Pumpkin Seed Battered ‘Cutlets’ With Cranberry Cabernet Sauce

By blum099

This hearty entree has it all: tantalizing cutlets battered in crunchy, seasoned bread crumbs, all covered in a robust, rich sauce. This lovely centerpiece dish, created by the VegNews contributing chef Tal Ronnen, has been known to leave meat-eating relatives begging for seconds.

Ingredients

• Cranberry Cabernet Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 cup Cabernet wine
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons nonhydrogenated margarine, divided
• Pumpkin Seed Battered Cutlets:
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
• 1 cup toasted, shelled pumpkin seeds
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 12 vegan “chicken” cutlets, thawed
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
• Olive oil

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

1. Make the sauce. In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add shallot and sauté for 3 minutes. Add thyme and cranberries and sauté for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, then cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

2. Add vegetable stock and reduce by half again. In a small bowl, combine arrowroot and water. Add the arrowroot mixture to the pan, stir well, and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and whisk in margarine, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove thyme stems before serving.

3. To make the cutlets, use a food processor to combine sage, pumpkin seeds, paprika, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper until well incorporated.

4. Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip into soy milk, and then into seasoned breadcrumbs.

5. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. Using medium-high heat, sauté cutlets on each side until browned and crisp. Serve with the cranberry Cabernet sauce.