Vegan Fire and Spice
Posted by bellybellygood on Nov 08, 2008 · Member since Sep 2008 · 37 posts
I was thinking about getting vegan fire and spice by Robin Robinson, but I don't want another cookbook I don't use. Does anyone have it and is it any good? I want to expand my repetoire to include a larger variety of ethnic foods, but I'm a bit of a lazy cook so I want to have a book which is easy and flavorful.
I have Fire and Spice and really like it. I definitely recommend it. The recipes are so interesting because they are from all over the world, something I have not seen in other vegan cookbooks. It also is just a nice quality book.
I have to admit I like anything by Robin Robertson.
I haven't heard of that book before and I just checked it out on Amazon.... Wow... definitely on my Wish List.
I just bought this book a couple weeks ago & finally made a few things from it.
West African Spinach with Spicy Peanut Sauce
http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr151/autumnbean66/WA_Spinach.jpg
Spicy Spanish Potatoes
http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr151/autumnbean66/Span_Potato.jpg
Jamaican Jerk Sauce
http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr151/autumnbean66/jerk_tofu.jpg
I chose to use the Jerk Sauce as a marinade for tofu. It was good, but I don't think I like it enough to make it again. I really like the Potatoes and the Spinach. I would make them again for sure.
To the OP - This looks like a really good book. So far I have about 15 recipes picked out that I want to try. The recipes all seem very simple and use ingredients you can find at the grocery store.
Welp, I made a few more things from the book...
Three-Alarm Lo-Mein
I think this is a good recipe, but I think it had too much ginger in it. It calls for 1Tbsp of fresh ginger, so if I made it again I would use much less. I topped it off with the Spicy Peanut Sauce on page 202. The sauce was good, but I'm sure it would have been much better had I been able to find the Asian chile paste the recipe calls for.
http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr151/autumnbean66/3_alarm_lomein.jpg
Next I made Spicy Bean & Spinach Burritos. These were great! Very simple. Had everything I needed in the pantry.
http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr151/autumnbean66/spicy_bean_spinach_burrito.jpg
Cmon, does not anyone else possess this book? Please share! :)
Wow! Thanks for the great pictures purpledancer! ;)b My husband surprised me with this for Christmas and I can't wait to try it. The recipes look great and mostly easy to make.
Wow! Thanks for the great pictures purpledancer! ;)b My husband surprised me with this for Christmas and I can't wait to try it. The recipes look great and mostly easy to make.
Yeah!! I think you are really going to like it. Please post your results here! :)
Nice pics purpledancer! I also have that book, but I've only made a couple of things from it because I got it a couple of months before this big raw adventure: the Spicy Peanut Tomato Salad and the Stir-fried Ginger Seitan and Bok Choy (I don't like seitan so I used faux chicken strips). Both were very good and I think I can make the salad raw if I use raw peanut butter.
This looks interesting-- I like spicy food so I'll put this on my amazon wish list as well.
I tried the hot and spicy Thai tofu tonight. I forgot the chilies :-[ so I just added a little cayenne pepper to it. It looks really pretty (I'll add the picture later) and it has a great flavor. The only thing I would probably do is double the sauce. I like a little more sauce, especially when serving something over rice, to give the rice a little flavor. Overall it was tasty and I'll make it again.
those pictures look amazing!
I have been thinking of getting this cookbook for quite some time because me and my boyfriend love spicy foods.
I think I have made up my mind that I should get it.
Made a most excellent Turkish bulgar wheat and peas dish. I hate peas so I just used red kidney beans.
This is a good cookbook with easy to make recipes. Often the "fire" is merely cayenne, which I love.
I made the lentils with an onion gravy recipe and it was delicous and easy. ;)b The flavor was interesting in a great way. There was a hint of smokiness to it, but it didn't have anything in it that typically imparts a smoky flavor.Whatever it was, the combination of spices with the vegan yogurt made it absolutely delicious. This is a must-try recipe.
I made the hot and spicy thai tofu last night. I don't remember making it the last time. Anyway, it was completely delicious. The fish sauce was great and it turned out like something I'd want to order from a restaurant.We both loved it and plan on making it all the time. I'm going to make it my goal to cook everything from this book... We'll see.
Great comments on the recipes you've tried bellybellygood. I enjoyed reading them. Hope you make it through the book and let us know what you like - and don't like - in it. This sounds like a cookbook worth buying.
Hot and Spicy Tofu
Read bellybellygood's review of the hot and spicy tofu this afternoon at work and have been craving it ever since. Fortunately I had all the stuff to make it. The "fish sauce" is pretty good, and the tofu was excellent.
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs208.snc3/21537_1208974023321_1197836956_30516168_8174008_n.jpg
Vietmanese noodles with tempeh and peanuts - Made this last night and it was fantastic. I used the "fish sauce" (it called for fish sauce or soy sauce). I didn't have chili oil so I used pure sesame oil and chopped up some red Thai chilis. I used kamut spirals as the noddles. I put it on a bed of raw red cabbage and collards. It tastes good as a cold salad. Will definitely be making this one again.
I made the Tofu and Broccoli with Hoisin-Ginger sauce today. My husband rated it an 8/10 or a B. It's easy to make, but it was a touch too salty and there wasn't enough variety in the texture too suit us. I doubled the sauce, I used Bragg's instead of soy sauce, and chili sauce instead of chili paste. We added some peanuts on top to give it a bit more crunch, but if I make it again I'd probably add some celery. It was something we'dprobably make again, but it didn't wow us. It felt like it needed some tweaking, but overall is a solid fast and easy recipe that you can probably make from what you have at home.
Tonight I made the morrocan chickpea and lentil soup on page 120. It had less heat than I was expecting. It was easy to make, which always a plus. I'd give it a B+. Very good, but maybe not something someone would request the recipe after eating. It was satisfying with nice flavors, but not over the top. I didn't add the harissa sauce, though. That may be what was missing. I substituted chili oil with a little coriander, garlic powder and lemon juice. I thought it would be of similar heat, but maybe not. Next time I'll try it with the harissa sauce.
Red hot chile tofu
Very quick and easy to make. Tastes good good too.
Live to eat not eat to live..... :D :-D
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