Menus for special occasions
Arborio rice with roasted red peppers, pine nuts, and basil

Autumn tempeh salad
Excellent! Served this as a side salad at Thanksgiving last year, and the omni family really liked it. I'd eat it anytime of year, though, maybe changing the squash depending on what's in season. (kristinv)
Beet bundt cake

Blackberry pecan crisp
I don’t think this has enough filling. I added way more berries than called for to give it more substance, and I also added cinnamon & nutmeg to the crisp topping for more flavor. It’s very good, but I wouldn’t make it exactly as written. I used frozen berries & that worked great. (jessacita)
I used almonds with this instead of pecans.  The topping is delicious and vanilla-y. I think the filling could used a little sugar or lemon juice, especially since I find that blackberries can be a little bitter.  Contrary to the previous reviewer, I thought the amount of filling was fine, but there could have been more topping. (spinachk)
Peaches

Boston baked beans
These were dry and not saucy enough. I was kind of disappointed. I added 2 chopped cloves of garlic, which helped with the lackluster taste.  I definitely prefer the recipe from "Vegan Planet" for baked beans. (veganrun)
I don't know what the other reviewers are talking about, I really liked this dish.  And so did my boyfriend, who doesn't usually even like beans.  (spinach k)
Butternut squash risotto with toasted sage
this was the first time I ever made risotto. I thought it was good but the predominant flavor of the risotto was the broth I used to make it. You really couldn't even taste the butternut squash at all, which was really disappointing to me. I couldn't even taste the sage either, except for the fact that I added some minced fresh sage to the top before serving. I think this would me much more flavorful with either more squash, or else cook it in carrot juice or something. I kept saying, it's good, but all I taste is broth! And that's not what I was hoping for. (lebkuchen)
This is a pretty traditional risotto recipe, so it tastes like a good, pretty traditional risotto.  The toasted sage does pick it up nicely, though.  I would make it again. (spinach k)
It was okay. I liked the texture of the dish, but the flavor was pretty mild/bland. (kristinv)
Chestnuts

Caramelized tempeh shawarmas
I really love this recipe.  I made it using seitan and it came out great.  It's a really well-rounded dish and I think it would go over well with omnis.  The tahini sauce is soooo good! (icephrosty)
Wow, it was really good! It is amazing how much the tempeh tastes like grilled chicken in this recipe. It was also really easy to make. This will become a staple in my house for sure! (lebkuchen)
I'm not sure I feel about these.  I thought it was pretty good while I was eating it, but then I took some as leftovers for lunch and it was pretty gross - it kinda changed my feeling about them.  The flavors didn't blend well for me.  I didn't like the combination of the maple syrup and soy sauce - maybe it's because I used hickory syrup?  And the veggie measurements were way off - I only used one cuke and half a red onion - and still had tons left.  The tahini sauce was good though.  My husband really liked them and asked for them to be added to the rotation.  I'm just not sold. (erinmonster)
Amazing! My whole omni-family, (at least the ones I could convince to try tempeh,) loved this. I wouldn't change a thing about the recipe, except I didn't have maple syrup, and subbed agave. (disneyfav)
This was great.  I loved the different flavours of the sweet/meaty flavour of the tempeh and the tart sauce together.  My boyfriend, who gets meat shawarmas all the time, also loved this. (spinachk)
Crowd pleasing pasta with tomatoes and artichokes
In the same meal I made the crowd-pleasing pasta with tomatoes and artichokes and boy was this good.  It indeed was a crowd-pleaser as my meat-eating father wend back for seconds.  I used kalamata olives instead of regular black olives.  A+++ (tweety)
Cuban black bean soup
YUM! black beans + banana + coconut milk.  I was skeptical but it came out fantastic- a really different and good soup.  I halved the recipe and it was really simple to make, especially with an immersion blender.  I served with garlic bread.  (thirteenblackbirds)
I thought this was good, but not amazing; however, my lunch guests  liked it a lot.  Definitely stick to your ribs food, cheek-warming food. If your partner is walking home after work through a snowstorm, this soup would be the perfect thing to have waiting on the table. (spinach k)
G really wanted to try this, so I made it for him even though I wasn't too sure about the idea of a fruity black bean soup. It was really good though! I would definitely make it again. The fruit makes it spoil a little faster than normal black bean soup, so be sure to eat it within a few days. I ate some of the soup when it was 6 days old, and it made me sick. (kristinv)
Eggless egg salad
This was very tasty, although I did make some minor adjustments. I used minced red onion in place of the green onion, and celery salt to replace the celery (didn't have any) and regular salt. My only complaint was that the recipe didn't call for drained/pressed tofu and the leftovers were very liquidy, thus making the texture reminiscent of runny eggs. But the flavors were spot on! I never liked or ate egg salad as an omni, but this is very good. I also added some red pepper flake out of personal preference. Next time I'll probably mince up a jalapeno or two and toss it in. (sb)
I made this without celery or bell pepper. I'm quite a fan of tofu egg salad (but not eggs, ever), so I liked this. I think that, next time, I'll drain out/squeeze out the tofu more, as the leftovers had some water separated out. (fb)
Eggplant caponata

