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.

Black Eyed Pea Nut Loaf with Sweet Potato Gratin & Roasted Broccoli

This nut loaf has a good amount of steps but doesn't take too long to put together. Don't bother washing out the food processor between steps as you will use it more than a few times. The result is a moist, hearty nut loaf that doesn't crumble and fall apart when you slice into it.

Black eyed peas, red lentils, walnuts, apples, raisins and tons of vegetables baked together into a savory nut loaf that will become a repeat recipe in your collection. Serve with sweet potato gratin and roasted broccoli for a full meal.

Black Eyed Pea Nut Loaf
serves 4
1/2 cup red lentils
1 3/4 cups water
3/4 cup toasted walnuts
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 tbl dried rosemary
salt and pepper
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
2 scallions, green parts only, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 braeburn apple, peeled, roughly chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 tbl chopped, fresh parsley
3 tbl ground flax seeds
1/2 cup water

topping:
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 tbl hoisin sauce
2 tbl balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350.
Combine the lentils and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender and all of the liquid has evaporated. (If any water remains, drain.)
Combine the walnuts, breadcrumbs, oats and rosemary in a food processor and blend into a fine crumb. Transfer to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine the onion, carrot, scallions, garlic, apple and raisins in the food processor. Pulse until the vegetables are minced.
Transfer to a pan and saute with olive oil for 7-10 minutes until soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Bring back to the food processor and add the black eyed peas, parsley and half of the lentils. Blend until almost smooth. Add to the bowl of breadcrumbs. Add the remaining whole lentils.
Add the flax and water in the food processor and blend 2-3 minutes until thick. Pour into the vegetable mix.
Mix to combine and press down firmly in a loaf pan.
Toss together the onion, hoisin, vinegar and salt.
Top the nut loaf with onion mixture and bake uncovered for 1 hour.

Sweet Potato Gratin
serves 2 small individual gratin cups
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbl all-purpose flour
1/4 cup small dice vegan monterey jack  (I used Heidi Ho Organics)
1 tbl nutritional yeast
1/4 cup almond milk
salt and pepper
1 large sweet potato, 1/8" slices (try to pick a long, skinny sweet potato)

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease 2 individual ramekins.
Combine the oil and garlic in a saute pan and bring up to heat. Once fragrant, whisk in the flour to a paste. Add  the cheese, nutritional yeast and milk and whisk until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the sweet potato slices in and remove from the heat.
Tightly pack sweet potato slices in each ramekin and pour any remaining sauce to fill in the cracks.
Bake for 40 minutes until the potato is tender and cooked through.

Roasted Broccoli
1 head broccoli, small florets
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 350.
Toss the broccoli with olive oil and spices.
Roast for 20 minutes until tender with crisp edges.

Broccoli & White Bean Tacos with Lemon Yogurt Sauce

Before you go on thinking this sounds bizarre just know that...it is. But bizarre doesn't mean bad and in this case it means completely delightful.
I came to this idea when watching a food show where they traveled to sandwich shops and featured a broccoli sandwich . It looked and sounded great but I wanted to use up a stack of tortillas I had sitting around so I decided broccoli tacos was the direction I was going in. Everything else just kind of spiraled in a weird, slightly Mediterranean direction but I went with it and won't be looking back!


One Year Ago Today  Butter Lettuce, Sunflower & Avocado Salad with Black Bean Vinaigrette


Roasted broccoli, buttery pine nuts, avocado and white bean spread sandwiched in between corn tortillas and drizzled with a cool lemon yogurt sauce.

Broccoli & White Bean Tacos
makes 6 tacos
2 small heads broccoli, cut into small florets (3 cups)
1 tbl cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
1-15oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
16-6" corn tortillas, warmed through
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 avocado, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400.
Toss the broccoli with cumin, paprika, parsley, salt, cayenne, pepper and 2 tbl olive oil. Roast on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes until tender with charred edges.
Roughly mash the white beans with 1 tbl olive oil and season with salt, pepper, dried parsley and paprika to taste. Warm through.
Spread some white beans onto one tortilla then top with another tortilla. Fold and fill with broccoli, pine nuts and avocado.
Drizzle with yogurt sauce.

