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The official Vegan Brunch recipe review! (to be updated)

Reviews for Isa's Vegan Brunch will be added here!

The Savory
Basic Pastry Crust
This uses so much EB! I didn't even really need to add any water, because I guess my EB wasn't that cold. I used it for the onion quiche, and it's a good crust, but soooooooooo rich. It didn't stop me from eating too much, but it's overwhelming. I didn't roll it out, and just pressed it into the pan. I probably won't stick with the recipe, just because it does use so much. (book typo) (AC)
I also like the Basic Pastry Crust recipe from Veganomicon much better than the crust recipe listed in Vegan Brunch, so I use that (much lower in fat, too!).  (jessacita)
Ok, I made the corrected recipe with KMK, and it worked wonderfully. We doubled it for a top and bottom crust on a pie, and it was perfect. I tried adding some shortening to mine to see if it would be extra flaky, but it didn't really do anything. It rolled easily, tasted great, and had good texture. Pretty easy. (AC)
Yeah...pretty much like other pastry recipes, but I like it.  I made it as in the book before I realised that there was a typo and it really didn't work well (no surprise really), but tasted good. I have since made it with the correct measurements and it rolled really well and tasted great.  I made it for (omni) friends and they really liked it too. It was super easy to make and it was great.It will now be my go to recipe. I'll also try freezing it and see how it turns out. (shelloid)
I used 1/4 cup of margarine (not EB, we don't have it here) and it turned out perfect. I'll be using this recipe for pie crust from now on. (eldsjal)
The first time I made the Basic Pastry Crust, it came out terrible.  The recipe called for 5 to 6 tablespoons of water, but it turned out to be way too much water.  I made it again with only 1 or 2 tablespoons of water, and the crust came out flaky and delicious. (peaceablepalate)
This is a solid recipe. I used 1/4 cup EB and had to add a little extra water.  I was pleased with how easy the dough was to work with and it tasted great too. (thirteenblackbirds)
This is a really nice pie crust! I made it with VT's Cabbage and "Cheese" pie for dinner last night, and it turned out really well. It was easy to throw together, it rolled out nicely, and turned out to be nice and tender. My mum, who is VERY picky about pie crusts, even liked it a lot. Will make it again. (dannibazaar)
Basic Scrambled Tempeh
This is a simple, yet delicious recipe. I followed the recipe completely, using fresh thyme instead of dried, and spinach leaves in place of the chard. The only thing this recipe needed was some acid. The juice of half a lemon did the trick. Will definitely make this again. (sb)
Good stuff!  Basic, like it says.  I used collard greens instead of chard and completely forgot the thyme.  It was still yummy.  I added a little liquid smoke because I like it with my collards. (lotus)
It was okay. My tempeh ended up kinda greasy. If I make this again, I'll probably steam the tempeh first and add more seasonings. (kristinv)
Basic Scrambled Tofu
It was good.  Not too complicated either.  (biodancer)
This was great!  Even my DH loved it, and he loves real eggs a lot.  He did say it tastes like Indian food, but he was ok with that.  DH was a little upset when he saw me chopping garlic, but it didn't come out overly garlicky or too spicy. It definitely did have some egginess in the flavor and texture.  It was a little bit on the salty side for me, but that will be easy to fix next time. (vegrunski)
Very good.  Egg-loving DH liked it too.  I like that it's a very basic, simple recipe that you can adapt depending on your mood and what you have on hand.  I'll try adding some veggies next time. (permanentgrin)
this is the best tofu scramble I've ever had! I added spinach, red onion, and broccoli to mine. I thought it may have been a tad too salty UNTIL I decided to squirt some ketchup on top...then it was OMG amazing!!! The ketchup is killer on this. Funnily enough, I never put ketchup on my eggs when I was an omni! But it's sooo good here! (lebkuchen)
This was pretty good and easy to make. I found it to be way too salty for my preference, so if you're salt-sensitive, I would recommend reducing it by half or more. The garlic, cumin and turmeric gave it a bit of an Indian-style flavor although not enough to call it "curried." (kristinv)
Avocado

Broccoli

Carrots

Mushrooms
I used medium instead of extra firm tofu (medium gets no love!), but I thought this had too much in the way of spices (maybe it has something to do with the firmness of tofu I used?). Next time I'll use half the spices or double the tofu... I just want my tofu to still taste like tofu. (fb)
I made this for my Sunday lunch.  I wanted tofu scramble and for the first time in my life I followed a recipe, just for this challenge! I would never have put thyme and cumin together for a scramble but they worked really well together.  I was very pleased with the end result, which I didn't expect.  Before I made the recipe, I was thinking I wouldn't like it because it would be too plain as there were so few ingredients.  I should have know better, because I love jake's scrambled 'eggs' on VW.  This recipe was great.  I loved it, and wish I'd made a bigger batch.  I made a qurter batch as the recipe said serves 4 and there was only me eating it.  However as I only had it with toast it wasn't enough for me (or I'm just a pig).  In future I would make the whole recipe to serve 2. I'm making it again this weekend, for me and N and I'm sure he'll like it. (shelloid)
Olives
Yum! A really good scramble. I don't like huge pieces of tofu in my scrambles, and this turned out just right. I didn't use any thyme, because I never like it, so I added some onion powder and rosemary, along with the cumin and turmeric. I added the olives and carrot, along with some red hot pepper. It turned out pretty perfectly. (AC)
We really enjoyed this.  Added onion as well and it was a delicious simple easy scramble. (oww)
Onion