English muffin pizzas
This is not really a novel idea or unique recipe, but is tasty! I used pizza sauce, FYH monterey, a bit of Lightlife ham (crisped nicely under the broiler), mushrooms, black olives, and red peppers. Fun. (AC)
Fresh fruit salad

Garlic bread
Pretty standard garlic bread, but delicious. I used 1/2 a large French bread loaf, as opposed to a baguette. Kinda weird to me to call for a baguette! I probably used less oil, but same amount of garlic-came out almost too garlicky! I used the cayenne (but couldn't detect cayenne heat), and Daiya. Yummy garlic bread, but pretty much what you'd make on your own. (AC)
meh. I didn't like this. I may have added too much cayenne, it tasted a little strange.  I added the cheese (daiya), which was alright.  I thought it needed some basil. (thirteenblackbirds)
Homemade hummus
I guess I could say that I made the hummus recipe, but I really just made my usual "recipe," which happens to contain all the same ingredients. I mean, it's hummus. There's nothing special about this particular recipe, and it's kind of shady that it's in the book. ; ) I did notice that she has 1/2 a lemon (with 2 cans of chickpeas), and that's ridiculous! It needs way more than that. I used 2 whole lemons, and it wouldn't have suffered with more. (AC)
Good basic recipe. I personally like to add a lot more tahini and lemon juice, but it’s good for someone who hasn’t made it before. I also like to add a roasted red pepper—off the hook! (veganrun)
Not too impressed - i haven't made hummus before and the seasoning /texture of this didn't seem nearly as good as the store stuff.  I wasn't sure how to change it.  I guess if you are familiar with making hummus, you can modify it appropriately, but in that case you probably don't need this recipe. I don't think it's a good recipe for beginners (thirteenblackbirds)
Muhammara
Pretty good. My walnuts never blended really thoroughly (not a paste or anything, just very fine crumbs), and I roasted my own pepper but didn't remove all the skin (too hard!). Muhammara I've had before is thinner and more pepper-based, but this is good too. I had it with crackers and bread. (fb)
Delicious.  The first time I made this, it came out too thick, though.  The second time I slowly added breadcrumbs until it reached a pleasing consistency.  The name if the dip is super-fun to say, too! (spinach k)
Mushroom pecan burgers
Cremini mushrooms, parsley, sauteed onion and garlic, tahini, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, toasted pecans, bread crumbs and hints of sage and oregano are all packed in this flavorful burger pattie. The recipe is not hard, and very forgiving. You just process mushrooms and parsley, add it to big bowl with sauteed onions and garlic and remaining ingredients, mix with your hands, refrigerate for 30 minutes then make your burger patties. I only used half the required onion, and added about a 3/4 cup quick oats and 1/2 cup chopped spinach. (I was trying to make it similar to a spinach nut burger I ate at a restaurant). I baked the patties in my toaster oven instead of frying them, flipping them over until both sides were crispy. I think if I had fried them in melted Earth Balance until crispy they would taste even better. But I'm not complaining. These Mushroom Nut Burgers were delicious. After, halving the recipe and adding the oats and spinach, this recipe yielded 8 patties. The book notes that the recipe is a slightly modified version of Dreena Burton's from The Everyday Vegan. (saskia)
Loaf
good, not great.  It's a decent loaf but not something I would make again.  I didn't like the spicing much (i think mainly because of all the parsley) and it didn't get very firm. (thirteenblackbirds)
No queso quesadillas
Another really, really simple dish that is incredibly yummy. I don’t understand how they’re so good because it’s literally hummus in-between two tortillas, then grilled on a pan… But for some reason, the hummus totally changes when it’s warm & it is VERY queso-like. No one can believe how amazing these are, especially topped with salsa & avocado. (jessacita)
GREAT recipe. This is an amazingly simple, delicious weeknight recipe. My boyfriend had been missing cheesy Mexican dishes, and this hit the spot. We top with avocado and salsa, and I like to put black beans and green onions and chili powder in on the hummus. Yummy! My omni parents were shocked at how creamy this is. (veganrun)
I liked this one, with the right hummus. I've made it a couple times and it came out really good with some leftover fajita vegetables (peppers/onions).  (thirteenblackbirds)
I guess I never reviewed this. I don't like her hummus recipe, but I did like this combo. It makes a good/different quesadilla. (AC)
This is another one of those recipes from Vegan Table that is hardly even a recipe, but it's good, REALLY good!  You take a couple of tortillas, slather some hummus on one, stick the other tortilla on top, and grill in a pan for a couple minutes, flip it over, grill for another couple minutes, and voila! you've got lunch.  I mention it because, we probably have this for lunch at least 3 times a week.  It's simple, but really tasty and satisfying.  We sometimes put chopped scallions inside, or thin slices of tomato.  Sometimes, we sprinkle chopped avocado on top.  How ever they're served, we always call them YUM! (peaceablepalate)
Great simple meal or snack! Tastes really good with a pepper hummus, ex. cayenne or chipotle. Sometimes I'll sprinkle a little daiya cheese in them, which tastes great with the hummus. (kristinv)
I've had hummus quesadillas before so this wasn't anything new to me. I think they're good but it's not one of my favorites. I used homemade red pepper hummus and added scallions, cilantro, and salsa to the insides of the quesadillas, and topped with diced fresh tomato and salsa. I think they were much better after I opened them up and added a few drops of Cholula hot sauce to them. On their own, they are kind of bland. (lebkuchen)
So simple, so easy, so delicious.  I thought the hummous flavour would be kind of gross with the salsa, but it was awesome. (spinachk)
Greek style

