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The official '1,000 Vegan Recipes' review thread (to be updated)!

Appetizers and Snacks
Snacks
agave glazed pecans
Absolutely delicious with the maple syrup (variation suggest by Robin). Like a dessert! (gathdurwin)
asian fusion party mix

black sesame wonton chips

curried cashews
I love it! Curry and cashews are a very good combination. Very useful when you receive many people. (gathdurwin)
edamame with coarse salt

fiery pumpkin seeds
These are good, but don't really taste that different from other flavored nuts/seeds I've toasted! No matter the flavoring, they all taste pretty similar. I used red devil for the hot sauce (much more than listed), and mine did not come out fiery, but they are tasty. I used a combo of sunflower and pumpkin seeds. (AC)
five spiced walnuts
These are good. I'm not very familiar with five spice powder, but the overall flavor is pretty strong. It almost tastes a little bacony. I think I would cut down a bit on the liquid, because they need less time in the oven. All the liquid needs to be baked in, but the walnuts get a bit too done. A tasty (but strong) snack. (AC)
flower power granola squares
just might be the most delicious thing I have ever put in my mouth!!  The only changes I made were to use old-fashioned oats (instead of instant) and carob chips (instead of chocolate). The only negative I can see is that mine absolutely crumbled apart and did not stay in bar form. But who cares - I just crumbled it into a bowl and ate...and ate...and ate...and have now eaten almost half the pan myself. I actually really love the carob with this and think it may be even better than chocolate! This is soooo insanely delicious!! This is a great snack and would be great as a breakfast granola too. (lebkuchen)
tastes great but very crumbly (thirteenblackbirds)
jerk spiced soy jerky

personalized trail mix

ragin' cajun popcorn
I made this with a few modifications. I use an air popper, so I just mixed my spices in with some oil, and mixed that with the popped corn. I made some changes with the spices based on what I had, but kept it similar. I liked using different spices than usual, and it was tasty. (AC)
this is seasoned well and we liked it, but I've decided I'm old fashioned and like regular popcorn (salty and buttery). (thirteenblackbirds)
roasted chickpeas

sesame pita chips

tortilla chips
I actually made chips like this the night before I looked at the recipe (coincidentally), but I made them again today following the recipe. Love them like this! So easy, and healthier. The texture is good. (AC)
Dips and Spreads
baba ghanoush
a very good recipe.  my eggplant wasn't very big though, and as a result i think it turned out to have a bit too much tahini (1/4 cup) - so next time i will be more careful about adding the tahini gradually.  (thirteenblackbirds)
didn't like it at first, so I added a can of chickpeas and some more spices and refrigerated until the next day and then it had a MUCH better flavor. (stacydan)
back to basics hummus
I usually make my own hummus recipe/method, but wanted to try this one. It's good! I forgot to add the oil, but it's not really necessary. It's a bit thicker than my normal, but it's a nice change. I did add a splash of soy sauce, and the necessary cumin. A good, basic hummus. I used the 4 cloves of garlic. (AC)
black and green olive tapenade
This is so inferior to her recipe in Party Vegan. This one doesn't have any garlic, and has too many capers and olives. It's too strong tasting, and too salty with all the briny stuff. Not impressed. She recommends kalamata and green, so that's what I used. (AC)
black bean and sun dried tomato dip
delicious.  i would say the flavors are on the mild/subtle side, but they meld together perfectly.(thirteenblackbirds)
creamy spinach tahini dip
This was pretty boring. I used part thawed frozen spinach and the rest lightly steamed. I only used 2 tablespoons tahini instead of 1/3 cup, and that was plenty. The flavor is just meh. The color is really pretty, though. Wouldn't make this again. (AC)
cucumber and green olive dip

eggplant walnut spread
Just so good! It's the better spread I ever taste! Make it many many times and it's always a winner! (gathdurwin)
four seed bread spread

golden sunshine roasted veg spread

green green guacamole

layered bean dip

lemony edamame dip

mylie's secret queso dip

roasted red pepper hummus
This is not really a hummus to me. It has garlic and chickpeas..but no tahini. That aside, it's a pretty good dip. Something about it was weird to me, but I dunno what. P liked it. Since there's no binder type thing (like tahini) it has a bit of an odd consistency. It's ok. It might be good to have if serving a bunch of dips. Easy. (AC)
salsa and pinto bean spread
This was good, simple, and fast, but mine came out more like a "dip" than a "spread." I used jarred salsa, so maybe if I made my own I could make a thicker salsa. Or just use a half cup of salsa instead of a whole cup. I sliced some corn tortillas and baked them into chips to go with, and it made a great snack. (tmarkeim)
sassy spinach dip with roasted garlic

