Chickpea Cutlets

I got this awesome recipe here from Isa at The Post Punk Kitchen here.
1 16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup vital wheat gluten (it looks like flour and is in with the baking items.  it's primarily used in bread making.) (Bob's Red Mill makes it and it can also be found in the bulk section at some stores- like Sunflower Market here in AZ)
1 cup plain breadcrumbs (in this case you NEED -for consistency, store bought, not homemade)
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup soy sauce
Any spices you like,  (I used thyme, paprika and some garlic salt)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
Olive oil for pan frying
Optional ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Mash chickpeas with a fork (just till each chickpea is broken.)  Add oil (I use less than what is called for) breadcrumbs, veggie broth or water, and spices.  Stir together, then knead together for about 2 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed. It should look like this:

Divide into 8 pieces, flattening and stretching a bit.  Place the cutlets in a pan with a little oil in it and cook on each side for 3 minutes on each side, till browned. Add more oil, if needed, when you flip the cutlets. Put on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 10  mins.  Or just cook on the stove top for about 7 mins each side, covering with a lid in between flips.  Now let them rest for a bit and you’re done!
I used my gravy recipe for on top and it tasted great!

Greek Dip

This dip is so good and a little better for my kids to dip their veggies in than ranch dressing. This recipes is from the "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook.

1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 T lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. onion powder

Food process or blend chickpeas and artichoke hearts. Add other ingredients and blend well.
*I'm not really into eating "vegan" labelled food like this vegan mayo. The point of eating this way is to eat real food, not packaged fake food. But since I use mayo so rarely and only a little at a time, I bought this vegan mayo at the health food store rather than making my own.

Thai-inspired Chickpea Salad

I got this awesome recipe from susan's blog http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/04/thai-inspired-chickpea-salad.html it is amazing!

1/4 cup coconut

2 tablespoons peeled and coarsely chopped ginger

2 green onions

1 teaspoon mellow white miso

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon sugar or agave nectar

1/4 teaspoon tamarind concentrate (or omit and add extra lime juice)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

3 cups cooked chickpeas (or canned, drained and rinsed)

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 small jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and finely diced (add more or less to taste)

1/2 cup peeled and diced cucumber

1 rib celery, diced

1/2 cup fresh pineapple, cubed

salt to taste

toasted cashews (optional)
In a dry skillet, toast the coconut just until it becomes fragrant and starts to turn off-white. Stir constantly and be careful not to burn. Set aside to cool.
Once the coconut is cool, put it into the blender along with the ginger, the white parts of the green onions (roots removed!), miso, vegetable broth, sugar, tamarind concentrate, and soy sauce. Blend until well-combined. Pour into a saucepan and add the drained chickpeas. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the lime juice, and refrigerate to cool completely.
Thinly slice the green onion tops and add them, the other vegetables, and the pineapple to the chickpeas and toss well to combine. Add salt and additional lime juice to taste. Refrigerate to chill thoroughly (tastes best if allowed to chill for at least 4 hours). Serve atop greens garnished with toasted cashews.

I have to admit that I don't toast the coconut and I have yet to use a jalepeno because my kids don't like the heat. Also, I wrap it in big pieces of lettuce. So good!

Roasted Chick Peas from fatfreevegan.com

Cooked garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/8 tsp red pepper

or any other spices combinations like:

black pepper

cumin

coriander

and cayenne pepper

Spray cooking sheet with canola/olive oil. Spread out garbanzo beans and sprinkle with toppings. Roast on bottom rack at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Don't under cook! Wait till they're brown and crunchy.

Stir-fry by Mika

My friend threw this together when she was over one day. To her it's effortless but to me the taste is amazing and completely different than anything I grew up with. It doesn't compare to the chewy meat and soggy broccoli that used to be my idea of stir-fry.

Bean threads (I found mine in my local grocery store. They are dry thin noodles on the shelf in the asian section. You can use vermicilli or rice noodles instread.)

Firm Tofu

Miso (I also found some on the shelf of my grocery store. But usually it is found in the fridge section at the health food store) (It just adds a delicious flavor)

Purple cabbage

Chick Peas

Green Onions

Any other veggies- I used red peppers last time and zucchini once

Bean sprouts

Soy Sauce

Soak the bean threads in water. Meanwhile dice veggies and tofu. Soak tofu in some miso (may need to water down miso into paste). In skillet or wok saute veggies, cooking what needs to cook longer first (cabbage) and end with the tofu. Cut the bean threads into inch pieces then add to the last couple minutes of cooking. They cook really fast so let them get glossy but not gluey. You can leave the bean sprouts out till the end too- a little crunch is good. Add a little soy sauce to your individual serving and enjoy.

Savory Sandwich

My new favorite thing to eat for lunch! This is kind of like a tuna sandwich. It is so good and quick to make!

1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. finely chopped celery
1/4 c. finely chopped green onion
2 T. sweet or dill pickle relish
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. vegan mayonaise
8 slices whole wheat bread
lettuce
tomatoes
mustard

avocado

Mash beans with a fork. Place in bowl and add celery, onions, relish, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Mix well. Chill to blend flavors. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and mustard.

You can buy vegan mayo or easily make your own:
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup soy milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp mustard
6 tbsp vegetable oil

Put all the ingredients except the oil in a blender. Blend on the lowest speed. Gradually - one drop at a time - add the oil until the mixture starts to thicken. Continue blending until thickened and smooth. Transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator

Another vegan mayonaise recipe:

I have never tried the following recipe but I just saw it and it looks really good! I will have to try it next time.

½ cup soaked almonds (soak almonds for 8 hours)

½ cup water

Juice ½ lemon

3/4 tablespoon honey

½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon salt

½ to 2/3 cup olive oil

Place all the ingredients in a blender except the olive oil. Puree the ingredients until very smooth. With blender still in motion, slowly pour a thin stream of olive oil through the opening in your blender’s cover. Continue to puree until you reach the right consistency. Taste and adjust flavors to your liking.