Red Bell Peppers

Spinach

Beer Battered Tofu
OMG, this stuff is AMAZING.  The crust turns a beautiful golden brown and gets nice and puffy.  I really enjoyed it with malt vinegar and a sprinkle of salt.  I will make this again and again, and I'd love to try it with seitan too. (icephrosty)
really yum, but I'm highly doubtful that I'll ever make it again! It's like BAM FRIED. I had oil splattering all over, and all kinds of stuff. I had to add quite a bit more water to the batter, because it was SO THICK. I couldn't even really dredge my tofu pieces, because it was like a dough. My tofu pieces were like pro soakers, and I had to use additional braggs. I made up a quick tartar sauce type thing for these, but they don't really need anything. Great flavor, and crispy. More of a had them once type thing for me. I'll see how the leftovers are warmed in the oven.. (AC)
I tend not to measure too carefully, so this could be my fault, but at first the batter was too thin and didn't really work. Once I added more flour, it was great, and the whole family loved it. It reminded me of Arthur Treachers (sp) Fish and Chips from when I was a kid, but in a good way. (L2A)
Sooooooo good! Not something I'd want to eat very often, but it's great for a pub night at home served with fries and beer. The recipe makes a lot of batter, so I use the extra to fry up some candied jalapeno slices, which is even more awesome than the tofu itself!! (kristinv)
Buckwheat Waffles with Red Wine Tarragon Mushroom Gravy
Absolutely loved this!  I used half cremini (aka Swiss brown) mushrooms and half normal white mushrooms, because the cremini shrooms were really expensive.  Still, it was ridiculously good.  And I reduced the water in the waffle recipe by about half a cup, because the other recipes I've tried seemed too runny.  The waffles turned out a bit too dense, but they were delicious. (permanentgrin)
Caramelized Vidalia Onion Quiche
My first vegan brunch recipe! I made a few changes. It's tasty, but I added way too much salt. Like, I'm feeling sick too much salt. I didn't have 3-4 onions to use, so I used a whole one, and I added 2 huge portobello mushrooms. I also used about 1/4 cup walnuts, plus the 1/2 cup cashews. I used the basic pastry crust, which I'll review separately. My quiche set nicely, but I did turn up the heat to 375 for a few minutes. Ugh, I'm full. (AC)
I didn't make the crust, used white onions instead of Vidalia, and I used a nonstick pan instead of cast iron for caramelizing the onions. I was being lazy about cleaning the cast iron... but it would have been worth it to just use the cast iron. At first the onions didn't even caramelize in the nonstick, and it took a long time with the lid off for it to happen (I know this happens much quicker in cast iron because I made said onions for the pierogi in one). Anyway, despite that, eventually my onions did caramelize, and the quiche is delicious. It bakes really nicely, and gets a golden crust. It's pretty sweet and not too "oniony," though there's a lot of onion in the recipe. I think the cashews add something special to an otherwise tofu quiche. Oh, and the recipe says 3 lb onion, or 3-4 onions. I don't remember seeing this on the errata, but I think 3 lb is a mistake - 3-4 medium onions is about 1lb. 3lb in this recipe would be insane. (fb)
This one might be even better than the broccoli quiche! I used 3 lbs of onion (about 6-7 big onions). Since I have never caramelized onions before, I couldn't really tell when they were ready. Were they supposed to be brown? Mine was more golden/dark yellow. Anyway, the taste came through and it was delicious! I added 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast and used more salt, a little bit more nutmeg (I love nutmeg!) and a sprinkle of garlic powder. (eldsjal)
Chili Cashew Dosas with Spiced Apple Cider Chutney
These are pretty cool. They fry to up be crispy on the edges and just a tad eggy. I flipped them half way through instead of folding, since I had some trouble getting the onion and jalapeno to cook through (I think they need to be *really* minced). Also, I didn't use the cashews. When the batter hits the hot pan, it bubbles a lot and then solidifies immediately, so it gets this cool lace look. However, I'm not sure how authentic this recipe is - generally there's some form of urad dal (black lentil) in dosas, which I guess is maybe the point of the chickpea flour. Anyway, these don't quite look like the dosas of Google Images, but they're tasty. Also, I recommend eating them the same day (or maybe freezing them?), as they don't fare well in the fridge - the edges get hard. (fb)
Fruit & Nut

