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Maria is a food stylist, photographer, and recipe developer based in Columbus, OH.
updated Feb 5, 2020
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Hearty and vegan? Is it possible? Yes, of course! We pulled recipes from a few vegan cookbooks hitting the market this year and asked one of our food photographers and stylists, Maria Siriano, who happens to be vegan, for her thoughts on the recipes.
The title of Anna Jones’ A Modern Way to Cook does a fine job of summing up what it means to be all about the plants in this day and age — it’s a modern way to cook, and it will leave you just as satisfied and nourished when you have the right group of ingredients and a few key recipes at your fingertips. While this book skews vegetarian many of the recipes, including this one for avocado fritters, can be easily veganized.
Testing Notes from Maria
If avocado toast is already a linchpin of your morning routine, these fritters might give it some stiff competition. A leisurely morning works best for this recipe, since the fritters take a bit of time to assemble, but one bite and all the work is worth it. The fritters taste kind of like fried guacamole, thanks to the cilantro and lime, and the use of kale and quinoa is especially clever because they add both a leafy green and a protein source to your meal. Two fritters and a healthy dose of vegan cashew hollandaise are more than enough to keep you full through a workout and well past lunchtime.
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Vegan Avocado Fritters
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the fritters:
- 1/2 cup
quinoa, or 1 cup cooked
- 4
medium avocados
- 1
medium lime
- 3 1/2 ounces
kale
- 1
medium jalapeño
- 1 bunch
fresh cilantro
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup
polenta
Coconut oil
For the vegan hollandaise:
- 5 ounces
raw cashews
- 3 tablespoons
hot water, plus more for soaking the cashews
- 1/2 teaspoon
ground turmeric
Juice of 1 medium lime
- 1 tablespoon
olive oil
Salt
Instructions
Soak the cashews:
Place the cashews into a small bowl and cover with boiling water; set aside to soak.
Cook the quinoa:
If using dry quinoa, cook the quinoa. Place 1 cup of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa well in cold water and drain. Add the quinoa to the boiling water and cook until translucent and the little curly grains have popped out, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well and leave to cool slightly.
While the quinoa is cooking, peel and pit the avocados. Scoop the flesh into a large bowl and mash coarsely, still leaving some texture and a few lumps. Finely grate the zest of the lime over the avocado, then squeeze in the juice and mix well.
Wash the kale, then tear off and discard the stalks. Tear the leaves into small pieces and add to the avocado. Finely chop the green chile and add to the avocado. Cut the stalks off the bunch of cilantro, finely chop the leaves, and add to the avocado.
Add the cooked quinoa, salt, and pepper to the avocado. Mix well to combine.
Divide the mixture into 8 portions and shape each into a patty. Pour the polenta onto a baking sheet and spread it out into a thick layer. One by one, lay each fritter on top of the polenta, then sprinkle some polenta from the tray generously over the other side. Refrigerate to let set while you make the hollandaise.
Make the hollandaise:
Drain the soaked cashews and place in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment or blender. Mix the water and turmeric together in a small bowl, then add to the machine. Add the lime juice, oil, and season with salt. Process or blend until smooth and glossy — this will take a little longer if your blender is not a high-speed one.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add a little coconut oil, and fry the patties until golden brown on both sides. You can either use two pans or you can fry in batches, keeping the cooked fritters warm in a low oven.
Serve 2 fritters each with plenty of hollandaise.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reprinted with permission from A Modern Way to Cook: 150+ Vegetarian Recipes for Quick, Flavor-Packed Meals by Anna Jones, copyright (c) 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press.
Filed in:
dinner
Gluten-Free
greens
herbs
Ingredient
Main Dish
