Chickpea Tenders

Adapted from Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S. Nixon

I was surprised to find that these chickpea tenders actually kind of taste like chicken. It might be the seasoning. They are very versatile as you can dip them in barbecue sauce, hummus, mustard, sour cream or whatever you like as well adding them to a salad or sandwich.

Yield: 4 tenders

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp Poultry Seasoning Mix (recipe below)
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp hummus
• 5 tbsp vital wheat gluten
• 3 tbsp low-sodium vegetable broth

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork until no whole beans are left.
3. Add the seasoning, nutritional yeast, Dijon and hummus. Stir to combine.
4. Add the gluten and vegetable broth. Mix, using your hands, to form dough. Add more broth if necessary but you don’t want it too wet.
5. Let rest for 5 minutes.
6. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, place it on the prepared cookie sheet and flatten out into a circle (like a chicken breast) with your palm.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip them over and bake for 10 more minutes. Flip them over one more time and bake for 10 more minutes. You can flip and bake a fourth time for 5-10 minutes if necessary. The tenders should be firm, crispy on the outside and golden but not overcooked, dried or burnt on the edges.

Comments: I recommend eating them immediately because they might get dry after a while. Instead of the Poultry Seasoning Mix, you can use Italian seasoning if you wish. You can also substitute the hummus for mayonnaise, yogurt or silken tofu.