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
Wild west pasta bake - I used my own salsa for this and it came out so good. It's seriously basic- just beans, salsa, crushed tomatoes, seasoning, and noodles. If you have a dutch oven then it's even better cause you can just bake it in that instead of dirtying a casserole. It made a ton so make sure it's halved if you don't want to be eating it for days.
Chocolate coconut brownies - I really liked the taste of this but the texture wasn't the greatest. It's more cake-like as opposed to dense brownies (which I so love) but nevertheless, I would make this again.
Tonight I made the Lemon-Glazed Baby Carrots with Cranberries to accompany my fave recipe from this book, the Tuscan White Beans and Broccoli Rabe. I swear, I have made the beans and rabe probably 10 times since I got the book! Anyway, the carrots were fantastic. The recipe is so simple to make but it was really, really tasty. It was the first time I've ever had my toddler son finish all his carrots - yay! These 2 recipes paired well together and they'll definitely become a staple in my household!
Southwestern Three Bean Salad - this was really easy to put together and indeed makes quite a lot. I scooped the salad onto some baby romaine and topped with some salsa for a really tasty, filling, taco-salad-esque meal :)
I made the banana blueberry pancakes this morning - YUM! I used whole wheat flour instead of white and the fresh blueberries I had was 6 oz instead of the 1 cup it called for, but other than that I followed the recipe exactly. I have been on a pancake kick the last few weekends, trying different recipes, and I really liked this one, it had a good texture, was not gummy and had a good flavor.
Last week I made the creamy cashew sauce to go over some stir fried veggies and whole wheat pasta - DELISH! I used my vitamix so the sauce was smooth and not grainy, great flavor!
Ribollita: this was good but needed some tweaking. It has no herbs in it at all, leaving it a bit bland so I added a bunch of thyme and red pepper flake and that fixed it right up.
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black beans and wild rice
I love this recipe and made it for the third time Saturday night! I pretty much follow it exactly, except I used fire-roasted diced tomatoes, instead of regular diced tomatoes, and I think I added extra spinach too. Aside from waiting for the wild rice to cook, it's really quick and doesn't involve lots of chopping and prep-time, so it's great for busy days.
I really like to cook and I often make stuff with lots of different ingredients and complex flavors. However, sometimes a simply, hearty meal like this really hits the spot (it helps that I adore wild rice and it's really prominent in the flavor). I just eat it in a bowl and don't serve it over rice. The marjoram is great too - I don't believe I had actually cooked with it before this recipe, but I find that I really like the mellow flavor.
Coconut-Peanut Chickpeas and Vegetables - three words: quick, easy, delicious! I made this with almost no fresh produce on hand, and even with substitutions, it was really yummy and nutritious. I subbed coconut oil (instead of olive oil), chayote squash (instead of red pepper), used half as much curry powder, and added some chopped frozen broccoli and cilantro. I served it over some brown basmati rice. Hubby, toddler son, and I all loved it. Hubby requested it be added to the permanent rotation ;)b
Spiced cake with mango and lime - I love mango but I didn't like this at all. I guess I just don't like how mango tastes when baked in something.
Cream cheese frosting - Tastes like other ones I've made so that's cool.
Peanut Butter Cookie RecipeTried the peanut butter cookies on pg 430. Followed recipe exactly. 3 TBSP of water was not enough. Was a crumbly mess so I added more water to make it all stick. Let it chill as indicated. Then I baked cookies for 30 minutes to get them brown. First bite it tasted like flour, with a peanut butter aftertaste. I think the flour used in this recipe is waaaaay too much. I'll try another pb cookie recipe next time.
Peanut Butter Cookie RecipeTried the peanut butter cookies on pg 430. Followed recipe exactly. 3 TBSP of water was not enough. Was a crumbly mess so I added more water to make it all stick. Let it chill as indicated. Then I baked cookies for 30 minutes to get them brown. First bite it tasted like flour, with a peanut butter aftertaste. I think the flour used in this recipe is waaaaay too much. I'll try another pb cookie recipe next time.
I think I've had that same problem with every baked good recipe I've tried from this book. I wonder why?! The amounts have just seemed to be off for the desserts.
creamy cauliflower - Pretty good...the addition of nutmeg was a bit weird to me and seemed a bit out of place, but not horrible.
linguine with liguarian pesto - This is your basic basil pesto recipe and was quite good. I did not use parmesan and I added some cannelini beans for substance. Delish!
parmasio - Delish......yummy...fantastic...........
chard and new potato gratin with herbes de provence - Awesome! I had chard and potatoes from this week's CSA share and was happy to find this recipe. I peeled the potatoes, and I didn't have herbes de provence, nor savory to make some, so I just used a mishmash of herbs like marjoram, basil, thyme, a pince of rosemary, sage and mint. The addition of parmasio on top made it amazing to me.