Italian style

Mexican style

Noodle kugel

Oven baked french fried yams
nothing earth-shattering as I have made other recipes similar to this one, but they were nevertheless very tasty! All in all, this meal (with a small salad on the side) rocked! (lebkuchen)
Very good. I usually don't add spices to my sweet potato fries, but the mix in this recipe tasted really good. I liked them a lot. (dannibazaar)
Panini with lemon basil pesto
YUM!! My boyfriend is crazy & doesn’t like lemon, so I didn’t add much to the pesto – but it’s an incredible sandwich. (jessacita)
It is scrumptious but you need to have a lot of patience with it! It's kind of frustrating trying to get all the ingredients to "stay put" in the sandwich while you're putting it together, grilling it, and eating it. But that's no fault of the recipe, and it certainly is delicious! I just think it's too....fussy for me. I don't know if I'll make it again for that reason, however, I would be thrilled if someone else (ie. DH) made it for me!  Also don't do what I did - which was buy a big loaf of ciabatta bread and try to make one giant sandwich with all the ingredients first and then cut it in half and grill half at a time. It's way too unwieldy for that. So many ingredients spilling out all over the place *sigh* I think next time, I'd use individual ciabatta rolls. It would be more working assembling 4 individual sandwiches, but ultimately, must less frustrating, I think! (lebkuchen)
While mine looked nothing like the picture, it was a pretty amazing sandwich.  Mine fell apart several times - once while building it, once while in the George Forman, and then while I was trying to shove it into my mouth.  I had to use a fork to eat the majority of the veggies, but it was still worth it.  I didn't add any oil to my pesto and I really think it was the best I've ever made.  I think a calzone version of this would be a little more realistic - I'll try it and report back.  (erinmonster)
This came out really good but not as wonderful as I was expecting. It just seemed like something was missing, and I think that was cheese even though I added daiya… it just doesn't cut it for a panini. My husband had actual cheese on his and liked it a lot more than I did.  The lemon pesto is delicious.  (thirteenblackbirds)
Pasta and green beans with peanut sauce
Good recipe. I respect how the author uses water to sautee the garlic and ginger in the sauce to keep it lowfat but I used oil because I'm a fat ass and it tastes better with oil. I also used coconut milk in place of the non-dairy milk it called for. I added broccoli and snowpeas and it was really good. Leftovers were VERY dry, though (think reheated mac n cheese) (sb)
I made this with broccoli and carrots rather than green beans. I loved it! The sauce has a great, creamy consistency and flavour. I will totally make it again. (dannibazaar)
I started out with this recipe, but added some things, to taste. I like my peanut sauce with a bit more flavor and spicy! I also added some broccoli. Coconut milk should definitely be used instead of other milk. (AC)
I really like this dish and its very simple and quick to pull together.  My boyfriend didn't like it too much though.  I've also tried it with purple sprouting broccoli instead of the green beans and really liked it. (spinachk)
Peanut butter and jelly cookies
I made these whole wheat. They were pretty good little cookies, but they don't spread like the photo (but then again, they're whole wheat). I used raspberry jam and it was perfect. They were small cookies. (fb)
Small & a little crumbly before cooked, but delicious. I made these for my cousin as a “thank you” gift for something, and she loved them. Strawberry jam was great in these! (jessacita)
Great recipe—I made with whole wheat, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve made these multiple times for omnis, and they love them too. I fill with jam, but I’ve also added chocolate chips to the depressions, too, then when you pull them out of the oven you spread the hot chips to fill the hole. Good pb and chocolate combo. (veganrun)
These are great! They are so easy to make - not a lot of ingredients, not a lot of time or fussy steps. I halved the recipe quite easily and made 14 cookies. I used whole wheat pastry flour and raspberry jam. I think strawberry jam probably would be better because the raspberry jam, while nice, isn't as assertive as I'd like it to be. They didn't spread much but that's okay. I think they'd be great as a sort of replacement for peanut blossom cookies if you rolled them in sugar and then added some chocolate chips to the centers instead of jam - I'm going to try that next time! (lebkuchen)
Just meh. I like the ones from VCIYCJ more. Nothing really compares for me. (dannibazaar)
Potato and seed spread

