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The official Vegan on the Cheap recipe review (to be updated).

Add reviews for Robin Robertson's Vegan on the Cheap here.

Cooking Basics
Creamy Mushroom Gravy
Delicious!  I followed the instructions exactly except used almond milk instead of soy.  Slightly thinner than I would have liked, but I think after sitting a while it will thicken up more.  Loved it. (tweety)
Fantastic!  I tried this first a coupe of weeks ago, and ave made it twice since!  I do find it very salty though - maybe it's my broth?  So I use less broth and use a bit of water and less soy sauce.  Definitely a keeper. (shelloid)
Marinara Sauce
I used one can of crushed and one can of petite diced instead of two cans of crushed, since that's what I had. This was a very good basic marinara sauce and it made enouhh for the ziti and some to freeze for future use. (tweety)
Excellent basic recipe, easy to prepare. (haricot)
Oven Dried Tomatoes

Salsa in Season
Excellent recipe, slightly spicy. (haricot)
Cheapamole
This is okay as a guacamole substitute. The best I've made so far anyway. (eldsjal)
Cheezee Sauce
Made it to go with the Mexican rice and beans bake, and it was really good, too. Similar to the Bulk Uncheese recipe on this site, but it seemed easier, less expensive, and I thought it even tasted better! (andini)
I thought this sauce was very good, but I still much prefer the recipe from La Dolce Vegan (haricot)
Didn't care for this much. I halved the recipe, but still ended up wasting a portion of it. Used some for the wheatball sandwiches. It's a below average nooch sauce for me, and wasn't that flavorful on the sandwich. (AC)
Tofeta
Like every other tofu based feta I've tried I think this tastes nothing like feta and the texture was too jiggly. (aggplanta)
Faux Parm

Cheapskate Chutney

Easy Peanut Sauce
very good (lubi)
I made this to go over broccoli & seitan the other day, instead of using the VWAV peanut sauce.  I prefer the VWAV one, but N didn't seem to notice the difference.  This one was good and super quick to put together, but just wasn't amazing.  I'd use again if I needed a super quick peanut sauce as it is really quick, but otherwise I'll stick with the VWAV one. (shelloid)
Good peanut sauce, but I thought it was way too salty. Next time, I'll sub half the tamari for water. (haricot)
Good but I agree with the reviewer that said it was too salty and I used lite soy sauce..1/3 cup is just too much. (tweety)
Make Your Own Mayo

Vegan Sour Cream
Good basic recipe. (haricot)
House Salad Dressing
Quick and easy.  Tasty.   It calls for a whopping 2/3 cup of olive oil.  I did use 2/3rd a cup of oil but mixed 1/3 cup of olive oil with almost 2/3rd cup of flax oil and up to the 2/3rd cup line with a bit of hemp oil, to make it healthier with omegas.  I don't have sherry vinegar so I used white wine vinegar instead.  Very basic but saves on $$ which is the point. (tweety)
Handy Hummus
This is probably my favorite homemade hummus recipe. I add 1/3 cup more water to it. (haricot)
Basic recipe, not to unique, but nonetheless very good.  I cut back slightly on the tahini to "almost 1/3 cup." (tweety)
Good flavor...I like more tahini than lemon juice, so this worked well for me. The one thing that's a little off is the consistency. It's as thick as play-doh! At one point, my food processor started rolling it into a ball as though making dough. Eating it as is currently, but I will definitely add water next time. (kristinv)
Vegetable Stock
I took her suggestion a week ago and started saving veggie scraps to make a stock with.  I had collard green stems, potato peels, carrot peels, wilted celery that was not really going to be eaten, garlic and onion peels and tomato bits.  I added some garlic and a chopped carrot.  Turned out quite good, although I only got 4 cups of broth out of it.  Great way to use up compost. (tweety)
A Pot of Beans

