chipotle chickpea"wings"

tonight i really, REAAAAAALLY wanted hot wings. so much so that i spent a ridiculous amount of time making dinner for just me. the end result was more than worth it and, there are leftovers for sean when he gets home from work! i made sure to keep track of everything i did this time as i went along so i could share the recipe with you all if it worked out. it did, so....here it is!!! this recipe yields about 42 "wings". you can dip them all in the sauce or save some to eat as is...either way they are tasty.

preheat oven to 325*F

for the WINGS...

1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup flaxseed
2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 (19oz) can of chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp bragg all purpose soy seasoning
1/2 a medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, grated
1 cup chopped baby spinach
sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp poultry seasoning (i used EPICURE turkey rub)
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup bob's red mill gluten free flour blend

~grind the 1/2 cup almonds & 1/4 cup flaxseed together in blender.

~transfer to a large bowl and add everything except for the flours,
stir & then combine using a hand blender until well mixed and a fairly even texture.

~add the flours to the mixture and combine with a rubber spatula until the flour is all mixed in.

~form the mixture into whatever shape you'd like (i decided on triangles, not very wing like but i just felt like it : ) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

~bake @ 325*F for 30 minutes. (i did mine in a convection oven @ 300*F)

for the SAUCE...

in blender combine:
2 small cans V8 juice (or about 1 1/3 cups) *reserve a little and mix with the cornstarch before adding to the blender*
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup bragg all purpose soy seasoning
2 tbsp grainy dijon mustard
1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder (i used 1/2 and that was spicy enough for me)
freshly ground pepper to taste

~blend everything til smooth.

~transfer to a small sauce pan and heat on medium-high, stirring frequently 'til mixture comes to a boil. reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, sauce will thicken.

~remove from heat and allow to cool, and thicken even more.

~by this time the wings should be done, remove from the oven and get ready to dip!

~increase the oven temp to 350*F (325*F in convection)

~dip into the cooled sauce and place back onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (i used tongs as you can see in the photo & it worked very well...perfect with the triangle shape and not one of them broke) make sure to coat them well in the sauce mixture. the saucier the better! you may need to prep another baking sheet as well as i left more room between each of them when baking them for the second time.

~once all the wings are coated and back on pans, return to oven and bake for 15 more minutes or until wings are starting to brown.

~remove & let cool slightly on pan before transferring to plates.

i served the wings with: avocado lemon-dilly dip

1 avocado, skin and pit removed
1 tbsp grainy dijon mustard
the juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp bragg all purpose soy seasoning
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp EPICURE lemon dilly dip mix (you can use fresh or dried dill in it's place.)
sea salt & pepper to taste

3 tbsp olive oil
~combine all ingredients except for the olive oil in blender and combine til smooth.

~add the olive oil and blend again.

manje!