Purple potatoes with cashew cream
Very decadent, pretty, and delicious.  This was the first thing I've ever made with cashew cream and I was very pleased with it.  I think this would also be nice with new white potatoes, because as beautiful as purple potatoes are, I really think I prefer the flavour of white potatoes. (spinachk)
Quinoa and corn medley
pretty good. i think everything in this recipe goes pretty well together, but i probably wouldn't have thought of the combination by myself. It's nice to have quinoa without it being plain ole quinoa. (fb)
I liked this.  It's simple but flavourful.  There's nothing super different about the recipe, but it's nice and refreshing, and a good thing to bring for lunch. (spinachk)
Quinoa tabbouleh
a nice alternative to traditional bulgur tabbouleh, but I do think I prefer bulgur. However, quinoa is more nutritious so I like this too. (lebkuchen)
Really good, I like it better then tabbouleh with bulgur, but I've always really liked quinoa. I think next time I'll try it with some tofu "feta" or something, I think that would make a nice addition. (disneyfav)
Good recipe.  I didn't have quite as much parsley as I would like and didn't have tomatoes either.  It was still quite tasty.  Good variation! (lotus)
Roasted red pepper wraps
I used the ingredients in a sandwich on a bun. I used a bit of broccoli slaw for the shredded carrots. It tastes good, but I'm usually disappointed when avocado kind of disappears in something else. The hummus overpowers the avocado. I like everything in it, but everything kind of melded (except hummus flavor). I do think they'd be good as wraps for an appetizer. (AC)
Spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce
Yum yum yum! This was the first time I’d made spring rolls, and I was a bit nervous, but they were awesome. I loved the dipping sauce. (veganrun)
Southwestern tofu burgers
I really like these! I used mostly cracker (light rye crispbread) crumbs, and one piece of bread (crumbs). I didn't have a bell pepper, so I used some kale that I processed finely, and 1 carrot. I used canned corn, and more beans than called for. I also used ketchup instead of paste, and fried them. Mine held together really well, but I added too much corn, so some of the corn fell out. Since I added more beans and stuff, I should have added more spices. I would even double the spices for more flavor. I had them on a sandwich with mashed avocado, some vegenaise, and salad greens. Yum. (AC)
I was in the middle of making this recipe when I realized I was supposed to have frozen tofu. I only had fresh, so I pressed the crap out of it, and went with that. The patties didn't fall apart, but I didn't press than as thin/wide as I wanted them to be because it seemed like they would fall apart if I had - but that was probably because I was using fresh tofu instead of frozen... but the whole corn could also be a culprit. Anyway, these were a little too tofu-y for me for burger (but maybe that's how the product is that she was imitating, as she said in the description). I think I'd prefer a little less tofu and more refried beans. Also, this recipe is kind of weird in requiring 1/4 c refried beans, so I served it with... refried beans. (fb)
Oil free

Sparkling pineapple juice
I tried to make this, but just ended up using pineapple juice and sparkling water. It wasn't very sparkly! I was expecting it to be cool and refreshing, and it somehow wasn't. It doesn't really have anything to do with the recipe, since I didn't do the other stuff, but I don't think I'll try again. (AC)
Tempeh pate

Tofu spinach lasagna
Pretty good, not the best recipe I have for this sort of thing.  I added some nooch to the tofu. (sweetgeorgiapeach)
Yummy.  Simple, but good and satisfying.  This is the first vegan lasange I ever made and I didn't miss the cheese at all. (spinach k)
Tuscan white beans with sun dried tomatoes
it was fantastic.  Perfect blend of veggies, beans, basil and garlic.  It didn't look appetizing, so my guests took just a tiny sample, but loved it. (tweety)
I like this. I've made some recipes of beans/white beans where it was basically just a lot of beans with a little of something else, which still doesn't really let the beans be their own dish. But this recipe worked... there was enough other stuff (like sun-dried tomatoes) and flavors (herbs) that it stands well on its own. I didn't use the spinach (didn't have any), and served it with the polenta recipe from this book. They go well together. (fb)
Perfect recipe. I LOVE this dish. Every flavor has a place and they all go so well together. YUM.  (veganrun)
I was expecting this to amazing, and it wasn't… but still very good.  A good combo of flavors that I will make again. (thirteenblackbirds)
Delicious.  I think this would make a bean lover out of a bean skeptic.  I sauteed it in a little of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, and it was yummy. (spinachk)
Warm lentil salad
Should be called "mustardy lentils."  Blech.  I even like mustard, but this was too much - very disappointing because the lentils were smelling really good while they were cooking!  I tried it both warm and cold, both were barely edible. If you like this idea, you might try adding less mustard - or perhaps the mustard I was using was just too strong. Probably try tasting it before you add the full amount.  This was my first time using "lentils du Puy," and I couldn't tell if there was any difference compared with regular brown lentils due to the excessive mustardiness. This is a very simple recipe and relatively easy to make, but I was expecting something more subtle. (vegrunski)
This is super delicious, and I like to take it to potlucks and holiday meals. It transports easily. And because it's a "salad," I think it's less intimidating to omnis, because it's this harmless side dish instead of a main dish. I've gotten many ominis to try this and they tend to like it. (veganrun)