Rice Two Ways

Three Grain Bread

Simple Simmered Seitan

Baked Seitan Loaf
This is the best seitan recipe out of all the ones I've tried! It even beats Viva Vegan. I saw major praise for it on the blog Two Vegan Boys and Kris was right. This is the seitan I'll be using from now on. It's easy to make which is also a big plus. (intheend)
I think that this will be my new go-to seitan recipe.  Easy to make, results in a firm seitan loaf, good for slicing, cubing for recipes, etc. (kindnesstoall)
I also enjoyed this recipe very much and I recommend it. (haricot)
My favorite seitan recipe. Perfect flavor and not as dense as baked seitan usually is. (eldsjal)
I recently made this & thought it turned out pretty well.  It has a similar taste to Tofurky, I think. (willwolf)
Cutlets on the Cheap
Amazing... I think this might very well be my new go-to seitan recipe. It is simple, no need to wrap the seitan in tin foil or to bake it in the oven, and yet the texture is great. It doesn't have the soggy bread texture some people associate to seitan. I love to eat them with tomato sauce and a bit of Daiya like Robin suggests. (haricot)
OMG OMG OMG!!!  So freaking good!  I like to have a variety of seitan in my freezer, including a boiled, plainer variety - this will now be my go to recipe or this.  The texture was amazing - not spongy and the cutlets didn't look like brains!  Really really really good.  Maybe a bit salty so may sub some of the soy sauce with water next time.  I am so glad I made a batch and a half.  Honestly I can't rave about them enough. (shelloid)
Nice.  It was alright.  Didn't taste of plastic. (Niall)
The rave reviews for this seitan caused me to try it.  It's nothing special, not bad, but I'm not going to rave about it.  I think I'll stick to my standbys in La Dolche vegan for seitan.  That said, it was nice to have some variety and try something new.  Despite me using a rolling pin to flatten out the patties they kept puffing up and came out very spongy.  That didn't quite matter since the broth was good.  I used them in the noodle soup, and I also cooked some on a grill pan and topped with gravy.  (tweety)
Close to Mom's Sausage Patties
I made these into links.  I inadvertently put all the olive oil into the recipe (some is supposed to be set aside for frying purposes).  The result was still good.  Next time will be better when I get it right!  I think these are at least as good as any vegan links I'd get in the store, and much cheaper. (kindnesstoall)
Soooooo tasty! Instead of mashing the beans (Used cannellini) I just blended all of the liquids together. I had to add a bit more VWG to get the texture where I wanted it but they came out great. (intheend)
I made these into 'links' because that's what sausages are!  I loved them!  I have had them sliced and fried in a tiny bit of oil and they were so addictive.  I have also had them sliced up in marinara with pasta.  Yum!  The only thing I would say is if I was wanting these as a basic sausage (say for sausage and mash) they would be a smidge to spicy with the chilli flakes, so I'd omit them for that sort of thing.  Oh yeah, I steamed them as my oven was being used for other stuff and they were fine, so I'd do this next time becuase it's easier and more normal for me.  And for normal sausage things - the recipe says to make into 6 links.  For me that's not the right amount.  Next time I'll make them into 8 links.  I think I prefer these to the Vegan Brunch sausages, which I never thought I would better.  A total win of a recipe. (shelloid)
Big Stick Pepperoni
Really good.  I never liked 'real' pepperoni when I was still a carnivore.  This I love.  It's so very easy to make. (I usually have to add a little extra vital wheat gluten, though.)  I always make a double batch and freeze most of it.  I really enjoy it cut up and eaten on it's own for a snack, or on a cheeseless pizza with lots of veggies. (kindnesstoall)
Awesome and easy to make. Were having it on pizza tonight! I sliced it and sauteed it in some oil and it's even tastier and more pepperoni-ish this way. (L2A)
This is awesome and I love that it bakes instead of steams. It was really tasty and actually it was gone within two days because everybody kept snacking on it. (intheend)
I have tried so so many 'pepperoni' recipes I really am not sure if this is the best or not.  If not the best then very very close.  Instead of tapioca flour I used half the amount of cornstarch (a sub I found on the internet).  I think the addition of cornstarch really improved the flavour compared to recipes without it.  Quite spicy, but very good.  One of these days I'm gonna make several 'pepperoni' recipes at once and do a proper 'taste off'. But otherwise, yeah I'd make this one again. (shelloid)
Wheatballs
Win, win, win, win!  I loved this recipe - the flavour, the texture, everything.  We made his when I was at oww's and we all thought it was a great recipe.  We baked the balls, and they came out perfectly.  The outside was a little crunchy and the inside was soft-ish and cooked through - unlike the Vcon beanballs which I found doughy after cooking.  I will definitely make these again and will double the batch to freeze a couple of portions. I think there's also a possibility of playing around with the spices / herbs to make Indian style wheatballs. (shelloid)
nice texture.  Didn't taste artificial-y.  Held together well in the sauce.  Would definitely take these again. (Niall)
Very, very yummy. Liked these better than the Vcon beanballs, though they are pretty similar. (eldsjal)
Pretty tasty with mushrooms, chickpeas, nooch and herbs....the texture was a bit soft and doughy, but at least they didn't fall apart. (tweety)
They're delicious! (oww)
I liked the taste of these a lot, they came together pretty quickly, and cooked up well. However, the texture stayed quite mushy inside even though I browned them, cooked them on low for a while, and baked them for a while. Were still tasty on the wheatball sandwich, but not firm enough to want again. (AC)
Smoky Tempeh Bits
Pretty good although 3 tbs of soy sauce made it a tad on the salty side.  Used it in the caldo verde so the saltiness wasn't an issue.  (tweety)
Double Pie Crust

