Looks Can Be Deceiving

Veal cutlet? Nope. Chicken cutlet? Not even close. How about Chickpea cutlet? Bingo!

Veganomicon has scored yet another success in our vegan experimentation. For just a few dollars, we had a meal that was healthy, filling, economical, and most importantly tasted good. Here’s the recipe:

Chickpea Cutlets

(Makes 4-6 cutlets)

Time: 30 minutes

1 cup cooked chickpeas -- otherwise known as garbanzo beans (I used a small can)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup vital wheat gluten (the only difficult-to-find ingredient)
½ cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/ teaspoon dried rubbed sage
Olive oil for panfrying

In a food processor, blend chickpeas and olive oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until strings of gluten have formed. (I’m not sure I saw strings of gluten, but I let the processor run for about 90 seconds.)

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile form cutlets out of the dough, pressing them into flat rounds. Add a thin layer of olive oil to the skillet. Place the cutlets in the skillet and cook until browned on both sides. Add more oil if needed, when you flip the cutlets.

Serve immediately!

They were crisp on the outside, but savory on the inside. The taste was every bit as pleasing as that of meat.

I also served beet greens, cooked with onions, garlic, and raisins. And then there was the mystery food. I recently bought what I thought were beets at the Dupont Circle farmers’ market. I roasted them and was surprised when I went to peel them that they were white inside instead of red. I cut them into cubes and marinated them in a Dijon Balsamic dressing, figuring that enhances most foods. They were somewhat crunchy, but still not identifiable. My husband suggested not buying them again; I said that might be difficult since I didn’t know what not to buy!

This was a dinner entirely of things I wasn’t eating even a few months ago. It feels good to be exploring new ground in the world of food. It’s fun to try new things that I look forward to eating again!

About those white vegetables – any ideas?