smoky chipotle pinto hummus
This is so easy to throw together since it just needs to be run through the food processor. The taste is awesome too! It disappeared pretty damn fast. (intheend)
very good but I would tweak it next time by blending in some yellow onion and adding more spices. (thirteenblackbirds)
smooth and savory mushroom pate
Loved the flavor, but it's ugly. I brought it to a party and I think everyone thought it was old guacamole! (motomom)
This is really good! My first so called "pate" (it's just a spread..). The flavor is great, and the texture is nice with the nuts. I used a bouquet garni with savory, instead of just savory, and used part slivered almonds for the cashews. This reminds me of a nonvegan mushroom turnover recipe I made for our wedding. This was our favorite of the dips, and I'd make it again. (AC)
sushi inspired edamame avocado dip

tempeh pimiento cheeze ball

three bean dip

white bean and artichoke spread

white bean and dill hummus
Good. There's a typo in the recipe that says "add the chickpeas," but only white beans are used. This is a simple hummus, but has balanced flavor. Not super special, and wouldn't make it again, but tasty. I will say that I did not do the recommended chilling, so maybe the flavor does super improve. A good dip. (AC)
za'atar spiced roasted red pepper spread

Cold Appetizers
artichoke and walnut stuffed belgian endive

avocado and asparagus sushi rolls

couscous dolmas

cheezy cashew roasted red pepper toasts

cherry tomatoes stuffed with whirled peas

jicama guacamole bliss

lentil pecan country style pate

lemon and garlic marinated mushrooms

lemongrass tofu and snow pea spring rolls

lemony rice stuffed grape leaves

mango avocado spring rolls

marinated olives

mushroom walnut pate

rainbow sushi

sesame seitan and spinach spring rolls

sesame shiitake wonton crisps

snow peas stuffed with sun dried tomato hummus

vietnamese style lettuce rolls

Hot Appetizers
artichoke mushroom phyllo packets

asparagus wrapped in phyllo

baby potatoes stuffed with roasted bell pepper and walnuts

basic bruschetta

cajun tofu crunchies
These were yummy, very basic but I've never really used cajun spice so it was a nice change. I generally don't bake tofu due to me messing it up somehow, but these were super good dipped in ketchup (I cut them like fries). I only changed one thing, which was adding more of the oil/spice mixture when I flipped them halfway through, I also might have cooked them just a couple minutes longer. (sarah)
cherry peppers stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts

chickpea kofta with chutney dipping sauce

chickpea pancake with rosemary
now, this is the first time I've made or eaten socca before, so I have no idea if it is supposed to be salty, but this was hella salty. I used dried rosemary instead of fresh. Other than the salty factor, I thought this was quite good. My hubby and son loved it. It went great with a lemon chickpea lentil soup and some steamed broccoli. I'll definitely make it again, but I'll reduce the salt to maybe 1/2 teaspoon, instead of 1 full teaspoon. (lebkuchen)
classic crostini

french onion pastry puffs

ginger lime glazed bean curd skewers

in lieu of crab wontons

mushroom croustades

mushrooms stuffed with spinach and walnuts

pinto pecan fireballs

potato samosas

savory artichoke squares

sesame cilantro scallion pancakes

shiitakes in puff pastry

spicy chipotle potato quesadillas

steamed vegetable dumplings

tempeh satay
I'd make this again if all I had was tempeh in my fridge but I wouldn't recommend to go out of the way to make this. (intheend)
tempeh taco bites

vegetable pakoras

Creamy Curry Pasta and Vegetable Salad - I agree, this was good but it was a little bit bland. I didn't have cauliflower or cilantro on hand, so I added in some diced raw carrot & celery, plus some blanched snow peas, and a handful of raisins. I reduced the oil to 4 tbs and used EVOO instead of grapeseed oil. I think the title is misleading because the dressing isn't creamy at all - it's more of a vinaigrette. I think a few tablespoons of vegenaise, or some soaked blended cashews, would make it a creamier dressing. I kept thinking this might be good with some mango chutney tossed into the dressing - I might try that next time. All in all, it was light and healthy (lebkuchen)

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Thai-phoon stir-fry - Excellent! I served it over rice instead of noodles.  Everything blends together well into a great taste...spinach, cilantro, coconut milk, peanut butter, mushrooms, and stuff.....I omitted the sugar she calls for because it also has mirin which is sweet enough (I know the Thai's love sugar), and I used a tablespoon of sambal oelek instead of 1 tsp of chili sauce. 