Lemon Yogurt Sauce
6 oz lemon soy yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried dill
hot sauce, to taste
salt, to taste

Combine all of the ingredients and chill until ready to eat.

Sweet Potato Shepard's Pie with Asparagus & Lentils

Green lentils, asparagus, kale and roasted broccoli jammed inside sweet potato bowls and topped with mashed sweets.

Cook the lentils and roast the potatoes while making the filling and this dinner comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Shepard's Pie
serves 4
1 cup water

1/4 cup green lentils

4 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 head broccoli, small florets
4 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion, small dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, small dice
1/2 cup asparagus tips, small dice
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
2 tbl all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tbl dried rosemary
2 tbl fresh thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 425.
Combine the water and lentils in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain any excess water that remains.
Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a baking sheet along with the broccoli. Drizzle with 1 tbl olive oil and roast until the potatoes are fork tender. The broccoli will only take about 15 minutes, simply scoop them off onto a plate halfway through. Roughly chop the broccoli.
Put the oven on broil.
Saute the onion, garlic and celery in 1 tbl olive oil until soft and translucent, 5 minutes. Add the asparagus tips and kale. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the kale has wilted down completely. Add the lentils and broccoli to the mix.
Sprinkle the vegetable with flour and stir to combine. Add 1 1/2 cup of broth and stir to combine into a  gravy. Add the rosemary and thyme and lightly simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slit them down the middle and scoop out all of the flesh. Mash in a bowl with 1-2 tbl olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Fill the potato skins with vegetable mix and top with mashed sweet potatoes. Place back on the baking sheet and heat under the broiler for a couple minutes just until the top gets browned.

Chicken Fried Seitan Tenders, Pan Gravy, Roasted Greens

Inspired by seeing a chicken fried-steak recipe on T.V., I thought I'd go the extra mile tonight and make my own seitan for the dish.

Homemade seitan, breaded in loads of seasonings and fried until golden brown. Served with pan gravy and a simple side of roasted broccoli and brussel sprouts.




Seitan Broth

5 cups water
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 tbl tamari
2 tbl vegan Worcestershire sauce

Combine all of the ingredients in a pot large enough to fit two large cutlets. Bring to a low simmer while making the cutlets.

Chicken Fried Seitan

3 tbl nutritional yeast
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp creole seasoning
1 tbl vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tbl tamari
2 tbl oat milk
3/4 cup cold water
1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
Peanut or Canola oil for frying

In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients except the wheat gluten and oil. Whisk to combine completely and then add the wheat gluten. Mix until just combined and then knead for 1 minute. Don't knead too long or the seitan will become tough. Divide into 2 and flatten and shape into cutlets. Drop into the simmering broth and cook for 15 minutes, flipping once in between. If they cook too long they will become tough. Keep the cutlets in the broth, but remove from heat and let cutlets cool in the broth while you prepare the dredging mixtures. Once you are ready, remove the cutlets and cut long, thin slices, 1/4 " thick from the cutlets.

Wet:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup oat milk
3 tbl stone-ground spicy mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbl all purpose flour
1 tbl nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp cumin

Combine all of the ingredients in a large shallow bowl.

Dry:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
4 tbl nutritional yeast
1 tsp paprika
3 tsp baking powder

Combine all of the ingredients in another shallow bowl.

Prepare a pot of canola or peanut oil and heat up to 360 degrees.
Dip the tenders into the dry mix to coat, then in the wet, then back in the dry.
Fry until golden brown, drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

Pan Gravy

2 tbl ap flour
1 1/2 cups oat milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne

Once you have finished frying the tenders, pour out almost all of the oil except 1 tbl of oil and all the remaining bits that have been left behind. Over medium low heat, add the flour and whisk quickly as it absorbs all the moisture. Continue whisking for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour flavor. Slowly add the oat milk, while still whisking to keep from getting clumps. Add the salt, pepper and cayenne and bring to a simmer. Let simmer, while whisking to thicken and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.

Roasted Broccoli and Brussel Sprouts

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
8 brussel sprouts, cut in half
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 tbl maple syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil. Combine the broccoli and brussel sprouts with the remaining ingredients and roast for 15 minutes until the vegetables have crispy edges but are tender.
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil