KarmaFree Cooking

Fried Cauliflower

We already established I like fried foods, right?

But believe me, for the amount of fried foods I have posted on this blog, I do not eat that many of them… maybe like once a week, maybe. I think it’s just that we’re around the holidays here and these are “more or less” permissible things around the holidays… eat fried foods now, diet and exercise in the new year… But I find that if you exercise and eat healthy all the time, as part of your daily routine, you can indulge every once in a while in a fried morsel of crispy goodness.

Enough…

Here are my interpretation of Fried Cauliflower. I learned to eat this, believe it or not, at the salad bar at Ponderosa Steakhouse. The salad bars here in PR offer, in addition to the standard salad fare, corn sorullitos, macaroni and cheese, cooked corn, steamed carrots, and sometimes, fried cauliflower. They’re sooooo tasty. But the secret of their tastiness is in the batter. Let me show you how…

FRIED CAULIFLOWER

1 head of cauliflower, cut in medium sized florets
2 cups whole wheat or spelt flour

2 tbs cornstarch
3 tbs sofrito
1 tbs salt or garlic salt

1 tbs Herbamare herbed salt
a few grinds of cracked black pepper
water – about 2 cups
a few sprinkles of paprika – optional
Canola oil – for frying

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch and the water. Mix the water slowly, maybe in two batches. The idea is for the batter to be the same consistency as pancake batter.
Add to the batter, the sofrito, salt, herbed salt and pepper. Add paprika, if using.
Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Dunk the pieces of cauliflower in the batter. Clean the piece of any running batter and place carefully in the hot oil.
Fry the little morsels until golden brown on all sides. It should take a few minutes – this way the cauliflower will cook/soften a bit and the batter will be golden brown and crunchy.

Eat on their own or dunk in Mayo Ketchup.

Hope you like them!!!

Tags: cauliflower, sofrito, whole wheat

Comments 4 Comments
Categories appetizers, side dishes, snacks

My Favorite Whisk

11 Jan

My favorite whisk I got in London…

But I didn’t even buy it. It was a gift included when I bought a cooking magazine with Jamie Oliver on the cover. Jame Oliver was incentive enough to buy the magazine (he’s sooooooo cute!!!!), but the whisk was a nice add-on. I was at Heathrow Airport during a lay-over, everything is super expensive there, so it’s nice to get stuff for “free” whenever we can… no?

I was unsure on how this new contraption would work… because to my knowledge then, all whisks were balloon-like. But to my surprise, this whisk format is super easy to use, super efficient and does not take up a lot of space in my utensil drawer.

Even more, my whisk was further validated when I saw Nigella Lawson use it several times in her TV shows. Apparently, this is the whisk of choice in the UK… and now it’s also MY whisk of choice.

Maybe it can become yours too… and start a whisk revolution, don’t you think?

Tags: whisks

Comments 2 Comments
Categories MY EDITORIAL

Mustard Vinaigrette

11 Jan

It’s the time of New Year resolutions… another one of mine – eat more salads at home.

I tend to eat big salads when I eat out or a side salad when I feel what I am eating is not that healthy – like a pizza. I try to add more nutrition by accompanying whatever I am having with a salad. But at home, sometimes I get lazy. But I have noticed that when I am hooked to the taste of an awesome dressing, I look forward to eating a salad at home everyday.

This is my new vice – Mustard Vinaigrette. Easy, tasty, and goes well with any greens and vegetables you might fancy in your salad. I did this to accompany my not-so-healthy veggie “chicken” nuggets.

I make this by “eye-balling” the ingredients… so bear with me here on the quantities.

MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

1 tbs Dijon or Grain Mustard
1 tbs Apple cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Extra-virgin Olive oil

In the same bowl you’ll prepare your salad, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.
Then, pour olive oil slowly while whisking it in, until you get a nice emulsified dressing mixture.
Taste to adjust any seasonings.
Add any greens and vegetables you crave on your salad.

I am sure you could use this vinaigrette to season grilled vegetables – like portobello mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc.

Enjoy!!!

Tags: dijon, dressings, grain mustard, mustard, olive oil, vinegar

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Salad

Are there any Rice Cookers without Aluminum Insert???

9 Jan

I posted this question a few days ago in a blog I quite enjoy visiting and commenting in – Serious Eats. It’s not vegetarian, that’s why is not part of my BlogRoll.

Since I became a vegetarian, I was told how hazardous to our health was to cook on aluminum – cookware or foil. So, when I moved by myself and was buying all my kitchen stuff, I bought all stainless steel pots and pans. To me, it was something easy to do and would in the long run, not compromise my health.

However, I have not been able to replace my rice cooker. My rice cooker has been with me since 1992. My mom gave it to me as a present when I moved to Chicago for grad school. I have made any kind of rice you can imagine there – white rice, now wholegrain brown rice, rice with corn, rice with vienna sausages, now rice with tofu dogs, rice and vegetables, you name it… So I posted a question onto the Serious Eats TALK section to see if someone more foodie than I am could help me locate the rice cooker of my dreams – without the aluminum insert.

The responses have been many. But what surprised me most is that people were asking me WHY I wanted to eradicate cooking in aluminum. I guess thats one of the by-products of these community blogs where people share their opinions rather than aswering the question at hand… and even though I was surprised, I am also glad because the question sparked a discussion on the pros and cons of the different cookware and their health risks, if any.

My position and recommendation – to avoid using aluminum when cooking. Aluminum has been associated with the development of Alzheimer’s Disease, osteporosis/softening of the bones, imparied kidney functions, memory loss, among others. My POV – if changing my pots and pans can help avoid these risks in any way… why not do it???

I use now stainless steel, glass, pyrex to cook. I line baking sheets with silplat or unbleached parchment paper. I confess, I use aluminum foil sparingly, just because of the convenience.

I included a link to my question in Serious Eats and let me know what’s your POV… and if you know of any rice cookers without aluminum inserts… I will really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

Comments 65 Comments
Categories MY EDITORIAL

Vegetarian “Chicken” Nuggets

8 Jan

When I decided to become vegetarian, I was clear and sure I did not want to constantly eat food that resembled the animal products I was consciously not going to eat. And even more, I was never a fan of traditional chicken nuggets when I was not vegetarian. So when I was offered to try vegetarian “chicken” nuggets I was not interested. My friend insisted in buying me a bag to try… and the rest is history.

This is not something I eat frequently. But there are some times you want a snack, something to nibble on – you know, the munchies… and when that time comes, these veggie nuggets usually hit the spot. Here’s a photo of the packaging for your reference.

They’re super easy to make. I just put them in a sheet pan sprayed with some canola oil spray and into a 400 degree toaster oven. In 15 minutes or less, you’ll have crispy and tasty veggie nuggets. Enjoy them on their own or with MayoKetchup sauce for dipping.