Jayme's Reviews
247 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating 
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Ani's Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Foods Recipes
By Ani Phyo
Da Capo Press - 2007
I feel like Gazpacho should have been an easy one for a raw book...it's already raw. But this one failed for me somehow. Trying too hard? I don't know.
useful (1)
I cut the spice back by at least half for this recipe and my face was still on fire. That's just not my idea of fun...but it could be yours?
useful (0)
Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero
Da Capo Press - 2007
These came out a goopy mess that just refused to become a pancake. I had to throw them out. My friend tried them with the same results, so it can't be just me. I smell a typo?
useful (1)
Raw: The Uncook Book: New Vegetarian Food for Life
By Juliano Brotman, Erika Lenkert
Regan Books - 1999
The marinade for this is just straight Nama Shoyu and oil. I used Bragg's instead, thinking it was an except able substitute, but maybe I was wrong? Either that or the marinating time is off. It said to marinate for anywhere from 30 min. to 6 hours. I went for 4 and it was waaaay too salty. If I try it with this marinade again I will go no longer than 30 min.
useful (0)
I gave this recipe two shots and hated it both times. The first time I only soaked the oat groats for 30 minutes because that's what it said. It wouldn't even blend it was still so crunchy. The second time I soaked them overnight, and the texture came out all right, but it still tasted gross and floury.
useful (0)
The Thrive Diet
By Brendan Brazier
Penguin - 2007
Super bland and unappetizing. We took one bite and it went straight into a pot for some cooking and doctoring. The search for good raw soups continues.
useful (1)
Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source with More Than 200 Recipes for a Healthy and Sustainable You
By Terry Walters
Sterling Epicure - 2009
I'm all for throwing a few recipes that barely qualify as recipes into a book so newbies have somewhere to start, but if you're going to do something simple then I feel it's even more important that it be perfect. The dressing for this was way way too vinaigery for anybody to possibly like. It was easy enough to fix, it's just a dressing, but if I were a newbie I would have been really discouraged that even this simple salad I was trying to make failed so terribly. This recipe did pair strawberries with mustard vinaigrette though, something I wouldn't have done myself and which ended up being delicious.
useful (3)
Fresh and Fast Vegan Pleasures: More than 140 Delicious, Creative Recipes to Nourish Aspiring and Devoted Vegans
By Amanda Grant
Da Capo Press - 2002
This recipe didn't use a proper dredge for the veggies before you fried them and as a result most of the corn meal fell off. Especially on the peppers, it did not stick to the skin at all! The veggies were still tasty and I'm sure they will make a great fried veggie sandwich tomorrow...but still. Disappointed!
useful (1)
The Thrive Diet
By Brendan Brazier
Penguin - 2007
Couldn't even choke this down. I was really excited about this smoothie since it was my first ever green smoothie and I feel like that's some sort of vegan rite of passage. It tasted like blended lawn clippings. I tried to salvage it by adding a frozen banana to get a smoother texture and while it made it a little better, overall I would NEVER make this again.
useful (4)
The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion
By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Fair Winds Press - 2009
Two major flaws and one minor flaw with this recipe:
1. Terrible crust. Sadly the thing it could have used most was flour...which is obviously not the point for this recipe.
2. This made enough crust and filling for two tarts, which I didn't realise until too late. My crust ended up too thick (not that a thinner crust would have made it less terrible) and then took twice as long to bake and I no longer had enough room for all the chocolate filling (the best part...).
2.5. The chocolate filling was too rich for my preference. But I've had richer vegan chocolate desserts and many people love it that way, so to each their own.
useful (1)
Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero
Da Capo Press - 2007
The dressing was a little strong for my taste. It sounds weird, but I would make it waterier next time too. Apparently this can be too creamy...Who knew?
useful (0)
Because salad is really all about the dressing, this one failed a little for me. It was just a weird flavour combo that I couldn't love. And kind of gloupy tasting too. It was also a lot of work for a salad that's not amazing.
useful (0)
The recipe says that you should put the jelly on top of the cupcakes right before you put them in the oven and that it will sink down and seal itself up while baking. That was definitely not what happened with mine. It stayed on top and congealed. I put more batter on top of the jelly for my second batch and they came out pretty good. The jelly was nice and melty in the center of the cupcake. Still a little heavy for a cupcake in general though.
useful (1)
Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine
By Bryant Terry
Da Capo Press - 2009
The dressing for this was too strong! And really all you have here is wilted vegetables and dressing so that's a pretty big fail for me.
useful (1)
Color Me Vegan: Maximize Your Nutrient Intake and Optimize Your Health by Eating Antioxidant-Rich, Fiber-Packed, Color-Intense Meals That Taste Great
By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Fair Winds Press - 2010
This recipe has a typo in it for sure. The batter was waaaaaay to thick. These were hearty green tea muffins. I would add another half cup of milk at least if I made these again. But I probably won't since Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World has the most perfect Green Tea Cupcake ever.