Buffets, heavy appetizers, and finger food
Artichoke, red onion, and olive pizza

Basic pizza dough
this a good solid pizza dough recipe that made a great pizza. i made two pizzas with it, and i think it tastes best when it's rolled really thin. (thirteenblackbirds)
Cornmeal
It came together very easily in the mixer, rose well, and stretched well. I don't like how they are no more instructions on the dough recipe (although the pizza recipes say to consult the dough recipe for rolling instructions..I didn't find any). I just stretched it out, prebaked it for a few minutes, and then baked until done. The cornmeal made it a little gritty, so I wouldn't do that again. It was easy to work with, and tasted good. Made a great pizza-excellent. I like some crusts better, but this is good. (AC)
Cracked pepper
I still love this dough, but the pepper didn't come through. I probably didn't add the full 3 tablespoons, because I didn't measure..and that's a lot of pepper to grind! I loved the idea, and the look, but might work better for a mild type of pizza. (AC)
Herbed

Seeded

Sweet

Whole wheat

Basic tomato sauce

Basil pesto pizza

Beet and sweet potato pizza

Creamy macaroni and cashew cheese
Holy crap this is good. This was my first attempt at making vegan mac and cheese, and the recipe was really helpful, and I trusted it. Before I went vegan I made mac and cheese from scratch all the time, so when I started seeing all these vegan recipes on vegweb that make it using a totally different method, I was scared. But this recipe used the same basic manner of making a white sauce that I was used to, so I decided to go for it. LOVED it, as did the boyfriend. Good with rotini, which catches all the yumminess in its curls. So good with the smoking BBQ tofu. (veganrun)
my favorite recipe for vegan mac.  Really, really, really insanely good.  I add a little extra nutritional yeast, reduce the salt & usually use a little less mustard than called for, but other than that, it's perfect!  Total comfort food. (jessacita)
I messed this up, but it was still pretty ok. My soymilk was too sweet. I like a cashew cream sauce, but this wasn't too special. That's a lot of miso to use, too! It's ok, and I can imagine it would be better following the recipe. I did have way too much sauce, and had to bake it, which I wasn't planning on doing. (AC)
this turned out well for me but it's not my favorite mac and cheese. i just wasn't crazy about the flavor. (thirteenblackbirds)
This turned out really tasty, but I had to play around with it a bit.  I'm sure I made a mistake along the way, I'm just not sure what it was. My cheese sauce was really, REALLY soupy.  I added some extra nooch and a little dissolved agar powder, then baked it.  That helped it to firm up nicely.  The only thing I can think of that would have caused the problem is my milk.  I ran out of milk yesterday, so I used powdered soymilk for this recipe.  It may have just been too watery.  Whatever.  I'll make this again anyway. (lotus)
It was pretty good but a little too sweet for my taste. I usually use plain soymilk in cheese sauce recipes, but the sweet taste of the cashews seems to require an unsweetened soymilk. I also had trouble getting the cashews smooth enough, so there were little cashew "crumbs" throughout the sauce. Next time, I'll use a mesh strainer (unless I have a better blender by then?). (kristinv)
Curried better than chicken salad
Really good, but it only needed 2/3 cup of Veganaise (not 1 full cup). Other than that, I made no changes and I wouldn't in the future. We ate it rolled up in a nori wrap with a sliced avocado--perfection! (veganrun)
Pineapple

