Weeknight Fall Feast

Last night’s dinner!  

Although, I’m not a vegetarian, I do try to keep my meat consumption to a minimum.  And, since we smoked a whole chicken on Sunday, we have been making the leftovers into meals all week.  Thus, I felt the need for a meat free dinner. Ta-da! Chickpea Cutlets (Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero) with Miso-Cranberry Sauce, Brown Sugar-Glazed Beets (Eating Well Magazine, January/February 2009), Smoke- Mashed Sweet Potatoes,  and Beer-Cheese Bread (Cooking Light Magazine, November 2008).  Sadly, I failed to steam the beets long enough, so they were still rather crunchy.  I’m still learning to work with beets, but I really liked this recipe and will try it again soon.  These chickpea cutlets are one of my go-to meatless meals because; they have a very mild flavor, so they pair well with sauces and gravies.  But also, just as the book describes, they have a really great “tooth-some” texture when baked. I've been on a bit of a sweet potato kick lately, and they are great with just a pinch of smoked paprika! Finally, this is one of my favorite breads, and I have to make it at least once each fall. Overall, a tasty fall meal, with lots of great color and flavor.