The Unofficial "Other Cookbooks Not Listed" Thread
Posted by Tweety on Jul 27, 2010 · Member since Jan 2003 · 3135 posts
I thought I would start a thread for recipe reviews of cookbooks that don't have a thread, and probably don't need a thread.
So if you are using older cookbooks, or cookbooks without a thread, I'd love to hear from you here.
Lentil and Spinach Salad from Love Soup:
I used black lentils and 125g of Swiss chard instead of spinach, currants instead of raisins and more cilantro. Omitted the celery.. wow, can I really say I followed the recipe at all? ;) Her dressing is kind of non-existent in the recipe (add to taste), so I ended up with 3tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt and an additional tbsp of apple cider vinegar. Not my favourite salad, but not bad either. I just wished it was a more precise recipe.
Leek and wasabi mash with oyster mushrooms and choi in coconut tamarind sauce from For the Love of Food:
I made a millet mash instead of the potato mash but added in the caramelized leeks and 1/2 tsp wasabi. The pan-fried oyster mushrooms were delicious with the baby bok choy. I decreased the coconut milk, so it wasn't super coconuty, but I liked the contrast in flavours.
From this month's issue of Vegetarian Times I made the crunchy green tahini salad - This uses raw kales and a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, Braggs, garlic and optional honey which I did not take or use any sub. I love kale and found this dressing very good. They offer a lot of suggestions for additives and I simply added carrots and red bell pepper.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215057_2004906241129_1197836956_31835587_1121050_n.jpg
From Vegan soups and heaty stews for all seasons I made the Brazilian black bean stew - I got a sense of deja vu making this, so it must be similar to something else I've made. It has sweet potatoes, black beans, tomatoes and peppers. It's served over a bed of brown rice that uses a cup of tomato juice to cook the rice. Very tasty.
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/281204_2012956042369_1197836956_31845591_2873425_n.jpg
Mussaman Curry of New Potatoes, Chickpeas and Green Beans with Cucumber and Coriander Salsa from For the Love of Food:
R was not happy that this wasn't the Massaman curry he's had in Thailand, but once he got past that, and added in all of the spice mixture, we found this to be a tasty curry. I originally thought the curry was too spicy for my weaker palate, but when it was combined with the salsa (do not skip it!) with fresh lime juice and some rice, it was divine.
I love cookbooks, but I'm still waiting for the cookbook that actually cooks the dishes itself.
I love cookbooks, but I'm still waiting for the cookbook that actually cooks the dishes itself.
LOL! I agree, but in spite of my vast library of cookbooks, I haven't found that one yet either.
From Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews For All Seasons I made Kale, sweet potato and yellow squash stew - Meh......this is a hearty blend of kale, tomato, yellow squash and sweet potato. I think what ruined it for me was the addition of two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar at the very end. To her credit she did say "or to taste" and now I've learned what my taste is and it's much less than 2 tbs. I have a good quality balsamic and it is just too strong.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/254714_2029743822053_1197836956_31865964_5763167_n.jpg
Hard to believe it, but the cookbook Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant is over 20 years old. Anyway, looking for a good way to use beets I made "Beets and carrots in a lime vinaigrette" that is in it's Mexican food section. The salad is quick and easy to make. It has diced beets and carrots that can be cooked according to the recipe but that I ate raw, cucumber and peas (I don't like peas, so I used pigeon peas). The dressing is standard oil, lime juice, cilantro and garlic. I cut back a bit on the amount of oil used and chose grapeseed oil. Loved this.
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/320104_2056027679133_1197836956_31895785_2547460_n.jpg
From Quick-Fix Vegetarian (an all-vegan book, not to be confused with her current book "Quick-fix Vegan") I made "Spicy coconut rice noodles with tofu and cilantro". I was amazed how good this was. The ingredients are pretty standard fare...scallions, ginger, tamari, light brown sugar...but the addition of coconut milk adds a creamy alfredo-type taste and texture to the meal that I thought was awesome. I used Thai chilies instead of crushed red peppers and used whole grain brown rice noodles.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/312264_2056027959140_1197836956_31895787_8252116_n.jpg
"Spicy coconut rice noodles with tofu and cilantro"
that sounds heavenly! i wish you could just scan me the recipes! i feel like such a witch when you type them out for me...
(BTW I used "witch" just for you my love <3)
"Spicy coconut rice noodles with tofu and cilantro"
that sounds heavenly! i wish you could just scan me the recipes! i feel like such a witch when you type them out for me...
(BTW I used "witch" just for you my love <3)
:)
http://bettyjosblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/spicy-coconut-rice-noodles-with-tofu.html
Tweets, I think her reasoning on normal size packages of tofu and coconut milk are whack:
-1 pkg (8oz I think) extra firm tofu, cut into bite-size pieces
-1 can of unsweetened coconut milk (I'm not sure what the size on this was, just a normal can, maybe 10-12oz?)