Water chestnuts

Ensalada de frijoles
healthy/all food groups + cheap + tasty + easy/quick to make = most excellent. It's also got all my favorite ingredients. I didn't add all the vinegar (maybe 1/3 of it), and next time I'll probably leave it out. The only way this can be improved is to add avocado, and to rename it something cooler, like Super Delicious Salad of Awesomeness. Yes. I'd say it's a pretty good thing to make for a potluck/picnic/omnis... just generally likeable, fresh, easy to make a lot. You could even make it low sodium with the right beans and salsa. Most excellent. (fb)
Falafel burgers
Amazing flavor, but a little dry. I put them in a pita, made the sauce with tofu, and served with hummus. Amazing, and much lower fat that deep fried falafel (although not quite as delish!) (veganrun)
These didn't hold together, and somehow did not taste like falafel (which is curious, because all of the ingredients are there!). I generally didn't like it, but it was ok in sandwiches because... of the other things in the sandwich. It's a neat idea, but it would probably work better just by shaping falafel mix into a patty. (fb)
Obviously these aren't quite the same as restaurant deep fried falafel, but for us, it did the trick.  I thought they were really flavorful and they held together nicely in the oven.  We didn't have any buns, so I served them in pita pockets with a couple leaves of chard.  I didn't have yogurt, so I made the sauce with trader joes mayo thinned with water.  It was pretty good. (lotus)
Gado gado vegetable skewers
I was once again lazy, so I didn't skewer these, and just ate it like a salad like God intended. There's a lot of sauce, and the sauce is pretty rich, so the optional tofu could easily be used, or it can be eaten with lotsa rice. I like peanut sauce and these vegetables, so it was pretty... easy to like. I wound up adding a little more pb to the sauce than called for, which made it very peanut buttery. I think that coconut milk probably goes better hear, not only for authenticity or something but because it won't curdle at all, and mellows out the flavors. (fb)
Um...meh. I was rather underwhelmed by these. The sauce was kind of thin and not really flavourful. They were just kind of boring. (dannibazaar)
Grilled corn on the cob

Grilled fruit

Grilled vegetable fajitas

Hoppin john
They used to make this at my school, and it was always bland. I really like this recipe, because it seems like it's something easy to make bland/unimpressive, but this has a good balance of everything, and it has my friend liquid smoke. I'm glad to have a recipe like this, because black-eyed peas are delicious but not popular in recipes. (fb)
Yum!  Cams and I both loved this recipe.  I cooked my peas in broth and used that in place of the water.  I also used canned tomatoes and Bragg's in place of the salt.  In addition to liquid smoke, I also added some smoked paprika.  It added a nice, almost sweet smokiness.  I will definitely make this again. (lotus)
No queso nacho dip
I followed the recipe, except added canned tomatoes, and some leftover Mexican spiced TVP. I can't imagine the dip without tomatoes. I first ate it just dipping a tortilla in (she says "pour it over tortillas"...which just sounds messy), but later made a quesadilla with it. It is so good in a quesadilla! Mine dip ended up a little too runny, because I added too much tomato liquid, so it would have been even better thicker (for the quesadila). There's nothing special about this particular recipe, because it is like so many others, but I definitely recommend the quesadilla making. (AC)
Fantastic recipe, and it got my boyfriend to shut up about missing cheese with his Mexican food. I actually mix up all the dry ingredients and keep that in the cupboard, then just add the wet, stir, and it’s ready in minutes. I’ve had it with and without salsa stirred in, and I loved both. We dip chips in this, but we also put it on top of everything. I’ve also used brown rice flour to make it, and I like that a little bit better than whole wheat flour. (veganrun)
Not nearly as good as the queso dip from this site.  It needs Ro-Tel. (sweetgeorgiapeach)
Pineapple upside down cake

Pizza marinara

Potato salad in radicchio cups
I made this last night and it got a big thumbs up from DH.  I liked it a lot too, and I'm making another big batch for a BBQ this weekend.  I decreased the vegan mayo slightly and added a tsp or two of yellow mustard. Overall, great recipe. (icephrosty)
Roasted red pepper and pine nut bruschetta
quick and easy and a nice snack that I brought to a party.  Because I was bringing it and not serving it in my home, I just used fresh bread and didn't toast it.  I mixed a little olive oil in the mix instead of brushed on the bread. (tweety)
Ryan's mushroom poppers
These were ok, but I think I know how to make them better next time. My tempeh bacon got soggy in the cream cheese, so I think instead of mixing the bacon into the Tofutti, I should have sprinkled it on top so it would stay crispy. (tmarkeim)
Scott Pepper's Mexican beans

Smokin barbecue tofu
It was easy and extremely tasty. Took it to a vegan meet up and everyone gobbled it right up! I'll be making it again. (katzenfreund)
Good recipe for barbeque sauce here. I change it a little, but the basic flavor here is really good. I like to make tons of the sauce, freeze it, then this recipe is so fast, easy and delicious. I like to serve it with mashed potatoes, on a bed of kale. (veganrun)
South of the border pizza
This far exceeded our expectations! I used 1 can of pinto beans rather than 2 cups and that was enough. The cornmeal version of the pizza crust was perfect with this. We topped it with avocado and some scallions and would definitely make it again. (Tamasin)
Spicy black bean burgers
They were delicious!!  Very quick & easy to prepare, as well.  I don't think you could grill them (as stated in the book) because they're quite fragile - but they're perfect pan-fried! (jessacita)
So, I modified this recipe... I left out the breadcrumbs, and just sort of stirfried/stewed this. I felt lazy about forming it into patties, and cynical that it would never hold (it probably has better chances if somewhat blenderized, not just mashed), so yeah. But it was good. But I like most things with black beans, so I'm biased. (fb)
Summer fruit bruschetta