Classic Broccoli Quiche
I figured this would just be like broccoli + tofu (both of which I like fine, it's just plain), but it was actually real good. I think the cashews in the recipe add a nice creaminess and depth to the flavor. I didn't have any tarragon, so I subbed it with more thyme. Also, I didn't use a crust, just so I could get away with eating more quiche ^ ^ I could eat this stuff forever. (fb)
This was fabulous!  We did make quite a few modications though.  Cams and I were both kinda shocked that the recipe didn't call for nooch...we added between 1/4-1/2 cup.  We also added a couple drops of liquid smoke, braggs, and about a tablespoon (+/-) of Bacos.  In addition, we added about 3/4 cups cooked kale that was leftover from earlier and about 1/8 block of FYH mozzerella because I needed to use it up.  I had fresh tarragon and really liked the flavor it added.  It tasted even better the next day. (lotus and cams)
I will definitely be making the quiche again soon.  (cams)
love it. (the cashews really make it light, rich, and fluffy like traditional egg quiche) - but I reduce the amount to 1/4 c. (instead of 1/2 c.).  I also add 1/2 c. nutritional yeast & use black salt instead of regular sea salt.  I also like the Basic Pastry Crust recipe from Veganomicon much better than the crust recipe listed in Vegan Brunch, so I use that (much lower in fat, too!).  All in all, a great starting place for a quiche!  I love it best with extra onion, spinach, and lots of mushrooms, in addition to the broccoli. (jessacita)
I made it without the base to save time and because it was just for a quick lunch at home but I'm sure it would be good presented properly with a crust/shell/whatever. I had an extreme blonde moment, and it wasn't till after I took the lovely looking cooked version out of the oven that I noticed the little dish I'd measured all the spices/herbs into still sitting beside my elements... : /  So I sprinkled the flavouring over the top, and it actually tasted pretty good! I'll review again when I make it properly but just had to say that if you can cock up the recipe that badly and still have an edible lunch, it must be a fantastic recipe when made properly!! (oww)
I wrote these recipes down in a notebook, so I don't have the dx or titles or anything (I borrowed the book from a friend). My veggies were red pepper, spinach and onion. I did not use broccoli. I also added nooch because I can't imagine a quiche without nooch! I made a crust and put it on the top too (did this recipe even call for crust?). I hope Isa doesn't see this and get mad that I didn't buy the book yet. I have intentions to buy it! It came out GREAT and I would totally serve this to omnis. tomorrow for dinner were having leftover THIS and leftover chorizo! a totally isa brinner! (L2A)
Simply amazing!!! I added 2-3 TB of nooch, about 1/2 cup of Cheezly bacon cheeze and some storebought seitan bacon bits. And I used a little less than a pound of tofu + omitted the tarragon, still came out great. I ate it three days in a row (yes, I ate it all by myself, thank you very much) and now I'm craving more! Might make it again this weekend!  (eldsjal)
delicious.  I omitted the thyme and tarragon and used fresh basil instead, because I had a bunch of it on hand that I needed to get rid of.  Really delicious!  Will definitely make this again!  (peaceablepalate)
Cauliflower Red Bell Pepper
Very, very good! Perhaps not as good as the broccoli or caramelized onion quiche, but still awesome. It was a bit bland to begin with so I added 1/4 cup of nooch, a bit more thyme and salt and some white miso. I think it would be even better with some soy cheese mixed in with the tofu. (eldsjal)
Cornbread Waffles with Pantry Mole Rojo and Seitan
I still don't know what a mole rojo is but damn this was good, really interesting rich hearty flavours, and actually pretty easy to put together.  I tried to follow the recipe and I think the only thing I had to change was using cocoa instead of chocolate chips because I never have chips, but I hope that didn't make too much of a difference. We really enjoyed this as an interesting, tasty dinner, I think I'll definitely give it another spin one day. (oww)
I really liked the waffles, but N wasn't as keen - but he's never really got into the whole cornbread thing.  Wasn't as keen on the mole rojo and we preferred the mole from VWAV, so based on that I don't think I'd make it again.  I have since used the waffle recipe again and may fiddle around with adding jalapenos to the mix another time to spice it up. (shelloid)
pinto beans

Courico Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa
(I didn't make the salsa) Interesting and sweet. Unique blend of flavors. Oh, and I used TVP, not soy curls. My boyfriend didn't like it at first, but it grew on him. Good with lots of cilantro. (fb)
Oh my god, what can I say? This was so kickass! Every bite was just pure pleasure and the blend of flavors absolutely perfect. I could have eaten the whole batch and more all by myself, no problem. This is probably my favorite Isa recipe of all that I've tried, and my favorite taco recipe for sure! The pineapple salsa was a perfect compliment, and I also added a sliced avocado to my tacos for some creaminess. I used soy curls for this, and it absorbed all of the yumminess so well. MAKE THIS!!! (eldsjal)
Grilled pineapple salsa
I cubed, and sauteed my pineapple instead of grilling, but still really liked it. I followed the recipe otherwise, and it's a great, fresh side. I'm sure it's great in those tacos. (AC)
I also sautéed the pineapple, after reading AC:s review. It worked very well, the pineapple turned out a little charred and caramelized just like the recipe says it should. I omitted the cilantro (added 1/4 teaspoon of coriander instead) and used red bell pepper instead of tomato and yellow onion instead of red. Loved it! Will be making this a lot this summer, not only with the courico tacos! I think this would be good with mango too! (eldsjal)
Curried Cauliflower Frittata
I only like cauliflower sometimes, and this is one of those times. This really truly is a good harmonious blend of flavors, and the lemon juice works well to bring it all together. I like that there's no food processor involved in this recipe, and the fact that frittatas don't have a crust, so it was pretty easy to make. My half of a lemon had more than 1 T of juice, and I wound up using the whole half (might have been an additional tablespoon in there). (fb)
This dish blends finely-chopped, garlic-sauteed cauliflower bits with lemony, curry-seasoned and crumbled tofu for a flavorful baked frittata. Easy to make. No mixers or food processors needed. Bakes to a  golden brown top. Next time I'll up the lemon, and slightly reduce the curry powder I used which gave the dish a spicy little kick. To offset the spicy flavor, I enjoyed the frittata with a sweet and sour carrot sauce and it tasted great. (saskia)
I made this with less-than-ideal conditions, so it turned out pretty well considering that I had to cook it on a plate and the spices I used came in a canister from the bank.  It wasn't curried enough for my taste and it fell apart because it was all crumbly, but it was still good. I'd try it again now that I have proper cooking supplies. (algae)
All of my favourite things! Tofu, cauliflower AND curry powder! Love it. I was the only one in my family who did but whatever...more for me  (dannibazaar)
Curry Scrambled Tofu with Cabbage and Caraway
The caraway flavor here isn't insanely strong (I was afraid it would be), but it blends into the curry spice well. But in total, this dish was just sort of ok. It isn't anything I'd set out to make again, but it wasn't unpleasant to eat or anything. It's weird, because I like curry and tofu, and it's a pretty imaginative recipe, but it was just mediocre to me. Also, not sure I'm a huge fan of red cabbage - white might have been better. Also, I accidentally doubled the cumin. (fb)
I sort of made this for dinner the other night.  We didn't have any cabbage so we just had the scramble, and we really liked it.  I don't know that I'd want curry-flavoured things for breakfast, but this was a nice twist to the standard scramble and I'd try it again/try it with the cabbage to have for/with dinner. (oww)
Made this for breakfast/brunch today and it was pretty good. I felt like it could have used something else to really kick it up a notch, though. I ended up chopping two habaneros with the garlic, and served it over brown rice with a cranberry chutney. It was great after that, but mediocre before the chutney! (sb)
Ethiopian Crepes
I didn't make the crepe component, and so it was a pretty hearty stew. A sweet-sour kind of curry dish of lentils... I didn't realize how much tomato was involved until I made it. I like the addition of the typical sweet spices. (fb)
Fennel Breakfast Risotto
This is tasty, but kind of plain. I feel like it needs another main ingredient to make it stand out... the way it is, it just kind of tastes like broth + fennel. That might be fine if it's just for breakfast, but not enough as a main for lunch/dinner. Maybe basil? Tomatoes? (fb)
KMK made this for us while she was visiting, and we really liked it. I think it's really good as is. We didn't even have thyme to add, but added a bit of dry sage. We also used sliced (bigger) peppers, instead of diced, and I liked that. I love the fennel flavor. P doesn't like fennel that much, but liked this. I will make it again. (AC)
Matzoh Brie

