Kestrel's Reviews
229 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title | Date 
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Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
By Heidi Swanson
Ten Speed Press - 2011
I didn't really care for this, which was surprising since I like all the ingredients separately, and have liked some of this author's recipes in the past. It does involve a lot of chopping and I found it quite labour intensive. The taste was quite good, but for me not really worth the effort. I had some of the leftovers the next day, and I didn't like it as much as the day before. This is probably not something I will make again since this particular combination of flavours did not agree with me.
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Website: 101 Cookbooks
Loved this! I don't usually make things with raw garlic, but this was a good use for it. Easy to make, and keeps well in the fridge. The leftovers made good lunches. Healthy too.
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My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method
By Jim Lahey, Ron Manville, Mark Luinenburg, Rick Flaste
W.W. Norton & Co. - 2009
A good way to make olive bread. Can use less expensive olives with good results.
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Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
By Heidi Swanson
Ten Speed Press - 2011
I found this too heavy for me. I prefer regular oatmeal with fruit on top so I won't make this one again.
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Flour, Too: Indispensable Recipes for the Cafe's Most Loved Sweets & Savories
By Joanne Chang, Michael Harlan Turkell
Chronicle Books - 2013
Really good soup, easy to make and tasty.
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Website: Food.com
A really simple skillet recipe that takes about half an hour to make. Results are excellent. The only change I make is to use regular decent quality supermarket balsamic vinegar. Great with grain salads for a nutritious supper.
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Website: Chinese Grandma
My go to vinaigrette for green salads as well as grain salads. Easy to make, emulsifies well.
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Website: Land O'Lakes
I like a lot of the cookie recipes on this site. These ones are good, easy to make, crispy cookies. The recipe calls for chai latte mix which I did use, but I also added more cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, etc and I'm glad I did. The chai flavour is not very strong here so it may not be a good choice for some. I will probably make again with a little more spice.
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Website: Food.com
A good tasting and very moist cake. You have to boil the oranges for a couple of hours so start early. The result is a dense almost brownie like cake with a different texture than I'm used to. Best on the first day. After that it developed a bit of an oily texture. Would be good for those eating gluten free.
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Website: King Arthur Flour
Like Jen I really enjoyed this bread. I didn't use any yeast, going with my very active starter for the rising only. I also omitted the apple, and I made it in the overnight, no knead style. Baked in my cast iron pot again in no knead style. Excellent, soft tender bread. Will freeze some to use later, and will try the grilled cheese idea too.
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Website: Food.com
This is a great recipe. See the comments on the web page for many adaptations of this recipe. I use a good quality cheddar, and make my own baking mix for this. Also can use lower fat milk if you wish. Excellent to use smaller amounts of garden veggies.
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Website: Cooking Light
Excellent recipe! Very easy and adaptable. Beans are delicious. Can use cooked dried beans in place of canned. I recommend this highly!
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Cooks Garden 135 Recipes/Expert Growing Advice
By Canadian Gardening Magazine
McArthur & Co - 2003
This recipe is great! I love the sauce used on the green beans and use it with all sorts of vegetables, from cucumber and carrots to snow peas and sugar snap peas from the garden. It also goes well with tofu, and makes a good dip for summer rolls. I thin it out a bit for dipping and usually serve in small bowls. It's also adaptable and takes well to additions or substitutions. Very simple to make. (I use tahini instead of grinding my own sesame seeds)
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Website: The Wednesday Chef
www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef
Everyone should try this recipe! It uses frozen peas, has very few ingredients, and works well every time. It's delicious; I make it just as written with no changes.
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Website: JamieOliver.com
A great recipe from Mr Oliver, I use just the peas and omit the broad beans since I never have them. Great on bread as suggested but also with fish, noodles, or other cooked veg. Very easy to make and uses fresh peas from the garden.
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Website: Smitten Kitchen
I also love this recipe. It's convenient since it uses no dairy products (helpful if you've run out of them). I use olive oil for the butter and switch the add-ins depending on what I have, and I also use the lower amount of sugar. It freezes well.
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Website: Food.com
A really good recipe for socca, one of my lunch time favourites, especially in the winter. I make half the recipe in a smaller cast iron skillet. Preheating the skillet is key as is letting the batter rest to fully absorb the water.
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Website: Food.com
Such an easy sauce using primarily pantry staples. I omit garlic and I often use powdered ginger. I also use black rice vinegar. It's versatile and adaptable. Takes 10 minutes to make, if that.
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My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories
By David Lebovitz
Ten Speed Press - 2014
Very nice and easy to make. Buckwheat crepes were made ahead, and the assembly was quick. I made mine vegetarian omitting the ham and using some pre cooked veggies from the garden with the cheese and egg topping. Next time I would fold the sides up after just a couple of minutes while they are still flexible. I used regular buckwheat and liked the taste of the crepes. Will definitely make again.
