Chickpea Cutlets with Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli

Sunday always seems to be the day that I run out of ingredients to make a decent meal. This is probably because I go grocery shopping every Sunday. I tend to just grab a quick bite at In-n-Out, veggie burger with no spread in case you were wondering. I didn't feel like having that today and decided to make something with the chickpeas I had on hand. By searching more in my fridge, I found some potatoes and broccoli and turned what would have been an okay lunch, to something great! I got the recipe for the chickpea cutlets from Veganomicon.

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Serves 4

Chickpea Cutlets
* 1 cup cooked chickpeas
* 2 Tb olive oil
* 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
* 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
* 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
* 2 Tb soy sauce
* 2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated with a microplane grater
* 1/2 tsp lemon zest
* 1/2 tsp dried thyme
* 1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika
* 1/4 tsp dried rubbed sage
* Olive oil for panfrying

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes until strings of gluten have formed.

2. Preheat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into four pieces. To form the cutlets, knead each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly 6 x 4 inch rectangular cutlet shape. The easiest way to do this is to first form a rectangular shape in your hands and then place the cutlets on a clean surface to flatten and stretch them.

3. Add a moderately thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. Add more oil, if needed, when you flip the cutlets. They're ready when lightly browned and firm to the touch.

4. Just in case you were wondering, you can also bake these too! Baking these patties gives them a tooth-some chewy texture and firm bite. Preheat oven to 375 F, lightly oil baking sheet. Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil, place on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip patties and bake another 8 to 10 minutes until firm and golden brown.