Mom's Morning Casserole
Not a fan. I appreciate the concept, but together with the Cheesy sauce, this recipe is too bitter for me - nooch in the "egg" part, nooch sauce, and the tempeh is reasonably unadulterated that it still tastes a lot like... well, tempeh. That being said, if you're a hardcore tempeh and nooch fan, it'll be fine. And, of the layers, the "egg" was my favorite, 'cause I'm a sucker for scrambled tofu. I might like this with fake sausage instead of tempeh and a different cheese substitute. (fb)
Mushroom, Leek, and White Bean Pie
I wish I had enough room in my stomach to eat this in an entire sitting. But first off, the modifications: no walnuts, 1 t dried thyme instead of 1 T fresh, white mushrooms instead of crimini, no crust, This pie comes out creamy, hearty but healthy, and perfectly seasoned. I'm glad I didn't go get walnuts for this; the blended beans were fine on their own. I know in the blurb of the recipe Isa mentions it's her tofu-less quiche, but I don't think it really qualifies as quiche - it's not eggy or cheesy in the least. It is, however, delicious comfort food. (fb)
OMG OMG OMG OMG this was so so so good.  I used slightly less walnuts than called for (didn't buy quite enough) and used regular white mushrooms, as that's all that was at the market.  Oh and I used dried herbs instead of fresh. I had trouble blending all the beans and stuff as I only have a magic bullet type processor, but it tasted so so so good.  I'm not sure I've ever had cannellini beans before, but they were delicious. The only fault I could think of was that there was slightly too much pie filling for my dish, but oh well. I used the VB pie crust recipe and the whole thing was great.  Seriously it's the best thing I've made in ages. I think I'll try it again without the walnuts and maybe crustless, just so I can eat more of it. Everyone should try it. (shelloid)
Delicious!  I followed the recipe exactly, except I added about 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast.  I baked it in a store-bought spelt crust, and it was perfect.  I think it's better hot (as opposed to room temp as suggested in the book), but it's great any way. (jessacita)
so delicious! this is kind of pain if you have only a small food processor (mine holds just 1.5 or so of ingredients so i had to divide everything into smaller batches) but I think it wouldn't be much work otherwise.  I used the pie crust in the book and made the pie the night before so I could just stick it in the oven after work for an easy dinner.  I followed the recipe very closely. I might add a little nutritional yeast next time but this is already fantastic.  (thirteenblackbirds)
Pesto Scrambled Tofu with Grape Tomatoes
Good and a good idea. I used chunks of roma tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes, and two shallots instead of a small red onion. It's nice to have a non-pasta pesto type of recipe. Oh, I also used lemon basil for half of the basil (not intentionally... it just turns out that's what I bought). Anyway, I'd likely make this again. (fb)
Pierogi (Potato and Mushrooms Sauerkraut)
I once made pierogi from some website, and it was a lot of work, quite bland, and didn't pay off. Though this recipe still is energy intensive (making the filling/s, the onions, the dough, rolling the dough, shaping, boiling, possible pan frying), the results were great. The potato filling is perfectly seasoned, though its ingredients are simply. The dough is the epitome of delicious chewiness. And, I didn't bother pan frying - I agree with Isa - it seems very wrong to fry these. It's like not valuing all that work you put into boiling. Also, I was tired at that point ^^. Anyway, editions: I didn't need the full amount of flour; I used maybe 1/8 cup less. I also was lazy and didn't cut it into circles, and instead made squares (& I had no problems getting them to seal). Also, I only made the potato filling (I couldn't find good, cheap saurekraut. I mean, srsly, it's just pickled cabbage!), so I made half the recipe. But I kind of forgot to halve the dough, so I have the rest of the dough in my freezer now. But that's ok - these are great little pieces of comfort food, so now I've made it easier to make them again! (fb)
I halved the recipe and only made the potato filling because I was making these mainly for my sister. I snuck two, and they were really really good! I was having a quiet morning, so I just kind of took my time boiling the potatoes while I did other things around the house. They came together really easily, and tasted fantastic! My sister loved them as well, which is a total win because her diet generally consists of boxed Kraft mac and cheese and frozen french fries (ew). I'd love to try the other filling sometime. (dannibazaar)
Polenta Rancheros
Also good. Had just the right amount of heat. I partially blended up/chopped the beans into the sauce mixture. Next time, I think I might add something more to the polenta while cooking (sun dried tomatoes?) because next to the sauce/beans, it was a bit plain. Or I might just have the sauce/beans by itself or with something else (like tofu!). (fb)
Love this!  I've been wanting to make this recipe ever since I got this book, and today I finally made this for a late lunch.  I love the creaminess of the polenta, my favorite part of this dish (Because I love the creamy style polenta in this dish, I only made a half batch of the polenta.  I'll then make another half batch for the leftover beans.  The leftover polenta that does get refrigerated and firms up is great sliced, fried, and dipped in marinara, though.).  The bean mixture is like a saucy black bean chili.  The combo of the polenta and beans, along with all of the toppings (green onions, tomatoes, guacamole, and cashew sour cream) is fabulous.  I'll definitely be making this dish again. (willwolf)
I really liked the combo of flavors.  The optional Cashew Sour Cream, I'd say, is the least tasty element of the dish.  I was expecting something more.  I may change it up a bit next time, perhaps using lemon juice rather than the red wine vinegar.  I thought it would be a little tangier than it came out.  It was still fine in the dish with all of the other elements, though.  I may tinker with the bean mixture, as well, next time, making it my own, but that's how I roll; I like to change things up. (willwolf)
I liked this but it needed some doctoring up.  I added guacamole and that made it better, but I still think the polenta part was too bland. The ranchero sauce was very good, and I added half of a yellow bell pepper to mine.  (icephrosty)
The rancheros sauce is fabulous (I used leftover VV Venezuelan black beans). I would make this sauce/beans again. I followed the polenta directions, and mine was a bit runny for my liking (but didn't look too different from the picture). The flavor is fine (with the veg. broth), but I don't think the polenta added anything to the dish. It was just kinda something on top that muddled everything. The beans are good, though. (AC)
Puttanesca Scramble
Super delicious!  I threw this together for a late dinner tonight, and I really liked it.  The combination of the tomatoes, garlic, olives, and capers with the fresh herbs is awesome; the flavors really pack a punch.  For the mixed olives, I used about half Greek kalamata olives and half green Spanish manzanilla pimento-stuffed olives. The only minor change I made was to sub halved cherry tomatoes for the diced Roma tomatoes.  This dish is quick and easy to make, and I'm sure I'll be making it again soon.  If you're looking for a pasta puttanesca recipe, you could also serve this over pasta. (willwolf)
Delicious. Perfect blend of flavors, and I like to have another way to scramble tofu that doesn't involve nooch and turmeric and the like. For the "mixed olives" I used the Greek Olive Medley from Trader Joe's (refrigerated), but that meant I had to chop the olives since they're not pitted. oh well, it was worth it. (fb)
I didn't have 'mixed olives', just green ones, but other than that made this to the recipe exactly.  Style-wise, I smooshed the tofu up a bit more rather than cubing it, because my husband prefers scrambled tofu to be more... scrambley. We absolutely loved this recipe.  I love the classic scramble , and I'm looking forward to making some of the other variations, but especially loved how different this was to the ways we have enjoyed tofu before.  Bizarrely enough, the only constructive comment my husband had on this was that it was maybe slightly too salty .  I think my capers were just really salty, but next time I might reduce/omit the added salt. (oww)
was the first recipe I made after receiving this book from hh! It was just as nice again (oww)
I made this a couple of weeks a go and obviously forgot to review it.  I used green olives only as I didn't have black and used dried herbs as I didn't have fresh and normal tomatoes as that's all I had.  I was shocked at how good it was. I really wasn't convinced by a tofu scramble that didn't contain nooch but man this was good.  It was quite salty and i think with the capers it needs less salt than called for. I then made it again a couple of days later and didn't have capers - still good. I then made it again the other day and added mushrooms, didn't add tomatoes as I didn't have them and had black olives as well as green.  It wasn't quite as good without the tomatoes but I liked the black olives in there. So given that I have made this 3 times in a couple of weeks, I'd say the recipe is a success! (shelloid)
this was awesome! It was quick, easy, and delicious. I had to make a few substitutions (jarred red peppers for the tomatoes, used all green olives) but it still rocked my tastebuds. I'll definitely make this again. (lebkuchen)
Really yummy, super flavourful, and will definitely make it again. I used 1 tbsp oil (instead of 2), less red pepper flakes, and omitted the salt. Next time I'll double the tomatoes. (eatmedelicious)
Scrambled Tortillas
This was rather unusual and tasty. The chewiness of the tortillas in the tofu reminded me of homemade corn tortillas. I didn't put the jalapeno in or the extra hot sauce (just the chili powder in the sauce), and it was plenty spicy. I didn't find that the potatoes were a necessary addition though... it's just the same without. (fb)
meh. Texture was interesting but after a while I got tired of chewing haha. I used soft silken tofu because that's what I had and it turned out ok, but probably would have been a little better if I used the non-silken.I am suspicious that there might be a typo in the sauce recipe. It called for only a 6 oz can of tomato sauce, but there was definitely not enough for the whole dish (though maybe I like things saucy?). Flavors were good, but with the tortillas and the potatoes and the tofu...wow. Heavy. Next time I think I'll toss in some spinach and ditch the potatoes. Oh. I'd also cut the tortillas into smaller pieces. (ponycakes)
Sesame Scrambled Tofu with Greens and Yams

