Vegan Diner (16 page)

Potato salad is usually one of the first dishes to disappear at a
potluck. This variation of the much-loved salad pairs garlic and fresh dill, one of my favorite combinations. It's really fresh-tasting, which is a nice change from run-of-the-mill deli salad.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

2 pounds small red potatoes

1 cup Garlic Mayo (see
page 172
)

¼
cup minced fresh dill

2 large cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, add potatoes and cook until just tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let sit until cool enough to handle. Dice into large chunks.

In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, fresh dill, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the diced potatoes to the bowl and toss to coat with the mayonnaise mixture. Give the potato salad a few good stirs, as it helps the salad become thick and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the potato salad right away, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

When I want to really make my kids happy,
the quickest way to their hearts are home-fried onion rings. There's just something about crispy hot onion rings dipped in ketchup that brings out the kid in all of us.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

4 to 6 cups vegetable oil for frying (or as needed)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder

¾
teaspoon fine sea salt

½
teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder

¼
teaspoon paprika

¼
teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Dash or two of cayenne pepper

1 cup beer (preferably pale ale), room temperature

1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley

1 very large sweet white or yellow onion

4 to 6 cups vegetable oil for frying (or as needed)

Fill a large, deep pot or Dutch oven with most of the oil, making sure that the oil is at least 4 inches deep and heat the oil to 365°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic, salt, onion, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne. Slowly add the beer, whisking until smooth. Add the parsley, whisking until mixed. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes. Prepare a plate covered with paper towels for draining the cooked onion rings.

Dredge the onion slices in the batter until evenly coated. Let any excess batter drip off, although you want as much of the batter as possible to stay on the onion. Use a candy thermometer to read the heat of the oil. You can also test if the oil is ready by dredging a piece of bread in the batter and dipping it in the oil. If it sizzles immediately and begins to brown, the oil's ready, if not, continue to heat the oil. If the bread burns, take the pan off the heat and let the oil cool down a bit.

Working in batches, use tongs to place them one by one in the hot oil. Do not crowd or overlap. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown and tender, turning once or twice as necessary, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Continue with the remaining onion rings. The oil temperature will fluctuate, cooling down slightly as you add new batches, and heating up as it sits on the heat, so carefully monitor the oil between batches. Add more oil to maintain at least 4 inches in the pot, making sure to get it back up to temperature betwen batches. Season with additional salt and pepper, and serve hot.

You can never have too many onion ring recipes,
as each one can offer something a little different. These delicious smoky-flavored onion rings are dipped in a chickpea batter, which gives them a crisp exterior and a sweet, soft middle. They are gluten-free, too.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

4 to 6 cups vegetable oil for frying (or as needed)

1 cup chickpea flour

1
¼
teaspoons garlic salt

¾
teaspoon smoked paprika

¼
teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or more to taste

¾
cup plus 2 tablespoons sparkling water

1 very large red onion, preferably sweet

4 to 6 cups vegetable oil for frying (or as needed)

In a large, deep pot or Dutch oven, pour enough oil to completely submerge the onion rings, about 3 to 4 inches in a medium-sized pot, and heat to 365°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, garlic salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Slowly add the sparkling water, whisking just until smooth. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes. If the batter is too thick, you can add another drop or two of sparkling water. The batter should be the consistency of a pancake batter (not too thin or too thick).

Dredge the onion slices in the batter, until evenly coated. Let any excess batter drip off, although you want as much of the batter as possible to stay on the onion. Use a candy thermometer to read the temperature of the oil. You can also test if the oil is ready by dredging a piece of bread in the batter and dipping it in the oil. If it sizzles immediately and begins to brown, the oil's ready, if not, continue to heat the oil. If the bread burns, take the pan off the heat and let the oil cool down a bit.

Working in batches, use tongs to place them one by one in the hot oil. Do not crowd or overlap the onions. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown and tender, turning once or twice as necessary, about 1 to 2 minutes or each side. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Continue with the remaining onion rings. The oil temperature will fluctuate, cooling down slightly as you add new batches of onion rings to the hot oil, and heating up as it sits on the heat, so carefully monitor the oil between batches. If the oil level looks like it's getting low, you can add more oil as necessary so that you have at least 4 inches of oil in the pot, making sure to get it back up to temperature between batches. Season with additional garlic salt, if desired, and serve hot.

Chickpea flour is
the same as garbanzo bean flour. It can also be found labeled as besan flour in Indian grocery stores as well. Chickpea flour is gluten-free, making it a perfect choice for those who avoid gluten in their diet. The flour is rich in protein, and has a rich, slightly sweet flavor.