"Fried" Pickles!

Before we get started though, happy belated 27th birthday to my boyfriend Eric! (Originally I was going to post this on his actual birthday, but I haven't had a steady internet connection available.) My parents and I took him out for Japanese food, and we had a lovely gift exchange!

But enough of that.

Back when I was a vegetarian, I'll admit I made some silly restaurant choices. My one INCREDIBLY guilty pleasure? The fried pickles at Hooters. Everything else there was awful (I mean seriously, it was BAD) but the fried pickles were like heaven on a plate. While on Pinterest the other day, I found a recipe for fried pickles that looked good, and I figured I'd veganize it!

But guess what?

We're not going to actually fry.

We're gonna bake these suckers!

So!

ingredients:

• 1 jar of pickle slices (I used a jar of homemade dill; Eric's mom makes them!)
• 1 Tbsp vegan mayo
• 5-6 Tbsps water
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp *vegan Worcestershire sauce (see note)
• 1 tsp hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1-2 cups vegan breadcrumbs (I say start with 1 and increase from there as needed)

instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the mayo, water, flour, vegan Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder, and Cajun seasoning.
2. Place paper towels (I use two) on a plate and pat the pickle slices as dry as you can.
3. Put the vegan breadcrumbs on a plate and spread them out a little so there's a thin layer over the entire plate.
4. Put each pickle slice into the medium bowl with the vegan mayo mixture, then pat each side lightly with breadcrumbs. Place these on a baking sheet with parchment paper on it.
5. Once you're done coating each pickle slice, turn your oven's broiler on (to high) and broil for three minutes on each side. Serve with your favourite Ranch dressing!

The other day I discovered that you can buy vegan mayonnaise AT THE DOLLAR STORE YOU GUYS. Enough of the "veganism is sooooo expensive" nonsense. It's the DAMN DOLLAR STORE. Two of these jars equals one at Whole Foods, which is way more expensive ($5 A JAR) and these last longer. (Granted, it's because they're not refrigerated due to an extra preservative, so if you're against preservatives then I guess go with the more expensive refrigerated stuff. But I'm a reckless college kid that's all for cheapness and chemicals. YAY CHEAP CHEMICALS.)

It's gonna feel like a wittle baby jar (I mean, I have baby hands so that should tell you something) but you're getting more for your money overall. Don't fall for the large jars at Target. They feel more satisfying, yes, but it's all lies.

(If you go to the Just Mayo website and put in your zip code, they'll give you stores near you where you can purchase it. I get mine at Dollar Trees, which I do believe are a national thing, but be sure to check!)

I called for vegan Worcestershire sauce for this recipe. This is the kind I personally use. I buy it at a local health food store, but you can get it on Amazon, veganessentials.com, and so on. You can even make your own if you're not a lazy bum like me!

Here's my mise en place. (The stuff in the bowl is flour, and the stuff behind the pickles is my dry Ranch dressing mix.)

As stated earlier, I did use homemade pickles. These were a little too thick for my liking, but Eric's mom has kindly made more with thinner slices so I'll try that again in the future!

When you mix together the vegan mayo mixture, this is the kind of texture you're aiming for. It's almost eggy, if I remember eggs correctly. 

Drying out the pickles, la la la!

Before they're baked. Mmmmmm, pickles.

And after the broiling process! 

I used mine as a side for a Gardein chipotle black bean burger (which I've only recently tried and fallen in love with!) and serve it with a side of ranch dressing. (There are multiple vegan ranch dressing recipes online, so try to experiment with some and find something you like!)

These are a lot lighter than ones that are deep fried, but the breading retains a nice flavour. (After I made these, I tried to share them with Eric - who had unfortunately just eaten - and he told me that he wished he was hungry because he wanted some! Oh well, next time perhaps!)

If I have an internet connection tomorrow, I have a special surprise recipe for you guys. It's one of my all-time favourite dishes, and I rarely ever make it because I am, as I said, a lazy bum. So cross your fingers!

xo, Kate