Shiitake Dill Frittata
Tastes just like the name. More tofu-y than the quiches, prolly because it has no cashews. If you want tofu + mushroom + fresh dill, here's your thing, otherwise, move on (I was on the fence about it). (fb)
Swiss Chard Frittata
delicious with the additions i made:  a little spinach since some of my chard was past it's prime, marinated & rinsed artichoke hearts, with sliced tomatoes and chopped teese cheddar on top.  i probably could have cooked or squeezed more of the water out so maybe thats why i had to bake it about 10 minutes longer to get it browned & it was a bit watery on the bottom but it was really tasty.  i kinda think it mightve been a little underwhelming without the added veggies, though. (ppc)
This recipe is really simple to make and quite tasty. I used collard greens in place of the chard because that's what I had on hand. The tofu mixture definitely needs some lemon juice, so I added that and a healthy sprinkling of crushed red pepper for some heat. Good stuff. (sb)
My family LOVED this!! I did use spinach in place of the chard though and added an onion, but everyone said it was a keeper and I must agree! It tastes awesome cold too!! (abrimmer)
Tofu Omelets
Quite tasty and "eggy" (and my omni mom agrees). I was lucky enough to find black salt, and it does add a kind of sulfurous taste. Even though I don't have a non-stick pan, I didn't have much of a problem with the omelets sticking. (fb)
I made this a second time, but this time with cornstarch as the binder (the first time I used tapioca flour accidentally... meant to use arrowroot). Cornstarch did not work nearly as well; as the first side of the omelet cooked, the uncooked portion sort of "melted" and splattered when I flipped it. It was also harder to keep these together. Just as delicious, but next time I'll make sure to use tapioca again. (fb)
I didn't have black salt because my dealer was unavailable, but it was very eggy anyway. I did not read the dx at first, and didn't spread it out thin, so it wouldn't cook right and turned into a big mush ball, which DH ate with ketchup between 2 pieces of toast. Be sure to follow the dx if you want it to work. Once I figured out the correct way of cooking, it worked.  I ate mine with sauteed peppers, onions, nooch sauce, and spinach. and tomato. It reminded me of the days of Cracker Barrell Omelettes but in a good way. My little boys had peanut butter and banana on theirs and they loved them too. When my dealer hooks me up, I will make them again with black salt. (L2A)
I'm quite impressed that it actually worked!  I was a little afraid because I didn't have any chickpea flour, so I used regular white flour, but it still turned out....I made them on my griddle rather than in a pan so I could do both at the same time.  One stayed together nicely, one got torn during flipping, but I had my griddle too hot and they weren't really cooking evenly - so with a little practice, I bet I could perfect this omelet making skill!  I filled them with tempeh bacon, green pepper and daiya mozzarella. (erinmonster)
Burnt Broccoli