Soup and Stew Savvy
Red Bean Gazpacho Anytime

Almost Instant Chickpea Tomato Soup

Pasta e Fagioli
Really good! This was a nice hearty, tomatoey stewy type dish that my whole family really enjoyed. I think everyone came back for seconds. I would like to try this again and make it with less pasta, more tomatoey-broth part to be like a soup. (aggplanta)
Easy to make and tastes pretty good. It was like a stew when I made it, but the leftovers soaked up all the broth, so it was more like a regular pasta dish. Nothing special...wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked. Probably won't make it again, since I'd rather just have pasta with marinara. (kristinv)
Mom’s Bread and Cabbage Soup

Minestrone Soup with Tiny Meatballs
Very tasty take on minestrone soup that uses "meatballs" instead of pasta, but otherwise it's a good basic recipe.  I used one less cup of broth for a thicker soup and added some crushed red pepper.  I used the wheatballs above and they became very mushy but maintained their flavor. (tweety)
Caldo Verde
Nice soup that wasn't spectacular but good.  I used the veggie stock and smoky tempeh bits and it also had potatoes, navy beans, and kale.  (tweety)
Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Chowder
I made this yesterday and let it sit in the fridge overnight (because homemade soup is always better the next day). I am having it for lunch now and it is so good, just enough spice for my taste. I will definitely be making this soup again! (vgnwitch)
Summer Garden Soup

Asian Noodle Soup
I wasn't expecting much, but boy was this good.  Tastes pretty close to Vietnamese pho.  I used rice noodles and instead of siracha I used fresh Thai chilies.  I used a little bit of "Better Than Bouillon" veggie base for the broth but not a lot so as not to overpower it.  She calls for cooking the sietan separately which I ignored and cooked the seitan for a few minutes and then added the onions, etc.  Very tasty! (tweety)
Peanutty Pumpkin Stew
This was nice for an autumn soup and went well with rice. I felt like there was something missing, though, but I couldn't say what it was. I have previously made a similar recipe and liked that one better. (andini)
Vegetable Lentil Stew
Nothing spectacular, but it gets the job of cheap, hearty, healthy stew done in a pinch. (andini)
Call it Cassoulet

