Queezle_Sister's Reviews
12 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 12Sort by: Title 
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Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero
Da Capo Press - 2007
A Hummus Recipe : page 67
Delicious! I started with dried garbanzo beans, and prepared a batch for a small party. It was a bit mild, so I increased the garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper.
These instructions suggest using a blender (instead of a food processor) to get a really creamy texture. I tried, but my blender was not up to the task, so I had to move it to my food processor. Other than the annoyance of more dirty dishes, though, the instructions are solid.
Smoked paprika really gave this a nice kick.
useful (1)
Applesauce-Oat Bran Muffins : page 229
Spicy muffins with small touches of sweetness.
These muffins came together quickly - bran, whole wheat pastry four, and apple sauce contribute to a healthy muffin. The spices include cardamom, nutmeg, and cinnamon. This is a great spice combination but perhaps there is a bit too much cardamom - it seems a bit too spiced. I substituted currents for the raisins.
I liked these very much, just didn't WOW me enough to go up to a 4. I would consider making these again, mostly because they were good enough and easy to prepare.
useful (1)
Black Bean Burgers : page 98
Great flavor. Following the advice of the previous reviewer, I added salt, and pepper. I used about 2 T minced shallots in place on the onion, and ground my own cumin seeds (a bigger punch).
I like vegetarian burgers, and tend to keep garden burgers in my freezer. Other recipes I've tried fall apart upon cooking. These really held together, and form a very decent patty. Definitely worth repeating.
useful (3)
Cheater Baked Beans : page 122
This was such a good baked bean flavor - amazing! I selected this recipe because I had frozen cooked white beans in my freezer. I used a Vidalia onion instead of regular yellow, a bit of extra garlic, but otherwise followed the instructions.
This recipe reminded me of my mother's baked bean pot, and that I had not seen a baked bean pot in many years. I used a pyrex casserole pan with a lid. Mine was a bit runny after 45 minutes, so the last 15 minutes cooked with the lid off. Everyone enjoyed it a lot, and I'm sure I'll make it again.
useful (3)
Chickpea Cutlets : page 133
Maybe I did something wrong...
...but for me, this was fine, just not great or awesome.
I was impressed at how nicely the dough came together. A bowl that looked impossibly dry, after a few minutes, mixed into a somewhat stiff dough that I easily kneaded. I timed the 3 minutes, divided, and flattened into "cutlets".
Cooking took place in a cast iron pan. I noticed these were not sticking, and I didn't add much oil (none after the first side). Maybe more oil would have given these a crust, and developed the flavor more?
I also made the suggested mustard sauce, but for us, it didn't elevate this much.
useful (0)
Chile Cornmeal-Crusted Tofu : page 125
Crunchy spicy outside, smooth inside.
This was pretty tasty. Not amazing, but pretty decent. I agree with Jayme that the recipe makes way too much coating (even after I made only half).
I baked these, 12 minutes per side. They came out nicely hard on the outside.
I think I'd like these better with a different spice assortment with the cornmeal.
useful (1)
Double Corn Cornbread : page 223
This is an interesting and flavorful cornbread. First you roast some corn (I used frozen) in the frying pan. The batter is cornmeal-rich, uses no eggs, and only 1T oil. I substituted regular milk for the soy.
I found the result pretty good, but it had a sour note that was too prominent. Probably it came from the vinegar (to turn the milk into buttermilk). If I were to make it again, I would use commercial buttermilk in hopes it was a bit less tart - or cut back on the vinegar.
useful (1)
Lower-Fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake : page 256
This cake has an amazingly low fat content. No eggs and only 1/3 C oil in a large bundt cake! Its not overly sweet, but gets a rich flavor from coffee+cocoa. Its a deep brown color, and you'd never know it was low fat. The recipe is also posted on a few blogs, for example here:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/07/bekindtoyourheart_cake.html
It uses applesauce, only a small amount of canola oil, and no eggs!.
useful (1)
Mustard Sauce : page 204
I prepared this sauce to go along with the chickpea cutlets, also from this book.
If you love mustard, and like the tang of capers, then this is for you. For me, this seemed a little too strong. Nevertheless, it did spice up the chickpea cutlets.
Preparing this sauce was a bit nerve-wracking. The recipe suggests that, after addition of the vegetable stock and corn starch, you should boil the mixture. For me, it didn't boil, but set up very thickly. I was afraid I had ruined it, but after adding lemon juice and the other ingredients, it formed a very silky sauce with a lovely texture.
useful (2)
Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango : page 84
Not only tasty and nutritious - this salad is also a feast for the eyes. Bright reds from the bell pepper, black from the beans, bits of green from the scallions, orange from the mango - so lovely.
useful (1)
Crunchy, slightly sweet, gorgeous, colorful, and an amazing combination of flavors.
I'm really into beets these days, and so this salad featuring raw beets really caught my eye. The beets are shredded, along with parsnips, and marinated in pineapple juice, plus other ingredients. And then you add a large dose of fresh mint.
The recipe says you absolutely need a food processor. Its wrong. I have a food processor, but didn't think my baby beets would be effectively shredded, so instead I used my mandoline on its smallest setting.
The recipe calls for at least 30 minutes of refrigeration. I prepared this the night before, added mint about 30 minutes before serving.
This recipe is amazing.
useful (4)
Snobby Joes : page 98
First of all, I would have rated this a 4, but the 3 others were firm 3s.
This dish has the flavor of sloppy joes, at least its close. I liked the substitution of lentils for the meat. I was able to pressure cook the lentils in the morning, and then come home and have it put together in another 35 minutes.
I cut the chili powder a bit - but it was still too much for 12 daughter. But for me, it was perfect.
UPDATE: Two months later, I thawed these leftovers and they were greeted by my children as if lost friends. Everyone loved them, leading me to raise the rating to a 4 (from a 3).
useful (3)