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noodles with spicy peanut sauce
Yum! This isn't drastically different form my usual peanut butter noodles, but still delicious. I used the linguine, chives instead of scallions, all sesame oil, yellow onion instead of red, and added broccoli and seitan. This is another method that's a bit over complicated, but recipe is very yummy and satisfying.
basic simmered seitan
I was really afraid this would not turn out well for several reasons. 1. I had to halve the recipe 2. I noticed after about 20 minutes that my seitan had been boiling pretty fiercely, and did not want to come down to as simmer. Nevertheless, it's fantastic! Very simple, but good seitan. I used broth for the simmer liquid, not just water. Even after making a half recipe, I still formed 4 pieces, but flattened them out a bit cutlet style. This is a very chickeny seitan (flavor, texture, appearance..). It's only slightly spongy on the outer edges, but not enough to be bothersome. I stirfried it for a few minutes before adding it to peanut butter noodles. I would make this again.
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pecan lentil burgers
I used this more as an inspiration using red lentils and eyeballing the ingredients, but they came out fantastic! My favorite burgers that I've made. I followed her directions to dry out the cooked lentils in a pan, and think that's a great idea. I even used chickpea flour instead of VWG! Yum, yum. Great texture, great patty, mild but good flavor.
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Macaroni salad - I really enjoy macaroni salads and this was no exception. I used wild wood garlic aioli for the mayo, shredded carrots in place of bell pepper, and omitted the sugar. I think a little more seasoning is needed, and also black pepper, but I used whole wheat noodles so that might be why.
Noodles with spicy peanut sauce - this was really good, although I made some modifications. I also thought the directions were too complicated, so I just followed the ingredients list. I used udon noodles, subbed broccoli and zucchini for the bell pepper, veg broth for the water, and omitted the sugar. I added some black pepper and rooster sauce for serving. It's probably not one of my favorite asian-style noodle dishes, but it is very good and I would make it again.
chickpea-tomato wraps - these were awesome! I used wildwood garlic aioli for the mayo, and used 2 heaping tbsp instead of half of a cup, and also a little less of the sun-dried tomatoes and they came out excellent.
pinto bean patties with chile-lime "mayo" - I thought these were great, and the leftovers were amazing, especially the mayo.. and as always I used the garlic aioli by wildwood. I used panko bread crumbs which worked well and also broiled these in the oven instead of cooking them in the skillet. The mayo really makes these amazing. I will definitely be making this again.
creamy tomato soup - this is a great tomato soup. i halved the ingredients and just blended everything in my vitamix.
beans bourguignon - I made some modifications to this, using 1 block of cubed, browned tofu and just 1 can of beans and we liked it a lot more. it's delicious, one of my favorites.
slow-simmered collard greens - delicious. I thought the chipotle chili with adobo might overpower the dish but it came out excellent!
grilled vegetable skewers with charmoula sauce - this was really tasty. I didn't measure the sauce ingredients, but just did everything to taste, and it was so flavorful.
pear and date-stuffed roasted pears - delicious.
maple-pecan waffles - these were really good. I used white whole wheat flavor and it worked well. When I make baypuppy's waffles on vegweb, I add pecans and serve with maple syrup, and I prefer those to these, but this is still a great recipe.
mornay-style cheeze sauce - Very tasty. Mine came out very thin. So thin I added an extra tbls of corn starch right before I was about to use it and heated it up again. I used a powdered veggie base for the broth and almond milk.
cheezy tomato macaroni - Freakin' totally awesomely good. One of those unexpect OMG meals as the sum is much greater than the parts. I used whole wheat pasta and her Parmasio on the top. The above recipe made just under two cups and didn't make 2.5 cups that she calls for but it was so thin I used what I had and by the time it cooked it was perfect. I doubled the oregano and basil because I like things spicy and added crushed red pepper. Loved loved loved this.
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Banana orzo pudding
This was okay. It was good hot, but as it cooled, it got thicker, but never too pudding-y. It was more of a mash than the texture of a pudding.
bok choy and ginger sesame udon noodles - I really liked this! Used the leaves of baby bok choy as well as red pepper for the veggies and subbed red onion for the shallots. Creamy, sweet, delicious and a snap to put together. A winner! :)
flower power granola squares - tastes great but very crumbly
lentil salad with chiles - this came out just okay for me. I used canned green chiles, but it needs something stronger than that, and just generally more flavor. It was very fresh tasting with the tomatoes, and a good side dish.
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