The last recipes of March's VegCookbook

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

Here are some final items that I made from The Oh She Glows Cookbook, the March VegCookbook Club pick. I never located a copy of the physical cookbook but the website of its author, Angela Liddon, offered me lots of recipes to sample. Based on these positive experiences, I think this cookbook would make a great Mother's Day gift or personal spring detox planner.

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

The carrot apple ginger soup (above) was a colorful, zippy, and cleansing puree. And I finally used my new blender to make a soup! I concur with Liddon's Vitamix recommendation of working with hot liquids in small batches. Because my boyfriend dislikes anything remotely pumpkin pie-flavored, I did leave out the nutmeg pinch. But I increased the ginger to great results. 

Easy Salt & Vinegar Roasted Chickpeas

Easy Salt & Vinegar Roasted Chickpeas
This simple recipe really did taste like salt & vinegar potato chips without the greasy guilt. I used less vinegar than it called for in the recipe, just enough to fully submerge the chickpeas. The roasted chickpeas made enough for snacking and salad toppings.

The Hummus That Changed Everything

The Hummus That Changed Everything
Look out, Dreena Burton. Here's another great hummus recipe. Very well-proportioned and classy with the olive oil drizzle and paprika atop. Plus a hidden kick from the Tabasco. (I used their habanero blend.) This hummus moved quickly. It'd be a good fail-safe recipe for picnics, parties, and other hummus requisite events.

A trio of summer dips

I've called Canadian cookbook author Dreena Burton the "Queen of Hummus" but now I need to up that to the "Goddess of All Dips, Spreads, and Sauces." Here's a trio of fast, delicious, and versatile recipes that I've made from the July VegCookbook Club pick: Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan. (The poll for August's club cookbook is already here.)

Olive & Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus
Another great hummus recipe, this time with tahini instead of raw nuts. Although the tahini amount is a controlled single tablespoon. This imparts some flavor but doesn't drown the main attractions. The real stars in this hummus are the olives and sun-dried tomatoes. It's a good excuse to visit your grocery's olive bar. And it's sure to win "The Battle of the Hummus" at your next summer potluck.  

Smoky Avocado Sauce
What a beautiful, silky smooth sauce! Two types of citrus and a little liquid smoke are the surprise notes to the creamy avocado. I'm going to make this every time I want to class up burritos. It'd be an impressive addition to a savory brunch too.

Warm & Cheesy White Bean Dip
This is the only recipe that required heating and only briefly on the stovetop. I would rename it "Noochy" instead of "Cheesy" dip because the nutritional yeast flavor is its own thing. Cashews give this cannellini dip extra richness. I used almond milk rather than rice milk and doubled the garlic (natch). The dip worked great drizzled on pizza, as Dreena Burton suggests. Makes loads of leftovers.

Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan for July

July's VegCookbook Club pick is one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan: Everyday Vegan Recipes Worth Celebrating by Dreena Burton. Unlike many of this year's other club selections, I actually own this attractive and colorful volume. So I have no library wait to endure.

Because I have been on vacation to Chicago, I have only made two recipes thus far. I do wish that it wasn't summer and that I could fire up the oven again because Dreena Burton's desserts are killer. However, there is plenty to look forward to in this cookbook without baking.  Did I mention that this book has a whole chapter devoted to hummus?  

Roasted Red Pepper & Almond Hummus
Dreena Burton is the Queen of Hummus. This red pepper hummus is much tastier and fresher than the brands that you can buy from the grocery store. In place of tahini, the almonds impart a subtle, nutty flavor that matches nicely with the sweet and smoky roasted peppers. I imagine that kids might enjoy this hummus. However I tripled the garlic for adult palates.

"But Where Do You Get Your Protein?" Smoothie
I usually forgo nut butters in my smoothies but this one calls for two types, which is interesting. I went with peanut butter and sunflower seed butter and used almond milk rather than soy. I also skipped the protein power because I'm not worried about extra protein. I did add ground flax. The blueberries and bananas provided sweetness to this creamy, nourishing drink.

Martha goes Meatless

The July VegCookbook Club selection has been announced already and I have yet to post about June's pick. Here goes.

It took awhile for my library hold for Meatless: More than 200 of the Very Best Vegetarian Recipes to arrive. This glossy new book is surprisingly hefty. It would add a thick chunk of meatless recipes to an omnivore's bookshelf.

I thought that the book was authored by Martha Stewart but, in fact, she only penned the very brief forward. (Which has a gruesome anecdote about butchering the family pet sheep and serving it to her daughter Alexis as "pork chops." Her daughter was not fooled and chose this moment to start eating "meatless." Go Alexis!)

The many excellent food photographers get credited in the back pages but the recipe authors themselves are ghosts in the Martha Stewart machine. The recipes are largely repurposed from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Publications. So I imagine that if you subscribe to the magazines or other arms of brand Martha Stewart, then some of these recipes might be repeats.

The book has an appealing design, although the index could use some work. I was particularly thrilled to find the "V" symbol for vegan recipes. (Although, the ghost writers seem to think that honey is vegan. I recommend subbing agave.) Truthfully, as I paged through the cookbook, I ended up skipping the non-V recipes, which are largely cheesy.

Below are the three V recipes that I ended up trying. I was looking for recipes that required little or no cooking, due to the summer heat.

Fancy presentation

Avocado Salad with Bell Peppers and Tomatoes
This easy, fresh, and attractive "salad," is really a chunky guacamole with tomatoes, peppers, scallions, garlic, and fresh cilantro. Presentation is key, as it is served in the scooped-out shell of an avocado. I actually just filled a single half for the photo and dumped the rest into a bowl, which was messier but equally satisfying. I forgot the extra cilantro garnish because I'm not Martha Stewart.

How it was really served

Fresh Pea Hummus
Who'd have thought that I would be making a "Martha Stewart" hummus? I scored fresh peas at our local farmers' market and used them in this inventive green hummus recipe. Some cooking is required here but only boiling water, which I could it handle. This recipe reminded me of an edamame hummus that I used to make. As with the edamame version, the look of this dip is surprising and delightful. The fresh green peas were sweet and paired well with the cilantro.

Martha Stewart hummus

Fresh green peas

Chipotle-Avocado Sandwiches

Finally I made these smoky mashed kidney bean sandwiches. I subbed curly kale and fresh broccoli for the suggested escarole and sprouts. I did use avocado and radishes as called-for in the recipe. This meatless combination was excellent in a pita. However I think it might be harder to eat with sliced bread. I did add spicy mustard for extra flavor, as the recipe only uses one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. You could probably add even more peppers, according to taste.