Sun dried tomato and walnut pesto

Swedish meatballs
I was disappointed with how bland they were.  Especially the gravy.  I even added some Road's End gravy mix to give it a little flavor but it couldn't help these meatballs.  (biodancer)
Apparently my idea of finely chopped onion is not the same as the book's - after cooking the meatballs, the onion bits were a bit undercooked, a little crunchy and spicy (eek). I probably should have minced them or left it out. I like Gimme Lean, so I liked the meatballs, but I was less impressed with the sauce. Perhaps I'm just not one for milky sauces, but it was too plain for me, and too bean-y (used soymilk). Maybe it would be better with almond milk instead. I wound up adding more salt to the sauce to make it tastier. (fb)
i am happy to say that I really liked these! they did remind me some of my mom's swedish meatballs.  I used ground beef style gimme lean instead of the sausage style which i think is a better flavor for these.  After reading these reviews, I also sauteed the chopped onion before adding it to the meatballs and that worked well. These need mashed potatoes.  They were a lot better served the second time with mash than the first time without.  I also baked a set (after generously spraying them with Pam cooking spray) and they came out just as good as the fried ones, and it was a lot easier (mine didn't hold together that well when frying). They were kind of a pain to make so this definitely isn't something I will make regularly, but I hope to make them again someday. (thirteenblackbirds)
I did tweak this recipe a bit, but it's a winner, especially when paired with classic accompaniments such as gravy and potatoes.  I did not have any lingonberry jam, but cranberry sauce made a good substitute.  I did read some complaints about the sauce in this recipe, so I made a gravy of my own. I made mashed potato puffs with dill, but any potatoes would do.  If you have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer, this is the time to use it, because the vegan sausage is very dense and hard to mix. I added just a few things to make the meatballs richer:  1/4 teaspoon of dried dill, a couple of tablespoons of chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, a Tablespoon of olive oil to the mixture (Gimme Lean is fat free), and 2 teaspoons of vegan Worcestershire sauce (such as Wizard brand, which is so delicious).  Make sure to dice the onion fine, because the meatballs are small.  I pan fried these in a cast-iron skillet which gave them a nice, authentic crust. (Lehua)
We enjoyed this! I knew some people thought this was bland, so I kept that it mind, but mainly kept with the recipe (seasoning more with salt/pepper). I don't really like her method of making the sauce with the flour, but I liked the flavor. I had to thicken mine more, and added some vegan worcestershire. I agree about making sure to mince the onion. I thought I had chopped mine finely, but I think they need to be processed. I served it with boiled potatoes and raspberry sauce. I wouldn't be against making this again, but not often. Was enjoyable and satisfying, though. (AC)
Sweet potato pie
I made this pie for our (early) Thanksgiving dinner today.  This was my first time making or eating sweet potato pie.  I thought it was really good.  Very simple too!  It had a very dense, but smooth consistency.  The top looked lonely, so I mixed some extra cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar together and sprinkled it on top after baking.   I will surely make this again! (lotus)
Tantalizing Thai slaw
So good! I nixed the red pepper flakes because most people in my family aren't into spicy food, and I omitted the maple syrup from the dressing because I didn't have any. But it was so so tasty. Not sure if it tasted 'thai' at all, but it's a good slaw. (dannibazaar)
Tempeh reuben sandwiches

