Fried Zucchini Tacos
Star Tested This recipe makes 8 tacos, but can easily be scaled up for a party or a packed lunch the next day (they’re surprisingly tasty when cold). For the jalapeno-lime taco sauce 1/2 cup (125 mL) vegan mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
2 tbsp (30 mL) pickled jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
2 tsp (10 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup (60mL) fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped Zest of one lime In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until well incorporated. Makes about
1/2 cup (125 mL) sauce For the zucchini
1cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
11/2 cups (375 mL) water
1tsp (5 mL) table salt, plus more to taste
2 cups (500 mL) yellow or green zucchini, cut into finger-sized sticks and patted dry with paper towel
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) panko crumbs, plus more for dredging
Oil, for frying (sunflower, canola, or neutral-flavoured coconut oil)
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, water and salt until batter is smooth with no clumps. Set aside. Put panko in a separate bowl. Set aside.
In a large frying pan, pour 1 cm of oil and heat over medium-high heat. The oil is ready for frying when inserting a wooden chopstick makes oil bubble.
Place 3 to 4 zucchini sticks in batter and coat all sides. Remove. Dredge zucchini in panko crumbs coating all sides.
Using a pair of chopsticks or tongs, gently place coated zucchini sticks into pan of hot oil, careful not to overcrowd pan. Cook until golden brown on outside and tender on inside, 3 to 4 minutes. Line a plate with paper towels and place fried zucchini to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with salt.
Repeat with remaining zucchini sticks.
Makes about 24 fried zucchini sticks. For the tacos 8 large whole wheat tortillas (6 to 8 inches)
2 cups (500 mL) store-bought coleslaw
2 cups (500 mL) fried zucchini sticks
1/2 cup (125 mL) taco sauce
1/2 cup (125 mL) finely diced red onion
1cup (250 mL) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1lime, cut into eight wedges, for garnish
Spoon about 1/4 cup (60 mL) of coleslaw down the centre of each tortilla. Top with 3 fried zucchini fingers, 1 tbsp (15 mL) taco sauce, 2 tsp (10 mL) red onion, 1 tbsp (15 mL) tomato and 2 tsp (10 mL) cilantro. Serve immediately with a wedge of lime.
Makes 4 servings. Test kitchen tips Goo-gone: Dipping hands into batter and then panko crumbs will create a gloopy mess. Using one set of chopsticks to coat the zucchini in batter and another to coat the panko crumbs will keep the work station cleaner. Once panko becomes wet in the bowl, it starts to clump up and won’t stick to the zucchini. Discard those lumps and pour in some fresh panko. DIY: Rather than assembling all the tacos yourself, set up a taco station and have your guests make their own. Place the toppings in separate bowls with spoons, and have bottles of hot sauce, chips and guac — and maybe a few shots of tequila — on hand as well. Be prepared: The taco sauce can be made a day ahead if you’re strapped for time (though it takes five minutes to make). You can use the sauce in lieu of tartar sauce for fish and chips or in a tuna salad. Mince means chop finely: Spend the extra few seconds to properly mince the onions and garlic, rather than just doing a rough chop. Nothing’s worse than a big hunk of onion or raw garlic stuck in your guests’ teeth. How to properly dispose of cooking oil: Never pour grease down the drain. It can clog pipes.
The easiest thing to do is let the oil cool, pour it into a sealed container (or a plastic bag lined with newspaper), and throw it out with the rest of your garbage (same goes for the batter). If you have one, use the green bin. karon.lui@gmail.com