Capers and Broccoli Rabe

Denver Omelet
Love, love, love! I never really liked omelet as an omni or even as a lacto-ovo-veg, but this is so good! I failed with the first two omelets, but they were still tasty, I ate them out of the pan (my dogs got a piece each and they loved it too, hehe). Then, the third was a success. I really liked the filling too. I forgot to add the liquid smoke, but then I added it to the leftover filling and it was good either way. Also filled it with some cheesy sauce and enjoyed it with ketchup. Can't wait to try the other variations! (eldsjal)
Grilled Marinated Asparagus

Guacamole and Potato

Mushrooms and Spinach
these were okay, not fantastic. i found my omelet didn't want to cook all the way though. DR and LF liked them. I made the mushroom filling. They take a LONG time to cook. I actually took my computer into the kitchen and worked on stuff while they cooked. I made an "egg" sandwich with my omelet and that was pretty tasty. I added more black salt. (bp)
Omelet Rancheros

Roasted Tomatoes, Ricotta, and Basil

Sausage and Peppers

Shredded Swiss Chard
swiss chard is "meh" in this otherwise tasty omelet. (fb)
Spiced Apple Cider Chutney
This is kind of an odd chutney. I don't think I'd ever suspect that this had savory ingredients in it - ok, maybe the mustard seeds, but I wouldn't expect the onion. Apple & its spices really take over, so it's more like apple-pie-filling-masala. It goes ok with the dosas; I can't think of any common condiment that the dosas go better with, but if possible probably another chutney, like tamarind. I'm not sure if I'll make this again, even though it tasted fine, just because I'm not sure what to combine it with that will work. (fb)
Tempeh Bacon and Caramelized Onion
The bacon is great in these, but I'm not sure if the caramelized onion fits. It's quite sweet, and the omelet is quite savory. I think avocado + bacon would be better. (fb)
Tofu Benny
The tofu in this recipe really didn't pick up all the egginess of the marinade (which sure did smell and kind of taste like eggs), but I'm ok with tofu anyway. It's too bad, though, because I thought the black salt might impart some flavor - but then after draining I found much of it sitting in the bottom of the bowl - I think it doesn't dissolve as well as sodium chloride. I'm not sure of how to remedy this, as if the tofu were blended with some of the marinade ingredients, it wouldn't be solid anymore. Anyway, I didn't grease the pan before frying the tofu, because it picked up enough olive oil from the marinade. As a whole, these little things were pretty pleasant. I've never had eggs benedict though... My omni boyfriend really loved them and the hollandaise sauce, though he's never had eggs benedict either. Also, I used liquid smoke (not smoked salt... too expensive!) for the tomatoes, and I used the English muffin option. (fb)
Solid recipe. Having never had real eggs benedict, I can't compare but this is a mighty tasty breakfast sammie. The tofu part is pretty basic, but I like the glaze that the marinade gave this (might have been the arrowroot in the marinade). And I added some hot sauce because that's how I roll. (sb)
Awesome.  I know I made some minor changes, but I can't remember exactly what.  I like this with tempeh bacon instead of (or in addition to) the tomato.  My omni parents love this, too! (jessacita)

Tempeh Bacon: Well, um it fell apart. I'm not sure if I left it in the marinade too long or something, but it didn't get crispy or anything like that.