Southern New Year's Stew
Very good.  It's southern I suppose because of the collard greens, and New Years because it calls for black eyed peas.  I used red beans instead.  I added a jalapeno.  Nice mix of rice, beans, potatoes and greens. I tried a new veggie broth with this, "Savory Choice" reduced sodium.  It comes as a liquid concentrate in individual packets.  I liked it allright. (tweety)
Sweet Potato Succotash Stew
This was great! I usually bring soup for lunch everyday, and my coworker got excited at the smell of this one every time I re-heated it. (andini)
Black and White Bean Chili
Pretty basic chili similar to her chili's in her other books, but very good.  I didn't have enough black beans and added  pink beans too for a three-bean chili.  She calls for a cup of tomato juice or water and I used a can of petite diced tomatoes instead. (tweety)
French Lentil Chili

Cincinnati Suburb Chili
Couple of changes I made - didn't serve the onions on the top and didn't serv over spaghetti - that's just weird.  Also, didn't use kidney beans but a mix of black and white beans.  Good recipe - reminds me of the VWAV mole chili recipe, but not as rich.  Everything came together well and both N and I enjoyed this.  Nothing super amazing but if I remember I would make it again. (shelloid)
Satisfying Salads
Garden Rotini and Chickpea Salad with Inner Goddess Dressing
I made only the dressing. This dressing is quick to make, but has quite a few ingredients, raw cashews, green onions (it calls for two and I used only one for my personal taste preference), parsley, soy milk (I used unsweetened almond), tahini, cider vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil and salt. This found it extremely tasty after letting it sit over an hour in the fridge where it thickened up and the flavors blended together very well.  I did have chickpeas in my salad and this paired up real well. (tweety)
Curried Vegetable Salad

Orange Chipotle Dressed Salad with Black Bean Salsa

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with French Lentils and Walnuts

Bean and Barley Salad with Creamy Dijon Dressing

Pasta Slaw

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Cashews and Kidney Beans
I used roasted almonds instead of cashews and chick peas instead of green peas.  The dressing was quite good.  I liked the combo of ginger, Dijon with a touch of cayenne.  I left out salt and sugar. (tweety)
Nacho Taco Salad
my guilty pleasure! To placate my shame, I use the leftover bean mixture over brown rice. It's a yummy combo! (woobaby)
Red Bean and Corn Salad

Tabbouleh Chickpea Salad

Thai Style Pineapple Rice Salad

Skordalia Potato and Green Bean Salad

Tempeh Lettuce Cups

Peanut Noodle Salad
Quite good. Used the easy peanut sauce and cut back on the onions a little bit.  The baked tofu was a good addition, but mine burned.  The tofu should be turned halfway or maybe shouldn't use the bottom shelf like I did,  but she doesn't instruct you do so. (tweety)
This peanut sauce was easy and delicious.  I used Vegenaise instead making my own mayo, but otherwise followed the recipe.  I subbed baked tempeh for tofu and steamed some purple kale along with the other veggies.  I served it hot instead of waiting for it to cool.  Delicious! (lotus)
Korean Cabbage Salad with Tofu
I LOVE this recipe! It's delicious and easy to make. The baked tofu is a nice touch and adds a different texture to the salad. I prefer to stir the tofu cubes in with the salad so they absorb some of the vinaigrette, instead of just serving them on top. (kristinv)

chili mac and Cincinnati chili are different things!

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chili mac is chili over spaghetti or elbow macaroni

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chili mac is chili over spaghetti or elbow macaroni

Cincinnati chili is unique because of the things like cinnamon, etc.  Chili mac with elbow macaroni has been a stable in my diet for years.  :)

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Marinara Sauce

Excellent basic recipe, easy to prepare. (haricot)

Salsa in Season

Excellent recipe, slightly spicy. (haricot)

Cheezee Sauce

I thought this sauce was very good, but I still much prefer the recipe from La Dolce Vegan (haricot)

Easy Peanut Sauce

Good peanut sauce, but I thought it was way too salty. Next time, I'll sub half the tamari for water. (haricot)

Vegan Sour Cream

Good basic recipe. (haricot)

Handy Hummus

This is probably my favorite homemade hummus recipe. I add 1/3 cup more water to it. (haricot)

Baked Seitan Loaf

I also enjoyed this recipe very much and I recommend it. (haricot)

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Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Chowder, p. 68

I made this yesterday and let it sit in the fridge overnight (because homemade soup is always better the next day). I am having it for lunch now and it is so good, just enough spice for my taste. I will definitely be making this soup again!

