Baja Hearts of Palm "Fish" (Vegan)

 

Recipe from NikkiVegan One of my favorite YouTube channels

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 2-3 servings

This was fantastic! The hearts of palm "fish" mimicked the texture and taste of fish fillets. I served these as fish tacos, but they would also taste great on their own or in a sandwich. I did use a bit of avocado oil to fry these “fish” (hearts of palm) but I suppose those of you who have an air fryer could use that.

1 can/jar hearts of palm, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup brown rice flour or rice flour

1/4 cup corn starch

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

1/3 cup water

Avocado oil or other oil for frying

Sea salt (I use Maldon sea salt.)

Place the hearts of palm on a dry towel and gently rub them dry. Using the palm of your hand, press each piece to flatten a bit. In a pie plate, mix together the rice flour, corn starch and seasoning. Add the water and mix thoroughly. Coat the hearts of palm in the batter. Pan fry the hearts of palm "fish" in several Tablespoons of oil until golden brown on each side. Remove to a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to drain. Sprinkle with sea salt immediately. Serve.

Serving Suggestions:

Lemon wedges

Avocado slices or Homemade Guacamole

Vegan Mayo or Non-Dairy Yogurt (Mix in some fresh lemon or lime juice and sprinkle with some salt for a simple sauce)

Fresh Cilantro

Corn or Flour Tortillas

Purple Cabbage Slaw (Shred some purple cabbage into a large bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the cabbage. Sprinkle with salt, to taste. Massage the cabbage for about 1 minute. Set aside while you prepare the "fish." The cabbage will become more limp and tender. Add some minced cilantro, if you wish.)

Quick Pickled Red Onions

Vegan Okonomiyaki Vegetable Pancake with Pickled Ginger Salad

Recipe from Good Eatings

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 2-4 people

This is a vegan version of the popular Japanese vegetable pancake called Okonomiyaki. Being a pancake, it is traditionally made with eggs.  But with chickpea flour, a little rice flour and some raising ingredients (baking powder/baking soda), this pancake words quite well.  Using chickpea flour adds protein to this dish.  Adding vegetables to the pancakes makes them even more nutritious and the onion, ginger, garlic and cilantro boosts the flavor for sure. (If you don’t care for cilantro, you can omit it.) You can change up the vegetables if you wish, but the cabbage is a great base and so I would recommend leaving that in.  The Pickled Ginger Salad is scrumptious on its own, but creates a nice kick to the pancakes.  To save yourself time in the end, make the salad in advance.  You can also measure out the dry pancake ingredients and keep them in a glass jar in the fridge until you are ready to make the pancakes.

For the salad:

¾ of a large cucumber (seeded, if using a large cucumber) or 2-3 small ones, cut into small cubes

12 radishes, cut into small cubes

¼ cup pickled ginger, finely chopped

A big handful of cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

1 large lime, juice only

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

2-3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Sea salt, to taste

For the pancakes:

1 cup cabbage, finely sliced

½ large carrot, julienned or shredded using the bigger holes of a grater

1-2 spring onions, cut into strips roughly 2 inches long or 1 thick slice red onion, diced

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1½ cups chickpea flour

½ cup rice flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1½ cup water

1 Tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

Oil for pan frying the pancake, about 1 Tablespoon

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Serve with: vegan creme fraiche or sour cream (optional)

Prepare your salad by mixing all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and giving them a good toss to combine. Set aside while you make your pancake.  For the pancake, prepare the vegetables and then set them aside as you make the batter. Mix all the dry ingredients for the pancake in a large mixing bowl and then add the minced garlic and ginger to it. Then pour in the water and soy sauce as you whisk to combine it with the dry ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Fold in the vegetables as well as cilantro. Heat up a non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot add oil. Pour one quarter of the batter trying to distribute the vegetables even in terms of what ends up in the pan and what stays in the bowl. Then even the mixture out in the pan and cover with a lid. Lower your heat to medium and then let it fry under the lid for about 5 minutes. (Bubbles will appear on top of the batter.  At that point, carefully lift one side of the pancake to see if it’s browned.  If so, flip the pancake over.) Then fry on the second side for about 3 minutes or until slightly browned. Repeat with the rest of the pancake batter making 4 pancakes in total. You could keep the pancakes on low heat in the oven as you finish the rest of the pancakes. Serve with a dollop of vegan creme fraiche or sour cream onto each piece and/or the pickled ginger salad.