Looking for a quick, tasty and unique weekday meal?  This is it!  I really was surprised how simple these chickpea cutlets were to prepare, they literally took just minutes and the ingredients were all staples in my pantry.  I discovered this recipe on Mary's blog Starting From Scratch, she has made these chickpea cutlets a few times and has been very happy with the results.  I wish I had taken a look at Mary's post before I prepared the recipe because Mary's cutlets are much thicker then mine.  Quite frankly I'm not sure what a "cutlet" is, how thick it should be or how it should be shaped.  According to my Southern husband, mine looked a bit like "chicken fried steak".  He did request I make a vegan country gravy to pour over them next time (yuck) as well as a side of biscuits :)

For once I followed the recipe verbatim, except for the actual cooking method which was to pan fry the cutlets in oil.  That's just not my style so  I opted to cook my cutlets on a panini maker (mine has no ribs).  Mary deviated from the cooking part of the recipe as well and baked her cutlets in the oven.   

Aside from being tasty and having a unique texture, these cutlets are very healthy and low-calorie (assuming you are not pan frying them in oil).  I made 4 cutlets that were about 190 calories each.  Wilson and I each had two with a side of steamed carrots glazed in an soy ginger sauce. 

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Chickpea Cutlets (copied from Starting From Scratch)

1 cup cooked chickpeas
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup water or vegetable broth
2 T soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 paprika
1/4 tsp dried rubbed sage (I used 1/2 tsp marjoram)

In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left (little chunks are OK). Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes.

Preheat a large heavy bottomed nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into four even pieces. To form the cutlets, knead each piece in your hands for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly 6" x 4" inch rectangular cutlet shape.

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 necessary, when you flip them. They're ready when lightly brown and firm to the touch.

OR - Mary's method

Bake them at 375F on a lightly oiled baking sheet for 20 minutes. Flip them and bake another 8-10 minutes more till firm and golden brown. It's also nice to brush a little olive oil on both sides before baking.

OR - My method

Heat a panini maker (mine does not have ribs), use a paper towel to rub a little olive oil on the top and bottom plate. Place two cutlets on the panini maker and close the lid, cook for about 6 minutes.

Enjoy!