Whenever I saw fish or crab cakes on a restaurant menu I almost always ordered it. Since going vegan, I must admit I do miss some meat products but then I remember how it is made and I quickly change my mind. I played around with this recipe for a while and made a lot of mistakes along the way. At first I used canned chickpeas but the texture was too mushy on the inside and with one nori sheet it wasn’t fishy enough. I tried a bit of miso a little more each time I made the recipe and two tablespoons was the winning amount. I considered pan-frying them but I wanted them to be lighter and healthier than the restaurant version. Mark and I devoured these cakes but they needed a sauce. I use to make tuna sandwiches with mayo and lemon and wondered how it would taste with these cakes. It tasted good but needed something extra. I added the parsley and green onion I had leftover from the cakes and pureed the sauce to a very pleasant light green colour. I loved it. The cake mixture without the panko crumbs makes for an excellent “tuna” sandwich filling. What meat product (if any) do you miss most? What to you do to veganize some of your old favourite meat dishes?
Cakes
- 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (Do not use canned chickpeas, they are too mushy. See How to Cook Dried Beans)
- 2 sheets roasted nori, cut with scissors into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- 3 tablespoons eggless mayo
- 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cracks of black pepper
- 1 green onion, green and light green part only, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced flat parsley
- 3 tablespoons plus ½ cup panko crumbs
Herb Lemon Mayo
- ¼ cup eggless mayo
- 1-tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
- 1 green onion, green and light green part only, minced plus 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cracks of black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pulse chickpeas 1 cup at a time in a food processor, about 9 pulses so it is a course meal. You don’t want it to be smooth like hummus and a few whole chickpeas are fine. Place each batch into a large bowl until all the chickpeas are pulsed.
Cut nori sheets with scissors into small pieces and add to the chickpeas. In a small bowl whisk the miso, mayo, lemon juice, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Add to the chickpeas and with a spatula combine the ingredients until mixed.
Add the onions, parsley and 3 tablespoons panko and stir until well combined.
In a shallow bowl or pie plate, add the rest of the panko crumbs. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using ¼-measuring cup, scoop level amount of chickpea mixture and lightly pack. Take the mixture out of the cup and form into a patty about 2-2 1/2 inches wide. Lightly press both sides into panko crumbs and set on lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. I got eight ¼ cup cakes and one slightly smaller cake. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.
While the cakes are baking, make the sauce. Combine all ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until very smooth. Set aside until cakes are ready.
Transfer cakes to serving plate and top with sauce and chives. Serve with lemon wedges.
