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.

Cooking with Lindsay S. Nixon for January

This month's VegCookbook Club featured author is Lindsay S. Nixon, aka the "Happy Herbivore." I don't own any of her cookbooks but was able to borrow The Happy Herbivore Cookbook through my public library on Overdrive. I find the Overdrive app a little cumbersome for cookbooks. It's hard to navigate to a specific recipe; I usually start in the index but am plunged into random locations from there. However Lindsay Nixon has a number of well-designed print books and many recipes available on her user-friendly blog.

Here's what I've made so far this month. I'm not sure how much more I'll cook up, as I'm moving to a new apartment in February and my energy is shifting to those non-foodie preparations. All of these recipes are highly recommend for fast, uncomplicated, and healthy eats.

Baked Onion Rings
I never thought I'd be able to make healthy onion rings at home but these oil-free versions--made with whole-wheat bread crumbs, cornmeal, garbanzo flour, vegan milk, and spices--are the bomb. You get all the fun of onion rings without feeling gross from deep frying. I served these with a trio of condiments: ketchup, mustard, and Sriracha vegan mayo.

Quick Queso Sauce
This is a nutritional yeast sauce more than a "queso" or cheese-flavored spread. That said, it is a cinch to make and really livened up my leftover burritos this week. It calls for whole wheat flour, vegan milk, spices, and "nooch." You heat it on the stove top, taking care not to burn the bottom. Maybe next time I'll add tomatoes and green chilies.

Single-Serving Brownie
Another quick and easy recipe, this time it's a dessert. This single-serving brownie is a cinch to throw together. I cooked it in a metal measuring cup in my toaster oven, one of the suggested methods. An intense chocolate fix in 15 minutes without firing up the oven; how cool is that?

Tofu Ricotta Cheese and Low-Country Cucumbers

I made these two recipes on a Sunday to use on salads throughout the week. The tofu ricotta cheese recipe tastes less like cheese than herby tofu, which is fine by me. The cucumbers were simple and spicy. They disappeared faster than the tofu.

Green Juice Smoothie

This green smoothie has been my Moby Dick. I've been chasing it all month long. Here it is finally, just as Vegan MoFo is coming to a close. And the VegCookbook Club is moving on to another book. Looks like October will be devoted to Mouthwatering Vegan by Miriam Sorrell.

But first, the third and final smoothie from Vegan Indian Cooking: 140 Simple and Healthy Vegan Recipes by Anupy Singla. (Free PDF version available here.)

Green Juice Smoothie - action shot

Green Juice Smoothie
There are 12 ingredients in this smoothie, not counting the ice and water. I scored them all with the exception of apple juice. I substituted coconut water instead. The actual blending was a breeze, thanks to my new blender. (I know that I need to pipe down about the Vitamix soon. The honeymoon glow will subside. Did I mention that it is chainsaw loud?)

How did it taste? Great. You could clearly pick out the citrus (lime, orange, and pineapple). The grapes, apple, banana, and cucumber were more subtle. My favorite ingredient was the ginger. (Wow, I need more ginger in my life!) The carrot and spinach provided the veg. And the chia seeds made it nicely thick.

Overall, a lovely juice-smoothie hybrid. Worth the wait and the blender purchase. I know that I enjoyed it because I forgot to photo it again until the cup was half empty full. 

Green Juice Smoothie - half full cup

Red Velvet Smoothie and Chickpea Poppers

I finally made another smoothie and a snack from this month's VegCookbook Club selection, Vegan Indian Cooking: 140 Simple and Healthy Vegan Recipes by Anupy Singla. (Free PDF version available here.) After falling in love with the first smoothie recipe that I tried from the book, I've been eager to tackle the remaining two. However, I didn't think I could blend any other challenging produce to the desire consistency. Until now. Yes, the Vitamix package has arrived to much fanfare.*

Red Velvet Smoothie
This inventive recipe made a smooth and luscious drink with a lovely strawberry-pink hue. And I still can't get over how my mighty new blender dealt with a whole, raw, and unpeeled beet. It liquefied that sucker. Plus the almonds, goji berries, and apple too.

Chickpea Poppers
I also made this roasted chickpea snack from the cookbook. This popcorn-like snack is reminiscent of the chickpea nibbles from How It All Vegan! However I think I liked the Indian spices here more. I used high quality garam masala and paprika (thanks to a kind relative's spice gift). Plus, low quality cayenne pepper and chili powder. I think I'll reduce the salt when I roast the chickpeas again. This recipe is a keeper.

*Here's my cat, clawing at the Vitamix box:

Greens & Apple Smoothie

I made another green smoothie over the weekend. This one is from Wild About Greens by Nava Atlas, which I have checked out from the library. (I really enjoyed Nava Atlas' Vegan Holiday Kitchen, the VegCookbookClub December pick.) This leafy greens cookbook has a full chapter of green juices and smoothies.

