Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Veganomicon

Vcon makes an appearance here today.

Pistachio Rose Water Cupcakes are one of my absolute favorite recipes from Isa's cupcake book. Of course when Veganomicon arrived, the first thing that caught my eye was the Pistachio Rose Water Cookies. Unfortunately, I never actually got around to baking them.

So last night, I made a batch and here they are:

To be honest, these were a bit of a disappointment. The cupcakes have a lighter flavor that just seems to round out better. These aren't bad, but they are a little overpowering. Maybe it is because I used freshly ground cardamom from my mortar and pestle. These are likely destined for ice cream sandwiches or something else that can mellow them out.

A few weeks back, I made the Seitanic Red and White Bean Jambalaya from Vcon and it totally rocks. Though that recipe won't satisfy your sweet tooth, it is one that I highly recommend.

Week 2 from: Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Enemy of the Steak

Once again, the items in my fridge dictated the recipe. Baked Italian Tofu sounded easy and it used up the block of tofu that had been sitting around too long. I also chopped up half a tomato that was languishing next to the tofu in the drawer. Ok, it is hard for me to follow recipe exactly...I sliced up some fresh basil and halved the amount of dry basil listed too.

This dish is ok, but it wouldn't be on my list to make again any time soon. Today for lunch I spiced it up a bit by adding some sliced green olives with Sicilian spices. That definitely made it more memorable.



Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Vegan Table: Part 2

This is just a quick post, courtesy of my lunch break at the office.

Next up was Peach and Pecan Muffins, due to a farmer's market purchase of peaches last week. After I started mixing, I noticed the lack of brown sugar in the house. Raw turbinado with molasses was substituted. Because none of the stores nearby had plain or vanilla soy yogurt, raspberry yogurt was another change to the recipe. Regardless of all my changes, these muffins were good and my co-workers enjoyed them!


Last night I also wanted to use up the greens from my CSA share this week, so I made up a batch of the Greens with Sesame Miso Dressing. This was surprisingly simple and with a great mix of flavors (mirin, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, lemon juice, miso, and soy sauce). In the picture is some red russian kale. Later, I added some lightly steamed mizuna as there was still plenty of dressing left over. The purple/green kale isn't particularly photogenic, but I assure you this is a tasty dish!

Week 1 from The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Vegan Table

Tonight I picked up veggies from the CSA. There was plenty of zucchini, so with the main ingredient in mind I chose the Zucchini Pancakes. These are quick to mix up and with Old Bay seasoning, I was looking forward to some spice. Unfortunately, I found them to be a little on the bland side. Surprisingly, there wasn't any kind of dip or sauce recommendation with the recipe either.

If I make these again, I'll likely add a some extra Old Bay and some mustard to the mix. Perhaps, I'll whip up a batch of the remoulade from the Tempeh Crab Cakes in Vegan Brunch to spice these up tomorrow.


Week 1 from The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion .