pulse until combined. With the food processor running, stream in 1/4 cup water (add more or less, if needed) just until the ingredients aggregate into a doughy ball.

Divide the mixture into four equally-sized portions, and form each portion into an irregularly shaped cutlet. Lightly grease heated skillet with oil. Add cutlets to pan, flipping when nicely browned on each side. Drain browned cutlets on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Enjoy with meat-less gravy, smashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli. Feel free to add additional spices to my ingredients list.

These cutlets were so comforting!

Falafel

Falafel is probably one of the most delicious Mediterranean foods I have ever eaten. If you're unfamiliar with this tasty vegetarian treat, falafel are smallish, crispy patties made of chickpeas. They are typically fried in oil, spiced with cumin and garlic, and served in a warm pita with tahini or yogurt dressing. I found an easy falafel recipe online (I cannot recall where) and did some personal editing to make it my own. I added ground coriander and extra cumin, garlic, and parsley to the recipe. I decided to skip the frying step and instead bake the falafel to perfection. The end result was healthier and just as crispy. Enjoy!

Vegetarian/Vegan Falafel

-1 cup chickpeas, cooked
-1 small onion OR 1/2 large onion, diced
-2 cloves garlic
-1 Tablespoon flour
-1 1/2 Teaspoons ground cumin
-1 Teaspoon ground coriander
-2 Teaspoons dried parsley
-Salt and pepper, to taste
-Canola oil, if frying

Heat oil in a skillet OR preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grind the garlic cloves in a food processor. Add the chickpeas and pulse until smooth. Scoop mixture into a large bowl and add diced onion, flour, cumin, coriander, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix with clean hands until all ingredients are well-incorporated into the ground chickpeas. Form mixture into balls (about the size of meatballs) and slightly flatten to form patties. Bake falafel on a sheet of parchment paper for about 15 minutes. Turn broiler on high (this is how the falafel get crispy) and let falafel crisp up on each side, flipping once to allow both sides to get golden brown. Remove from oven and ingest.



I also make a homemade Tahini Dressing to go with my Falafel.

Tahini Dressing

-equal parts of tahini and water
-a splash of rice wine vinegar OR lemon juice
-a clove or two of garlic
-ground black pepper

Whirl all ingredients in a food processor until creamy. Serve alongside falafel.