Greens & Apple Smoothie

For this smoothie, I used curly kale, green apple, and cucumber--all from the local farmers' market. Plus unsweetened vanilla almond milk, chia seeds, agave, and lemon juice. This was a nice combo but my blender really couldn't handle the pulp from the apple. I'm going to have to try making this one again when my new blender arrives. Yes, I've ordered a high-powered, refurbished machine from Vitamix. Maybe it'll arrive before Vegan Mofo concludes?

Blueberry–Green Smoothie

Here is a smoothie from this month's VegCookbook Club selection, Vegan Indian Cooking: 140 Simple and Healthy Vegan Recipes by Anupy Singla. (Free PDF version available here.) This smoothie has an ingredient I've never used before: bitter melon. I scored it at my local farmers' market.

Bitter Melon (Karela)

Blueberry–Green Smoothie

The other ingredients in this smoothie were familiar. Who doesn't love blueberries in a smoothie? The almonds required an overnight soak, which was the main prep. Otherwise, I had chia seeds, flax seeds, bananas, vegan milk, and coconut water all at the ready.

The bitter melon is supposed to have many health benefits. But how did it taste? I couldn't taste the bitterness when drinking this amazing smoothie. It did have a subtle after-taste though. Not at all unpleasant; you simply feel like you drank something slightly medicinal.  

If the bitter melon isn't for you, Singla recommends subbing spinach or kale for the "green." I enjoyed this smoothie and can't wait to try other recipes in this cookbook.

Betty Goes Vegan in August

It's the end of the month and I never did locate a copy of the August VegCookbook Club pick, Betty Goes Vegan by Annie and Dan Shannon. However I bet there will be plenty of copies at DC Vegfest, when the Shannons present their much-anticipated cooking demo. That's Saturday, September 28th at 2ish. (Full schedule here.)

I did make a couple of items from the authors' recipe-rich website. The recipes are playful takes on the All-American dishes engineered for General Mills' Betty Crocker brand. These veganized versions were created for "The Betty Crocker Project," the initial blog challenge that spurred the Betty Goes Vegan cookbook.

Here's what I made:

Cowboy Caviar
This recipe is for "the Hostess with the Mostess." It's a colorful and quick combination of crunchy veggies and tender, cooked beans that can serve as a salad, a side, a condiment, a dip, or taco fodder. I loved this recipe because it required no cooking, of course. I think you could vary the canned ingredients to feature what was fresh and in-season. Fresh cilantro and ripe avocado seem key.  

BLT Crostini
A wacky recipe but not without its charms. These faux "cheesy" crostini are meant to be baked on a pizza stone but I cheated and cooked these in the toaster oven. I used local heirloom tomatoes for the "T" and smoky tempeh for the "B." The wispy lettuce leaves looked attractive but didn't provide much flavor. Maybe something peppery like arugula or watercress would work here?

Orange, Agave & Mustard Dressing  
This dressing accompanies a spinach salad recipe. I've been looking for an oil-free dressing and this one is a nice marriage of zesty orange and zippy mustard. However, I thought the agave was too sweet and cloying, even when reduced by a third.

Finishing up Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan

A Sweet Finish:
I decided to close July's VegCookbook selection with a sweet. Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan has an excellent "Sugar 'N' Spice" chapter with loads of decadent desserts and baked goods. I went with a simple, no cooking required recipe.

Cashew Banana Ice Cream

There's great vegan-friendly bakery in Ocean City, NJ, called The Bashful Banana Café that is famous for a banana "frozen custard." It's just bananas whipped to a custard consistency. They call it: the Banana Whip. This "ice cream" version adds cashew butter, which gives it a thick, creamy texture. The recipe also calls for sweetener. I added a little agave but would skip it next time. Bananas are sweet enough. I also added some vanilla and cinnamon. Overall, a speedy sweet fix that requires only firing up the food processor.

Salad Dressing Round-Up:
Plus, here's a quick round-up of the salad dressings that I've made from this cookbook in July.

Salad Dressings from ED&BV

Of these three dressings, the Creamy Basil Dressing (top) was my favorite. Fresh basil provides so much flavor. I used cashews and almonds for the nuts and unsweetened almond milk as the main liquid. It was great on salads and as a dip for heirloom tomatoes.

Back-to-Basics Balsamic Vinaigrette is one for regular weeknight rotation (bottom left). Super simple and straightforward. Although, as with all the dressing recipes, I cut back on the sweetener by a third, at least. (Sometimes I think Canadian cookbook authors just like to promote maple syrup. Which I love. But not in everything.)

Cumin-Cinnamon Vinaigrette was a unique blend, but perhaps not to my tastes (bottom right). I think the cinnamon reminded me too much of my morning smoothies. This one would work on a salad served before a spicy Indian meal.    

August's pick:
Now August is arrived and with it comes a new book: Betty Goes Vegan by Annie and Dan Shannon. I haven't gotten my hands on a copy yet but I wonder if it'll have the technicolor glow I remember from my Mom's old Betty Crocker cookbooks.

