The official Color Me Vegan recipe review thread (to be updated).
By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. The idea for this review came from Lotus, and she typed out the list of recipes for me! Thanks, lotus.
Color Me Red (The bright, the bold, and beneficial)
Apple, Cranberry, Cherry, and Pomegranate Salad
Roasted Red Pepper Relish
It's quite good on crackers, and easy to make. (tweety)
Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Green Olive Tapenade
Gazpacho
Six Shades Of Red Soup
I followed the recipe exactly for this soup and it was delicious! I ended up using the entire 1/2 cup miso paste, then used a splash of Bragg's in place of the salt. My lentils and potatoes cooked down enough so that I didn't need to puree. Overnight, the red color deepened even more and the flavors blended together nicely. I garnished with a spoonful of tofutti sour cream and a sprinkle of dried dill. I will definitely make this again. (lotus)
A gorgeous soup! It definitely turns a deeper shade of red overnight. OMG this makes a ton of soup. Next time, I will definitely halve it. I followed the recipe as best I could, but omitted the vegetable juice since I didn't have any. I used 1/3 cup red miso. I thought it was very tasty and the omnis I were serving said I could make this soup anytime for them, which is a huge compliment coming from very traditional omnis. I liked the zing from the miso. I found I had a lot of froth/foam to remove from the soup, so I am afraid I skimmed off a lot of the onions as well. I am glad I delayed adding the dill, otherwise it would have been scooped away as well. Otherwise, a lovely soup. Deceivingly light as it is virtually fat free. Good for company. (blinknoodle)
Apricot Red Lentil Stew
Good. I decided to use brown lentils and not puree any of it. This was sweet and tasty....too sweet for me to be overly excited about it, but unique and flavorable nonetheless. (tweety)
Tomato Basil Soup
Harvard Beets
Roasted Plum Tomatoes with Garlic
Apple, Cranberry, and Sausage Stuffing
Quick Curried Swiss Chard
Seared Tempeh with Cherry Balsamic Reduction Sauce
This was tasty. I used dried cherries and pretty much followed the recipe. Instead of spooning the sauce over the tempeh, I let the tempeh cook in the sauce for the last 10 minutes or so. I figured it would absorb more flavor that way. We had it with sauteed kale and mashed potatoes. My omni friend who had never had tempeh thought it was delicious. I will definitely make this again. (lotus)
Beet Burgers
Stuffed Shells with Marinara Sauce
Cajun Red Beans and Rice
This was pretty good, nothing spectacular though. I used dried kidney beans, short grain brown rice, and Tofurkey Italian Sausages. I didn't have cajun or creole seasoning, so I used the recipe she provided in the side note. I think the ratio of cayenne to chilli powder was the problem. Cayenne tends to be too hot for me, while I think chili powder adds more flavor with a nice amount of heat. So, anyway, I ended up adding a ton of chili powder for some more flavor, then at the end, I added a little Adobo seasoning, which added a lot. I also used a tsp or so of lime juice right before serving. I used rice and beans that were prepared ahead of time, so I didn't cook everything in one pot. I don't if that made a difference in the flavor absorption or not. (lotus)
Watermelon Granita
Strawberry Lemonade
Raspberry Lemon Muffins
Strawberry Cream
Color Me Orange (The beta to see you with)
Citrus Salad
I really liked this salad. I massaged the dressing into the kale, though. I had no grapefruit so I increased my oranges. I used 1 tbsp agave which wasn't that sweet, so I guess you could increase it if you wanted more sweetness (I figured there would be enough from the fruit but I guess not). The pine nuts, onion, kale and orange worked well together. I did not find it that spicy with 1/8 tsp of Aleppo chili flakes. (blinknoodle)
I didn't have grapefruit, so I left that out. However, I just didn't really like this salad. I think the kale needed massaged. It was just a little blah. Won't be making this one again. (veganrun)
Orange Pecans
Roasted Orange Beets with Tangerines
Peach or Nectarine Salad
Carrot and Roasted Bell Pepper Soup
This was delicious. Of course because it is filled with delicious ingredients. I roasted my own red peppers (2) while I chopped and cooked the first ingredients. I substituted a large sweet potato for the potato and only used 1 cup of soy milk to get my desired consistency. I omitted the cayenne. The miso (and sherry?) really adds a depth of flavour to this soup. Complex, light, yet creamy... definitely a great starter soup for company. (blinknoodle)
Butternut Squash Orange Ginger Soup
It also has potatoes, onions, and garlic. It's o.k. Nothing earth shattering, but not bad. Zero fat and very healthy! (tweety)
Peanut Pumpkin Soup
Baked Persimmon Slices
Carrot Puree
Carrot Fries
Saffron Rice with Curried Apricot Dressing
Orange Glazed Tempeh
This is delicious! I sliced the tempeh into eight triangles and followed the recipe pretty closely. I used 4 medium juicy oranges and probably a little more garlic and ginger than called for. I served it with roasted beets, fennel, and purple potatoes. (lotus)
