Leeka's Reviews
17 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 17Sort by: Title 
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Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Matthew Ruscigno
Da Capo Lifelong Books - 2010
Arabian Lentil & Rice Soup : page 206
This is a very simple soup with few ingredients - red lentils, onion, carrots, rice and a few spices. The lemon zest and fresh lemon juice added at the end provided a wonderful brightness to this otherwise earthy soup seasoned mainly with cumin.
useful (1)
Baked Falafel : page 121
Of course these would taste really yummy fried but that defeats the purpose! I did find them quite mushy and a bit sticky to work with but they baked up firmly. The flavour was nice, and for dinner we paired them with some chopped fresh tomato, stir fried greens and onions and a home-made vegannaise on tortillas.
useful (0)
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (Caulipots) : page 54
A simple and effective way to make your mashed potatoes a little healthier. The author makes it easy to jazz up the flavour with 6 suggestions of various ingredient additions such as herbs, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon zest etc.
I made them simple the first time and think they would taste even better accompanied with some kind of gravy or served with a saucy dish.
useful (2)
Ceci-Roasted Red Pepper Soup : page 200
This soup has all the flavours I love; roasted bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, chickpeas, coriander and rosemary. I found the rosemary a little too dominant and will reduce the amount the next time I make it. It’s a very hearty soup and made for an easy week-night supper and with a few, tiny tweaks it gets a big, thumbs up!
useful (0)
Cool Slaw : page 38
A good, creamy slaw dressing made with a blended cashew base and a hint of sweetness from agave nectar.
useful (2)
Easy Breezy Cheezy Sauce : page 173
A remarkably easy cheezy-tasting sauce with a surprisingly creamy texture and the added bonus of having no added fat. My husband and daughter give this a 3 and 3.5 respectively but I'm bumping it up to a 4 for ease of preparation and good flavour.
The recipe called for 2 teaspoons of onion flakes which I did not have. Instead I used 2 teaspooons of onion powder which gave it quite an onion-y taste but I love onions so it didn't bother me.
We served this poured over and mixed with pasta and broccoli.
useful (2)
Ginger Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Apples : page 63
The apples, ginger and cinnamon definitely added an extra dimension of flavour to these sweet mashed potatoes but I think I still prefer them simple without all the extras.
useful (0)
Green Goddess Garlic Dressing : page 26
Yum. Creamy, garlicky, dill goodness! I love making these delicious dressings with a silken tofu base. Who would have thought eating vegan would be so saucily delicious!
I used the dressing immediately in a delicous wrap with fresh tomatoes, grated carrot and some tofu balls. This would be fantastic as a dip for veggies or salad.
Note: I used soft silken tofu intead of extra-firm and I did not blanch it as written in the recipe. I also omitted the 2 Tbl of mayonaise because I didn't have any and it was perfectly fine. I just threw all of the ingredients in the blender and whipped it up!
useful (2)
Herb Roasted Cauliflower and Bread Crumbs : page 108
This was good but not outstanding. I think I had too much cauliflower in the pan because even though I left it in the oven for double the time stated in the recipe, it didn't brown. We became impatient and just ate it as it was. The flavour of the breadcrumb and herb mix was fine but again, I think my execution was poor because it just clumped and was a bit wet.
useful (1)
Lentil & Eggplant Chili Mole : page 242
This is the first recipe from this book that has been a disappointment. I found the flavours to be muddy and boring. I have used cocoa powder in other chili recipes which have turned out much better than this one. After my first bowl, I've had no desire to taste any more when usually a pot of chili in the fridge is a big draw.
useful (0)
Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Mustard Tofu : page 153
I wasn't sure if I was going to like this Hoisin-Mustard combination but I was curious enough to try it and I'm happy to report it was delicious. If you like honey-mustard sauce then you will probably like this flavour combination with ginger, garlic, mustard and the Hoisin barbecue sauce making for a great sweet and savory mix. Wrapping the tofu mixture in lettuce provided the perfect crisp complement. I used Romaine instead of iceburg and my husband and I gobbled this dish up.
useful (1)
Lotsa Veggies Lentil Soup : page 198
A very hearty and simple winter soup. The recipe calls for french lentils which I love but I had to substitute mung beans because that's what I had on hand. The soup is seasoned with thyme, tarragon and garlic and I always find tarragon to be a little overpowering as was the case here.
useful (0)
Red Thai Tofu : page 149
Another fairly quick dish to prepare using Thai red curry paste as a shortcut. Fresh ginger, garlic and scallions are always a hit with me and the curry paste added a good hit of spice. I didn't have any fresh basil leaves on hand so I chopped up and added fresh kale to the pan and served it over rice. Easy and yummy.
useful (1)
Shaved Brussels Sprouts : page 92
These were the best brussel sprouts I have ever eaten. I would have never have thought to slice them up so finely but the result was a delicious and flavourful dish with garlic and onions complementing the nutty browned leaves perfectly. Yum!
useful (1)
Silky Chickpea Gravy : page 56
I had never previously made any type of sauce or gravy with pureed chickpeas and found this to be a very substantial, hearty and flavourful gravy. I'm not sure if I would agree with the silky part of the recipe name but I enjoyed the leftovers the second and third day with home-made oven fries and veggie loaf. I may reduce the amount of thyme slightly next time round but I will definitely make this gravy again. I also added a little extra water/veggie stock to thin it out a little as it was quite thick.
useful (3)
Smoky Tempeh and Greens Stew : page 254
I did not think this was going to be as good as it was but wow, it was delicious. I think leaving it on the stove for an hour after it was done while I made biscuits contributed to the rich flavour that resulted.
The recipe called for 4 teaspoons of smoked paprika and I thought that was too much so I used 2 teaspoons of smoked and 2 teaspoons of regular paprika. I think it was the right decision. I also subbed a small can of plain tomato sauce in place of crushed tomatoes which I didn't have and added a bit more veggie stock. I left out the lima beans.
The resulting soupy stew had a deep, smokey, tomato flavour and lots of greens. I think this is the first tempeh recipe I've given five stars.
useful (3)
Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits : page 253
These biscuits were moist and fluffy with a hint of sweetness provided by the sweet potato. Next time round I will cut the 1 teaspoon of nutmeg in half because it was too much.
useful (2)