Quick & Tasty Pakora-ish Onion Fritters (vegan, plant-based, gf)

Yield: 4 fritters (easily multiplies)

The larder was pretty bare but I needed a bite of lunch that was plant-based, interesting, satisfying, and beautiful. We had yellow onion and one tablespoon of chickpea flour which was was about all I needed for a lite vegan lunch on the fly. But these would be tempting appetizers as well.

1/2 yellow onion, sliced into slivers

1 tablespoon chickpea flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons water

Garnishes: chutney, plant-based raita, cashews, mint leaves, cilantro, etc.

With a fork or spoon, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Heat skillet sprayed liberally with nonstick spray over medium heat. Divide divide fritter batter evenly into 4 disks a couple inches apart. Cook for a minute or 2 on first side, flip with a spatula, and cook a couple minutes more. Serve warm, garnished as desired.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegansofinstagram #vegansoffacebook #vegansofvirginia #plantbasedpakora #veganpakora #plantbasedindian #veganindian

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The Only Way to Fry: Cornstarch Slurry (vegan & plant-based)

Cornstarch Slurry:  It’s the Only Way to Fry!

For the occasional deep fat fried splurge, I vastly prefer slurry over breading or battering, though it is more similar to the latter:

1/4 cup each water and cornstarch + choice of seasoning coats a pound of tofu cubes (or cauliflower florets, etc.) with a little left over for thickening your sauce, here my favorite sweet and sour sauce with onion, bell pepper, and pineapple.

It lends the thinnest, crispiest coating for ultimate flavor and texture.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegansofinstagram  #vegansoffacebook #vegansofvirginia #plantbaseddeepfried
#vegandeepfried
#plantbasedtofu
#vegantofu

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Beer Battered Onion Ring Cups with Cream Cheese Spinach (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 2 servings

I have always loved the edible bowl concept, especially miniaturized. Thick beer battered and deep fried onion rings make the perfect cups for fresh garlicky cream cheese spinach. This is a rich dish, so a serving of 3 to 4 is about perfect as a meal.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

1 cup flour (I use white whole wheat)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

12 ounces beer (search online for a vegan brand you like)

1 large yellow onion

Cream Cheese Spinach Filling (recipe follows)

Garnish: cherry tomato halves

Preheat deep fat fryer or a large pot of oil to 375 degrees and oven to warm if desiresd. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and then whisk in beer. Set aside. Peel onion and slice off both ends, reserving flesh for spinach. Cut onion in half crosswise and separate into rings. Dip into batter, coat well, and fry a few at a time, just until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and keep warm in oven if desired. When all rings are fried, arrange on serving plates, fill with spinach mixture, garnish with cherry tomato halves, and serve immediately.

Cream Cheese Spinach Filling

Pinch sea salt

2 tablespoons finely diced onion (I use the onion flesh around the trimmed ends)

4 large cloves garlic

10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves (or favorite baby greens; I like the Harris Teeter Power Greens)

4 ounces plant-based cream cheese

Cover bottom of a 10-inch skillet with water and a pinch sea salt. Add onion and garlic and simmer, stirring frequently, until softened. Add spinach and wilt, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream cheese until melted and fully combined.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn
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Crispy Baked Cauliflower (with option to bathe in Hot Chili Oil) [Vegan & Plant-Based]

Yield:. 1 to 2 servings (depending on how hungry you are and whether you serve anything alongside)

1/4 cup vegan mayo (I used Walton Farms no-calorie)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Approximately 25 cauliflower florets

Hot Chili Oil (see back below)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place mayonnaise in a shallow carton or bowl. Whisk together remaining ingredients except cauliflower in a small deeper carton or bowl. Add cauliflower florets about three at a time to mayo and coat well using fingers. Drop into flour mixture, shake to coat, and place a couple inches apart on lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining florets. Bake 15 minutes, turn, and bake 15 more minutes. Serve with sauce of choice or, do as I do and dip each floret quickly into hot chili, place on serving plate, sprinkle with sliced green onion and peanuts and serve immediately with chopsticks.

Hot Chili Oil Hack: purchase a prepared product, but decant into a larger jar, and add lots more oil, 5 large cloves sliced garlic softened for 30 seconds in microwave, and salt to taste. I love a neutral oil, but, when I discovered I was out, I learned that blood orange-infused oil is absolutely lovely with the chilies.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegancrispybakedcauliflower #plantbasedcrispybakedcauliflower

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Blooming Onion and Cabbage Indian Bhaji–Similar to Pakora (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 8 to 10

Bhaji, which is very similar to pakora, only made with water, is an addicting Indian street food and you will soon see why! Not only are they scrumptious, but they are simple to prepare.

Indian has long been one of my very favorite cuisines. My traditional-ish version can be pan fried in a skillet for more of a fritter appearance, as in the photo, or deep fried for more of a free-form appearance.

Either is divine with the former being just a tiny bit trickier to cook through without over-browning one side. That is easily solved, however, by not allowing the fritter to be too thick.