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chipotle-painted baked tofu - So simple and so good.  It's merely soy sauce blended with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.  I plan on making sandwiches with some kind of seasoned mayo.

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Chickpea Pancake with Rosemary - now, this is the first time I've made or eaten socca before, so I have no idea if it is supposed to be salty, but this was hella salty. I used dried rosemary instead of fresh. Other than the salty factor, I thought this was quite good. My hubby and son loved it. It went great with a lemon chickpea lentil soup and some steamed broccoli. I'll definitely make it again, but I'll reduce the salt to maybe 1/2 teaspoon, instead of 1 full teaspoon. (lebkuchen)

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Jamaican red bean stew - So very delicious!  It has many layers of flavor...including curry, thyme, coconut milk and tomatoes (I love to combination of coconut milk and tomatoes).  For heat she calls for crushed red pepper and I used jalapeno instead.  I used pinto beans instead of kidney beans.  I knocked about 20 minutes from the cooking time and everything still blended together well and the veggies were cooked.  Loved it!

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black beans with serrano "aioli" - Very good.  I enjoyed the taste of the alioni a lot.  It's serrano blended with garlic, mayo, lemon juice and olive oil.  The beans are simply black beans and tomatoes, but aioli seasons it well.  Very quick to make.

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Cute Don!  I still play with my food too.

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Glad you liked Storm...presentation is important.

roasted cauliflower and rice salad with dijon vinaigrette - Very good way to get some cauliflower in one's diet.  This healthy combination of food goes very well together...brown rice, red and yellow peppers (she asks only for red but I used both), scallions, parsley, celery and tomatoes.

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red bean jambalaya - pretty run of the mill recipe, nothing unique or exciting.  That said it was quite good.

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nothin' fishy nam pla - I actually like the flavor of nam pla which is what the Thai's call fish sauce and would usually have some on hand in my pre-vegan days.  I spent part of my childhood in Thailand, so I must have become accustomed to the flavor.  I've long forgotten how it tastes, but this vegan version is good.  It has garlic, brown sugar, dulse, lime juice, and soy sauce. 

"ka-pow" tofu - Fantastic!  The flavors of this dish come together real well.  I bought vegetarian oyster sauce from the Asian market just for this recipe (I've seen it in other recipes in other books, so I'm sure I'll eventually use it) and like the flavor.  I made the "nothin' fishy nam pla" for this dish.  I used yellow pepper instead of red because that's what I had.  I omitted the brown sugar and used two Thai chilis instead of crushed red pepper.  Loved it.

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dijon vinaigrette - There are so many dressings in this cookbook, I may never buy another bottle again (which I rarely do anyway).  This is a very tart dressing which I like..it has white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, shallot and herbs.  Pretty basic but really good.  I used it in a kale salad I threw together and am bringing to dinner with a friend.

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I love tofu and almost always make the tofu recipes in cookbooks I have.  I've made my way through 12 of the tofu recipes (yes I've counted since they are all in one section) of this book.  The girl knows her tofu.

tofu pizzaiola - Very good, quick and easy to make.  The above friend likes tofu and is a low carb eater, so this is what I'm bringing as a main course.  If it were me, I would add more tomato sauce and serve it with pasta.  I cubed the tofu instead of making slices and mixed it together instead of spooning the sauce on top.  This simply has drained diced tomatoes (if I were eating it with pasta I wouldn't drain it), sun dried tomatoes, garlic, olives, capers and spices.  I omitted the sugar and used crushed red pepper instead.  Excellent.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/36551_3521524515638_1197836956_32559462_762846546_n.jpg

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orange-glazed tofu and asparagus - Very good.  The tofu has a nice sweet taste after marinating in mirin and cornstarch for 30 minutes.  The stir fry sauce is a basic orange juice, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil with a touch of chili paste sauce.  The sweetness of the dish offsets the asparagus taste. 

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Sunflower Artisan Bread - I never bake bread from scratch. Ever. I have this thing about baking and working with yeast and kneading dough, etc. Meh. And I don't like the precision of baking. I say all this for a reason - this is truly baking-idiot-proof. I had zero problems with this dough, it rose like crazy, and it made a HUGE loaf of bread, so huge that I actually sliced the dough in half before I baked it. This bread has a great crust and was perfect for some muffaletta sandwiches. Super duper easy and delicious! (lebkuchen)

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