kfranzetta's Reviews
366 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating | Recipe Title 
Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon
By Claudia Roden
Knopf - 2006
This is a nice make-ahead side dish. The combination of the vinegar, dried mint, and garlic adds a nice kick to the zucchini.
useful (1)
Website: Smitten Kitchen
I made some slight modifications to this recipe based on what I had on hand. I used a combination of zucchini, yellow summer squash, and eggplant in place of just zucchini. I used a combination of cooked brown rice and cooked quinoa and instead of fresh tarragon, I used a combination of fresh dill and fresh parsley. I also omitted the parmesan cheese because I did not have any on hand. The dish still came out very well. It was a little dry, so we stirred in some cream cheese as we ate it. Yum!
useful (0)
Jerusalem: A Cookbook
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi
Appetite by Random House - 2012
A lovely herby/spicy paste that really adds a lot of flavor. I used slightly less cilantro than called for, slightly more parsley, and two jalapeno peppers. It came together very quickly in my mini-chopper.
useful (0)
Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
By Heidi Swanson
Ten Speed Press - 2011
I also did not get the super tall flaky biscuits pictured in the photo next to this recipe in the book. I did use greek yogurt, but instead of AP flour, I used Thomas Keller's C4C gluten-free flour. The resulting biscuits were very tasty, and still flaky, just very short.
Next time I will try not to pat the dough down quite as much during the stacking phase and will hopefully end up with airier biscuits.
useful (1)
Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen
By Deborah Madison
Broadway - 2007
While this recipe seems complicated, it is worth the effort! The filling can easily be made up in advance, and the stuffed peppers can be frozen prior to baking. I have made this recipe many times, and it is always a huge hit!
useful (0)
The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods
By Sara Forte, Hugh Forte
Ten Speed Press - 2012
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.
useful (0)
Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen
By Deborah Madison
Broadway - 2007
The flavors of sage, parsley, and butternut squash are delicious in this recipe! I used Jovial gluten-free brown rice lasagna noodles, and followed the recipe exactly. I found that I had slightly less sauce than I needed and that the noodles did not cook well enough. I will make this again with some modifications. I will increase the sauce by one-quarter to one-half. I will also soak the noodles in hot water for bit before adding them to the casserole.
useful (0)
Website: Sprouted Kitchen
This salad adds something a little extra special to your basic greens and dressing. The crispy quinoa is really nice. I substituted cashews for the hazelnuts and raisins for the pomegranate seeds.
useful (0)
Website: Smitten Kitchen
I love this fruit salad. I have made it a few times during the holidays, and it is always a big hit. The star anise flavor really comes out. Definitely make it at least a day in advance so the flavors have time to develop.
useful (1)
Website: Sprouted Kitchen
Nice combination of flavors and textures.
useful (0)
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
By Deb Perelman
Knopf - 2012
This is a very good casserole recipe. I used three cups of cooked wild rice and two cups of cooked long grain brown rice. To make the recipe gluten-free, I substituted one cup of chopped walnuts for the breadcrumbs. Yum!
useful (0)
Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
By Heidi Swanson
Ten Speed Press - 2011
This casserole is very good. I substituted part skim ricotta cheese for the cottage cheese and nonfat Greek yogurt for the sour cream with very good results. I will definitely make this one again.
useful (2)
Website: My New Roots
These burgers were somewhat of a disappointment. The flavors were great, but the texture was terrible and very mushy. The patties did not hold together during frying. I ended up baking the mixture in greased muffin tins hoping that they would crisp up. They did crisp up a little bit, but not enough to hold together. Perhaps these could be improved by reducing the oil and adding additional binders, such as oat flour or flax meal. I did not make the cashew sauce.
useful (0)
I used all wild rice and feta cheese in place of the recommended goat cheese. The salad was very nice, but not terribly flavorful. I would add some pepper to the dressing next time around.
useful (2)
The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods
By Sara Forte, Hugh Forte
Ten Speed Press - 2012
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.
useful (0)
Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
By Heidi Swanson
Ten Speed Press - 2011
This is a simple, inexpensive recipe. I used savoy cabbage instead of plain green cabbage. I also served it with broth, as suggested in the headnotes, right away. I just heated up a small pot of vegetable stock and then spooned a few ladle-fulls over the cabbage and beans. The grated Parmesan really adds a lot of flavor. This recipe is a keeper.
useful (2)
Website: Cookie + Kate
This recipe is so tasty! It has really basic ingredients, but is so delicious. I will definitely make this one again!
useful (0)
Website: Green Kitchen Stories
Excellent cauliflower couscous salad. The cauliflower is lightly boiled to take away the raw edge. It is tossed together with lots of fresh herbs and tangy cheese. The recipe calls for peas, but I used fava beans. I also added a drained can of chickpeas to make it an entree. Top with crunchy toasted pepitas. The salad keeps well for two days. It was not as good on the third day.
useful (0)
Website: Sprouted Kitchen
This is a hearty side dish. The pistou is quite tasty and goes with the lentils and rice very well. I didn't have chives, so I substituted some chopped scallions. I also served the salad topped with a bit of crumbled feta cheese.