Wow, I inadvertently made this dish without knowing it! It is so close to the recipe Heidi posted here: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/orange-panglazed-tempeh-recipe.html (the recipe in the cookbook has a bit more soy sauce and garlic, but otherwise identical) A great option for tempeh, though! I opted to steam my tempeh beforehand in the microwave but found the glaze to be wonderful. The marinade gets absorbed as leftovers, so this is best fresh. I served it in a Swiss chard wrap with broccoli sprouts, as well as over chocolate socca with sprouts. Both were delicious. (blinknoodle)
I have made this at least 5 times, and it was an omnivore-pleasing company dish. It reminds me of mandarin chicken from my pre-veg days. I like eating it over steamed greens, but hubby always wants to eat it with lots of rice! (katequeenofsprouts)
Sweet Potato Tacos
Loved this...easy to make...just veggies without spices and it works well. I think I'm going to add some fresh lime juice when I serve it again for some Latin flavor. (tweety)
Jewel Yam Ramekins
Nectarine Agave Panini
General Custard's Cream Pie with Almond Oat Crust
Persimmon Tea Cake
Mango Papaya Punch
Farro and Fresh Vegetable Medley
Yummy! I made this for quick lunches at work, for which I foresee it serving admirably-- would also be great for a summer potluck or picnic... really tasty & pretty salad! I cooked the farro ahead, in 'Better than Bouillion' veg broth... Ended up using a little less farro than was called for; it just looked like too much, as I was mixing everything together, & I wanted a higher veggies-to-grain ratio in the finished dish. I used the higher suggested amount of balsamic vinegar (2 Tbsp) & the lower amount of olive oil (1/4 cup)... subbed raw pecans for toasted pine nuts out of necessity, & it worked fine (tho I'm gonna try it with pine nuts too!)... used 1-1/2 lemon and somewhere between 1/4 & 1/2 tsp salt, and really like the results-- flavor profile is similar to tabouleh, and it cries out for an accompaniment of assorted olives. I'll definitely make this again.
;)b
Orange Glazed Tempeh
This is delicious! I sliced the tempeh into eight triangles and followed the recipe pretty closely. I used 4 medium juicy oranges and probably a little more garlic and ginger than called for. I served it with roasted beets, fennel, and purple potatoes.
http://i51.tinypic.com/2epjy9g.jpg
Garlicky Greens with Pasta
Maybe it's just me, but 2 lbs of greens with 4 cloves of garlic is not very garlicky to me. I used penne pasta with broccoli rabe and beet greens and around 10 cloves of garlic. This was my first time having broccoli rabe and beet greens. I thought the slight bitterness was really good with the garlic. I didn't have fresh basil, so I used some dried. I also omitted the pine nuts and stirred in some nutritional yeast at the end. I served it as a side with sesame tofu.
http://i56.tinypic.com/xmvbch.jpg
Cucumber Salad
As written, this was ok; doctored up a bit, pretty darn good! I only used 2/3 of the red onion, next time will use 1/2... subbed 2-3 tsp mirin for 1 tsp sugar, & felt like it needed the whole 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. It was ok... THEN: in went some drained chickpeas, Bragg's, sesame oil, & chopped cilantro... after that: excellent! So, as a jumping-off point, I like the recipe-- it just needs a bit more stuff thrown in, imo... but it had the good effect of reminding me how great radishes & cukes are together, which I feel is a combo I've been under-utilizing (which error I will certainly rectify in the future)!
http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae170/TanyaLasagna_photos/Misc/CucRadishSalad.jpg
White Bean and Artichoke Salad
I used the balsamic instead of red wine vinegar and I cooked my own beans instead of using canned. Simple and tasty.
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii85/Stormflakes/VegWeb/010-3.jpg
Drunken beans - Meh....I'm not a huge fan of beer in dishes but was intrigued by this recipe because I wanted something easy and fast to make that included beans. I cut the beer to six ounces and added two ounces of water. While I modified that I'm not sure why I blindly followed her instructions to use three tbs. of brown sugar. This ruined it because it made it way too sweet for me. Maybe this is what the Mexicans do, but bleh.
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/198859_1691156877591_1197836956_31481132_3860215_n.jpg
Mushroom-toppped baked potatoes - Good. I like that she used butter to sautee the shrooms and peppers, it went well with the dish. I added hot chili peppers for spice. I think it was a bit plain, could have used some herbs like thyme, orgeno, basil or rosemary.
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/190282_1692852759987_1197836956_31483928_6598960_n.jpg
Walnut Basil Pesto
I've been making my own variation of this for years. It's delicious and walnuts are so much cheaper than pine nuts.