A package of tofu is 14 to 16 oz and a can of coconut milk is like 14.5
Do you agree?
Tweets, I think her reasoning on normal size packages of tofu and coconut milk are whack:
-1 pkg (8oz I think) extra firm tofu, cut into bite-size pieces
-1 can of unsweetened coconut milk (I'm not sure what the size on this was, just a normal can, maybe 10-12oz?)
A package of tofu is 14 to 16 oz and a can of coconut milk is like 14.5
Do you agree?
Agree. The recipe in the cookbook calls for 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut milk. I just used a can the size of a small can of tomato paste that I get in the Asian food store and used the full fat creamy version not lite. It has 5.6 oz. She does call for 8 oz. of firm tofu diced. I thought this was silly and used the whole pack that was 14 oz.
From the October 2011 issue of VegNews a recipe by Terry Hope Romero Chile Potato Wraps - Fantastic.....it's a common food in India and her take on it was great...mashed potatoes spiced with typical Indian spices chiles, ginger, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander and turmeric, along with tomatoes and cilantro. Delish!
She offers up a recipe for the wrap, but I had some Indian parantha that I was able to use.
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/308020_2062678165391_1197836956_31905763_5007193_n.jpg
Quick Fix Vegetarian - Indonesian style noodles
I've made this type of dish before and it's pretty standard fare, easy to make and very tasty.
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/293347_2063540106939_1197836956_31907150_986591_n.jpg
Carb conscious vegetarian - by Robin Robertson...Thai fireworks tofu and broccoli stir-fry - Nothing to get excited about and pretty run of the mill recipe that I've made a gazillion times from other cookbooks..but good since I make these type of recipes often I must like it...........broccoli, tofu, toasted sesame oil, shallots, chile peppers, ginger, soy sauce, Thai basil. Seemed strange not to use garlic and I put some garlic in this just because....also I didn't have enough shallots so garlic helped with that. She offered up the option of sesame seeds and coconut for garnish and I didn't do that. I served on top of rice and it was on the dry side, but it's designed to be low carb and eaten alone.
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/315705_2065738121888_1197836956_31909500_5055246_n.jpg
Quinoa Corn Salad from Rebar:
I really liked this! Crisp and refreshing! I modified it slightly: more red pepper and I used a red pepper I had grilled on the BBQ with garlic and oil, no red onion, more scallions, only lime juice (no lemon), no chives, and I used chili flakes instead of the jalapeno and Tabasco. I like how there's no oil in the dressing.
Raw Mushroom "Bul Go Gi" Lettuce Wrap from Ani’s Raw Food Asia: I never thought I would like raw mushrooms, but with this marinade they were wonderful. They didn't even taste like mushrooms (I used king oyster). The wraps were very tasty and I enjoyed the sauces. The gochujang was quite sweet for me, so I probably should not have decreaased the chilis. A great summer wrap. :)
Simple Lentil Dal With Fresh Ginger, Green Chiles, and Cilantro from Indian Home Cooking: One of my favourite dals! I used chili flakes instead of the fresh chilis and decreased the oil. I loved using split yellow peas, because it made the dal more sweet to complement the ginger, garlic and cumin. Delicious!
Grilled Mushroom Burger with White Bean Spread from Power Foods:
I used this more as a guide, but made the white bean spread for some balsamic-glazed portobello mushrooms. Delicious! I like how there is minimal oil but lots of flavour from the garlic and fresh thyme. Definitely a great spread, however you would typically use hummus.
Miso Gravy from ReFresh: ReFresh is a vegetarian cookbook by Fresh, a restaurant in Toronto. Whenever I visit, I always get the sweet potato fries with their miso gravy. They have been voted the best fries in the city, they are that good, especially with the sauce. I had been dying to create the recipe at home, and so glad I finally did. This is some seriously yummy sauce. I used it with some baked sweet potato fries, but really it can go on anything!
Dragon Rice Bowl from ReFresh: I used this as a guide more than anything else, but as I said, the miso gravy is wonderful on anything, including this bowl. I used quinoa instead of rice, grilled red pepper, eggplant and zucchini with garlic instead of their suggested veggies and plopped on some basic marinaded tofu. The scallions and sesame seeds worked well. Of course, the miso dressing really brings this all together. Seriously yum!
Simple Lentil Dal With Fresh Ginger, Green Chiles, and Cilantro from Indian Home Cooking: One of my favourite dals! I used chili flakes instead of the fresh chilis and decreased the oil. I loved using split yellow peas, because it made the dal more sweet to complement the ginger, garlic and cumin. Delicious!
can i have the recipe? pleaseeeee
i wouldn't mind the miso gravy recipe either ::)
if you have a copier/ scanner at work i could give you my email address
Pages