useful (0)
Website: 101 Cookbooks
This is a nice alternative to oatmeal for breakfast. I used almond milk in place of the 1% milk, and it came out fine. The end result was much drier than I anticipated, so if you like your warm breakfast cereal more like porridge, you may want to increase the cooking milk and/or water.
useful (0)
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
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.
useful (0)
Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon
By Claudia Roden
Knopf - 2006
I have made this recipe both in a rice cooker and on the stove top and have had much better results from the stove top method. This is a good accompaniment to many of the main dishes in this book.
useful (0)
Website: Cookie + Kate
This soup packs a lot of flavor for a quick weeknight meal. I used one dried chipotle chile and two jalapeno peppers and feta cheese. The soup had a really nice level of spice, and all of the condiments really complement it.
useful (0)
MOLLIE KATZEN'S VEGETABLE HEAVEN: OVER 200 RECIPES FOR UNCOMMON SOUPS, TASTY BITES, SIDE-BY-SIDE DISHES, AND TOO MANY DESSERTS
By Mollie Katzen
Hyperion - 2000
This is a very satisfying vegetarian salad nicoise recipe. I served it with the horseradish aioli, as recommended.
useful (0)
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
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.
useful (1)
Website: Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
This is a fun recipe to make for Mardi Gras. The recipe calls for 8 ounces of mushrooms and 14-16 ounces of vegan sausage. I used 12 ounces of vegan sausage and about a pound of cremini mushrooms. I followed the rest of the recipe exactly and served it over brown rice. It was delicious!
useful (0)
Vegan Holiday Kitchen: More than 200 Delicious, Festive Recipes for Special Occasions throughout the Year
By Nava Atlas
Sterling - 2011
I made the gluten-free variation of this recipe using quinoa flakes in place of matzo meal. I was very happy with how these turned out and how they held up in soup. However, the flavor of the quinoa flakes is very strong and somewhat distracting. In the future, I may try making these using vegetable broth in place of the water. I may also try using the quinoa flakes in place of eggs but using a combination of mashed potatoes and potato starch in place of the matzo meal.
useful (0)
Website: My New Roots
Yum! These cookies are very tasty, but they are a little different from the classic fig newton. The dough ended up a bit crispier than the classic newton dough. The flavor of my coconut oil really came through, which I don't mind, but a more neutral oil may let the other flavors shine through.
useful (0)
Whole-Grain Mornings: New Breakfast Recipes to Span the Seasons
By Megan Gordon
Ten Speed Press - 2013
Very tasty. I got five very generous portions out of this recipe.
useful (0)
MOLLIE KATZEN'S VEGETABLE HEAVEN: OVER 200 RECIPES FOR UNCOMMON SOUPS, TASTY BITES, SIDE-BY-SIDE DISHES, AND TOO MANY DESSERTS
By Mollie Katzen
Hyperion - 2000
useful (0)
Whole-Grain Mornings: New Breakfast Recipes to Span the Seasons
By Megan Gordon
Ten Speed Press - 2013
This is a very good quinoa porridge recipe. I followed the recipe exactly and got very tasty results.
useful (1)
Vegan Holiday Kitchen: More than 200 Delicious, Festive Recipes for Special Occasions throughout the Year
By Nava Atlas
Sterling - 2011
The flavors of this haroset were very nice. However, I found that it got very watery. Perhaps this is because of the type of apple I used (Fuji) or because I processed it too long in the food processor.
useful (0)
MOLLIE KATZEN'S VEGETABLE HEAVEN: OVER 200 RECIPES FOR UNCOMMON SOUPS, TASTY BITES, SIDE-BY-SIDE DISHES, AND TOO MANY DESSERTS
By Mollie Katzen
Hyperion - 2000
This recipe is a staple in my house. Ravioli substitutes very well for the tortellini. Frequently, we add spinach to the broth to make the soup a full meal.
useful (0)
Website: Cookie + Kate
These quesadillas are so good, and such a nice change from your standard cheese quesadillas. The tomatoes, chickpeas, onions, and olives all taste delicious together. I used brown rice tortillas and added a little bit of feta cheese. I used my cast iron pan and found that I didn't need to brush the tortillas with any additional oil.
useful (1)
Website: Smitten Kitchen
This sauce was very good and super simple to make. It was the perfect complement to fresh pasta.
useful (0)
Website: The Kitchn
Nice vegetarian patty recipe. Definitely use the carrot ginger sauce mentioned in the recipe.
useful (0)
Quick, simple, and main-course vegetarian pleasures
By Jeanne Lemlin
HarperCollins - 1998
I made these kebabs on a grill pan. They turned out fine, but weren't amazing. I most likely will not make these again.
useful (0)
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
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.
useful (1)
A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table
By Molly Wizenberg
Simon & Schuster - 2010
I had to scale the recipe up to fit a 9" round pan. It was very good, and tasted much lighter than I expected.
