Saturday, March 20, 2010

Deep Fried Battered Veggies with Ranch Dip and Pizza Sauce

So, although this is not a dish to have every week, I indulge in it once or twice a year. This used to be some of my favorite fair fare. I modified a couple of recipes I scoured off the net for the batter and dip and think they came out pretty tasty. I have a couple of other deep fried recipes that I'll share throughout time. I probably won't be using the mini peppers again because the batter didn't stay on very well, but they were still good. Hope you like it!



Deep Fried Battered Veggies with Ranch Dip and Pizza Sauce

Veggies:

Assorted Vegetables (we used asparagus, broccoli, mini peppers and zucchini)


Ranch Dip:

1 cup Vegenaise
1/4 cup soy milk
1 Tbs. parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper


Batter:

3/4 cup Bisquick
1 cup soy milk
1 and 1/2 tsp. Ener-g Egg Replacer
2 Tbs. water
1 tsp. garlic powder


Homemade or your favorite canned pizza sauce (we used Cento)
Canola oil

Directions:

Wash and prepare the vegetables ahead of time. For broccoli, cut into large chunks, or keep smaller florets whole. Snap asparagus spears in half. Cut zucchini into lengthwise wedges. Keep mini peppers whole. For the ranch dip, in a small mixing bowl, blend all ingredients together. Chill for one hour. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. For the batter, whisk everything together in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside. Heat up the pizza sauce in a small pot and keep warm until the veggies are ready. In a deep fryer, fill with oil to the fill-line. If you don't have a deep fryer, pour enough oil into a large skillet to cover the veggies while they are cooking, maybe two cups. Plug in the deep fryer or turn the skillet onto high heat. When the oil is very hot, drench the veggies in the batter and shake off any loose hanging batter back into the bowl. Carefully add the veggies to the oil being sure not to splatter yourself - the oil should boil around the veggies. You will only want a cup or so of vegetables at a time in the oil, so they can get evenly cooked. Gently stir occasionally during the cooking process, so they don't stick together. If using a deep fryer, use the spatula that came with it; if using a skillet, use a spatula that won't melt in the oil. Cook until the batter is browned, maybe 2 - 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven. After all the batches have cooked, serve with the dips and enjoy! Keep plenty of napkins handy. Feeds five hungry vegans.

21 comments:

  1. Have you tried flouring the veggies before the batter to help it stick? I have used that method in the past and it worked well for me

    BTW, I am living vicariously through your post. Glad you aren't close enough for me to stop by. ;-)

    Alicia

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  2. Ah, I was wondering if you were going to comment, Alicia. I thought of you as I was posting this oily dish! I have not thought of flouring the veggies; I'll give that a try next time. And, if you're ever in the area, just drop me a line and you're welcome to come on by. :)

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  3. I can still appreciate fried food, I just try not to eat it now. Normally I don't want it unless I smell it. Weird right? I used to make a lot of fritto misto in the "old days."

    talk to later,
    Alicia

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  4. Fritto Misto? Is that something Italian again, Sophia??

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  5. It is something Italian, it translates to mixed fried, or technically fried mix. I used to make it with many different veggies (broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, olives, fennel, artichokes). :-)

    Alicia

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  6. Sounds delish. Maybe you can make it healthy by baking and see how it turns out. Fennel is one of my top five favorite spices.

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  7. Oooh, this looks yummy. I've tried this ranch recipe (or one like it) and don't love it. It always turns out really runny or really veganaisey (which I don't like). Any tips?

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  8. Hmm, thanks for the honesty, Lisa! :) Well, in my honest opinion this one doesn't taste runny to me. Maybe a recipe you tried had more soy milk than a quarter cup - that is something I saw frequently when looking around. Also, I chill mine which seems to set the flavors and dip. If that doesn't work, perhaps using some vegan sour cream in place of some of the milk might do the trick. Give it a try and get back to me; I'm curious if it works out for you.

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  9. Sorry if it seemed like I was criticizing your recipe. I wasn't meaning to! I will try your suggestions and let you know! I was a very big ranch dressing fan, so I'm really picky about the alternative kinds. :)

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  10. I was having fun with you, Lisa! I did not take it the wrong way. I reduced the soy milk in my recipe b/c it was too drippy the first time. So, let me know how you do. No hard feelings over here!

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  11. Oh, I know what you mean...deep fried stuff just hits the spot sometimes...your veggies look good. I never liked ranch dressing before, but since I've been vegan, I've eaten a couple of different versions...and it is good. Pizza sauce for dipping is a great idea.

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  12. Oh, Rose, I'm glad to know that I'm not the only naughty-foods lover out here. It's something I can't eat often, but it's a nice treat sometimes. I got the dip ideas from our state and county fairs.

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  13. You are definitely *not* the only naughty foods lover...I'm with you on that one!

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  14. Oh blessed mama, please adopt me so that I can eat your deep fried veggies!!! lol

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  15. Rose - that's good to know!

    V.V. - Consider yourself adopted! I would just be more blessed. :)

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  16. I love fried veggies too! Also, vegetable tempura. So awesome.

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  17. Though fried food is not good for you, as a Spanish woman I feel that once in a while a good dish of fried food is the best. I do fry every so often...actually more often than every so. LOLOL! Good job!

    http://nuestracena-vegancuisine.blogspot.com

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  18. Hi, S.V., Looks I've exposed the vegan closet of fried food lovers, unexpectedly. I love vegetable tempura, too, and that's one of the recipes I'll post in the future.

    Millie, All we can do is our best to stay healthy. I use oil a few nights a week, sparingly, but some oil has good fat in it for us. So, as long as most of the time we're on track, something fried every now and then isn't the end of the world. :)

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  19. Looks great! I guess I could use any veggie I have to do this. Thanks for the recipe.

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  20. Mmmmm, a few of my favorite things! Ranch is always good on anything!

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  21. Yes, Jenn, you can use any veggie you think sounds good. You're welcome. :)

    Sarah, glad you like it. I'm not a big Ranch eater, but it's good here!

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