Black Tie Affair

When my wonderful sister-in-law, Deidra, told me that her vegan friend, PATRICK was coming to visit, I got really excited. Then I got really nervous. Sure, it'd be nice to have another vegan around to lessen the blow of the constant "you're such a hippie" remarks, but what if he didn't like my cooking? (I half joke about the hippie remarks. They're really not that bad. Anymore.) I started thinking about what I was going to make and how it should be presented. Then I wondered if there were things he didn't like or was allergic to. Then I realized he was coming to Albuquerque and getting homemade vegan cooking, so he would probably just be grateful.

He told Deidra that he wanted a black tie dinner. Am I really one to pass that down? Absolutely not. We did the BBQ, which included Boca burgers with grilled pineapple and avocado, bean & potato casserole, the all-time favorite asparagus, and chocolate cupcakes for dessert. I might throw the cupcakes up because they were super dense & rich & to die for.

What do I know about cooking fancy food? Aside from Thanksgiving, I'm all about ease.

Once again, thank you Robin Robertson. You are my hero.

Dinner consisted of Chickpea Cutlets, Brown Gravy, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Green Bean & Broccoli Casserole, Drop Biscuits, Cranberry Sauce, and Pumpkin Cheezecake for dessert. It took quite a few hours, but it was well worth it.



Chickpea Cutlets
Prep time: 15 minutes (I made these hours in advance, you could probably even do the day before!!!)
Cook time: 15 minutes

2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 15-ounce can)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 cup vital wheat gluten (sounds fancy, but I found it for $2 at WalMart.)
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup vegetable broth
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 cloves of garlic, pressed or grated
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried rubbed sage
Olive oil for panfrying

1. In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed. You'll know when this happens!

2. Preheat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into equal pieces. To for the cutlets, knead each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly 6x4-inch rectangular cutlet shape. (NOTE: I had leftover mixture today and shaped them into patties and made paninis. They MIGHT go well on the grill, too. If you try it and they aren't, I am not responsible. :D)

3. 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 m ore oil, if needed, when you flip the cutlets. They're ready when they're lightly browned and firm to the touch.

Rumor has it you can bake these, too. 375° F for 20 minutes on one side, then flipped, and cook for 10 minutes more.


The potatoes were boiled with four cloves of garlic, then mashed with a touch of cayenne pepper, Earth Balance, and soy milk.

I had some extra broccoli, which is another favorite of ours, so I decided to steam that and add it to the green bean casserole. I used fresh green beans for the first time in my life. Some of you may be shocked at this, but for those of you who have lived in Okinawa, you know why. It seriously made a huge difference. Instead of using Cream of Mushroom goo, I followed one of Robin Robertsons recipes. The homemade mushroom gravy was amazing. I put the mushrooms in my food processor for a while so Deidra would eat them. (Love you!)

Now for the dessert.



Pumpkin Cheezecake
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50+ minutes

CRUST:
1 ½ cups vegan ginger snaps or graham cracker crumbs (most ginger snaps are vegan, so don't spend too much!)
¼ cup vegan margarine, melted

FILLING:
2 (8-ounce) containers tofu cream cheese (I like Tofutti!)
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place a baking pan on the bottom rack, just in case some of the butter leaks out of your springform pan. I learned this the hard way. Lightly oil an 8-inch springform pan or coat with nonstick spray. Place the crumbs directly into the pan, add the melted margarine and toss with fork to combine. Press the crumbs evenly against the bottom and side of the pan and set aside.

2. Place the tofu cream cheese in a bowl and mix with a handmixer until smooth. Add the pumpkin and mix until blended. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg and mix until well blended. Spread the filling evenly into the prepared crust. Bake for 45 minutes, or until firm. Turn off the oven and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven for 15 minutes to an hour without opening the oven door.

3. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

I put some walnuts in my food processor and chopped them up to sprinkle around the outside edges. It looked great and also added a nutty goodness to the pumpkin flavor. I really loved this cheezecake and can't wait to make it for Thanksgiving!

Aside from the fact that yesterday was the hottest day yet in Albuquerque AND it coincided with our swamp cooler wanting to quit, cooking & baking all day was a blast. Deidra said the Chickpea Cutlets were her new favorite, and I'm pretty sure Chuck had seconds. Hearing that from the carnivores was almost as satisfying as the dinner....and pleasing my new vegan friend.