September 21, 2010

Chickpea Picatta

by IsaChandra


Picatta is like an instant fancy dinner. One second you’re just sitting there, all normal like, but the instant that first forkful of lemony wine bliss touches your tongue you’re transported to candlelight and tablecloths, even if you’re sitting in front of the TV watching Dancing With The Stars. This version is made with chickpeas which make it superfast, and it’s served over arugula for some green. I know lots of people are accustomed to picatta with pasta, and that is the Italian tradition, but my first picatta was as a vegan and we vegans loved our mashed potatoes, so that is what I suggest serving it with. If you’d like to bulk it up even further, try a grilled or roasted portobello. Nutritional info is listed down below.

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 scant cup thinly sliced shallots
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
A few dashes fresh black pepper
Generous pinch of dried thyme
1 16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup capers with a little brine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 cups arugula

Cooking spray

Preheat a large heavy bottomed pan over medium. Saute the shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes, until golden. Add the breadcrumbs and toast them by stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. They should turn a few shades darker.

Add the vegetable broth and wine, salt, black pepper and thyme. Turn up heat and bring to a rolling boil and let the sauce reduce by 1/2, it should take about 7 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and capers to heat through, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon and turn off the heat.

If serving with mashed potatoes, place the arugula in a wide bowl. Place mashed potatoes on top, and ladle picatta over the potatoes. The arugula will wilt and it will be lovely. If you are serving solo, just pour right over the arugula.

Servings per recipe-4
Calories-190
Cal from fat-30
Total fat-3.5g
Saturated fat-0g
Trans fat-0g
Fiber-5g
Protein-9g
Cholesterol- 0mg
Niacin-730mg
Vitamin A-20%
Vitamin C-25%
Calcium-10%

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Comments (78)
  • October 26, 2010 at 11:14 pm: mel

    its a keeper

  • October 30, 2010 at 11:39 am: Libbie

    I made this recipe this week for me and my hubby ( omni all the way!). I loved it and so did he! I cannot wait for this book!

  • October 31, 2010 at 7:53 pm: timberly

    So good, quick, easy, healthy, and gone.

  • November 8, 2010 at 11:28 am: amanda

    My husband and I made this last night as a Thanksgiving test and OHMYGOSH. Incredible…I don’t think I have ever eaten anything as good. It helps that my husband is the best mashed potato maker in the whole world. :) I started whining like my children when I saw the cookbook release date isn’t until December. “I don’t WANT to wait until December…I WAAAAANNNNTTT it NOOOOOOOW!!”

    :)

  • November 9, 2010 at 4:48 pm: Elizabeth

    I made this on Sunday night for dinner and I really felt like an honest-to-goodness grownup. It was so delicious and pretty easy to make, and as I made it just for two, we’ve already had a few meals out of it. Thank you! I’d venture to say that I am Isa’s number one fan :) Three cheers!

  • November 10, 2010 at 12:53 am: Stephanie

    Soo good! Thanks!

  • November 13, 2010 at 4:19 pm: Sarah

    Made this dish Monday night for my omnivorous fiancé and vegan me, and we both agree it was exceptional! Very rich, flavorful, and it stayed warm nicely. This was my first time making a white wine reduction, and I may have let it reduce too far, but it worked out fine nonetheless. The arugula is a nice pairing. The fiancé wanted his over penne, which I cooked on the side and added to the reduced and simmering sauce over the heat to warm. I shy away from white potatoes because their glycemic index is high, and instead had mine over creamy-thick brown rice.

  • November 23, 2010 at 1:19 am: Cierra

    Do all the recipes in Appetite for Reduction come with nutritional info?

  • November 25, 2010 at 9:57 pm: Sara

    This recipe is delicious!

  • November 29, 2010 at 7:11 pm: Kristin Linde

    Made this last night! So wonderfully delicious! Can not wait for the book to come out (Asked for it for Christmas)!!! Making the onion rings this weekend and the black-eyed peas tomorrow. YUM!! Thanks for sharing a few recipes early!

  • December 15, 2010 at 4:53 am: Shannon

    i’ve made this THREE TIME since getting the book. it’s so easy and i found it’s even really tasty if i’m out of capers or greens to set it on. i even like it cold on toast for breakfast!

  • December 28, 2010 at 4:37 am: missbluesky

    made this for the first time tonight, it is seriously delicious and will be part of my permanent collection. bravo isa chandra :bows:

    melissa

  • January 7, 2011 at 4:49 pm: Megan

    This rocked my world, and it was so freakin’ easy to put together. Thankies!

