Chickpea Cutlets with Shiitake Gravy & Roasted Broccoli

These cutlets are easy to put together and stay together through all cooking processes. They are firm, tender and filled with flavor. Use my recipe as a base and change up the spices to fit your taste or to match the type of cuisine you're making.
 
Savory chickpea and mushroom cutlets over  creamy shiitake gravy and roasted broccoli.

Chickpea Cutlets
1-15oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup roughly chopped shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup water
2 tbl minced garlic
2 tbl tamari
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine the chickpeas and oil in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse, scraping down the sides, until the mixture is smooth.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Fill a saute pan with 1/2" oil and bring to medium heat. Divide the mixture into 4 cutlets and pan fry until golden brown, about 6 minutes a side.
Transfer to the oven and finish baking for 10 minutes.

Roasted Broccoli
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 425.
Toss the broccoli with all of the remaining ingredients and roast for 15 minutes until tender with crisp edges.

Shiitake Mushroom Gravy
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil (or remaining oil from pan you cooked the cutlets in)
1/2 cup minced red onion
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1 tbl minced fresh rosemary
2 tbl whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth

Saute the onions, mushrooms and garlic in the remaining oil from the cutlets or add some new oil into a pan. Saute for 10 minutes over medium-high heat until soft and starting to caramelize. Season with salt, pepper and rosemary. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk to cook out the raw flour flavor, 2 minutes. Add the broth and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes over medium-low heat.
Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.