Cookbook, VegNews, and Veg Times cooking challenge (Final week-free choice!)
The idea is to cook at least 3 recipes from each book or website per week. Use the cookbook if you have it, can find it at the library, or have recipes from online, OR find new recipes to try from VN or VT. We'll post our reviews and photos here, and I'll add reviews to cookbook compilation threads or the blog recipe thread.
Thanks to nmpixie for starting this challenge idea! :)
Vegetarian Times vegan recipes can be found here: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/search_recipes/?keywords=&vegan=on (not all VT recipes are vegan)
VegNews is all vegan, and recipes are found within: http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=2763&catId=2
January 10 - Appetite for Reduction
January 17 - Veganomicon
January 24 - Urban Vegan
January 31 - Vegan with a Vengeance
February 7 - Eat, Drink & Be Vegan
February 14 - FREE choice week - Choose any cookbook. Dessert cookbook will be Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World or other
February 21 - 500 Vegan Recipes
February 28 - American Vegan Kitchen
March 7 - Yellow Rose Recipes
March 14 - Viva Vegan
March 21 - Vegan Brunch
March 28 - Final Week! Free choice - choose any cookbook. Dessert cookbook will be Vegan cookies Invade your Cookie Jar or other.
Thanks for the fun!!!!
500 VR No fail buttermilk pancakes
Not quite a fail for me, but definitely not the best. I followed the recipe (except heating skillet to really hot-I'd never do that for pancakes, they don't get done in the middle), and they were eh. The batter is not that thick, but the pancakes are too thick. They are thick, but not fluffy. Kinda dense and tough. I did get 6 smallish pancakes. Won't make this recipe again.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182425_10150398439520533_507120532_17438798_4927322_n.jpg
1000VR
citrus vinaigrette - simple, light, and delicious. i used a garlic olive oil and maple syrup instead of agave. i will definitely make this again
beans bourguignon - this is very good/delicious, but my husband once made a seitan bourguignon that was amazing. next time, i will add just half the beans and some seitan, more onion (i used onion in place of shallots) and maybe play with the sauce to try to make it a little richer. i liked this recipe a lot though and will make it again.
Needing to use a head of cabbage and in the mood for cole slaw, I went looking in 500 VR and decided to start the next challenge a day ahead.
500 VR
Creamy Curry Coleslaw with roasted red peppers - Good. I used purple carrots that I got from my CSA, so the color is not appealing. I think a cup of mayo is a bit too much and I did cut down. Perhaps my cabbage was too small because it still seemed t0o "mayo-ey" to me. I used raw pumpkin seedsd instead of sunflower seeds, and I didn't have any raisons and didn't want to buy any so I used some dried cranberries I had on hand, and it worked well.
Barbecue "beef" sandwiches - Meh....what onions didn't fall out during the kneading fell out during cooking...I don't think adding chopped onions to the seitan was a good idea. The bbq sauce was way too sweet for me...the writer asked for 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar. I'm not sure what the writer means by pulling it apart with a fork...I know they are going for the shredded beef idea, but it doesn't work, or didn't work for me. It made a huge amount.
Barbecue baked beans - Good...having cooked and sampled the sauce in the sandwiches, I decided to cut down on the brown sugar in this recipe and I'm glad I did. I did not have grape jelly and just omitted it. I accidentaly opened dice tomatoes and noticed too late, but it didn't matter to me. This recipe is not baked.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/181961_1646732086999_1197836956_31414621_3372271_n.jpg
1000 VR
bok choy and ginger sesame udon noodles - simple and delicious. i used baby bok choy and white mushrooms. i was out of tahini so i added more of the other ingredients and also some garlic. will make this again.
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q188/thirteenblackbirds/BokchoyGingerUdon_1000VR.jpg
thirteenblackbirds, oh my god, that looks fucking delicious. Teleport it to my mouth now, please.
Barbecue baked beans .......... This recipe is not baked.
Ha!!!
I had those same problems with the "beef."
I will come back when I am not busy at work, but I have made the City Girl Snickerdoodles from VCIJCJ , Carrot Cupcakes from VCTOTW and Pumpkin oatmeal cookies and the peanut sauce of the Cold Udon/Seitan/Peanut recipe from VWAV.
Things have been mad chaotic the last few weeks with a family wedding, and we're out of the country for four days at the end of this week so I don't think it'll be any better, but hopefully I'll get back into this challenge eventually!!
AC, glad I wasn't the only one.
I forgot to include a rant about the lazy addition of "steak sauce" in the "beef" recipe above. I mean who the frick has steak sauce??? I made my own with ketchup, Worchester sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder and mustard. The recipe would have been better served with ingredients such as these as an option to steak sauce.
