Sides Archives - A Vegan Obsession

Hello! This week I’ve been rushing around, on my bike, on the train, around food festivals, in food markets, around my kitchen experimenting with some delights I will share here soon. Busy, busy! I have also been racking up some time at The Lean Green Bean Its my fifth month with the The Secret Recipe Club and Lindsay’s foodie foray was to be my December assignment. Read about it here to find out what it’s all about (if you can keep a secret).

Lets talk fries….

Crispy garlic Zucchini Fries

These looked so good on Lindsay’s blog I just had to give them a go. There was a teeny bit of tweaking to be done to make these crispy sticks gluten-free and vegan. Traditional recipes of this type use egg to bind the crumb to the object- de-la-legumes so I needed to find the best alternative. I didn’t want to use something out of a box that someone else had produced I wanted to find a vegan ‘egg’ in my cupboards. This website was a big help - all about egg replacements in baking. I used 1 tbs flour (sorghum), 1/2 tsp oil and 2 tbs water to mix to a paste. It worked a treat. Here is what you need for the rest of the recipe

Ingredients

(serves 2)

2 zucchini (courgettes) julienned

2 tbs gluten-free flour (sorghum has a lovely flavour and works perfectly)

1 tbs vegan Parmesan powder or nutritional yeast

1/4 tbs gluten-free bread crumbs

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp paprika (you can also add a pinch of chili powder if you want them fiery)

salt & pepper to taste

method

1.Prepare your station

bowl one - flour & Parmesan

bowl two - egg replacer - (flour, oil and water)

bowl three - breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, baking powder, salt & pepper

2. dip the bald fries into the bowls from 1-3 ensuring they are well covered. 3. gently place on an oiled baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 220 degrees for 20 mins. Give them a little shake halfway through. 4. serve immediately with lemon aioli (blend tofu, lemon juice and garlic powder or minced garlic clove and season to taste)

Did I enjoy them? A picture speaks a thousand words!

I think I actually like them better than sweet potato fries (speaks my fickle heart) as the texture and flavour are very close to white potato fries…only better AND good for you. The spud being a member of the nightshade family is a no-go area for many. This recipe will be sweet music to their ears.

See, this is what happens when you are a member of The Secret Recipe Club, you stumble across edible gems you might otherwise have missed. Bravo Lindsay. I hope your December SRC was as happy-making as mine.

I have used fennel in salads and soups before but I’ve never roasted it. I came across the recipe whilst flicking through a Good Housekeeping mag I scribbled it down shorthand on the back of a scrunched up receipt fished from the blackened depths of my bag. When I got home I couldn’t actually read my writing but I’d bought some fennel so I made this ad lib.

Orange roasted, stuffed fennel with pine nuts

This recipe is for 1 - if you are not a mean spinster like me..go ahead change it up according to how many you are feeding

1 fennel bulb

1 tbs bread crumbs (I used gluten free by Hale n Hearty who also make my fave cassava chips..if you are in UK Morrisons have produced their own version. They are not as good but HnH are mighty good so have set the bar v.high)

1/2 zest & juice of an orange

1 tbs pine nuts

1 tbs fresh parsley

1 tbs of extra virgin oo

salt & pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 375f

Cut fennel in half length ways and place flat side up in a pan of boiling water for 10 mins (alternatively you could roast in plenty of oil for 30mins and then stuff and finish off in oven)

mix the remaining ingredients and spoon onto the fennel

roast for approx 30 mins. Make sure you don’t let it burn y’all!

I am really loving this simple dish. I served it with quinoa. The flavours and textures were a rave!

Ready for a visual feast?……

Are you going to try it? Which picture did you like best? Any comments welcomed, longed for, craved and gratefully received…it’s a VEGAN/RECIPE/COOKING BLOGGING jungle out here…help me to develop a blog that serves YOU. x

Baked Zucchini Fries with lemon aioli - Gluten free, low fat and crispilicious

Orange roasted, stuffed fennel with pine nuts

Connect