Holiday Cutlets with Gravy
I remember in fairly vivid detail most of my younger life. Not just the poignant, life-altering stuff, but I can still recall the mundane things such as my best friend Jimmy’s phone number. However, I can’t tell you when I tasted roasted turkey for the first time. Nor can I tell you when I ate my first roasted turkey sandwich. However, I can tell you that it was a time honored tradition in our family at Thanksgiving.
The “Holiday” sandwich was turkey served on white bread with mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and lettuce. Portions of meat and lettuce depended on the maker of the sandwich. My Nana made the thinnest sandwich in the history of all sandwiches. So thin were her creations that we all swore she ironed the ingredients before placing them on the bread. But, regardless of the maker, these sandwiches were a delicious tradition. Now that I am vegan, that “Holiday” sandwich was just a fond memory.
And while I recently posted a Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe as a substitute for the turkey, I started to think that perhaps it is wiser to offer a substitution that you can cover with gravy on Thanksgiving and slap into a sandwich the following day. Everyone is happy and the “Holiday” sandwich can return: Vegan Style. So with inspiration from the authors of Veganomicon, I am going to transform their “chickpea cutlet” into my version of the HOLIDAY CUTLET.
This one is substantial enough to stand-up to the thickest gravy while being delicate enough to easily fit between two pieces of bread. I am not sure how well it would do if Nana was to get out her iron, but I think it is safe to say that this one will satisfy even the toughest critics.
Ingredients
- 15 oz Can of Chickpeas (rinsed & drained)
- ½ Cup Vital Wheat Gluten
- ½ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- ¼ Cup Onion (grated)
- ¼ Cup Vegetable Broth
- 1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tbs Soy Sauce
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbs Fresh Rosemary (minced)
- 1 Tbs Fresh Sage (minced)
- 1 Tbs Fresh Thyme (minced)
- 1 Tbs Fresh Parsley (minced)
- Makes about 3 Cups
- 2 Tbs All-purpose Flour
- 3 Cups Vegetable Broth
- ¼ Cup Onion (diced)
- ¼ Cup Carrot (diced)
- ¼ Cup Celery (diced)
- 1 Tbs Fresh Rosemary
- 1 Tbs Fresh Parsley
- 1 Tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 Cup Fresh Mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 Tbs Soy Sauce
- Salt and Pepper to your taste
Instructions
Before you freak out about the long list of ingredients, just remember that this dish comes together very quickly once you have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. So spend about 15-20 minutes chopping and mincing ahead of time and the actual manufacturing process will move pretty fast. Plus you don’t have to roast these cutlets for hours at a time. Once all your herbs and vegetables are chopped, go ahead and break out the food processor. You can do everything by hand, but this is easier.
Add your chickpeas, onion, vegetable broth, and Worcestershire and soy sauce into the food processor. Pulse until everything is almost pureed. (you might feel the need to throw in your herbs at this time, but they will turn your cutlets green). A few chunks of chickpea won’t matter once you make the cutlets. Transfer this mix into a large mixing bowl along with the wheat gluten, bread crumbs, garlic, and finely minced herbs. Knead the mix with your hand for 3-5 minutes or until you get a nice and elastic dough. Then let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Split the dough into 6-8 equal pieces and form into oval shaped cutlets. Heck, if you have extra time, you could try and make little turkey shapes if you so desire. Bake these in a pre-heat 375 degree oven on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes, flip and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Now for the gravy. Just a quick heads-up to let you know that I puree my gravy. Some like their gravy a bit on the chunky side, but my kids won’t eat it if they can see carrots, celery and mushrooms floating around. So, I use my immersion blender to make the gravy nice and creamy. Add 1 cup of both, onions, celery, carrot, and mushrooms to a large sauce pan. Bring this mix to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes until all the vegetables are soft. Now puree the vegetables. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour into the remaining broth. Whisk this mixture into the broth in the saucepan and simmer until thick. Once the gravy has thickened, add in your fresh herbs, garlic, and soy sauce. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes and the gravy is ready.
https://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/chickpea-cutlets/
A Dinner All Can Enjoy
Serve the cutlets covered in gravy with whatever side dish you like; however, I recommend mashed potatoes or rice or bread as you want something to soak up all that gravy. But make sure you save at least one cutlet for the “Holiday” sandwich tomorrow morning. Thanksgiving, after all, is about tradition, and you certainly don’t want to miss this one. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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