Favorite 2013 VegCookbook Club Recipes

It's New Year's Day and I realized that I didn't post about VegCookbook Club for December but I have been revisiting my favorite recipes from 2013. Below are some photos, largely from Instagram, with links to my initial reviews from earlier in the year. Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan got my vote for cookbook of the year, but all of the books that I sampled were winners. I didn't get my hands on Isa Does It, the November book, which won the popular favorite. However I will be cooking from the January selection, the books of author Lindsay S. Nixon, aka the Happy Herbivore.

Top Smoothie: Crazy Sexy Goddess Smoothie, I posted about this amazing smoothie twice!

Top Dressing: Dijon Vinaigrette. Okay, I really like making salad dressings. This one is classy.

Top Baked Good (savory): Cornbread Biscuits

Top Baked Good (sweet): "You Got Peanutbutter in my Chocolate" Cookies, also from EDBV. Oops, I never posted about this one. But it was good enough for my office holiday potluck.

Top Dessert: Sinful Chocolate Pudding. So easy to make.

Popsicles and a shake to finish HIAV!

Popsicle prep - DIY-style

The month of May has almost arrived and with it comes another VegCookbook Club pick. Vegan on The Cheap: Great and Simple Strategies that Save You Time and Money by Robin Robertson is next month's selection. Being a cheap vegan myself, I've placed it on hold at the public library.

Here are the last two recipes that I made from April's VegCookbook, How It All Vegan! Both appear in the "Meals for the Picky" section of the Vegan Kids Stuff chapter.

Rabbit Shake
This seems more like a smoothie than a shake to me. However, I've never thought to grate a carrot or put silken tofu into a smoothie before this recipe. These two additions made one of the thickest drinks I've ever encountered. If viscosity is the top criterion, perhaps it is a shake after all?

The recipe also calls for orange juice and frozen banana chunks. Because I'm an adult, I threw in some ground flax seeds and a handful of spinach, which I doubt kids would even notice taste-wise.

I liked this sweet, creamy rabbit shake so much, I made it twice. However I did substitute vegan milk for the tofu on the second round. I'm going to keep this drink in my arsenal, especially for when I'm running low on berries.

Tofudgesicles
Basically, you make a silken tofu pudding (not unlike the one I made earlier this month). Then you freeze it. I froze these ice pops overnight but I think they were probably ready after an hour or two.  

The recipe calls for Popsicle molds, but I decided to be DIY, using only what I had on hand. So I dug out some little plastic picnic cups from my cupboard. Then I inserted some stray bamboo To-Go Ware utensils for the "sticks." Finally, I used plastic wrap to position the sticks upright. Amazingly, this DIY trick worked!

The ice cold pops were messy and delicious. Next time I would like to play around with the spices and try to attempt a Mexican hot chocolate pop, just like my beloved Pleasant Pop paleta.

Snack attack from How It All Vegan!

Here are two easy snacks that I made recently from How It All Vegan!, the April VegCookbook Club pick. The poll for the May VegCookbook is now open. I'm crossing my fingers for Dreena Burton's cookbook to win and continue the Canadian trend.

Oi-Vey! Mock Chopped Liver
I prefer to think of this as a nutty mushroom spread, rather than as mock chopped liver. I've never had actual chopped liver before but it is pretty gross to contemplate. For this spread, you sauté mushrooms and onions and then blend that mixture with walnuts, adding salt and pepper to taste.

I decided to cook extra, because I knew the aromatic mushrooms and onions would be hard to resist. (You can spoon this combo directly over toast for a fast fix before blending the remainder.) The walnuts did add a sweet nuttiness to the spread, which took on a pleasant, smooth texture when thoroughly chilled. I served it with some sesame and flax seed crackers.

Chickpea Nibbles
This was another easy snack to prepare, with only one main ingredient--chickpeas--tossed in oil and seasoning. I used Penzey's Forward! salt-free spice blend, which features an "extra bold" black pepper with plenty of kick. The blend also has paprika and turmeric, which gave the chickpeas a reddish hue. I didn't roast these beans for quite as long as the cookbook suggested. I thought a full hour would make them too dry, so I pulled them out of the oven after 40 minutes. The nibbles were delicious and addictive when fresh out of the oven, but I tucked them away, saving them for future salad making.

A trio of childhood classics

Here are three more recipes that hark back to some favorite foods of childhood. Both are from How It All Vegan!, the April VegCookbook Club pick.

Vegan Sloppy Joes
For this filling sandwich, you make a tomato sauce in the food processor, rehydrate the protein, and then add both to a sauté of veggies and spices. I used some textured soy protein that I've been trying to finish, rather than the textured vegetable protein called for in the recipe. (You could probably also use tempeh or cooked beans for a less processed meal.)

The finished mash is rather spicy, calling for both chili powder and cayenne. The secret, surprise ingredient is chopped pickle (genius), which adds a nice crunchy bite. I used the sloppy joe mixture to fill tidy pitas, rather than serving it on a sloppy bun. No condiments required.

Spicy Creamy Tomato Soup
Another classic recipe. Like many kids, I, sadly, had an aversion to tomatoes. Luckily, I've been cured. This spicy soup is very adult, with a nice mix of spices and lots of garlic. I ended up using unsweetened almond milk rather than soy milk or soft tofu. I'd like to try the tofu version another time, to see how that might change the thickness. The fresh tomato garnish is a nice final touch. I'll make this soup again.
  

