To Feast or To Feed

Deep fried and good for you! Now, that's a twist! Fried foods are hard to beat..let's face it, we love fried foods but they not at the top of the list when it comes to making the healthiest choices. Or so we have been taught! Like anything GOOD, it is not so much what we eat but the quantity, how much we eat. Anything can be indulged in a totally overkill manner or it can be enjoyed in moderation. Eating slow and simply NOT over-stuffing ourselves makes all the difference in a day's caloric intake! Of course, also making a difference is the type of oil used and the consistency of the batter, which is most important for today's celebration.

January 7 is...

National Tempura Day

Facts About Tempura 

• Tempura did not originate in Japan. The concept of batter frying was brought by the Portuguese, along with Catholicism during the mid-16th century.  
• There are 76 calories in Shrimp Tempura, one serving of 3 shrimps.
• In preparing the batter, sometimes sparkling water is used to keep the batter light. For a super tender coating use a mixture of seltzer and vodka!
• Tempura batter is traditionally mixed in small batches using chopsticks for only a few seconds.
• Lumps are traditionally left in the mixture that, along with the cold batter temperature, result in the unique fluffy and crisp Tempura structure when fried.

Tempura is simply a good meal! Whatever the purpose of the meal, to feast or to feed, in making tempura three points must remain in the forefront - fresh ingredients, oil at a constant temperature, and lumpy batter. Whether beef, poultry, pork, seafood, a red, yellow or green vegetable (Yep! That's right...grab the veggies!), or your favorite snack, dip it in light, Tempura-style batter and fry, fry, fry away!

One of the all-time favorites for Tempura is shrimp...

Shrimp Tempura
Recipe courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen

Tired of trying to get your kids to eat their vegetables? 
Just fry 'em...Crispy Tempura style, that is!

Crisp Tempura Vegetables (Recipe)

BITE WITH CAUTION!

While recipes for Tempura batter vary, i.e., some with egg, some without, it is consistent that the batter must be COLD and the oil HOT! It is common sense to know the hotness is both inside and out. Be patient! Greedily grabbing a piece of broccoli or a mushroom and shoving the whole thing in your mouth can result in anything but pleasant! As instantaneous as the first bite will be the oozing of HOT juices swirling over, under, around the tongue with burning sensations throughout the mouth! 

Take your time...don't ruin a good thing! 

Enjoy it, but moderately! You surely want 

to leave room for dessert!

 Homemade Deep-Fried Bananas (Recipe)

 Best eaten hot & crispy dusted with powdered sugar or 
drizzled with your favorite topping!

Is your mouth watering yet?

 

yum, yum, yum . . . yummy!