Every year when the State Fair of Texas rolls around I get a bit giddy. You’ve probably read about my love and deep roots for the Fair. Sure I get it’s not vegan friendly, but there’s a lot more things to enjoy about our beloved Fair than the food and livestock. Here’s a few of my favorites:
- Photo op with Big Tex.
- A ride on the Texas Star.
- The Midway and games.
- Creative Arts building.
- The nightly parade.
This year I discovered a vegan jewel called Trio on the Garden.
It’s a nice reprieve from the noise and crowds. Heavily shaded with amble sitting areas, they not only offer a delicious vegan option of falafel sliders, but they have a nice selection of craft beer to wash it down too. I especially enjoyed the solo singer who strummed his guitar to familiar tunes.
Of course the highlight is always the cooking demo I give in the Cutco Celebrity Chef Kitchen. This was my third year! It’s a thrill to have the opportunity to show a crowd of mostly non-vegans how easy and delicious it is to eat plant-based meals. 
How sweet is this, three of my Aunts came to watch me!
This years vegan crab cake was a hit. I made them entree size for the demo, but you can make them smaller for an appetizer or side dish. It may sound deceitful to call it a crab cake when there’s no crab, but that’s the name people resonate with. In my version, I replace the crab with the stringy texture of artichoke and garbanzo beans to give it bulk and a dose of protein.
I also used an Air Fryer which not only reduced the cooking time for my demo, but offered a healthier version too. There were a lot of question about the air fryer and thanks to my vegan bestie, JL Fields, https://jlgoesvegan.com, and her book The Vegan Air Fryer, https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Air-Fryer-Healthier-Deep-Fried/dp/1941252362, I was able to answer them all.
You have a couple more weeks to enjoy a trip the State Fair of Texas. I’m already conjuring up what I’ll make for next years cooking demo. You can bet it will provide another shock factor.
Happy eating vegan.
Kat
- 1 15oz garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 2 14oz can hearts of palm drained and rinsed
- 4 tablespoons garbanzo liquid
- 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- 1/2 cup green onions
- 1/2 tablespoon kelp seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs plus more for breading
- Add the beans and artichokes to a bowl and use the back of a fork to shred everything up. Set aside.
- In a large bowl wisk the reserved garbanzo bean liquid until frothy. Add the mayo, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and all the dry ingredients. Wisk well.
- Then add the breadcrumbs, green onions, and hearts of palm and bean mixture. Fold to combine. Place in the freezer for atleast 20 minutes to help the mixture set.
- Place breadcrumbs on a plate to coat patties. Put enough of the mixture on your palm depending on the size your making and roll into a ball. Gently pat it into a patty shape. Coat the patty with the breadcrumbs on each side and place in the basket of the air fryer.
- Set the air fryer on 390 and cook 10 minutes, flip each patty over after 5 minutes. Serve hot with a sauce of your choice.
Zoe
I cannot wait to make this!!!! So glad the Aunties got to come see you!!!
Mona
Thanks for sharing this recipe for vegan crab cakes – they look so amazingly delicious! Can`t wait to try them!
Kat Mendenhall
Absolutely! Hope you enjoy them, they are delicious and so easy.