Beer Battered Veggies

Had this on my mind for a long time, and finally whipped up a beer batter and

fried some veggies!

It's a pretty straightforward recipe,

but I'll write it down here anyway, just in case you need a not too healthy snack idea...

first, the batter:

-1 egg (stirred)

-1 cup of beer (any kind you like)

- 1 1/4 cup of flour

- 2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning

- 1 tablespoon of oil

The seasoning doesn't really matter, you can use something else if you like,

just remember to add salt if that's not in your seasoning already.

Also, you can start by stirring in 1 cup of flour, then add enough extra flour so your batter

is slightly thicker than a pancake batter.

Now, an unappetizing batter picture for your viewing pleasure:

Second step would be to cut your veggies and heat your oil.

I used sunflower oil.

Don't have a thermometer, so I waited until I figured the oil would be hot enough,

and then tested it by dropping a little piece of vegetable into the oil,

if it sizzles and bubbles, then you're good to go!

Make sure you've cut all your veggies before you start, 

also, have a colander ready, with kitchen paper, so you have a place to let

your vegetables rest after the deep frying.

First, I did a test run with halved white button mushrooms and

thick rings of red onion;

this is what I got after about 4 minutes:

Next up was my "real" batch of beer battered vegetables,

it's three slices of eggplant at the top left, 4 slices of zucchini at the bottom left

and again a small pile of white button mushrooms (cut in half).

Btw: the sauce (in both pictures) is a mixture of 3 tablespoons of mayo, 1 tablespoon of ketchup, 

some cognac and some salt and pepper.

This was a nice sauce, but any sauce would do of course,

just make sure you have some sauce for dipping!

Oh, and btw number two:

Next time I'll definitely make more onion rings and eggplant slices, those were the best!

Haloumi-Veggie Burgers

These burgers are adapted from a Gordon Ramsay recipe. He adds loads of different fresh green herbs, but I just used what was in the house....which happened to be a block of haloumi cheese! 
It had been laying in the fridge for two months I think. 
So it was a perfect opportunity to give it a try.

for two burgers, I grated :

- haloumi cheese (appromimately 100 grams)

- zucchini (same amount, by volume)

- carrot (same amount, by volume)

It's important to use the same (course) grater on all three ingredients!

The grated carrot and zucchini go into a colander. Sprinkle them with salt and give it some time (5-10 minutes).

In the mean time, cut:

- 1 or 2 spring onions

- half a red pepper

-a piece of ginger

The red pepper and ginger go into a little bowl, sprinkle them with a bit of salt and sugar, then add rice wine vinegar and a bit of olive oil...give it a stir.

Now it's time to squeeze every last drop of liquid out of the carrot and zucchini...use both of your hands and make sure it's as dry as it can be, otherwise the burgers will fall apart.

When you're done, add the veggies to the grated haloumi, give it a quick stir, 

then add:

- 1 whisked egg

- about 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs

Mix this up well and shape it into 2 burger patties.

Put it in your fridge for half an hour, so the patties get a little bit firmer before baking.

After that, drizzle some oil in a pan, gently add the patties and bake them on medium heat until both sides are a nice golden brown.

After plating them, scoop some of the red pepper and ginger out of the bowl (not the liquid) and lay it on top of the burgers for an extra kick.

Eat it with a nice green salad, 

or with couscous and grilled vegetables like I did.