More Experiments, Better Results

While rather little will eclipse the jackfruit ice cream of a few weeks ago, tonight's concoction certainly works quite well for the entree category. Through a lot of appliance issues this weekend I still managed to (sort of) make these tempeh cakes from Isa Moskowitz's newest book (BUY IT) Vegan Brunch. They were stellar, but as I lack a stove at the moment, they are a bit beyond my ability to recreate. So I moved on to a staple that does not require boiling or steaming to remove bitterness before cooking, chickpeas. We pretty much always have them in the pantry or freezer, though I've used so many this weekend that I need to make a fresh batch to restock our supply. Rather than season my chickpea cakes like crab cakes I wanted to make them more similar to chicken croquettes, which lead me to think of my mom's recipe for swiss chicken salad, a very versatile salad that can be served hot or cold and takes some simple flavors and milks them big time. The high points are croutons, mushrooms, celery, onions and a creaminess from a milk/mayo dressing and somehow I wanted to incorporate the flavors and the crunchy/toasty texture from the croutons into this dish. What I ended up with were baked patties topped with a sauce that while not pretty, highlights the creamy mushroom flavor and provides a nice textural contrast to the patties' somewhat crisp veggie bits and crusty exterior. I served this to myself with a side of steamed fresh green beans and mashed cauliflower, but they'd be good with just about anything. Smaller patties would work great as appetizers and larger ones make for easier serving for a main course. Either way, they are addictive and I will be making these fairly often. Perhaps next time they'll last long enough to take a picture, but I doubt it.
Do make these immediately before serving, otherwise make the batter but hold off on forming the patties and baking them until just before dinner. They taste fine reheated, but the lose the crunchy exterior in the fridge, so keep that in mind if you're trying to impress someone.
You would probably guess that these are vegetarian (or vegan, if you use vegan dairy products) but you probably wouldn't actually care. As I've said before, if Dad will eat it, pretty much anyone will. If he's lucky I'll actually let him try these, and I will definitely make them for a dear friend who just does not like the texture of mushrooms, as you get the flavor but not the big, squishy chunks that turn her off of the fungi.

Swiss Chickpea Patties
(makes about 10-12 3-4 inch patties)

Ingredients:
2 cups panko crumbs
1 large can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (about three cups)
1 medium onion, diced small
2 tablespoons vegenaise or mayonaise
1 rib celery, diced small
4 oz white mushrooms
1/8 teaspoon each paprika, garlic powder and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread about two cups of panko on a cookie sheet or toaster oven baking sheet in an even layer and spray with a fine layer of olive oil or cooking spray. Place in oven and toast until well browned, stirring frequently to brown crumbs evenly. While crumbs are toasting mash chickpeas until there are almost no whole peas left. Stir in onion, celery, mayonaise and spices. Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until thoroughly chopped, then stir mushrooms into chickpea mixture. Mix in toasted panko with a fork until a moldable dough forms--start with a cup, add more as needed, making sure to reserve some panko for dredging. Taste mixture and adjust seasoning if needed. Form mixture into patties of 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick and sized from 1 inch to 4 inches across. Press both sides of patties gently into toasted panko crumbs and arrange on a greased cookie sheet. Bake patties at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, flipping at least once halfway through cooking to brown evenly on both sides. Patties are done when crispy and brown on the outside (though it's rather hard to overcook them, so don't worry too much). Serve topped with mushroom sauce.

Mushroom Sauce

8 oz white mushrooms
2 ribs celery
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
2 or 3 tablespoons soy, rice or dairy milk
Salt and pepper to taste
About 1 tablespoon leftover toasted panko crumbs

Process the mushrooms and celery in a food processor until ground into a uniform mixture. Scrape into a microwaveable bowl and add the margarine, milk, salt and pepper and microwave on high for two minutes. Stir panko crumbs and serve on chickpea patties.
--If you have sauce leftover it is equally good on toast with or without scrambled or poached eggs or scrambled tofu for breakfast or brunch.