On the plus side, the flavour was still great and they're certainly not getting any complaints from the munchers, but if you're going to call something a cupcake, it's got to be melt in your mouth fluffy deliciousness.
useful (2)
A little too moist for my taste, but it's hard to pack this much fruit into a muffin without that happening. Great kiwi flavour though, but overall this muffin wasn't awesome enough to justify the $4 I spent on kiwis for it.
useful (0)
Cooking time is way off for these. They were starting to burn about halfway through. They also didn't crisp up very well.
useful (0)
Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero
Da Capo Press - 2007
Light, sweet, and refreshing. The dressing is a little too bland though.
useful (0)
Something interesting and pretty tasty to do to turnips and rutabagas!
useful (0)
This was a very strongly flavoured marinade. I used frozen tofu because I was feeling like a chewier texture, but since it soaked up so much of the marinade it ended up being too strong. I think if you used it with fresh tofu it might mellow it out though.
useful (0)
I'm still in search of a recipe for tempeh that makes me actually like tempeh. This wasn't it. But the marinade is very tasty would be good with tofu too.
useful (0)
The stuff that went with the lentils was perfect, like the caramelized onions and the spiced pita crisps, but those are the easy part. The lentils came out a little goopy and bland. If I did it again, I'd do a different type of lentil and more spices.
useful (0)
The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets
By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Fair Winds Press - 2007
Very liquidy shake. I added an extra half banana and it still wasn't thick enough. The flavour was perfect though. Next time I will cut the liquid in half.
useful (0)
Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine
By Bryant Terry
Da Capo Press - 2009
I don't have much experience with celeriac, but this was a really tasty, extremely creamy sauce. Reminded me a little of ranch dressing, but better.
useful (2)
The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook: Delicious Dairy-Free Cheeses and Classic "Uncheese" Dishes
By Jo Stepaniak
Book Publishing Company (TN) - 2003
While the texture for this was bang on for cheesecake, the flavour was lacking in the cheesiness department. More lemon? I don't know. Tasted more like pumpkin pie. But who doesn't love pumpkin pie?
useful (1)
Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday
By Lauren Ulm
HCI - 2009
The flavours in this were good but the tofu scrambled egg didn't work out at all. It was a soupy mess that wouldn't firm up or stick together. The only sticking it did was to my pan. My friend made this as well with the same result.
ETA: I made the tofu eggs work! I added about a 3/4 cup of flour to the mix to make them hold together better. They were dilicious. A little bland, but in an eggy kind of way.
I also made the biscuits this time around substituting the shortening for more butter. They were perfect.
useful (0)
The Thrive Diet
By Brendan Brazier
Penguin - 2007
The flavour was really good for these, but they didn't cook up very easily. By the time you've managed to get them cooked all the way through they look more like scrambled pancakes. Still, they were pretty damn tasty scrambled pancakes!
useful (1)
This book makes quite liquidy smoothies and this one in particular, since it's made with pears, is more juice-like than smoothie-like. I really liked the flavor combo though. The ginger gives it a nice zing.
useful (1)
This was a nice enough miso soup, but the sesame made it just a touch too grainy tasting for me.
useful (1)
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero, Sara Quin
Da Capo Press - 2006
These had great flavour but came out much too dense for a cupcake.
useful (1)
Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source with More Than 200 Recipes for a Healthy and Sustainable You
By Terry Walters
Sterling Epicure - 2009
50% hit 50% miss for me. The black bean patties were very bland. It seemed like they had a lot of great flavourful ingredients packed in there, but they came out tasting very beany. But, to save the day, pineapple guacamole comes out of nowhere! It was delicious and when piled 3" high on your boring bean patty it becomes an awesome meal.
One note on the flax in the burgers. This was a new thing for me, but instead of beating the water and flax to make it gooey, Walters just sits the flax in the water, by the time you're ready to add it to the patties it's turned into a gelantanous blob of awesome. I'm going to remember that one!
useful (5)
Fresh and Fast Vegan Pleasures: More than 140 Delicious, Creative Recipes to Nourish Aspiring and Devoted Vegans
By Amanda Grant
Da Capo Press - 2002
I would have rated this a four because it was dilicious, but if you're going to put cumin and coriander right in the title, then that should be a dominant flavour. It wasn't, the lemon completely took over.
I loved the mashed potatoes that went under this. I've never put mustard in mashed potatoes before, but it totally works! I swapped the fresh garlic for some rosemary glazed garlic I had left over.