In my opinion.
From free choice week:
Chili from Everyday Raw, the chili sauce for this is awesome!
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii85/Stormflakes/VegWeb/002-5.jpg
Zucchini Chips to Dry For from Radiant Health and Inner Wealth
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii85/Stormflakes/VegWeb/009-4.jpg
yummy, those look great!!
AC - You're right about the pancakes from 500 VR. I tried them again and was surprised that I even liked them the first time around. It's a bummer because I wrote a review praising them but now I'd like to delete it! I made them so long ago I don't know if I made any modifications and just didn't write them down. Oh well.
AC - You're right about the pancakes from 500 VR. I tried them again and was surprised that I even liked them the first time around. It's a bummer because I wrote a review praising them but now I'd like to delete it! I made them so long ago I don't know if I made any modifications and just didn't write them down. Oh well.
haha, I'll update with ^ that review. They pretty much sucked for me! I'm having a hard time finding many recipes I currently want to make from 500 VR. : \ I did make 1 dip for tonight.
500 VR
Raw Kale Salad - Very good. This is a simple easy to prepare vinegrette. I spaced out thinking I had some toasted sesame oil, but didn't and used chili oil instead and it was still good. I did not have lemon zest but used lemon pepper. Forgot to add the sesame seeds after chilling, and used red mustard greens instead of kale. It's pretty standard fare and I've made similar dressings many times from other sources.
Another mini-rant though. She calls for "seasoned rice vinegar". Seasoned with what? There are several varieties of rice vinegar at the store, not that I would buy anything but plain. Again, it would have been nice not to take the lazy route, but include what seasonings an experienced cook could have used to create seasoned vinegar.
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/179807_1648332927019_1197836956_31417574_5673114_n.jpg
500 VR Sesame chickpea spread
This recipe as written does not work. There's not enough liquid, so it's just chickpea crumbs. I added a full other lemon's worth of juice, some more sesame oil, and some water to get it to the correct consistency. There is also too much garlic for such a small amount of dip. It tasted primarily of raw garlic, with a bit of sesame oil. P liked it more than I did. Blah. Would not make again.
1000 VR Smooth and savory mushroom pate
This is really good! My first so called "pate" (it's just a spread..). The flavor is great, and the texture is nice with the nuts. I used a bouquet garni with savory, instead of just savory, and used part slivered almonds for the cashews. This reminds me of a nonvegan mushroom turnover recipe I made for our wedding. This was our favorite of the dips, and I'd make it again.
1000 VR Creamy spinach tahini dip
This was pretty boring. I used part thawed frozen spinach and the rest lightly steamed. I only used 2 tablespoons tahini instead of 1/3 cup, and that was plenty. The flavor is just meh. The color is really pretty, though. Wouldn't make this again.
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183697_10150401406305533_507120532_17477816_3775324_n.jpg
AC - I have the same problem with 500 VR, there's nothing in there that really stands out to me. To be honest, I use it more as a baking book. I like a lot of the things I have baked from there so I pretty much just stick to that.
tweets... i think i've seen seasoned rice vinegar in the asian section... i think it is used for sushi rice... seasoned with maybe sugar and salt?
Oooo Storm, those zucchini chips look amazing.. And I don't even like zucchini. :P
tweets... i think i've seen seasoned rice vinegar in the asian section... i think it is used for sushi rice... seasoned with maybe sugar and salt?
Thanks. In the vinegar section there's like five varieties of rice vinegar, but I'll check out the Asian section for curosity's sake.
tweets... i think i've seen seasoned rice vinegar in the asian section... i think it is used for sushi rice... seasoned with maybe sugar and salt?
Thanks. In the vinegar section there's like five varieties of rice vinegar, but I'll check out the Asian section for curosity's sake.
They had it at Hao Lan.....I miss Hao Lan....*le sigh*
There's a freakin' antiques store there now. Have you tried Cho Lan on 34th yet?
They had it at Hao Lan.....I miss Hao Lan....*le sigh*
There's a freakin' antiques store there now. Have you tried Cho Lan on 34th yet?
That sucks...I loved that store. I went to Cho Lan the other day. They aren't too bad, but not as good at Hoa Lan....and quite out of my way....I was looking for plain dried wakame seaweed and all they had was soup with bonito (fish) in it. Yuk.
I saw a "Seasoned Rice Vinegar" at Walart that was "Roased Garlic" but the 2nd ingredient was "high fructose corn syrup"....no thanks.
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