I don't think it's really possible to marinate it too long -- I think it is just fragile.  I've had similar problems -- the only way I've gotten it sort of crispy is by cooking it at higher heat until it is almost burned, but even then it's not really bacon crispy, it just has some crispy stuff on the outside edges.

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Old-Fashioned Chelsea Waffles - I made these again last night, and this time I subbed 3/4 cup buckwheat flour for 3/4 cup of the AP flour (and used the remaining 1 cup AP flour as directed). Just wanted to say they came out great and this is an easy substitution to get a little more nutrition in there! Admittedly, the all AP ones are still the bomb diggity, but these ones are almost as good!!

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Creamy Avocado Potato Salad:

Usually the only potato salad that I like is German potato salad but I thought that this was great! I would definitely make this again, many times and it seems like a great thing to bring to a potluck or picnic.

English Muffins:

Mine didn't have any nooks and crannies but I thought these were really good. I would make these again.

Italian Feast:

I left out the fennel because I was never a big fan of fennel in my sausages but these came out really well. I brought them to a potluck and they were a big hit. These were pretty spicy which I loved.

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Basic Pie Crust- This is a really nice pie crust! I made it with VT's Cabbage and "Cheese" pie for dinner last night, and it turned out really well. It was easy to throw together, it rolled out nicely, and turned out to be nice and tender. My mum, who is VERY picky about pie crusts, even liked it a lot. Will make it again.

Berry Scones - Very yummy. I put a little clump of berries on top of each scone rather than mixing them in the batter. This is in general a great scone recipe, they always turn out pillow-y and delicious.

Sweet Cashew Cream - I liked this, it tastes really good. We had it on pancakes a few nights ago. The only thing is that in my opinion it makes a lot, and would probably be best suited for a larger group of people if not halved. Unless you use a lot of cream in which case...whatever :)

Whole Berry Sauce (raspberry orange variation) - So good! I used yummy fresh picked raspberries and wild blackberries. This is super easy to make, and just plain delicious. Plain and simple.

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ha!!  I came onto this thread to check out what I had said about a recipe last time I made it....and realised there loads I've made and not reviewed.  AC you must hate me for this!
Here goes (hopefully I can remember enough)....

Cornbread Waffles with Pantry Mole Rojo and Seitan
I really liked the waffles, but N wasn't as keen - but he's never really got into the whole cornbread thing.  Wasn't as keen on the mole rojo and we preferred the mole from VWAV, so based on that I don't think I'd make it again.  I have since used the waffle recipe again and may fiddle around with adding jalapenos to the mix another time to spice it up. (shelloid)

Gingerbread Waffles
One of my favourite waffle recipes!  Great flavour and texture.  I've made this recipe many times.  I have used the fresh ginger as per the recipe and have made it with all dried and both ways were good (although using the fresh was better).  I have gone on about these so much at work that people have asked for the recipe!  (shelloid)

Old Fashioned Chelsea Waffles
Another favourite for me.  The texture is great - lovely and crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  They are a bit heavier than other waffles, but that's fine.  I love the flavour/texture the cornmeal gives it.  I've also made this recipe multiple times and always follow the recipe exactly, no messing around. (shelloid)

Sausages - Cherry Sage
Have never added the cherries, just because that seems wrong to me...but I really should get around to getting dried cherries just to a proper go.  I find they need to be steamed for about 10 mins more than called for in the recipe.  Maybe a little sage-y but we quite like that.  These were my favourite recipe until I made the Vegan on the Cheap sausages.  Definite keeper though.  (shelloid)

Sausages -Italian Feast
Great recipe also.  Not quite as good as the sage ones but still great.  Again needs a little more steaming than the recipes stated.  I made these to take to the work Xmas BBQ last year, and the other veggie who was there loved them and couldn't believe how great they were.  (shelloid)

Bagels
One of the few bread recipes I've had success with. So easy and yet the results are so impressive.  I have given this recipe to a girl at work because she's never had success with bagels and was intrigued how I had gotten them to work.  I believe she's also had success with this recipe.  Keep meaning to make a cinnamon/raisin version. (shelloid)

East Coast Coffee Cake
I have made this twice - one time was a success and one time a failure!  The first time I made it it was for our neighbours, so I wasn't overly fussed if it was too successful as I knew they wouldn't mind, but it came out great...the second time I was making it for work so I wanted it to be great and it was a failure!!  Typical.  Anyway, not sure what I did differently between each batch so don't know how to correct it.  The first time the cake rose wonderfully and the second time it was so flat. (oh yeah each time I made it into a lemon version by adding some lemon juice, but can't remember how I subbed it now and am too lazy to figure it out) (shelloid)

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AC you must hate me for this!

Have you seen fb's reviews? and I don't hat...... oh wait......

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AC you must hate me for this!

Have you seen fb's reviews? and I don't hat...... oh wait......

-_-

:'(

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don't worry fb - it's not just AC, we ALL hate you

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Speak for yourself.  FB is awesome and I'm a huge fan of her reviews!

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I know I know....we ALL love FB.  I like her reviews because if she likes something, generally I will - so review more stuff girl!!