Blooming Onion and Cabbage Indian Bhaji

1 small onion halved and thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage (I purchase it already sliced)
1 teaspoon salt
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam marsala
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup water
Approximately 4 to 6 tablespoons oil for frying
Accompaniments: Your favorite chutneys, e.g. mango and cilantro-mint

Line a plate with paper towel. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, except oil and accompaniments, with a fork until completely blended. In a large cast iron skillet, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Using a tablespoon, dollop 5 similarly sized mounds of batter into oil, pressing gently on the tops to make approximately 1/2-in tall, but leave the form somewhat irregular. Cook for a couple of minutes, lowering heat if necessary, until golden brown. Flip and repeat. Remove to paper towel-lined plate and repeat process starting with heating 2 to 3 more tablespoons oil. Adjust heat as necessary during cooking process to prevent burning. Serve right away with chutneys of choice.

#veganpakora #veganbhaji #vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #plantbasedpakora #plantbasedbhaji #veganIndianfood #plantbasedIndianfood

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Vegan Butternut Squash Crinkle Fries

Chicken tenders? H*** no! These are my brand new vegan butternut crinkle fries.

I purchased the crinkle vut butternut squash at Whole Foids.  Then I used the old dry, wet, dry method of seasoned flour with just a hint of baking powder, and vegan buttermilk made with soy milk curdled with vinegar. Just a minute and a half in the fryer and they were perfect!

Of course, as you all probably know, I topped them with raw cauliflower, broccoli, and carrot pearls and just a hint of a cilantro mint sauce with a faintly Indian flavor, both very low in calories.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfood #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfood #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

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Vegan Beer Battered Onion Petals

Vegan Fried Onion Petals!

Bob said this was the best batter he had ever tasted, so I have to share with you all.  To be specific, he said it was a “killer batter.”

1 medium Vidalia Onion, sliced into thin wedges like an apple
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 tablespoons (vegan) beer

Heat oil to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except onion.  Working with 1/4 to 1/3 of the onion petals at a time, dip them into the batter and drop them into the hot oil, making sure not to let them touch initially.

Fry for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel, and serve immediately with a sauce made of equal parts vegan mayo and ketchup.

Note: if desired, heat oil to 350 degrees and cook for 3 minutes if you don’t care for a small amount of crunch to your onion.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfood #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfood #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

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Vegan French Fry Salad Sundaes

Dinner tonight was Savory (vegan) French Fry Salad Sundaes (in our new stainless steel French fry cones)!

I love French fries but I like bulking them up with fresh raw ingredients so they are more filling with few additional calories.

We make 2 servings of fries in our new Cuisinart mini-fryer and divide them between paper- or towel-lined cones. Bob devours his with ketchup. I top mine with things like shredded cabbage or, in this case, chopped cauliflower, diced celery, and halved cherry tomatoes.

In the cute little sidecar is a vegan Buffalo Sauce made with my Blooming Platter Lo-Cal Mayo at about 10 calories per tablespoon.

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Vegan Carrot Fries
with Lemon-Basil Dipping Sauce

Yield: 4 servings (8 carrot sticks each)

True confession: Far from vegan, Bob’s diet leaves much to be desired.  So, in an attempt to help him make somewhat better choices, I have encouraged fish, even fried fish.  (Sorry.)  I don’t partake BUT I do make a kick@$$ batter, if I do say so, and it is delicious on, as I discovered for lunch today, carrot sticks to make “Carrot Fries.”

My presentation is cute as can be don’t you think?  And the Lemon-Basil dipping sauce so summery and lick-your-fingers delish.

Vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour (I use white whole wheat)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-12 ounce (vegan) beer, alcholohic or non-alcoholic ( you won’t need quite all of it)

1/2 teaspoon grainy mustard (I use pommery)

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (I use Sriracha)

32 carrot sticks about 3 1/2 inches long (I purchase them already in sticks, but if you prefer, trip and scrape slim carrots, cut them into 3 1/2-inch lengths, and then cut each into quarters lengthwise)

Sea salt

Lemon-Basil Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

Line a baking sheet with paper towels.  Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 2 inches in a large skillet and heat to approximately 350 degrees over medium or medium-high heat.  In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Gradually whisk in beer until mixture is the consistency of pancake batter.  Whisk in mustard and hot sauce.  (You can taste it, but it will likely not taste especially appealing, though it is delicious after frying.)   Dip carrot sticks into batter, one at a time, to completely coat and immediately transfer to oil.  Fry about 10 to 11 at a time or until golden brown on one side, flip with tongs, and fry on the other side until evenly golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.  Remove to prepared baking sheet, lightly sprinkle with sea salt, and continue with remaining carrot sticks and batter.  Serve in a martini glass with Lemon-Basil Dipping Sauce at the bottom.

 

Lemon-Basil Dipping Sauce

1 cup plain vegan yogurt (most of it is too sweet for my palate, so I prefer vegan sour cream)

Zest of 1/2 large lemon (use the whole lemon if you prefer a more pronounced lemon flavor)

1 teaspoon fresh minced basil, or to taste

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Refrigerate, covered, until serving time.

 



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