Fabulous French Dressing
This French dressing didn't taste like the bottled version that I had in my childhood but it did have the appropriate orange hue. The oil and vinegar dressing gets its color from dry mustard and paprika. However, with no sweetener included, I found it rather tart and unpalatable. I think I'll stick to the You-Must-Make-This Dressing from the Go Vegan! app (review).

Faux "chicken" and a pudding

Here are two more comfort food dishes from How It All Vegan!, the VegCookbook Club's current book.

Linda's Ginger "Chicken"
This wheat gluten recipe appears in the special 10th Anniversary Edition of the cookbook. However, it is also featured on the Go Vegan! app, which I reviewed (here and here). The seitan was easy to prepare and became very chewy and "meaty" in texture. It was on par with many mock meats that I've had at Chinese restaurants.

I was worried about using so much ginger (3/4 cup!) in the sauce, but the finely sliced coins did soften and took on a milder flavor. However I did think that the dish was way too salty. Both the broth and the sauce called for excessive amounts of tamari. I served this "chicken" atop quinoa with a side of roasted broccoli and mushrooms.

Faux "chicken" close-up

Sinful Chocolate Pudding
Another simple, pleasing recipe that requires only six ingredients: soft tofu, oil, sweetener, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. I decided to cut the oil and sweetener in half. (I used canola oil and brown sugar.) You could probably adjust these amounts even more to taste.

The photo below is of the just blended pudding before it had a chance to chill. Cold, creamy, and chocolaty, this recipe fulfilled all of my pudding requirements. My boyfriend said he could eat about six bowls.

Ginger tea and a book

Cure-All Ginger Tea

Here's a quick photo of the Cure-All Ginger Tea from How It All Vegan, the VegCookbook Club's April pick. This tea is a spicy tonic. It requires only four ingredients: water, fresh ginger, cayenne pepper, and sweetener. (I even skipped that last one and enjoyed the peppery warmth plain.)

I'm also enjoying Life After Life, an enthralling new novel by Kate Atkinson. It's a grand spring read. No caffeine required.

Meanwhile, outside...

How It All Vegan! in April

"Get happy, go vegan!" reads the back cover of the April VegCookbook Club pick, How It All Vegan!: Irresistible Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet. I forgot how joyful and fun this book is. It's a great selection for spring, a time of growth and renewal. 

This book is also an excellent gateway for newbies to plant-based diets, with its easy recipes, powerful personal testimonials, and loads of "Veganism 101" info. There are even sections on making natural household cleaners and beauty products. And a chapter on feeding kids, featuring silly recipes like "Fart Sandwiches" and homemade play dough.

I do wish the cookbook had photographs of the food, in addition to those kitschy black-and-white photos of 1950s-era homemakers. However, even without glossy pics, the DIY aesthetic from the book's handmade zine beginnings conveys a lot of energy.

In fact, I first remember finding Kramer and Barnard's cookbooks in an anarchist book store and thinking that they were so punk rock. These were books to start the revolution! Yet they were also suitable to share with loved ones due to the authors' totally pleasant, non-threatening, and self-deprecating style. (Well, they are Canadian.)

I also learned the term "vegan police" here and continue to resist joining that police squad. So, yeah, there are some recipes in the book that call for honey. But just swap maple syrup or agave; no biggie.

Here's what I've made so far:

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

This truly spicy vegetable and bean burger is simple to throw together. You sauté veggies and then add them to mashed beans, bread crumbs, and spices. I did swap mushrooms for the corn. The hardest part was keeping the patties from falling apart. It felt like they could use some type of binding ingredient. Packing each cooked patty into a pita helped them hold together. I also added watercress and the spread below.

Sunflower Seed Avocado Spread

It's been a while since I played with avocado. This recipe kind of gilds the lily. I don't think avocado needs sunflower seeds and tahini. It's got enough healthy fat and flavor going for it, straight up. Also the turmeric gave the spread a sallow hue. This recipe made a lot; so I'm saving some for burritos later in the week. 

Faux Feta
My Mom is a fan of this recipe. So I made it after her fashion, in a wide-mouthed Mason jar. Basically you flavor tofu (cubed or crumbled) with oil, vinegar, and dried spices. Due to poor planning, I ran out of basil. So I added dill, which is another fresh-flavored dry spice that perked up the marinade. I don't think this tofu trick would satisfy real feta enthusiasts but it works for me. It's excellent atop salads.

East Coast coffee cake and West Coast shopping

East Coast Coffee Cake

Vegan Brunch, the March VegCookbook Club selection, has been impossible to put back on the shelf. Here's a final sweet baked item from The Bread Basket chapter: East Coast Coffee Cake. I opted for a double variation, using blackberries and chocolate chips. I also swapped white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose.

The coffee cake was easy to assemble. You make the topping and cake separately and then add the variation ingredients. The cake smelled divinely of sugar and spice while baking. The hardest part was waiting a full hour for it to cool. My boyfriend kept feeling the sides of the pan to assure me of its rapid progress. But I made him wait and it was well worth it. Holy sugar bomb! This is another decadent holiday treat.      

Hot out of the oven.

Meanwhile, Britt Bravo has announced the April VegCookbook Club book. It's a classic, How It All Vegan! by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer. The pick is kind of a tribute too, to Sarah Kramer, Queen of Vegan Cookbooks (and apps). Sadly, Sarah has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. She is blogging about her experience at her awesomely titled website and asks that folks shop at her online store, Sarah's Place. I'm definitely going to shop there for Mother's Day and upcoming spring birthdays. And I'll be sending healing energy and virtual vegan gratitude out towards the West Coast too.

In an online shopping mood? Please visit: Sarah's Place