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Baked Seitan Loaf: My favorite seitan recipe. Perfect flavor and not as dense as baked seitan usually is.

Wheatballs: Very, very yummy. Liked these better than the Vcon beanballs, though they are pretty similar.

Cheapamole: This is okay as a guacamole substitute. The best I've made so far anyway.

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Walnut Crusted Tofu and spinach Orange: This was easy but it tasted very fancy.  It's not often that you come across a recipe that turns out incredibly right without any fake creamers or cheezes.  The sage and orange was incredible.

Mu Shu Burritos: Delicious, I add some onion but otherwise so delicious and surprisingly filling.

Looking at these reviews I am reminded of how many awesome recipes are in this book!

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Slow- Cooker Seitan Pot Roast:  Pretty Easy.  Everyone loved it even my omni sister but, I thought it was kinda sweet.  Next time I'll use 1/2 cup more of the cooking liquid because It was all gone when I took it out.

Comfort Loaf:  Good recipe.  Everyone including my picky omni niece. 

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Handy Hummus - Basic recipe, not to unique, but nonetheless very good.  I cut back slightly on the tahini to "almost 1/3 cup).

House salad dressing - Quick and easy.  Tasty.  It calls for a whopping 2/3 cup of olive oil.  I did use 2/3rd a cup of oil but mixed 1/3 cup of olive oil with almost 2/3rd cup of flax oil and up to the 2/3rd cup line with a bit of hemp oil, to make it healthier with omegas.  I don't have sherry vinegar so I used white wine vinegar instead.  Very basic but saves on $$ which is the point.

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Cutlets on the Cheap - The rave reviews for this seitan caused me to try it.  It's nothing special, not bad, but I'm not going to rave about it.  I think I'll stick to my standbys in La Dolche vegan for seitan.  That said, it was nice to have some variety and try something new.  Despite me using a rolling pin to flatten out the patties they kept puffing up and came out very spongy.  That didn't quite matter since the broth was good.  I used them in the noodle soup, and I also cooked some one  a grill pan and topped with gravy. 

Creamy Mushroom Gravy - Delicious!  I followed the instructions exactly except used almond milk instead of soy.  Slightly thinner than I would have liked, but I think after sitting a while it will thicken up more.  Loved it.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/303260_2225215428721_1197836956_32036088_50098649_n.jpg

Asian Noodle Soup - I wasn't expecting much, but boy was this good.  Tastes pretty close to Vietnamese pho.  I used rice noodles and instead of siracha I used fresh Thai chilies.  I used a little bit of "Better Than Bouillon" veggie base for the broth but not a lot so as not to overpower it.  She calls for cooking the sietan separately which I ignored and cooked the seitan for a few minutes and then added the onions, etc.  Very tasty!

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/293989_2225220228841_1197836956_32036093_703726941_n.jpg

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Creamy mushroom gravy Fantastic!  I tried this first a coupe of weeks ago, and ave made it twice since!  I do find it very salty though - maybe it's my broth?  So I use less broth and use a bit of water and less soy sauce.  Definitely a keeper. (shelloid)

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Vegetable stock - I took her suggestion a week ago and started saving veggie scraps to make a stock with.  I had collard green stems, potato peels, carrot peels, wilted celery that was not really going to be eaten, garlic and onion peels and tomato bits.  I added some garlic and a chopped carrot.  Turned out quite good, although I only got 4 cups of broth out of it.  Great way to use up compost.

Smoky Tempeh Bits- Pretty good although 3 tbs of soy sauce made it a tad on the salty side.  Used it in the soup below so the saltiness wasn't an issue. 

Caldo verde - Nice soup that wasn't spectacular but good.  I used the veggie stock and smoky tempeh bits and it also had potatoes, navy beans, and kale. 