Tempeh sloppy joes
These are pretty tasty.  Sometimes tempeh is too bitter for me (even when I steam it), but it worked well in this recipe.  The texture was spot on.  It was very simple to make and I had leftovers for days. (icephrosty)
mmmmmm....good! (tweety)
Pretty bland and boring.  The texture wasn't bad, I just wasn't wild about the flavor, or lack there of.  Still in search of a good sloppy joe recipe...  (erinmonster)
Pretty tasty and filling. Neither my boyfriend nor I ate sloppy joes growing up, so we weren’t transported back to childhood or anything. Cool use of tempeh. (veganrun)
I have to say, it came out much better than I thought it would! See, til now, I've only made sloppy joes using Vegan Dad's recipe, which is super tasty and very reminiscent of the sloppy joes I remember eating as a kid. However, I wanted to try this recipe because, honestly, it is much simpler, in both quantity of ingredients and also the steps involved. I must say, this recipe will become the one I use from now on. It doesn't taste all that much different from Vegan Dad's, and it is much easier to make. The only two things I may change in the future would be to add a touch of brown sugar (because I remember sloppy joes being slightly sweet) and also use a green pepper (instead of the red, orange, or yellow she recommends). But all in all, for the simplicity of the recipe, it really came out very well. Bravo! (lebkuchen)
I've made these several times with much success.  I never steam tempeh, and omitting that step doesn't seem to make a difference.  To make the recipe super quick and easy, I pulse the tempeh, bell pepper, and onion in the food processor to crumble it all together.  I use Bragg's in place of the worcestershire, because I never have that and add a little ketchup to give it a slightly sweeter tomato flavor that is more reminiscent of canned sloppy joe sauce.  Sometimes I spread horseradish mustard on the buns for some extra kick.  Cams and I love these, and so do my omni parents. (lotus)
Three bean chili
If the Three-Bean Chili were art, it might be an Impressionist painting. Feast on flecks of brown, red, yellow, green with this colorful dish of red, yellow and green bell peppers, diced tomatoes, corn, kidney, pinto and black beans. Dabs of flavor--chili powder, coriander, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper-- complement this hearty and filling dish. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and creamy avocado slices to complete this masterpiece. (saskia)
While saskia's description is amazing and beautiful, I don't think this chili is much different from most bean/veg chilis. I added way more spice, but ran out, and still needed more. It got spicier over night though. I thought I had all these different beans to choose from at home, but I only had kidney and refried! I ended up using the kidney beans, and refried black beans (which gave it a creamy consistency). I also didn't have the corn. Good, but not amazing or unique. (AC)
This tastes great, but I ended up needing to add a lot more water--it was more "goulash" like than chili. With the water and some tomato paste, I liked it well enough. (veganrun)
Tofu filet with cornmeal crust and tartar sauce
Pretty good.  I got a sense of deja vu when making this but don't see a review from me, so it must have been another similar recipe.  Quick and easy to make.  The crust was crunchy...maybe too crunchy and I think regular finely ground cornmeal might have been better than polenta.  No complaints though.  I made the "tartar sauce" simply with mayo and dill pickle relish mixed.  I had a ton of the flour mixture left.  Maybe used one forth of what I made, but it's cheap stuff. (tweety)
Tomato, basil, and arugula bruschetta
Yum! I love bruschetta, especially with tomatoes and basil. I did the broiler method, and I really do prefer that way to toast (when it's not too hot). This recipe does not have pine nuts (which I'm perfectly fine with), but the picture (once again!) shows pine nuts. I didn't measure my arugula, but I don't think I used anywhere near 4 cups, which seems like a ton. I had plenty for my whole baguette. I actually came out with the perfect amount of topping somehow. Yummy, fresh.  (AC)
This was great! I used half red and half yellow cherry tomatoes cut into thin slices. Thank you, AC, for the heads up about the arugula; I also used 2 cups instead of 4 and think that ratio was about right. I sprinkled some pine nuts on the bruschetta to make it look like the picture. (tmarkeim)
Zucchini cakes
aside from pressing the liquid outta that zucchini (for which i used paper towels, not cloth. lint + food = bad), this was pretty easy to make. I've never used Old Bay seasoning before and just happened to get a free sample, and it's awesome with zucchini. I fried some patties without the flour coating, and it worked fine. Also, I used panko for the breadcrumbs. (fb)
Now, I LOVED to make zucchini "crab" cakes in my pregan days, but I tried (rather unsuccessfully) to veganize that beloved recipe. Well, I struck gold with this recipe - it's fabulous and easy to make! Oh, they were so yummy!  My only complaint is that I'm such a glutton for these, I wish the portions were bigger! LOL I served alongside a quick homemade tartar sauce (some TJ's mayo mixed with relish and capers) and it was awesome. (lebkuchen)
I made them tonight for my parents, boyfriend, and myself - and they were a huge hit! SO delicious & easy! (jessacita)
Yum yum yummy!  These are so good and so quick to make!  I used a cheesecloth to squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini.  That seemed to work well.  Good stuff. (lotus)
I'm not a huge zucchini fan, but these little cakes are super tasty!  They remind me of the salmon cakes my husband's grandmother used to make, or the baked stuffed clams my mom used to make, or any other comforting seafood cake type of thing you remember from childhood! (peaceablepalate)
i made a baked version of this that came out very good. i processed the zucchini in my food processor and didn't bother with pressing out the excess liquid so mine were pretty soft (and would have fallen apart if i had tried to fry them).  I will make this again as a baked version but will probably cut back on the old bay seasoning so i can add other seasonings like garlic. (thirteenblackbirds)
My favorite recipe in the book! Yum!!! The recipe can be a little time-consuming (all the grating, squeezing water out, frying), but it's well worth it. I could eat a whole batch of these by myself hahaha. (kristinv)
I loved them! I like them better then the "crab" cakes in Vegan Brunch, (though those are crabbier,) but these were delicious, very easy to make, and very addictive! (disneyfav)

Kale and cauliflower salad

I wasn't expecting this to be our favorite thing since cauliflower isn't our favorite vegetable (especially raw), and P is not a huge fan of vinaigrette type things, but neither of us really like this at all. I did use maple syrup instead of agave, but I think that only added some good flavor. If you usually like this type of salad, then I'm sure you'll love it, but not our thing, I guess. I steamed the kale.