Fried Friday: Onion Bhaji

I'll be the first to admit that even with a health conscious lifestyle, the hankering for something crispy and fried may appear. And so sometimes we indulge, and that's okay; but there's a right way to do it.

For one, if you're going for one sin, try to combat it with some good. Instead of trying to deep fry that vegan chocolate bar (.... I've seen it go down) go for fresh veggies! Opt for monounsaturated oils (I went traditional canola oil, but peanut or olive work, though this will alter the taste).

Since Antonio was making a curry (curry attempt #6... 7? Just wait until you see the final product, they're already delicious!), I figured I'd satisfy my craving by veganizing a favorite: Indian Onion Bhaji.

Ingredients

* 1 medium yellow onion
* 3 medium carrots
* 1/2 tablespoon graham masala
* 1 teaspoon crush cumin
* 1 teaspoon crushed fennel greek
* 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1/2 teaspoon raw pink Himalayan salt
* 1/4 cup flour (white, unfortunately, recommended for texture quality)
* 3 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 3 tablespoon water
* 1 cup canola oil

Directions

1. Peel onion and chop off ends, and slice in rings from end to end. Place in large mixing bowl.
2. Peel carrots, grate roughly into long pieces. Place in large mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together spices and flour. Mix flour & spices with onion and carrots in the large mixing bowl.
4. Put cornstarch mixture in with flour and veggies. Mix very well by hand. You want to make sure to spread the cornstarch mixture through-out so everything is covered and binds together; this may take a lot of "mushing" together by hand... but that's the fun of it!
5. Roll out mixture into roughly six veggie balls and flatten as much as possible.
6. Once mixed, in a large shallow frying pan (I opted for the cast iron) heat half the oil on medium heat.
7. Once the oil is hot (test by dropping a small bit of water in and see if it sizzles, but be careful!), you can start dropping in the veggie patties, 3 at a time, making sure they are just touching. Wait until they are golden brown and then flip; once golden on both sides remove. Repeat process with remaining oil and veggie patties. Enjoy!

Next time I'm going to try to find another alternative for the white flour; I'm thinking chickpea flour, suggestions welcome :) In the meantime, here's a preview of Toni's delicious curry recipe to come!

peace&love

Crispy Kale Chips: Have You Been Getting Your Fiber?

... or vitamin A, or vitamin C, or calcium, or beta-carotene, or antioxidants?

If not, no need to worry, you can fulfill all your needs with one delicious green veggie: all hail Kale the king.

Personally I love kale in all its forms, raw, sauteed, or my personal favorite, baked! If you're thinking of reaching for a bag of potato chips, think again and go for the kale. The best part of kale chips is that even if you don't like kale normally (I know some people think its somewhat bitter raw), you can decorate it up however you like it. For example, my easy peasy recipe below for kale chips brings out a lovely sweetness in the green veg with all that crunch you crave in a late night snack.

Crispy Kale Chips

Ingredients

* 1/2 a bundle fresh kale (go organic if possible)
* 1/4 cup good white balsamic vinegar
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon raw pink himalayan salt (or sea salt if you prefer)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Wash kale leaves. Use a sharp knife and cut the kale leaves from the stems. Cut up the remaining leaves into about 2 x 2 inch squares. This is just an estimate of course--no need to actually cut out equal squares--so they'll cook at the same rate. Feel free to choose any size you like though.
2. In a large bowl, kale leaves, vinegar, oil, and salt. Toss VERY well; this may take some more hands on to make sure all of the leaves are coated (make sure to cover all the crevices).
3. Place kale leaves on baking sheeting and spread them out in a single layer. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until they are crispy but not yet browning. Once they begin to brown they start to taste more bitter so check them careful.
4. Enjoy your guilt free snack!

The secret, of course, to these crispy bites is the white balsamic vinegar: gives it a great flavor without the extreme sweetness of regular balsamic vinegar. I got this one from the London Wine & Cheese festival. The cheese was less than optimal but the organic, vegan wines, fresh bread, and olive oil selection was marvelous!

Peace&Love