It’s been so hot here in SouthWestern Ontario (Canada) that I’m finding it difficult to want to cook anything. Our tiny ancestral 160+ year-old house does not have air conditioning (which is fine because I don’t like air conditioning for 2 reasons: 1) I don’t like the air, it hurts my throat 2) it’s bad for the environment) and although the solid construction and double brick walls are fairly good at staying cool (with the help of a couple of big tall trees), there’s always a month during the summer where the temperatures get crazy hot in here (we do cave-in for a couple of weeks and install a portable air conditioning, mostly because our cat is old and seems to suffer when it gets too hot.
So, it looks like this is where we’re at right now… the beginning of crazy hot and humid season! Since I didn’t feel like cooking for too long, I made this a couple of nights ago, quick, easy and delicious. And I have a bunch of asparagus left to use before they go bad (last of the season!).
Make sure your oil is hot enough so that your batter doesn’t absorb too much oil, but not too hot so it burns too quickly! Make your salad, cut all your vegetables and prepare your dipping sauce ahead of time, because it’s that quick!
Asian inspired dipping sauce
- 1 Tbsp low-sodium organic tamari sauce (or organic soy sauce)
- 1 Tbsp organic rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp spring water (or filtered)
Simply mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
Gluten-free tempura vegetables (this should give you enough for 3-4 portions)
- 1 cup organic chickpea flour
- 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 1/3 cup (unflavoured) sparkling spring water
- slices of organic sweet potatoes (about 1/4″ thick)
- slices of organic onion (about 1/3″ thick)
- organic asparagus (green and white)
- (any other vegetable you like!)
- Unrefined organic sesame oil for cooking
Simply whisk the flour, baking powder and water together in a bowl or large soup plate. Dip the vegetables in, making sure the batter covers both sides (but not too thick) and drop into a warmed pan with sesame oil in it (at least 1-2″ of oil in your pan). Cook about 1-2 minutes each side, or until a light golden colour. While you finish cooking the rest of the vegetables, put the cooked veggies on a plate with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Serve immediately with the dipping sauce and a green salad. Yum!
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