useful (1)
Whole-Grain Mornings: New Breakfast Recipes to Span the Seasons
By Megan Gordon
Ten Speed Press - 2013
This is a new technique for cooking oatmeal for me. Toasting the oats with some butter ahead of time gave the dish a richer flavor--reminiscent of matzoh brei. I cooked the oats with about 3/4 c. of coconut milk and 1/4 c. water. They were perfectly done after seven minutes. To serve, I stirred in some toasted unsweetened coconut and topped with blueberries, pecans, brown sugar and a splash of almond milk.
useful (0)
Website: Cookie + Kate
Seriously. The. Very. Best. Brownies. So good with the perfect texture. I used Cup4Cup gluten free flour with great results. The added step of browning the butter really makes a difference and is worth the extra time. All in all, a very simple recipe that you mix together in one pot. I will definitely make these again!
useful (1)
Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Jonathan Lovekin
Chronicle Books - 2011
This is a very hearty vegetable tagine. I cooked the vegetables for the full 45 minutes and they still didn't seem fully done, so I covered the baking dish and let them cook an additional ten minutes. The preserved lemon and harissa add a good deal of flavor to the dish, so don't skimp on them. This dish is perfect for a cool fall or winter dinner.
useful (1)
Website: My New Roots
These brownies are totally delicious! They come together very quickly using a food processor. They are very much like a fudgey brownie--not cake like at all. I would like to experiment with adding some different spices. For example, I think a Mexican chocolate version, adding cinnamon and a little cayenne, would be delicious.
useful (0)
Website: My New Roots
I have made this recipe twice, and the second try came out much better than the first. For the most successful loaf, I made the following modifications to the recipe: instead of 1 cup of sunflower seeds, I used 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup pepitas, 1/4 cup sesame seeds; I used ground flax meal in place of flax seeds and followed the weight measurement; in place of 1/2 cup of almonds I used 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup walnut halves; I used psyllium husk powder. I let the unbaked mixture sit out for close to 7 our 8 hours before baking. I baked the bread in a regular bread pan, not a silicone one and had a little bit of trouble getting it out for the second half of the baking. Next time I will try lining the pan with parchment paper. When I returned the bread to the oven for the final baking, I baked it the full 40 minutes. This resulted in a bread with a nice crispy crust that was not too moist inside. I let the bread cool on the counter for a few hours and then refrigerated it over night before cutting it. When it is cold, I have been able to slice the bread very thinly. Then I toast it. It is delicious topped with almond butter and cinnamon sugar; a mashed banana; jam; cream cheese. I have also melted mozzarella cheese on it. Delicious!
useful (0)
Best Green Drinks Ever: Boost Your Juice with Protein, Antioxidants and More
By Katrine Van Wyk, Frank Lipman
Countryman Press - 2014
I really like the spice in this drink from the ginger and the cayenne. The recipe calls for 1/4 apple plus 1/2 cup of fresh apple juice. I didn't want to bother juicing an apple, so I just used a whole apple in place of these two ingredients. This made the drink too thick.
useful (0)
Website: My New Roots
This is an extremely tasty lentil salad, and very flexible. The spices in the dressing are delicious. I cooked my lentils for 15 minutes and found that they were a bit too done. Next time I will check them at 10 minutes.
useful (1)
Website: 101 Cookbooks
This is a very simple recipe, and much of the flavor depends on the Thai red curry paste that you use. Be sure to find a paste that adds enough flavor, otherwise this soup will be disappointing. I found it strange to roast the pumpkins skin side down. They might roast better skin side up. I served this with kale sauteed with garlic and sesame to add some additional flavor. I probably will not make this recipe again.
useful (0)
The Vegan Slow Cooker: Simply Set It and Go with 150 Recipes for Intensely Flavorful, Fuss-Free Fare Everyone (Vegan or Not!) Will Devour
By Kathy Hester
Fair Winds Press - 2011
I had such high hopes for this recipes and was pretty disappointed with the results. I followed the recipe very closely, only making one modification. The recipe called for 1 1/2 packages of tofu, and I just used one package. I cooked the vegetables for 7 hours on low. The results were very watery, and the vegetables were over cooked. If I were to make this one again, I would only add one cup of water (instead of two), and I would cook it for four hours on low. Also, the recipe says to add the broccoli about 20 minutes before you are ready to serve. After 20 minutes, the broccoli was no where close to tender.
useful (1)
Website: Cookie + Kate
Delicious. I substituted tofu for the eggs, and it was great.
useful (1)
Quick, simple, and main-course vegetarian pleasures
By Jeanne Lemlin
HarperCollins - 1998
This salad was pretty good. I found the dressing to be very oily and slightly heavy. If I make this again, I will reduce the vegetable oil to 2 tablespoons and the sesame oil to 2 tablespoons. I did not add the red pepper flakes to the dressing. Instead, when we served it, we let everyone dress their own serving with sriracha or chili/garlic sauce. I boiled the green beans for the 5 minutes recommended in the recipe, but found them to be a bit over cooked. next time, I will cook them for only 3 minutes. This would be good with any number of vegetables substituted for the green beans--snow peas, carrots, etc.
useful (0)