Healthy Fried Mushrooms and Okra

I love the occasional treat of fried foods, but really don't like the frying part. And then there's that niggling at the back of my brain telling me not to eat fried foods, they are so bad for me! So I found a way to get fried foods without the danger of getting nailed by popping hot oil and the other bad stuff that goes with it - oven frying!

Oven Fried Mushrooms

1/2 c. plain soy milk
1/2 c. vegetable broth
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. nutritional yeast
One package whole mushrooms
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. salt
2 t. basil
2 t. oregano
Cajun seasoning to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Whisk wet ingredients and nutritional yeast in large bowl. Toss mushrooms in this mixture and coat well. Combine remaining ingredients in a large plastic bag. Scoop mushrooms into bag with a slotted spoon and shake until well coated. Arrange on a cookie sheet, spread out evenly and spray with an oil spray. Bake at 425 for 30-40 minutes.

Oven Fried Okra

One package frozen sliced okra, thawed
1 t. Cajun or creole seasoning
1/2 t. garlic salt
1 c. corn meal
Oil spray

Spray the inside of a gallon sized ziplock baggie with the oil spray. Add the okra to the bag with the Cajun seasoning and garlic salt. Seal bag and shake vigorously. Add the cornmeal to the bag and shake up again. Spread the okra over a cookie sheet, spread out evenly and spray okra with oil spray. Bake at 425 for 40 minutes.

After 20 minutes, flip both mushrooms and okra and spray once more with oil spray. And yes, I put both the mushrooms and the okra on the same cookie sheet.

Serve. Enjoy!

There were no leftovers. Serve it with your favorite dressing. Our dressing of choice is homemade vegan ranch. Yummy!

Southern Fried Tofu

I'm what's known as GRITS - a girl raised in the south. I've spent time up north, had my share of winter and July (lots of snow for those unfamiliar with seasons other than summer! LOL!), but the south is where I was born and have spent most of my life. It's familiar. Comfortable. And has some of the best food around.

My mom always made the best fried chicken. She didn't do anything special, just flour, salt and pepper, but for some reason, mine never tasted as good as hers. She doesn't make it anymore, and the animals and I thank her for that. But those flavors linger in the mind. And now I've found a way to have my fried chicken taste cruelty free!

Southern Fried Tofu

One package extra firm tofu, frozen in the package, boiled, pressed, cut into bite sized chunks
Seasoning Mix:
1-1/2 c. nutritional yeast
2 t. salt
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. parsley
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. tarragon
1/2 t. dill
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. curry
1/4 t. mustard
1/4 t. rosemary
1/4 t. celery seeds

Soy or any vegan milk, plain
Lemon juice
Flour
Olive or peanut oil

Mix the seasoning mix together. In a separate bowl, mix the milk with a little lemon juice. In a third bowl, add the flour. Heat oil in frying pan.
The process is simple - coat the tofu pieces in the flour, shake off excess. Dip the pieces in the milk, then in the seasoning mix. Fry in the oil until nicely browned on all sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve. Enjoy!

I served mine with vegan mac and cheese and green peas, but you could go all southern and serve it with mashed potatoes and make some gravy. This has a really nice flavor. Next I want to find a copycat recipe for Popeyes chicken and try making the tofu with those seasonings. Finger lickin' good! Okay, I'm mixing my commercials, but who cares? Good food is good food, and this is good food!