  • January 8, 2011 at 11:19 pm: Dawand

    This is absolutely divine. I added baby bella mushroooms. Excellent

  • January 11, 2011 at 4:00 pm: AM

    Salt is mentioned in the recipe instructions, but not in the recipe itself. How much salt should we add? I’m guessing one teaspoon.

    • January 11, 2011 at 8:04 pm: IsaChandra

      Whoops, yeah, just salt to taste since broth varies so much and there are capers.

  • January 11, 2011 at 4:41 pm: AM

    Oops, I meant to say salt is missing from the ingredient list. No matter – I just made it and it seems salty enough from the capers and vegetable broth.

  • January 27, 2011 at 4:56 pm: Dianne@Veggiegirl.com

    I’m making this for dinner tonight!

  • January 30, 2011 at 12:10 am: Nancy

    Isa, I want to try this recipe but I hate the taste of wine! Can you recommend something else to add which will add flavor and depth but not taste like wine? Thanks!

    • January 30, 2011 at 12:20 am: IsaChandra

      Try veggie broth with a few splashes of balsamic vinegar (1 to 2 tablespoons).

  • January 31, 2011 at 9:26 pm: Nancy

    Thanks! Will try tonight!

  • February 15, 2011 at 10:26 pm: Rachael

    Just made this last night for valentines dinner and it was a hit! I thickened the sauce with a corn starch slurry but other than that I followed it exactly and we fought over the leftovers for lunch. Thanks again!

  • February 22, 2011 at 3:12 pm: la_florecita

    Made this last night and served over mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes. It was awesome! Only downside is that we finished the whole thing… no leftovers. Next time I’m so doubling it!

  • March 2, 2011 at 11:21 am: Ang

    I made this last night with mashed potatoes it’s sooooooo delicious!!!! Was really easy to make, even after a long day at work so this is a recipe I will be making regularly :-)
    Thanks for another amazing recipe!!

  • March 10, 2011 at 7:31 am: Scrumptious

    I made this tonight with the mashed potatoes and it was fantastic! I only had a 25 oz. can of chickpeas so I just threw them all in. I was a bit nervous because I usually find canned chickpeas to be stiff and gross in recipes that call for just warming them, but they taste so good in this! I love the fancy reduced sauce that is so thick and flavorful and so easy to make.

  • March 23, 2011 at 7:07 pm: Palesa

    Yum yum….. So fast and easy… I know what to do with my left over mash from now on. Added fresh basil and parsley which enhanced the lemony goodness just perfectly.

  • April 15, 2011 at 9:14 am: Andrea

    Sounds yummie. I am trying that one tonight.
    Could you specify what you mean by “breadcrumbs” (sorry, non-native speaker)? Just pure ground bread (if yes: how fine?) or ground bread mixed with flour? Thanks :)

  • April 28, 2011 at 6:30 pm: Judy

    So good, and even BETTER the next day!!!!!!

  • April 29, 2011 at 7:51 pm: Chrissy (The New Me)

    I love this recipe! It’s so tasty and so easy to prepare. I always make a double batch and eat it for lunch throughout the week. My coworkers are jealous. :)

  • April 30, 2011 at 4:34 pm: kim

    Isa – I would like to download your new book on my ipad – do you have plans to enable this? Thank you for this book!!!!

  • May 15, 2011 at 10:58 pm: Kelly From NJ

    I bought this book recently and have been cooking my way through. Everything’s been coming out great, and I’m so psyched to keep plugging away at it. Just before I began cooking from this book, i cooked through vegan brunch, and while it was completely delicious, it is now a nice relief from some of the heavier recipes I’d been preparing. I can’t believe how many recipes there are! Definitely keeping me a busy and not bored vegan! I owe it all to you, Isa!

  • May 18, 2011 at 12:43 pm: Swiss Rena

    This recipe sounds really amazing, I will make it for dinner.

    Just one little (know it all ;-) ) comment from a european fan living really close to Italy: Why do you call this a piccata (that’s how it’s spelt ;-)). Piccata is nothing else but a very thin smallish veal “schnitzel”. Or is it the bread crumbs which make it a piccata for you? (Although I was also very suprised to learn that in America “spaghetti marinara” is not spaghetti with a lot of seafood but “spaghetti napoli” or just tomato sauce: different culture, different term) [/OT] ;-)

    • May 18, 2011 at 4:53 pm: IsaChandra

      Oh I didn’t even know that! Here the breadcrumb/caper/lemon/wine sauce makes the piccata.

