The official Veganomicon recipe review (to be updated)!
Posted by Allychristine on Jan 02, 2009 · Member since Dec 2007 · 15438 posts
Posted by gabby_ouimet on Sep 21, 2010 · Member since Jul 2010 · 4 posts
Tempeh Shepherdess Pie
So tasty! I used a little less oil than the recipe suggested but still turned out great! The portion sizes are pretty big so you definitely get 8 meals out of this.
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Posted by vgnwitch on Sep 29, 2010 · Member since Aug 2003 · 33 posts
I made the Chocolate Chip Brownie Waffles this morning after drooling over the recipe forever. I made a few changes: whole wheat flour instead of white, unsweetened applesauce instead of oil, less sugar, and chocolate almond milk for all of the liquid. I also used dark mini chocolate chips to avoid chopping.
They turned out beautifully - crispy on the outside and gooey-chocolatey-fluffy on the inside . They were more than sweet enough for me and I think I will cut the sugar back even further the next time. Oh, yes. There will be a next time! Yum!
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Posted by intheend on Oct 13, 2010 · Member since May 2009 · 283 posts
Red lentil cauliflower curry - I found out through this dish that I absolutely hate parsnip. After picking it out, this dish is awesome! It has the perfect amount of spices.
Pumpkin saag - Not worth the work. It was just so bland.
Spicy tempeh and broccoli rabe - I didn't like this at all but I guess it's because I like tempeh in certain things and not others. I made it for my partner and she said it was edible but she wouldn't request it again.
Pumpkin baked ziti - This was good but it wasn't anything I would make again in the future. I felt like the best part of the dish was the bread crumbs.
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Posted by nmpixie on Oct 22, 2010 · Member since Jan 2008 · 1243 posts
Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms
Things take longer to cook the higher up you are, so I had to add more liquid while they were cooking. That being said, the flavor was good(I love tarragon), but really not mind-blowing. Probably won't make them again, and if I do, I'll use the crockpot.
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Posted by Allychristine on Oct 29, 2010 · Member since Dec 2007 · 15438 posts
Tomato rice soup with roasted garlic and navy beans
This is pretty good. I halved the recipe, but should have used the full 2 heads roasted garlic. I couldn't really taste the 1 head that much...and I roasted them just for this. I guess my brown rice was short grain (I couldn't tell!) because it didn't really cook that well. I think the beans really add a lot, and it definitely seems like it will be much better later. Wouldn't make again specifically, but tasty and filling.
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Posted by Sea_of_Green on Oct 31, 2010 · Member since Feb 2008 · 2515 posts
terry's favorite almond cookie- I liked these! I made them without almond extract which is really sad but i didn't have any and i really wanted to try these. i am sure they are a thousand times better with the necessary extract, but i liked them nonetheless.
wheat free chocolate chip cookies- I made these exactly to the recipe & they came out very.. soft and crumbly. I know it says in the description that that is how this recipe is supposed to be, but i wasn't really into them.
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Posted by Allychristine on Nov 03, 2010 · Member since Dec 2007 · 15438 posts
Lower fat banana bread
I think it's obvious how versatile this recipe is. I was planning on adding walnuts, but forgot. She talks about adding chocolate chips, but there's no mention of how many she would add (I wasn't planning on using any, but noticed). I used 3 bananas, 1/4 cup+ a bit oil, no applesauce, and some added almond milk. It's good, but not my fave banana bread. It's addicting and tasty, though. I think I baked 50 minutes. Nice dark color with the molasses.
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Posted by lotus42 on Nov 05, 2010 · Member since Mar 2007 · 3081 posts
Lower fat banana bread
This turned out wonderfully! I loved the flavor (and color) the molasses added. I used 2 med/lg bananas and went all out...added walnuts AND chocolate chips. I used probably around 1/4 cup of each...a few handfuls. Otherwise, I stuck to the recipe and then baked it for about 50 minutes.
