Vegan Soul Food, part 1

I made it through Musculoskeletal and now we're on to Cardiopulmonary I. What better way to kick off the new section than to make a batch of tasty black-eyed pea fritters?! My next few blog posts will be recipes from a cookbook my sister sent me last month: Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry (Thanks Krsitin!). What I love about this book is that Terry adds personal stories to go along with each recipe and he also suggests a music, art, and even reading selection to "pair" with each delicious creation.

The first batch of fritters did not turn out quite as planned, but with a little bit of tweaking and creativity, it worked out. The original recipe called for immersion frying in about 5 c. of hot coconut oil. I decided it would be a little more cost effective (and slightly better for the coronary arteries) to lightly pan fry the fritters in canola oil. The first batch basically crumbled to pieces in the frying pan. So, to thicken the patties, I added a mixture of cornmeal, whole wheat flour, and bulgar (cracked wheat). This addition thickened the fritters to a more manageable consistency for pan frying.

These little patties are packed with protein and are super tasty. They kind of remind me of southern style falafel. This recipe also reminded me of how much I love deviating from the book. I feel that I really come into my own in the kitchen when I can take a recipe and make it come to life by tweaking it according to the ingredients I have on hand and based on my personal taste.

Black-Eyed Pea Fritters (Adapted from Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry)

Yields 6 servings

Bryant’s suggested soundtrack: The Best of Fela Kuti: http://www.allmusic.com/album/r451573

2 cans cooked black eyed peas (salt free if you can find it)

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/2 cup unsalted peanuts

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 c plus 2 tbsp water

1 tsp coarse sea salt

Combine in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Place mixture in a bowl and cover. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

  

1/2 c green or red bell pepper (finely chopped, I used red)

2-3 tbsp cornmeal

2-4 tbsp whole wheat flour

1 tbsp bulgar

Add bell pepper, cornmeal, flour, and bulgar to the mixture and mix with a spoon for about 2 minutes. In a medium sized skillet, add enough canola oil to form a thin layer. When oil is hot, place spoonfuls of the bean mixture in the hot oil. Press the fritters down to flatten with the back of a spatula. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Continue to add oil to the pan so it doesn’t dry out.

Cool fritters on a paper towel-lined cookie rack. Serve with hot pepper sauce like Sriracha ... and don't forget to do the dishes!

 

Preview of the next recipe: While the fritters chilled in the fridge, I worked on making a vegetable stock for the next recipe. Stay tuned J