Month of bean cutlet - Sundried Tomato and Porcini Mushroom

More bean cutlets. January is now officially the month of the bean cutlet. The one on the left is sun dried tomato and the one on the right is porcini mushroom. OK, I agree they look the same, but both have a nice subtle taste of their signature ingredient

Sun dried tomato cutlet

1 cup cooked white navy beans

1 cup rehydrated sun dried tomatoes soaked in 1 cup boiling water

1 tsp salt

1 TBS Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried basil

2 TBS olive oil

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

Porcini Mushroom Cutlet

1 cup cooked white navy beans

1 cup rehydrated porcini soaked in 1 cup boiling water

1 tsp salt

1 TBS Parisian bonnes herbes seasoning

2 TBS olive oil

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

Blend the beans with mushroom or sun dried tomatoes salt, seasoning, olive oil. Mix together with bread crumbs and vital wheat gluten and kneed for few minutes. Split into 4 pieces and form into flat cutlets. Fry in 1 TBS oil for 5 minutes per side.

More experiments in bean cutlets...Black Eyed Peas and Mazoh

Yup, it's yet another variation of the vcon chickpea cutlets. This time it's black-eyed peas and mazoh. Red swiss chard with lemon tahini miso sauce, mashed potatoes, and skulking in the back of the photo is a portabello mushroom with Penzey's Chicago Steak Seasoning. Black-eyed pea and mazoh cutlets

1 cup cooked black-eyed peas

1/4 cup water

2 TBS soy sauce

2 TBS olive oil

1 TBS Herbes de Provence

1 tsp hot paprika

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

1/2 cup mazoh meal

Blend together the beans, water, soy sauce, olive oil, herbs, and paprika.

In a medium bowl mix together bean mixture, wheat gluten, and mazoh. Knead a few minutes. Break into 4 pieces. Flatten out into cutlets and fry in a little canola oil for about 5 minutes a side until golden brown.

Snow Day! Warm up with a vegan hot toddy.

Technically the office was open today, but I really needed a snow day. Justifiable since I couldn't actually get out of my apartment until someone came by to shovel the snow from my blocked doorway.

Anyway in between cleaning out the pantry and reading some Chelsea Handler, I thought this scene (me in my PJs on the couch with the ipad) would be a whole lot more sophisticated if it included a nice hot beverage.

The unopened bottle of kahlua I found at the back of the pantry was a bonus. When choosing your boozing for your vegan hot toddy, you can always check out barnivore for the latest in what's vegan and what's not.

Vegan mocha with Soyatoo

1 cup vanilla soy milk

2 TBS Dutch cocoa

1 cup brewed coffee

2 TBS Kahlua

Vegan whip cream

In a medium saucepan, mix cocoa with soymilk and heat, but do not boil. Add a generous splash of kahlua to a large coffee mug, add brewed coffee halfway, fill to within 1/2 inch with hot cocoa, then top with whip cream. Yum.

Black bean & black olive cutlet

Happy New Year everyone! So far I'm making good on my resolution to blog more which means I'll have to make stuff other than tofurky cheesesteaks and tofu rancheros to keep you interested. Experimental cooking also helps with 2 other resolutions of eating better and taking my lunches to work. We'll see how long this lasts...

This black bean and black olive cutlet is a modified version of the vcon chickpea cutlet inspired by the black olive seitan at Sacred Chow in NYC. Both the black beans and olives are surprisingly subtle flavors in the finished cutlet.

I wanted to make something with black eyed peas for new years, but I only had dried and although they're soaking now, I wanted some cutlets sooner rather than later. Can of black beans to the rescue. It's still beans and vegans need fried hangover food, too. I went to Phish at Madison Square Garden last night, not that I need an excuse to be hungover on New Years Day.

I used kalamata olives, that had pits in them. Luckily I had this handy cherry pitter that made popping the pits out a snap. If you're ever in a cooking gadgets store and debate the cherry pitter, just throw it in the cart, then store it at home in the gadget drawer with the can opener. You'll use it more than you think.

Black Bean & Black Olive Cutlets

1 cup cooked or canned black beans

1/3 cup chopped black olives (about 12)

1/4 tsp basil

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp dried chives (optional - I get them from Penzys and use them all the time)

1 tsp parsley

1 TBS soy sauce

2 TBS olive oil

1/4 cup vegetable broth or water

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten.

Canola oil for frying

Blend together the beans, olives, herbs, soy sauce, olive oil and broth. Add to medium bowl. Add bread crumbs and gluten and mix together until combined. Then knead in the bowl for a few minutes. Ball it together, then divide into 4 pieces. Flatten the pieces out with your hands to make cutlets. Fry until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes each side.

The cutlets are well seasoned, so you don't need a sauce for this unless, you just like things saucy. For a main dish serve with mashed potatoes and greens or as a sandwich with a little sriracha vegenaise. Also delicious pulled apart and eaten with your fingers, straight off the cooling rack.

Happy New Year!