Brussels,Tatoes, and Chickpea Cutlets - VeganMoFo #7

I woke up to a freezing house and dreaded getting up to get ready for work. I just couldn't drag my ass out of my nice, cozy,warm bed. But, my dears, I have responsibilities. I started shivering as soon as I left the comfort of my blankets, and it seemed I couldn't get warm all day long. Cold days means comfort food cravings. Who am I to deny myself comfort? How many times can I type "comfort" in this post?

Potatoes=comfort food (I grew the potatoes in giant pots in my yard this summer)
Chickpeas cutlets=comfort protein
Brussels sprouts=comfort cabbages

So, yeah. That's what I made.

The sprouts:
I've learned that I can make super yummy Brussels sprouts in my cast iron skillet instead of roasting them in the oven. They cook a lot quicker and they are generally perfect. Just heat some oil over medium heat and, once hot, add your sprouts. Sear them until they start to caramelize. Then, I put a lid over the skillet and steam them for about 4 minutes.

The chickpea cutlets:
The cutlets are on page 133 of Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. I will say that I've made them quite a few times and I change up the recipe pretty much every time. I use the cookbook as a guide for the basic ingredients, but I change up the spices and such. Here's one of my main changes, though: I use steak sauce instead of the soy sauce called for in the recipe. Why? It fucking rocks, that's why. I also add some very finely diced red onion, maybe 3-4 TB. I also suggest using smoked paprika instead of regular paprika, as well as adding a little poultry seasoning. Don't worry, it doesn't have poultry in it...just spices. The recipe says you can either pan-fry or bake the cutlets, and I always bake them. This time, I made them thicker than I usually do, and it was a great idea. They didn't get dried out, and they were a bit chewy. Bonus tip: dip them in steak sauce.

Mashed potatoes: 
Peel and dice some potatoes. Boil them until they're fork-tender then drain them. Mash in some almond milk and vegan butter. Add a little salt and pepper. Pig out and get a carb-coma.

Happy MoFo