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/313668_2241098025776_1197836956_32047810_1474729086_n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/298144_2241098585790_1197836956_32047813_169508892_n.jpg

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wheatballs - Pretty tasty with mushrooms, chickpeas, nooch and herbs....the texture was a bit soft and doughy, but at least they didn't fall apart.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/380032_2435713331037_1197836956_32138775_1044705087_n.jpg

Minestrone soup with tiny "meatballs" - Very tasty take on minestrone soup that uses "meatballs" instead of pasta, but otherwise it's a good basic recipe.  I used one less cup of broth for a thicker soup and added some crushed red pepper.  I used the wheatballs above and they became very mushy but maintained their flavor.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/383153_2435714171058_1197836956_32138776_1376815677_n.jpg

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wheatballs - Pretty tasty with mushrooms, chickpeas, nooch and herbs....the texture was a bit soft and doughy, but at least they didn't fall apart.

Found that recipe online, so I think I'll make them tonight! Sound good.

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wheatballs - Pretty tasty with mushrooms, chickpeas, nooch and herbs....the texture was a bit soft and doughy, but at least they didn't fall apart.

Found that recipe online, so I think I'll make them tonight! Sound good.

Cool. I wish she would say approx. how many to get out of a batch.  I'm thinking I made mine too big which is why the texture might have been off.  She does say 1.5 inch balls but I'm not a good judge of that unless I got a ruler out.  :)

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I thought that recipe said it made 32 ?  Or something like that?  That's about how many I get anyway.  They're delicious!

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I thought that recipe said it made 32 ?  Or something like that?  That's about how many I get anyway.  They're delicious!

The recipe online says about 28. I will focus on making them small..I always make things too big.

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Doh.......Yep it says right at the top...where I wasn't looking...... to make 28 balls.  I got about 24 so I didn't do too bad, but it did take an effort to make them small.

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did you pan fry yours Tweety?

I haven't fried them ever, just baked them and they are delicious and perfectly cooked each time.

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Yes, I pan fried them.  Baking sounds like a good idea.  :)  See review below, but I'm beginning to think I'm seriously cursed when it comes to things like balls, burgers and loaves.
Does anyone use Robin's technique for sautéing onions and veggies, to cover and let cook for 10 minutes.  Yesterday I totally burned onions.  Just because I'm stubborn I tried again today, and turned it way down, but still needed to stir it often and I probably won't try this method again.

Inner Goddess Salad Dressing - This is the dressing used in the recipe entitled "Garden Rotini and Chickpea Salad with Inner Goddess Dressing" but I made only the dressing.  This dressing is quick to make, but has quite a few ingredients, raw cashews, green onions (it calls for two and I used only one for my personal taste preference), garlic, parsley, soy milk (I used unsweetened almond), tahini, cider vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil and salt.  This found it extremely tasty after letting it sit over an hour in the fridge where it thickened up and the flavors blended together very well.  I did have chickpeas in my salad and this paired up real well. 

Easy peanut sauce - Good but I agree with the reviewer that said it was too salty and I used lite soy sauce..1/3 cup is just too much. 

Peanut noodle salad - Quite good.  Used the above peanut sauce and cut back on the onions a little bit.  The baked tofu was a good addition, but mine burned.  The tofu should be turned halfway or maybe shouldn't use the bottom shelf like I did,  but she doesn't instruct you do so.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/380847_2440901860747_1197836956_32140475_1107913978_n.jpg

Spaghetti marinara with wheatballs - OK...just your run of the mill marinara here, nothing special.  I omitted the sugar and added some crushed red pepper.  I'm seriously not understanding her instructions to simmer for 45 minutes until it thickens.  That is way too long and my sauce was way to thick to do that.  I simmered for 15 and let it sit while I ate my salad about another 15 minutes.  By now I don't like the wheatballs as they are mushy and gummy and I would consider them a fail.

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/378664_2440902060752_1197836956_32140476_1805180452_n.jpg

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