kfranzetta's Profile

From: San Francisco, CA USA

Joined: April 25th, 2011

Plum Poppy Seed Muffins from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

I made these early one morning when we had nothing to eat for breakfast and everything to make these muffins. I used Cup4Cup gluten-free flour in place of the all purpose flour and buckwheat flour in place... read more >

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kfranzetta's Reviews

29 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 29Sort by: Title | Date | Rating

The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods

By Sara Forte, Hugh Forte
Ten Speed Press - 2012

This is an easy gluten-free cookie recipe. I made half of the recipe. I was a little short on almond meal, so I made up the difference with a tablespoon of buckwheat flour. I also made these vegan by using the flax egg option described in the side note. To highlight the coconut flakes and coconut oil, I used coconut sugar in place of the muscovado sugar. I baked the cookies for 10 minutes, and they came out nice and soft.

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This is an interesting take on tacos. I found that the amount of dressing was way too much for the amount of cabbage called for in the recipe. Instead of adding the cabbage to the hoisin mixture, I would suggest adding the hoisin mixture to the cabbage a little bit at a time until it is dressed to your liking. I also would suggest cutting the tofu into a smaller dice--maybe 3/4-inch, as I had a hard time getting the 1-inch cubes to stay in the tortillas.

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This is a great take on traditional tuna salad. I like the addition of golden raisins and whole grain mustard, and the use of lemon juice and olive oil in place of mayo keeps it light. I served it over salad greens for a filling lunch.

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The beans in this recipe are so good, and certainly worth the extra effort of cooking dry beans from scratch. I will definitely make these beans again, even if I don't used them in stuffed peppers. The cinnamon and beer add such nice flavor!! I cooked the stuffed peppers in the oven--about 18 minutes at 425. Served with Spanish rice, as recommended, this makes a fantastic vegetarian entree.

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This is a creative appetizer. Definitely use the walnut oil, as it adds a wonderful depth of flavor. This was delicious with a combination of red and yellow beets. These can be a little slippery, so be sure to serve then with plates/napkins and forks.

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I can't believe I forgot to review this recipe. It is delicious! I followed the recipe as indicated up through the step of sauteeing the vegetables. Instead of putting all of the ingredients in a Dutch oven, I put everything in my slow cooker, and cooked it on low for 6-8 hours. I checked the beans as Sara indicates in the recipe. When I was ready to serve the beans, I transferred half of the recipe to a casserole dish, added the cheese, and put it under the broiler until it was melted and brown. This is also how I reheated the leftovers. I also froze a portion of the leftovers without the cheese, and they held up wonderfully!

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These brussels sprouts ended up too sweet for my liking. I also did not like the combination of the baby spinach and the brussels sprouts. A nice idea, but this dish was not a hit in my household. I will not make this one again.

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I only made the crepe part of this recipe, and they were fantastic! I used Cup4Cup gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour. The recipe made 10 crepes, and I kept them warm in a 200 degree oven, separated by tea towels while I finished cooking them. I served the crepes with cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers and lemon juice. Delicous!

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I made only the cornmeal cakes from this recipe. They came together very easily and cooked up nicely. These are a nice alternative to pancakes for a lazy Sunday morning. I served them with a warm blueberry sauce and peach jam. The warm blueberry sauce was much better with these cakes.

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This is a very simple recipe that creates very impressive results! The creamy millet is delicious. I used goat cheese instead of gorgonzola, and was very happy with the results. I love that she has you roast the kale right on the same baking sheet as the mushrooms. Because the recipe noted that you want the kale to be well coated with the dressing, I ended up increasing the amount of dressing by one-half. I will certainly make this one again!

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The flavor combination in this recipe is a bit odd. It calls for 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds and has you "break up the fennel seeds with the back of a knife." I used my molcajete to break up the fennel seeds, but in the end the flavor from the seeds was too bitter and over-powering. Perhaps this recipe could be improved by starting with a smaller amount of fennel seeds or using ground fennel seeds instead of the whole ones.

I used a prepared package of steamed lentils, as the sidebar suggests, but added the entire package, not just the 1.5 cups suggested, in order to try to cut the flavor from the fennel seeds.

In the end, this recipe was disappointing, and I do not think that I will make it again.

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Home run! This recipe was a hit with everyone in my household. Both the pudding and the topping are delicious. Together they are divine!