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.

Finishing up Vegan on the Cheap

Somehow it is almost June. With the new month comes a new VegCookbook Club selection, Meatless: More than 200 of the Very Best Vegetarian Recipes by Martha Stewart. This should be interesting!  

Meanwhile, here are the last items that I made from Vegan on the Cheap, May's club pick. This book has been rather anti-Martha Stewart. That is to say, there are no glossy photo spreads or elaborate food stylings here. Just short, to-the-point recipes and pragmatic cooking advice, similar to what you can find on Robin Robertson's own media empire.  

The beans are hidden inside.

Nacho Taco Salad
This was a fun, creative recipe, one I'd never heard of before this cookbook. There is memorable greasy taco salad in Joe Hill's short story, "You Will Hear the Locust Sing." That one features "big flaps of lettuce, soggy with taco juices." This is a much fresher take, assembled right before serving. Plus it has "nacho cheese."

Basically, you layer a shallow bowl with tortilla chips. (I used Garden of Eatin' Red Hot Blues but an unflavored chip would suffice.) Then you layer a mound of spicy hot beans, prepared with salsa and chili powder. Next you pour on some warm Cheezee Sauce, using the same great recipe Robertson uses for the Wheatball sandwiches. Finally, you add your salad and any other nacho toppings that suit.

The recipe calls for iceberg lettuce but I went with Russian red kale for my salad, plus extra chopped tomatoes, jalapeños, and onions. I also added more Cheezee Sauce to the top, because I thought the sturdier greens could handle it. This recipe would be great at a buffet-style dinner because each person could tailor it to taste.      

Inner Goddess

Inner Goddess Dressing
I'm not a fan of pasta salads but this dressing (from the recipe for Garden Rotini and Chickpea Salad) was also listed as an all-around dressing and sounded worth a go. It uses cashews, tahini, and some vegan milk to add creamy Goddess-style flavor. I'm not sure if it would please true die-hard Annie's fans. It could use some chives and parsley.

Beware of the blob.

House Salad Dressing
I also tried the mustard vinaigrette variation for this basic house salad dressing recipe. It was very oily but quick to throw together. As instructed, I stored the dressing in a tightly covered container. However on the second day, the dressing congealed into a strange blob. I've never had that happen with a dressing before.

Wheatball Mania

Plate of wheatballs

A new job has been keeping me busy and away from posting about my VegCookbook Club cooking experiences. However I did find time to tackle one "Basics" recipe from Robin Robertson's Vegan on the Cheap, the May cookbook. Introducing...The Wheatballs.

This quick recipe requires a food processor and a skillet. You make the balls from chickpeas, mushrooms, bread crumbs, and vital wheat gluten, adding various Italian spices. (Also soy sauce, which I was out of, so I subbed lemon juice.) After two minutes of kneading the dough mixture, you pan-fry the balls. The finished wheatballs are light and airy, not dense and "meaty."    

Minestrone with wheatballs

The wheatball is a "component" recipe that works with other recipes in the book. So I tried using it two additional ways. First, I used it in minestrone (above). This is a freestyle minestrone, but Robin Robertson does provide her own recipe in the book. She suggests adding small wheatballs to the bowl. I had made regular size wheatballs, so I just halved them. I liked this addition to the soup and never would have thought of it on my own.

Next I made a wheatball sandwich (below) because how could I not? I began by whisking up the fast, tasty, and healthy Cheezee Sauce. It is an oozy nutritional yeast-based sauce that thickens with cornstarch. Then I warmed up the wheatballs in jarred marinara sauce--a suggested convenience "splurge." 

Assembling the sandwich on a roll was easy. Eating it was not. What a mess! (I think this was because the balls became even softer in the tomato sauce. Or maybe the bread was too crusty?) It was the kind of sandwich that just went "splurt!" all over the plate. I recommend serving it with a fork and knife. 

Wheatball sandwich with Cheezee Sauce 

Vegan on the Cheap for May

My library hold has arrived for the May VegCookbook Club selection, Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson. The first recipe that I have made from this cookbook is an affordable and simple one. This recipe also appears for free, on Robin Robertson's Global Vegan Kitchen website.

Penne-Wise Peanutty Pasta  
Although this was a budget dish, it tasted rich and decadent. First you prepare an easy Asian-style peanut sauce, with peanut butter and silken tofu. I subbed almond milk for the soy milk and added extra garlic and red pepper flakes. Next you cook your whole-wheat penne and veggies.

I wasn't a fan of the cooking method for the broccoli and carrots. I worry that boiling them in the pasta water loses some nutrients. However it is quick trick, for when you are short on time, as well as money. For garnish I used more green onions instead of herbs and extra peanuts. I liked this dish but thought it could be tweaked. Maybe you could use less peanut butter too?

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.