Vegan and Gluten-Free Dill Blue Corn Hushpuppies w/ Poblano Pepper + Shallots
Difficulty: 2/5 (5 being hardest)
Spice Level: 2/3 (3 being spiciest)
Prep & Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
Servings: 10 puppies
The Challenge: Healthy, Vegan Hushpuppies
Do you love hushpuppies? Dumb question. WE ALL DO.
Problem! They ain't vegan. Hushpuppies nearly always have buttermilk in them as well eggs. Further, they can often be fried in fat. Which is second problem! They aren't good for you or your little heart. So yeah I love to indulge too, but what if we could make them vegan, make them healither, and make them taste better!
Would you be into that?
I set out to try and conquer the hushpuppy in this recipe. One thing I wanted to do though was use blue cornmeal over yellow cornmeal. Why? Blue cornmeal actually has a slightly different flavor profile. It is a bit more grainy in my opinion, and it holds up better when being baked from my experience.
That was important to me because I knew I wanted to bake these puppies. I love fried food. I mean its tasty, but it also is not something we should eat as often as most do. This healthy version HOLDS UP TO FRIED ONES...maybe not deepfried. Those are really good. But your family and the girl/guy you want to impress will definitely like them and be WOWed.
To give them the depth that I enjoy I used a healthy dose of dill as a lead actor. The dill just makes these come to life. The poblano and shallot add a nice crunch and zing to them as well.
JEEZ I'm getting hungry just writing this. Let's get to it.
Ingredients:
Hushpuppies
- 1 1/2 cups blue cornmeal (yellow works)
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 small onion, chopped small
- 1/2 medium poblano, chopped small
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup soy or rice milk
- 1 tbl lemon juice
- 3 tbl fresh dill, chopped small
- 1 tsp Old Bay
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
Other
- tahini or favorite dipping sauce like Garlic Creole Aioli or Chipotle Crema
Equipment You'll Need:
Medium Mixing Bowl . Cutting Board . Medium Slicing Knife . Spatula. Measuring Cups . Measuring Spoons . Small bowl . Baking Sheet . Parchment Paper or Silpat
Before You Cook:
- Mix milk with lemon juice, set aside for 5-10 minutes (this makes a vegan buttermilk)
- Chop fresh ingredients
- Preheat oven to 350F
1. Once you have all your prep work done, throw all your dry ingredients into a bowl. Leave out oil and milk for now. Stir with a spatula until well combined.
2. Pour in your buttermilk mixture and your oil.
3. Mix your ingredients until pretty thick. It should be clumping together. If its too thin and can easily move spatula through it, add more cornmeal. If there are dry parts falling off, add a bit more milk.
4. Using a 1/4 cup, scoop up the balls, pop in your hand and roll into a ball. You have the right consistency if it comes together, stays formed, and does not leave much residue on your hand.
5. Once all your puppies are formed, pop them into the oven at 350F for 10 minutes, flip them if you want a crisp on each side or at least rotate the pan, and cook another 10 minutes.
6. Eat as soon as possible and enjoy with a good dipping sauce. YUMMMM