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Made the crepes without the seaweed butter. Very easy, good taste. Added 1 tbsp olive oil to the batter, made as regular crepes in the blender. These can also be made without the blender as the author states. One hour of resting the batter is enough for the water to be absorbed. The small amount of oil helps them not to stick.
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Easy to make and good. Used it on grains and lentils as well as egg dishes. I used my spice grinder to do the peppercorns and corriander seeds and put everything else in the large food processor, and that worked well. I definitely cut back a little on the salt. I didn't have hazelnuts so used cashews and almond for the nuts and sunflower for the seeds. Worked great!
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Everyday Whole Grains: 175 New Recipes from Amaranth to Wild Rice, Includes Every Ancient Grain
By Ann Taylor Pittman, Hugh Acheson
Oxmoor House - 2016
Loved these bars. Sweet enough without being too sweet. I subbed a combination of spelt, rice flour, all purpose and sorghum flour for the whole wheat pastry flour, and lime juice for lemon juice. Baked at 350 convection for 35 minutes and they were done perfectly. This recipe is available on the cooking light website http://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/blueberry-streusel-bars
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Website: Cooking Light
Loved these bars. Sweet enough without being too sweet. I subbed a combination of spelt, rice flour, all purpose and sorghum flour for the whole wheat pastry flour, and lime juice for lemon juice. Baked at 350 convection for 35 minutes and they were done perfectly.
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Website: Allotment Garden Recipes
www.allotment-garden.org/recipe
This makes a good chutney with the apple and raisins balancing out the beetroot and the ginger adding a spicy note. It's ok when first made, but I think it improves with a few days of aging.
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Website: Time to cook
timetocookonline.com/recipe-index
After watching the Christmas Great British Bake Off on TV, I looked up these cookies and was happy to see them on Mary-Anne's blog. I made the cookies as stated in the recipe, however I had to substitute some of the topping ingredients due to availability. I used dried cranberries for the barberries and omitted the coating on the white chocolate. Also, I did have to chill the dough before rolling out. A very tasty and pretty coookie that I will definitely make again. (These got a "double handshake" on the show from both judges!)
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Sweet: Desserts from London's Ottolenghi
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh
Ten Speed Press - 2017
My first recipe from the book, this is definitely a dessert. It's very sweet and I would possibly reduce the sugar slightly next time. The flavours are excellent and I liked the toasted almonds with the orange and raisins. I used 3 small loaf tins instead of cans; for this, the baking time needs to be reduced to about 35 minutes. I'm disappointed that the book (Canadian edition) calls for self raising flour which we don't have in Canada so I used 2.25 tsp baking powder in the flour, and this seemed about right. I froze one loaf and it reheated beautifully. Great with a cup of tea as an afternoon snack; will definitely make again.
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The Well-Filled Microwave Cookbook (Well-Filled Series , No 2)
By Victoria Wise, Susanna Hoffman
Workman Publishing Company - 1996
These beef meatballs have been a standby for years. Great with fresh mint and very quick and easy to make. I often serve them with the smoky tomato-chili sauce on P. 35 which I make either on the stove top on in the microwave.
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Website: Waitrose Cooking and Recipes
www.waitrose.com/food/cookingandrecipes/index.aspx
Very good and easy to make. Keeps very well.
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I make this to go with the meatballs from the same book. Mildly spicy. Can be made on the stove top or in the microwave.
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Website: Smitten Kitchen
I made these in my new instant pot (meat setting 5 minutes pressure then 10 minute natural release) as suggested in one of the comments. I found these to be fine and very easy to make, however the flavour was a bit bland. The next day they tasted better. I might make again and would try sautéing the meatballs first. In the IP they took only about 25 minutes after chilling. Second time around I garnished with some grated cheese, avocado, and arugula and that improved things.
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Website: Smitten Kitchen
This is a snap to make and can be very good, depending on the chocolate used and the amount of sugar. Be sure to read the notes that precede the recipe. For me, semi sweet chocolate and 1/2 cup sugar is just a bit too sweet, although the kids liked it. Grated orange zest is a nice addition. I found the instructions accurate as to timing. Serving size is huge; a half recipe gives 6 small servings, which is fine since it's pretty rich with all that chocolate. A definite repeat.
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Website: Grow forage cook ferment
I first made these using butter for the fat and to use up my sourdough starter (unfed). I'm always looking for recipes to use up the excess starter and these are very good. The tortillas came out great; very tasty and pliable without being soggy. I made 8 tortillas instead of 6 and kept the dough in the fridge over several days and just cooked them up when needed. I've also subbed different flours such as buckwheat for some of the wheat flour. I don't buy tortillas any more, I just make these instead...
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Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life
By Jamie Oliver
Hyperion - 2008
I made this with my last 2 honey nut squashes (mini butternut) from the garden. It was straightforward to make and took about an hour from start to finish. The only other changes I made were to use my own roasted tomatoes for the sundried tomatoes, and to sprinkle the goat cheese on top. This is a very nice and tasty dish, it is quite filling, and would be a good choice for a vegetarian supper.