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Coffee Chip Muffins
Good! The coffee flavor definitely comes through more once they've cooled. I think when they're still warm, the gooey chocolate chips distract me from the coffee flavor or something. ;) My oven might have been running a bit high, because these were done in 19 minutes instead of 22-26 as the recipe states. (kristinv)

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Caramelized Vidalia Onion Quiche
This one might be even better than the broccoli quiche! I used 3 lbs of onion (about 6-7 big onions). Since I have never caramelized onions before, I couldn't really tell when they were ready. Were they supposed to be brown? Mine was more golden/dark yellow. Anyway, the taste came through and it was delicious! I added 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast and used more salt, a little bit more nutmeg (I love nutmeg!) and a sprinkle of garlic powder.

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Mango Lassi
Yummy! Turned out really smooth and creamy. I used vanilla soy yogurt, since that's what we had on hand. Husband really liked it too. (kristinv)

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Banana Rabanada (Brazilian French Toast)

This turned out really tasty, even though I didn't use the right kind of bread.  My bread was way too fluffy and definitely not stale.  It soaked up the batter like crazy and I had trouble with it sticking to the pan.  The slices never got crispy in the pan (they were actually very mushy) so I baked them in the oven on 400 for a little while on each side.  That helped a lot.  I added a little cinnamon to the batter because that's what I always do with french toast. The cocoa/cinnamon sprinkle mixture was really good mixed with maple syrup.  I'm sure this recipe works a lot better with more dense, stale bread, but we enjoyed it, nonetheless.

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Denver Omelet: Love, love, love! I never really liked omelet as an omni or even as a lacto-ovo-veg, but this is so good! I failed with the first two omelets, but they were still tasty, I ate them out of the pan (my dogs got a piece each and they loved it too, hehe). Then, the third was a success. I really liked the filling too. I forgot to add the liquid smoke, but then I added it to the leftover filling and it was good either way. Also filled it with some cheesy sauce and enjoyed it with ketchup. Can't wait to try the other variations!

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Puttanesca Scramble: Really yummy, super flavourful, and will definitely make it again. I used 1 tbsp oil (instead of 2), less red pepper flakes, and omitted the salt. Next time I'll double the tomatoes.

Pumpkin Pancakes: The taste was great, but it was a serious disaster for me. I think there must have been some mistake in the recipe when it was printed. The batter was super liquidy, and I had to scrape the pancakes out of the pan. I think omitting the water would make it work better.

Peanut Butter Waffles: LOVE these. They're not too sweet, which I love, and you can taste the peanut butter. They're nice sturdy waffles, and I do not say that in a bad way at all. They're just more crisp and like a waffle cookie or something, so good. My modifications were to use 2 tbsp oil instead of 3, use regular whole wheat flour (instead of white whole wheat), and omit the nutmeg.

Gingerbread Waffles: Love these! Really yummy. They reminded me of a spiced doughnut. I think these ones are even better when they're reheated in the toaster because it crisps them up nicely. I found that when they first came out of the waffle iron, they were still a bit soft. My modifications were to use unsweetened soy milk (instead of almond), use 1/4 cup sugar (instead of 1/2 cup) and use whole wheat flour.

Blueberry Ginger Spelt Muffins: I really liked the texture of these, very nice, soft and moist. I omitted the crystallized ginger. Next time I would use less ground ginger, or maybe just omit it and use other spices.

Bakery-Style Berry Muffins: These are the perfect vegan white flour muffins. Really nice and soft on the inside with crisp muffin tops. I used unsweetened soy milk instead of almond milk and olive oil instead of canola.

Coffee Chip Muffins: I made these with half whole wheat half all purpose flour, and reduced the sugar to 1/3 cup. I thought they were just okay, and would try making them again with only all purpose flour. Maybe this is not a muffin recipe to change the flour in!

Tomato Rosemary Scones: LOVE the flavour of these. I am more of a savoury baked good person than sweet, so these are just perfect for me. I used whole wheat flour and found them a bit dry, so might try using some all purpose next time. I also reduce the sugar to 1 tbsp, the salt to 1/4 tsp, and the olive oil to 1/4 cup. And I used 2 tsp dried rosemary instead of fresh. I found the dough really sticky but that's probably because of all the changes I made.

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Coffee Chip Muffins: I made these with half whole wheat half all purpose flour, and reduced the sugar to 1/3 cup. I thought they were just okay, and would try making them again with only all purpose flour. Maybe this is not a muffin recipe to change the flour in!

Actually, I changed the flour by substituting a gluten-free mix and they came out great.  I've made them a couple of times that way and my non-veggie, non-gf friends loved them.  I also substituted Dandy Blend for the instant coffee. I think I kept the sugar about the same though.

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Cauliflower Red Bell Pepper quiche: Very, very good! Perhaps not as good as the broccoli or caramelized onion quiche, but still awesome. It was a bit bland to begin with so I added 1/4 cup of nooch, a bit more thyme and salt and some white miso. I think it would be even better with some soy cheese mixed in with the tofu.

Cashew Sour Cream: It worked alright as a topping for tacos, but I wasn't crazy about it. I couldn't get it completely smooth. I think I'll stick to to tofu sour cream.

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Lemon poppy seed muffins
These are delicious. I've often been disappointed by vegan lemon poppyseed, but these are my favorite. I followed the recipe except didn't measure my zest (I had 4-5 small lemons to use, so I zested them all). My end batter seemed a bit dry, so I added a splash more milk. I baked mine for the 23, but my oven was a little high to start. Mine also didn't rise a ton, but enough. Mine were not very pretty, as the tops were kinda lumpy. Great flavor and texture, though. I wouldn't even want to add any lemon extract.

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