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This is a nice autumn side dish. The recipes calls for one large delicata squash weighing about 3 pounds. I could only find small squash, and the two I had purchased only weighed 2 pounds. I added one pound of roasted cauliflower to the roasted squash and pureed everything using my hand blender. The end result was tasty, and I liked that the cauliflower cut the sweetness of the squash. Perhaps you could substitute Greek yogurt for the creme fraiche for a slightly less indulgent dish.

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I made these dumplings for Chinese New Year. I used frozen, shelled edamame in the filling, which came together very quickly in the food processor. In order to make them gluten-free, we used rice paper wrappers instead of wonton wrappers. The first time I made them, I just steamed the dumplings in broth, as the recipe indicates. The second time I made them, I baked the dumplings at 400 degrees. I sprayed the tops with cooking spray, baked them for 9 minutes then flipped them and baked them for 8 minutes longer. In the end, we preferred the baked dumplings. These were delicious!

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Paired with arugula, this fennel slaw makes a lovely salad. Definitely go for the Meyer lemon if it is available, as it complements the fennel very well. As suggested in the recipe, I sliced and marinated the fennel ahead of time, and only added the parsley, cheese, and salt right before serving.

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Fantastic smoothie recipe. I added a scoop of Hemp protein powder and subbed romaine for the spinach. New favorite!

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A very simple recipe for almond butter. Mind the recipe notes that say that the honey will cause the almond butter to seize up if added while the nuts are being ground at the end.

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I made a variation of this recipe to accompany a Mexican meal. I substituted queso fresco for the feta and topped it only with the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, olive oil, and some cilantro in place of the parsley. I served it with tortilla chips.

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This recipe is an interesting take on the often-bland stuffed squash vegetarian entree option. It has a Moroccan twist, achieved by cooking the quinoa in coconut milk and adding preserved lemon, pomegranate seeds, cilantro, mint and pistachios. You also add a few spices, and I think that the amounts of coriander and cumin could be increased a bit to add even more flavor to the quinoa.

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This is a fantastic veggie burger recipe. I was worried that the patties wouldn't hold together, but after baking they stayed together better than any other veggie burger I have made at home. The combination of the mushrooms and rice really make for a nice "meaty" texture. I served the patties on romaine lettuce with either balsamic vinaigrette or a peanut sauce. I will make these again.

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A creative take on a caesar salad. The combination of quinoa, romaine, pepitas, and the spicy dressing is excellent!

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I only made the salsa portion of this recipe. It is a perfect appetizer for the summer months. Fresh corn, blueberries, jalapeno and cilantro tossed with a little bit of olive oil and rice wine vinegar. I served this with tortilla chips, and it was a big hit with everyone!

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I decided to make this recipe to use up leftover canned pumpkin after making a batch of pumpkin bread. This recipe is a little different from your standard granola recipe--substituting olive oil for butter and using pumpkin puree as well as sesame seeds. The result is good, but not amazing. The flavors are very subtle and it is not overly sweet.

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This a great recipe to make if you are having "breakfast for dinner." The beans were a bit too salty for me. I would recommend starting with half of the salt called for in the recipe and then adjusting to your taste. I did not use the bacon, and I substituted goat cheese for the cheddar. Yum!

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This soup comes together so quickly, provided that you have a roasted sweet potato on hand. All you need to do is chop an onion and a few stalks of celery and throw everything into the pot. In addition to the vegetable broth, I added some canned tomatoes and their liquid because I had them left over from another recipe. I ate the soup plain for lunch, but would garnish with yogurt and cilantro if serving it for dinner. I would agree that this recipe makes more than four servings--probably five or six.

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This is a lovely recipe for poached salmon served on top of noodles and roasted broccoli and tossed with a sauce. I only made the salmon and sauce portions of this recipe, and they were both delicious. The salmon was delicately flavored by the green tea and mirin it was poached in, and the sauce was delicious. I sauteed some kale and mushrooms which I then tossed with the sauce. I then topped the greens with the poached salmon, some avocado, green onions, sesame seeds, and chopped basil and cilantro. Delicious!

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These are a nice alternative to typical meat-free balls made with lentils. I used almond meal in place of the cashews, and the recipe came together very quickly.

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This is a delicious white sangria recipe that isn't too sweet. I used a pear in place of the nectarine, and I used Grand Marnier in place of the Cointreau.

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This is a nice wild rice casserole with an Italian twist. I liked the combination of flavors and textures from the wild rice, brown rice, swiss chard, and sun-dried tomatoes. It calls for both ricotta cheese and Gruyere. I used mozzarella in place of the Gruyere to fit with the other flavors of the dish. I will make this one again.

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