kfranzetta's Profile

From: San Francisco, CA USA

Joined: April 25th, 2011


Latest review:

July 18th, 2015

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


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15 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 15Sort by: Title | Date | Rating

Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker: 200 Recipes for Healthy and Hearty One-Pot Meals That Are Ready When You Are

By Robin Robertson
Harvard Common Press - 2004

17th January 2012 (edited: 7th February 2012)

Almost Irish Stew : page 73

This stewed turned out way better than I expected it would. I followed the recipe exactly, except when it came to the kale. I didn't bother cooking it separately in advance. I just threw it in the slow cooker about 10 minutes before we were planning to eat, and it softened up quite nicely.

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8th August 2011 (edited: 21st November 2011)

Bulgur and Lentil-Stuffed Eggplant : page 158

I made a few modifications to this recipe. I substituted cooked brown rice for the bulgur and replaced the jalapeno, chili powder and ginger with lots of fresh basil and dried oregano and thyme. The eggplant were super soft after about 4.5 hours.

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26th August 2012

Corn Chowder in Winter : page 48

A very simple corn chowder recipe. Very flavorful. I served with chopped cilantro. It would also be good served over rice with a spoonful of sour cream or plain yogurt.

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26th February 2013 (edited: 26th February 2013)

Cornbread-Topped Southwestern Potpie : page 127

This is another good potpie recipe from this cookbook. I cooked the filling in my slow cooker, as indicated in the recipe. I added an additional can of black beans and some frozen Quorn nuggets to increase the amount of filling for a 6-quart slow cooker. When I was ready to serve it, transferred half of the filling to a casserole dish and topped with the topping. I grated some cheddar cheese on top and baked the dish, uncovered for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. The filling seemed soupy before baking, but was just right with the cornbread topping.

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11th December 2011

Homestyle Applesauce : page 201

This is a simple recipe for applesauce. The outcomes will really depend on how flavorful the apples are that you use. Simple and easy to double.

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This dish lacked flavor and punch. We added some hot sauce when we served it, and that helped a little bit. If I were to make this recipe again, I would increase the ginger to at least a tablespoon and perhaps also increase the garlic.

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26th February 2013

Mediterranean Vegetable Stew : page 79

This is a solid vegetable stew recipe. I served it over kale and added some crumbled feta cheese as a garnish.

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22nd October 2012

Moroccan-Style Lentil and Chickpea Soup : page 40

This is a fantastic lentil soup recipe. It is so easy, and the spices come together so nicely. Definitely use harissa as it adds a nice kick. I served this soup over basmati rice.

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This stew was really good, and relatively simple. To save time, or to make in the winter, I would substitute a 28 oz. can of plum tomatoes for the ripe tomatoes for which the recipe calls. The pesto is key and really brings all of the flavors together.

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31st October 2011

Slow Pho : page 57

I made a few modifications to this recipe. In addition to the onion and chile, I also include a shallot and five cloves of garlic. In addition to the cinnamon and star anise, I also included a few cloves. Before putting the vegetables and aromatics in the slow cooker, I heated them in a dry pot on the stove to char them a bit. Next time, I might try roasting them.

For the broth, I used nine cups of water and five heaping teaspoons of Better than Bouillon vegetable base. I found that the broth was a bit strong, and next time I'd cut back on the bouillon even more.

Instead of seitan, I used baked tofu. I also did not add the hoisin, miso, or lime to the entire pot of broth. Instead, we individually seasoned our bowls of soup with lime, hoisin, and sriracha. I also served mint leaves in place of cilantro as a garnish.

This soup was easy and delicious. I will definitely make it again.

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31st December 2012

Slow-Fashioned Potpie with Biscuit Crust : page 126

This was a huge success!!! I increased the onions, carrots, and sauce ingredients by 50% because I cooked it in a 6 quart slow cooker. I also increased the green peas to 1 cup, added 8 ounces of quartered cremini mushrooms, and 1.5 cups of Quorn chik'n tenders. I cooked the filling in the slow cooker for 5 hours on low. Then I transferred it to a casserole dish, added the biscuit topping and cooked it in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. It was perfect! I will certainly make this recipe again.

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21st November 2011

Sweet and Spicy Lentil Chili : page 63

This recipe was very good. It seemed a little soupy, so we stirred in some TVP. That helped to absorb the extra liquid and provided additional protein. Very tasty.

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I also added a can of chickpeas as well as a chopped zucchini and a cup of corn kernals. I did not make the dumplings. This chili was hearty, but a little lacking in flavor. I added more chili powder and cumin and had to add some hot sauce when I served it.

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8th January 2012

Vegetarian Hoppin' John : page 108

My husband makes this every year on New Year's Day. It comes together very quickly, and then it simmers all day in the slow cooker. We've used both the Smart vegetarian sausage in a tube as well as chopped up vegetarian sausage links. This recipe makes enough for at least 6 main course servings.

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19th September 2011

Vindaloo Vegetables : page 151

This recipe was pretty good. I didn't add the cayenne because I feared it would be too spicy, and the result was slightly bland. Next time around I would add a bit of cayenne. It also came out a little soupy, so I might cut back on the water added to the tomato paste next time.

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