I also swapped the spinach for some new kale (not sure what kind it was, but it was flatter than dinosaur) and some beet greens.
useful (3)
Dutch Oven Cooking: with International Dutch Oven Society Champion Terry Lewis
By Terry Lewis
Gibbs Smith - 2011
I did a veganized version of this with Ener-G eggs and a silken tofu sour cream I made. The flavour was great. I loved the layor of sugar and nuts inside the cake. Very clever. The recipe called for this to be made in a greased dutch oven, but I still had major sticking problems. I would use parchment paper to line it next time. Also, by the time the middle of the cake was cooked through, the outside was a little overdone.
useful (2)
Raw Food: A Complete Guide for Every Meal of the Day
By Erica Palmcrantz Aziz, Irmela Lilja
Skyhorse Publishing - 2010
This ended up being supere delicious, but not until I'd done some considerable doctoring. Mostly with the spinach "sauce", which was just supposed to be blended spinach with water. I made it into more of a pesto with some walnuts, olive oil, garlic, lemon, and salt. The marinara sauce was a little watery, maybe my tomatoes were extra juicey? But the flavour was good.
Otherwise this was awesome. Layers of marinara sauce, zucchini "pasta", avocado, marinated mushrooms, and spinach sauce. Pretty much and incredibly elaborate salad!
useful (2)
This was a little watery, i think there may have been too much fresh tomato to other stuff ratio. Pretty good flavour, but I've had other raw marinara sauces that put this to shame. Maybe it needs more sundried tomatoes?
useful (0)
Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday
By Lauren Ulm
HCI - 2009
This came out a little bland. I didn't have any ginger so I doubled up on garlic, but I don't think that alone would account for the blandness. It was otherwise delicious and I will definitely make it again, but I would double the spices next time.
useful (0)
Color Me Vegan: Maximize Your Nutrient Intake and Optimize Your Health by Eating Antioxidant-Rich, Fiber-Packed, Color-Intense Meals That Taste Great
By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Fair Winds Press - 2010
I like the idea of these better than I liked them in reality. They are very hard to get just right. The cookbook talks about this, but I thought she was exagerrating. On one side your oil is too cold and your bluebries explode before the outside crisps, on the other side your oil is too hot and your ouside crisps before the berries are done. I erred on the side of cold and as a result had semi mushy berries. :( I would recommend erring on the side of hot. At least you will have crispy croutons!
useful (0)
Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday
By Lauren Ulm
HCI - 2009
Pretty good, but a little dull. I would probably spice it up if you're using it as a dip. But for sandwiches it will be a nice creamy filler.
useful (1)
The Thrive Diet
By Brendan Brazier
Penguin - 2007
Much tastier than I thought it was going to be. As with all the smoothies in this book I added about half the water called for. Next time I will probably put more orange in, or use a bigger orange, mine was pretty small and the recipe doesn't specify size.
useful (0)
Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero
Da Capo Press - 2007
These turned out alright, but not as creamy and delicious as I remember scalloped potatoes to be.
useful (1)
These were very tasty and turned out exactly how they were supposed to, but I wasn't a fan of the sweetness in them. I guess I like my mushroom dishes to be more savoury.
useful (1)
Vegan Diner: Classic Comfort Food for the Body and Soul
By Julie Hasson
Running Press - 2011
Good, but a little bland. I still prefer the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen Mac'n'Cheeze, which is similar, but has more flavourful ingredients.
useful (1)
Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero
Da Capo Lifelong Books - 2009
These give you a crisp cookie. They were good, and they turned out like they were supposed to, but I always feel like I failed when my cookies don't turn out moist and chewy. Guess I'm not a crispy cookie kind of girl.
useful (0)
Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday
By Lauren Ulm
HCI - 2009
A little disappointing. The marinade was very flavourful, but it turned out less than exciting when finished. But I put them in a sandwich with soy cheese and tomatoes on sourdough and grilled it. Yum! I like to call it the fatty pants sandwich.
useful (0)
This is a good basic black bean soup recipe. If I made it again I would drain the beans. I thought I'd give it a shot without doing my usual drain and rinse plus broth, but it tasted like undrained bean soup...Lauren Ulm, what were you thinking?
useful (0)
These were alright, but I was hoping for something more. They were just corn pancakes. No biggie.
useful (0)
Vegan Diner: Classic Comfort Food for the Body and Soul
By Julie Hasson
Running Press - 2011
A good solid muffin, but nothing amazing or knock your socks off about it.
useful (0)
The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion
By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Fair Winds Press - 2009
Not a bad soup, but it was missing something, not sure what. Maybe a little more sweetness?
useful (0)
Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero
Da Capo Lifelong Books - 2009
These make a nice, fluffy, cake-y cookie. Very tasty, but not so amazing that I'm ever likely to make them again.
I subbed in honey for the brown rice syrup.
useful (0)
Ani's Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Foods Recipes
By Ani Phyo
Da Capo Press - 2007
I was surprised how fluffy the raw cauliflower got in the food processor. But I wasn't super crazy about the flavour. It wasn't bad, and I'm glad I tried it...I can imagine doing variations of this, but I'm happy not eating this again.
useful (0)