Chick'n Parmesan

An authentic Italian dish, this plant-based chick'n parmesan tastes just like the real thing!

Recipe

Ingredients

Cutlets:
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup chickpeas, mashed
1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. salt

Breading:
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp dried parsley
Batter:
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup water

Other:
2 to 3 tbsp. olive oil (for frying)
2 to 3 cups of your favorite pasta sauce (I recommend using the sauce from Vegan Empire's pizza recipe)
3/4 cup Violife mozzarella shreds 
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded Violofe parmesan cheese 

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, make the cutlets by mixing together the mashed chickpeas, soy sauce, and tomato sauce. Then, add in the vital wheat gluten and spices. Mix well.
2. Mix in the vegetable broth, 1/4 cup at a time to form a sticky dough that holds together (you may not need all of the broth).  Knead the dough with your hands and form it into a rounded loaf shape.
3. Slice the dough into 4 equally sized pieces and roll those pieces out into the shape of a chicken cutlet to your desired thickness.
4. Steam the cutlets for 20 minutes by placing the cutlets in a steamer with about an inch of water, covered over low heat (you may need to add more water as it cooks).
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
6. In a large, shallow bowl, make the breading by mixing together the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and the dried parsley. 
7. To make the batter, mix together the chickpea flour and water.
8. After the cutlets have steamed, allow them to cool for a minute before placing them in the batter.  Let the excess batter to drip off, then coat the cutlet with the breading.  Repeat with all of the cutlets.
9. In a large frying pan, add 1 and 1/2  tbsp. of the olive oil and cook the cutlets over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden brown.
10. In a 9"x13" baking dish, add about 1 cup of tomato sauce (just enough to cover the bottom of the dish). Place the cutlets in the pan and cover with another cup of the sauce. Once the cutlets are coated, sprinkle Add another cup of sauce on top and sprinkle with the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
11. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite pasta!  As they say in Italy, "buon appetito"!