Chickpea Cutlets

These are some of my favorites!  They are delicious with squash, sweat potatoes, and rice.  The recipe makes four cutlets.  I generally quadruple the recipe and freeze the leftovers.

1 cup cook chickpeas (chickpeas can be cooked in a crock pot and frozen)
2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin is best)
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (Italian also work just fine)
1/4 cup vegetable broth (you can also use faux beef or chicken broth)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I like reduced sodium)
2 cloves of garlic pressed or grated (heirloom garlic from the farmer's market is best)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage (normal sage works too)
Olive oil or grape seed oil for pan frying

In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left.  A potato mashers works really well for this.  Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes until strings of gluten have formed.

Preheat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into four equal pieces.  To form the cutlets, kneed each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly six by four inch rectangular shape in yours hands and then place the cutlets on a clean surface to flatten and stretch them. 

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 six to seven minutes.  They will brown up nicely.  Add more oil if needed when you flip the cutlets.  They're ready when lightly browned and firm to the touch.

You can also bake the cutlets, though I prefer them fried.  Preheat the one to 375 and lightly oil baking skeet.  Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil.  Cook for 20 minutes, turning once.

Chicken Enchiladas

From:  America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed & pounded if necessary
Salt & pepper
2½ cups of enchilada sauce (I used 2 cans of green enchilada sauce)
1 cup finely crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
1 (4 oz.) can of green chiles
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
Vegetable oil spray (or you can use vegetable oil in a little bowl with a brush)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used Mozzarella)
Lime wedges (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

1.      Preheat oven to 350. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.

2.      Combine the chicken and enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan & simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium-low heat. Then flip the chicken over, cover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until chicken is done.

3.      Remove chicken from pan and shred well. Combine shredded chicken, ½ cup of the enchilada sauce, queso fresco, chiles and cilantro in a bowl. Add salt and pepper if desired. Cover to keep warm.

4.      Lightly coat both sides of 6 tortillas with vegetable oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake until tortillas are soft & pliable, about 2 to 4 minutes. This helps make them soft and not tear.

5.      Quickly place tortillas on a flat surface and place ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture into each one. Tightly roll each tortilla around the chicken and place in a 9×13 baking dish. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remaining 6 tortillas.

6.      Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour 1 more cup of enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

7.      Serve with remaining enchilada sauce, optional lime wedges and optional sour cream.