Alright, not the best photo ever, but it was tasty. The food, not the photo. I have been wanting to try making these Chickpea Cutlets from the Veganomicon (by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero) cookbook for a while. So, I've had the cookbook about 3 years, but why did I never attempt them? Because I didn't know what the hell vital wheat gluten was. Also, I couldn't find it. Yesterday, I was determined to get my paws on some gluten, so I set out to 2 different health food stores. Alas, I found it! $5.00 for 10 ounces...ouch. But, I wanted to make the cutlets, so I had to buy it. And, now that I have tasted the heavenly goodness that is the chickpea cutlet, I can say that it was definitely worth the $5.00 price tag.
I made the cutlets according to the directions on page 133 of Veganomicon, except for 2 small things: a) I did not use the lemon zest as I didn't have a lemon. And b) I added one more small clove of garlic. I used cooked chickpeas that did not come from a can (yes, I've turned into a bean soaker), and it was amazingly good. I also made the mustard sauce that is recommended on page 204 of Veganomicon. Though I thought it was quite tasty, I think I'll stick to dipping in a bit of steak sauce.
Veganomicon offers two methods of cooking: frying or baking. I chose to bake mine. You may or may not realize that I'm frightened of hot oils, so I rarely fry. Plus, I didn't really want greasy dinner last night. Baking the cutlets takes about 28-30 minutes total, which was perfect time for me to make some mashed potatoes to accompany the cutlets. I chose garlic mashed potatoes this time, which I haven't made in months. Yes, months. It was all so tasty that I scarfed down 2 whole cutlets and a small mound of potatoes. So, what I am getting at here is that you need to make these! They're full of flavor and have a nice, chewy texture. And, get this! You get to use a steak knife to cut them! Exciting, no?
HAHA! Silly bean soaker! I've been eying that recipe for a long time, I must make it soon!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a Whole Foods around somewhere near you? They sell VWG for 3.29 a lb. Much cheaper than buying the package. I just found it this week :)
ReplyDeleteVegan Piggy, I don't have a WF close by. The closest is an hour drive, so I rarely go unless I have a lot of stuff I need to buy. Kind of a bummer. But, I did find some cheaper VWG at a grocery store I usually don't go to, and it was $7.00 for a 22 ounces instead of $5.00 for 10. Better than nothing, I suppose. Haha. Thank you for the info, though. I have missed your blogging.
ReplyDeletei didn't realize your cutlets were the vcon ones. doesn't matter, i'll still give you credit when i make them,... unless i screw them up and they suck (of course) :-D
ReplyDeleteThe basis was Vcon, but I did change it somewhat. I didn't feel the changes were enough to write it as a total adaptation. I've made them since, and definitely changed them up more. Adding more steak sauce and spices, especially garlic, of course.
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