Baked "Fish" Cakes with Lemon Herb Mayo

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.

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 15-17 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.