Quinoa, Tofu, and Kale with Walnut Pesto
Very tasty! I frequently combine quinoa, tofu and kale, but I never would have thought to add pesto. I actually used beet greens instead of kale.
http://i54.tinypic.com/2l95mwk.jpg
Carrot and Roasted Bell Pepper Soup - This was delicious. Of course because it is filled with delicious ingredients. :) I roasted my own red peppers (2) while I chopped and cooked the first ingredients. I substituted a large sweet potato for the potato and only used 1 cup of soy milk to get my desired consistency. I omitted the cayenne. The miso (and sherry?) really adds a depth of flavour to this soup. Complex, light, yet creamy... definitely a great starter soup for company.
Lemony Chickpeas & Chard - Super fast and easy! I cut back on the oil, and used some water and white wine when the pan got dry to have a little less fat, and didn't use any lemon zest, and jarred lemon juice, but other then that, followed the recipe. It was quite tasty. I don't however agree that it makes four servings, it's more like two.
Apricot red lentil stew Good. I decided to use brown lentils and not puree any of it. This was sweet and tasty....too sweet for me to be overly excited about it, but unique and flavorable nonetheless.
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/216292_1727472745465_1197836956_31522651_1923732_n.jpg
Apricot red lentil stew Good. I decided to use brown lentils and not puree any of it. This was sweet and tasty....too sweet for me to be overly excited about it, but unique and flavorable nonetheless.
I have been meaning to make this for a while... but afraid it would be too sweet. Do you suggest cutting down on the amount of dried apricots?
I have been meaning to make this for a while... but afraid it would be too sweet. Do you suggest cutting down on the amount of dried apricots?
That and perhaps adding them at a later time. I added them at the beginng. I think I did use a little more than called for.
Citrus Salad with Kale I really liked this salad. I massaged the dressing into the kale, though. I had no grapefruit so I increased my oranges. I used 1 tbsp agave which wasn't that sweet, so I guess you could increase it if you wanted more sweetness (I figured there would be enough from the fruit but I guess not). The pine nuts, onion, kale and orange worked well together. I did not find it that spicy with 1/8 tsp of Aleppo chili flakes.
Orange-Glazed Tempeh
Wow, I inadvertently made this dish without knowing it! It is so close to the recipe Heidi posted here: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/orange-panglazed-tempeh-recipe.html
(the recipe in the cookbook has a bit more soy sauce and garlic, but otherwise identical)
A great option for tempeh, though! I opted to steam my tempeh beforehand in the microwave but found the glaze to be wonderful. The marinade gets absorbed as leftovers, so this is best fresh. I served it in a Swiss chard wrap with broccoli sprouts, as well as over chocolate socca with sprouts. Both were delicious.
sweet potato taco - Loved this...easy to make...just veggies without spices and it works well. I think I'm going to add some fresh lime juice when I serve it again for some Latin flavor.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/230813_1778086410775_1197836956_31597054_2493591_n.jpg
Brazilian Black Bean Stew
This was delicious. I pretty much followed the directions, except I used green pepper instead of red and half a pablano instead of jalepeno.
http://i54.tinypic.com/73icrr.jpg
Six Shades Of Red Soup - A gorgeous soup! It definitely turns a deeper shade of red overnight. OMG this makes a ton of soup. Next time, I will definitely halve it. I followed the recipe as best I could, but omitted the vegetable juice since I didn't have any. I used 1/3 cup red miso. I thought it was very tasty and the omnis I were serving said I could make this soup anytime for them, which is a huge compliment coming from very traditional omnis. I liked the zing from the miso. I found I had a lot of froth/foam to remove from the soup, so I am afraid I skimmed off a lot of the onions as well. I am glad I delayed adding the dill, otherwise it would have been scooped away as well. Otherwise, a lovely soup. Deceivingly light as it is virtually fat free. Good for company.
Asparagus and Carrots with Walnut Dressing - Yum! This is a simple dressing with walnuts (I used 1/3 cup) with miso, mirin, tamari and rice vinegar but it was nice, sweet and creamy. It paired really well with the asparagus and carrots.
Summer Squash with Cherry Tomatoes Topped with Cheesy Toasted Pine Nuts
I was looking for a squash/zucchini casserole type recipe and I made a variation of this that turned out to be quite delicious. I didn't have any tomatoes, so I used roasted red peppers instead. I also subbed walnuts for the pine nuts. I forgot to toast the walnuts, but the mixture was still tasty. This was even better the next day. I can't wait to try it with my garden tomatoes...and I'll definitely toast the nuts next time.
Served with fried seitan
http://i56.tinypic.com/14ay4v8.jpg
Seared Tempeh with Cherry Balsamic Reduction Sauce
This was tasty. I used dried cherries and pretty much followed the recipe. Instead of spooning the sauce over the tempeh, I let the tempeh cook in the sauce for the last 10 minutes or so. I figured it would absorb more flavor that way. We had it with sauteed kale and mashed potatoes. My omni friend who had never had tempeh thought it was delicious. I will definitely make this again.
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