  • May 31, 2011 at 7:43 am: Swiss Rena

    Doesn’t matter: it tastes incredible! I had to try it yesterday and ate for two, oops. Thanks for the perfect recipe.

  • June 7, 2011 at 11:12 pm: Jen

    Looks good. I’d love it if you could also add total carb count to the nutrition info.

  • June 26, 2011 at 10:01 pm: Alisha

    this looks superb and I wanna try it, but I can’t have garlic what would be a good substitute to add flavor or would it be just fine without it?

  • July 17, 2011 at 1:58 pm: Stine

    Wow… I think this must be the most delicious thing I have tasted this year. Really, really great.

  • August 18, 2011 at 10:31 pm: GramercyGal

    This was the first vegan meal I have made and it was amazing!!! It’s nice to find excellent vegan recipes to help me get into the life style easier.

    • August 19, 2011 at 2:40 pm: IsaChandra

      Wow! You always remember your first. Glad it was a success!

  • September 15, 2011 at 9:26 pm: Ninab

    Oh, Isa!! After nearly 4yrs of being vegan, my Hubby has finally made a commitment to do the same:) He adored this recipe!! Even my teenage boys gobbled it up! The whole family is finally meat and dairy free!! Hooray! Between this, and your pumpkin muffins, they have been easy to win over!!
    PS: any suggestions on the mashed potatoes? I haven’t tried soy milk in mine before…just EB and some veggie broth…? What do you do?

  • September 26, 2011 at 7:04 pm: Lloyd

    @ninab – pour in soy milk. Mash. Simples.

    Amazing Isa. Just had this. Wife had drunk all the wine in the house so I subbed for a splash of white wine vinegar. Was perfect, filling, grown-up grub, in about 15 minutes. Beautiful.

  • October 18, 2011 at 2:22 am: bird

    This was so delicious and incredibly filling. I made it with the mashed potatoes. I bought enough ingredients to feed 6+ and my grocery bill was $15….I can’t wait to buy the book!

  • October 27, 2011 at 12:20 am: Madeline

    OMG this is to die for.Lemony succulent goodness..serve it exactly as she suggests– over arugula and mashed potatoes..heaven……….

  • October 30, 2011 at 2:48 am: mandy

    Just made this tonight. Absolutely delicious!!!!!!!!!!!

  • November 2, 2011 at 7:33 pm: Erica

    made this today on the first day of snow in omaha… and it’s perfect comfort food!

  • November 2, 2011 at 10:11 pm: Nina

    Just made this in Sunny Florida! We all loved it, so easy and filling.

  • November 30, 2011 at 1:10 am: Sonya

    Two thumbs up! This is one delicious dish! It tastes so light and good that you think you can eat a lot more but it’s surprisingly filling and satisfying. I made this with the caulipots recipe and one serving of each will do the trick!

  • December 1, 2011 at 1:37 am: Sarah

    Is there a substitute for arugula? I am having a difficult time finding it. I’ve checked a natural foods store and walmart (gasp) but no such luck.

  • December 15, 2011 at 11:47 pm: Sherri

    This recipe was ridiculously good. Skipped the arugula and just
    Put the chickpeas over mashed potatoes. Wow! There
    Is no one who wouldn’t like this recipe.

  • December 22, 2011 at 6:23 am: Rita

    So many flavors — from the lemon, the capers and especially the arugula . Should have doubled the recipe.

  • January 6, 2012 at 8:09 pm: Caitlin

    This is SUCH a great recipe! I made a lot of alterations based on what I did/did not have in my fridge and it still was delicious. I used quinoa instead of mashed potatoes, kale instead of arugula (sauteed it a little bit first because I knew it wouldn’t wilt as much as arugula), water instead of veg broth, added some tofu in with the chickpeas, and had NO lemon. Despite all of this, it was a tremendous success. My omnivore boyfriend was also a huge fan. Thanks team PPK!

  • January 10, 2012 at 3:38 am: janet @ the taste space

    This was delicious! Healthy, filling and super tasty! Served with baby spinach and mashed parsnips… yummers!

    Wrote about it here: http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/chickpea-piccata/

  • January 18, 2012 at 8:01 am: Solar Arrow Board

    I want to try this recipe but I hate the taste of wine! Can you recommend something else to add which will add flavor and depth but not taste like wine? Thanks!

    • January 19, 2012 at 3:06 am: IsaChandra

      More veg broth and a splash of balsamic?

  • February 9, 2012 at 6:00 pm: corinacorona

    I had no wine left when I made this last night so I just added extra broth, a little extra caper brine and lemon juice – tasted just fine!

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