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Bread Toast Crumbs: Recipes for No-Knead Loaves & Meals to Savor Every Slice
By Alexandra Stafford
Clarkson Potter - 2017
Unlike many others, I disliked this recipe. It was easy to put together, and the overall taste was fine, but I found the texture completely unappealing. As a result, I will not make this bread again.
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The ACE Bakery Cookbook
By Linda Haynes, James Chatto
Whitecap Books - 2003
This makes a very good nutritious soup. I enjoyed the light spicing and the lemony flavour. I used a light chicken stock instead of water (with water I found it too thin), and cut down quite a bit on the coconut milk. Also I made a half recipe as this makes a lot of soup.
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We enjoyed this hummus type dip although I expanded on the basic recipe adding a fair amount of cilantro, some extra lemon juice, and several drops of hot sauce. I often make a variety of these dips (regular hummus, beet hummus, and sundried tomato dip), and serve them with my homemade crackers. As the author says, this freezes well.
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Bread Machine Baking Revised
By Lora Brody, Millie Apter
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2011
This book is full of really good bread recipes and I've made many of them. All the breads can be baked in the oven rather than the machine.
This makes a very good bread. I used olive oil for the butter and soy milk powder since that's what I had. This makes a fairly small loaf so I make the larger recipe option.
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Website: Canadian Living
These were very good muffins. I liked the addition of cornmeal and whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat), and the fact that they weren't too sweet. the recipe calls for 2/3 cup of oil which I thought was too much for 12 muffins so I reduced to 1/3 cup and added some extra water. I also used less blueberries with good results. Baked 20 min st 450 convection.
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Fast, Fresh & Green
By Susie Middleton
Chronicle Books - 2010
This came together easily and was delicious with the dipping sauce. I didn't make the garlic butter this time. Cooking time was about 16 minutes 450 convection.
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Excellent stir fry that I make often. Very easy.
Note: I have the kindle book so I don't know the page number.
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Website: Food.com
A great bread recipe. Works every time and tastes great. This bread has a very crispy crust and a soft interior with large holes.
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Canada's Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes
By Donna Washburn, Heather Butt
Robert Rose - 2008
Excellent bread that uses one cup of sourdough starter. I added a bit more water to the recipe since my starter was a bit thicker than usual.
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This bread has excellent taste and texture, and is a great way to eat more carrots! I did have to add quite a bit more water to the dough (probably 1/4 cup more) and omitted the orange zest. This bread slices well.
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Website: Epicurious
This worked quite well. My chicken breasts were quite large with bone in and I think this would work better with smaller pieces deboned (recipe didn't specify). Overall the taste was good, and I think it's worth trying again with smaller cuts to get the timing right. I will update this note when I do.
I tried this again with small deboned chicken thighs and it worked much better. I finally got a good cooking thermometer so took the temperature after the minimum cooking time and they were done. Will repeat with different spice blends.
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Website: Canadian Living
This was a great way to use beans in an unexpected fashion. I used chick peas instead of the navy beans specified in the recipe. I liked that this recipe used whole wheat flour as well as white flour. I do feel that the calculation for the salt is off in this recipe since the bread was too salty even though my beans were home cooked without added salt. For anyone making this recipe keep this in mind especially if you are using canned beans. Other than that this bread was excellent, it rose well and had a nice crumb and crust. Baked in bread machine but would work as a conventional loaf too.
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River Cottage Veg: 200 Inspired Vegetable Recipes
By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Appetite by Random House - 2013
I made an adaptation of this with carrots and spinach substituted for the leeks and kale, and I also used my own chicken stock. The result was a very good speltotto although the texture is different from a traditional risotto. Very easy to make and I'll definitely make again.
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A great way to eat beets. I make a selection of different hummus of various colours to have with homemade crackers. This one freezes well. If you don't like cumin, reduce the amount by half.
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Everyday Whole Grains: 175 New Recipes from Amaranth to Wild Rice, Includes Every Ancient Grain
By Ann Taylor Pittman, Hugh Acheson
Oxmoor House - 2016
The taste was good but the texture just didn't work for me. I also had trouble getting the mixture to stick to the zucchini. Pretty fiddly so I probably won't make again.
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Website: Smitten Kitchen
This is more of a bread than a cake as it's not too sweet. Mine rose well, tasted good, and had a nice texture. The spices could probably be increased although I'd keep the cinnamon the same. Very easy to make and uses pantry staples that I always have on hand. Definitely will make again. Took 60 minutes at 350 convection.
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River Cottage Veg: 200 Inspired Vegetable Recipes
By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Appetite by Random House - 2013
This is a very simple recipe and is very tasty. I kept the garlic whole and kept an eye on it as the veggies roasted, since others have commented that it can burn. I used my preserved salted herbs on this after roasting which added a nice herby flavour.
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