My Kitchen Smells Awesome

I got a ton of fresh veggies and hadn't fried anything in a while. I decided that trying to make my own tempura vegetables was a good idea. Miraculously, even though I burn myself on things a lot, I managed to not sacks any part of myself. 

I trimmed and washed green beans, cauliflower, red pepper strips, zucchini and button mushrooms. Preparing the tempura batter took a little while but was worth it. The end result was light, crunchy and delicate, not heavy like traditional beer batter. 

Here's the recipe. Not sure why it was important to refrigerate the batter for 15 minutes prior but I didn't want to screw it up (this was a TON of veggies). Another fringe benefit was that it required no egg replacer which I always forget to buy:

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/sidevegetabledishes/r/vegantempura.htm

Hello, dollies. 

Also I made some vegan ranch. I was skeptical. You see, I've learned I hate fake meats and cheeses for the most part (I like tofu if it's fried, mock duck if it's covered in BBQ and nut cheeses... I like Daiya NEVER). But this ranch is better than any store-bought traditional ranch. Promise.

1 cup Vegenaise
1/4 cup soy milk
1 Tbs. parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. fresh dill