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Posted by Sea_of_Green on Nov 07, 2010 · Member since Feb 2008 · 2515 posts
Smoky red peppers 'n' beans gumbo
I can't believe NO ONE'S reviewed this. This is one of the first recipes i ever wanted to make out of vcon when i got it a year and a half ago but never did. instead of the okra (I didn't have any and i'm not really sure if I like it because i've never had it) I used a whole bunch of celery and added about 1/2 tsp gumbo file powder. I also didn't have any green bell peps, and this calls for two of them, so i just added an extra red bell pepper. I don't eat seitan a lot and it is recommended in one of the side columns of this recipe, so i added about 1/2 cup leftover grilled tofu. I really, really liked this. It comes out as a really thick type of stew.. i guess that's what gumbo means anyway? I have lots of leftovers in my fridge and i will definitely be making this again as the weather moves into coldness.
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Posted by Allychristine on Nov 07, 2010 · Member since Dec 2007 · 15438 posts
Herb scalloped potatoes
I liked these way more than I thought I would (I didn't like the lemony roasted potatoes). These are just really savory and yummy. The layering is confusing, but I think it's just one layer? So they all cook through and the top gets browned. I dunno, I might just do a smaller dish next time. I think the flavors are perfect for these taters. I had quite a bit of sauce, but that's ok. I just wouldn't be able to serve them on a plate without the sauce running into everything. Will make again.
Mediterranean olive oil and lemon vinaigrette
Really good! Simple, but nice. I think I would add a little extra lemon juice next time. I used fresh basil for dried, but otherwise followed recipe. It's hard to find dressings that P likes, but he liked this one pretty well. Nice, basic lemon vinaigrette.
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Posted by gabby_ouimet on Nov 07, 2010 · Member since Jul 2010 · 4 posts
Tamarind Lentils
These were awesome! I bought an entire thing of tamarind paste for this recipe and I am not disappointed I did. The tamarind wasn't overpowering and the combination of the sweet and sour paired well with the Sauteed Spinach and Tomatoes and basmati rice. Will defiinitely be making a reappearance at my table.
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Posted by Allychristine on Nov 09, 2010 · Member since Dec 2007 · 15438 posts
Pumpkin crumb cake with pecan streusel
I read these reviews beforehand, so I tried to do a few things differently. I added a bit of extra liquid to the streusel, but then I just had to add more flour. I used a bit less sugar and oil in the cake, and was extra careful about mixing. I think my pan was 11x7, so the cake rose really tall! I baked for 45 minutes, but my topping got a bit too done. (I even tried the powdered sugar glaze, but it just oozed into the cake) I would call the cake moist, but not really gummy. It's getting close, but not gummy. It might have used the 5 more minutes, but the topping would have been completely burned. Anyway, I think it's lovely. I think it could use even more spice, and I'd probably leave the sugar as is, but it's good. I like the height, so I'd stick with the 11x7 next time.
Posted by Allychristine on Nov 11, 2010 · Member since Dec 2007 · 15438 posts
Mushroom gravy
Yeah, this is a good gravy. I like the method of always mixing the flour with the broth; always works well. I added a bit of chopped bell pepper that I had leftover. Halved the recipe, and was still a good amount. Would make again. Make sure you have a flavorful broth.
Posted by blinknoodle on Nov 13, 2010 · Member since Dec 2001 · 333 posts
Chickpeas romesco - Why isn't this getting the love here? I loved this dish! I roasted my own peppers (3) and served it with brown rice. Creamy, spicy, salty, sweet.. perfect.
Tamarind lentils - Another one of my favourite dishes. Healthy too. I add more tamarind paste though. Spicy, sweet, succulent lentils served with rice. Yum!
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Posted by intheend on Nov 16, 2010 · Member since May 2009 · 283 posts
Vanilla yogurt pound cake - I made the lemon variation and was digging on the taste and texture. It's so light and super moist it feels like it melts in your mouth. It took me a lot longer than the 65 minutes for it to bake but it ended up setting nicely.
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Posted by lotus42 on Nov 16, 2010 · Member since Mar 2007 · 3081 posts
Red lentil cauliflower curry
I thought this was pretty tasty. I didn't simmer for nearly as long as indicated...the lentils began to mush after about 10 min and all the broth had been absorbed, so I added some more water and then simmered until the cauliflower was tender. I also used a potato instead of a parsnip.
Posted by kindnesstoallcr... on Nov 17, 2010 · Member since Nov 2010 · 27 posts
Seitanic Red and White Bean Jambalaya I WISH I had taken heed from previous reviewers, who were spot on. Less rice and more spices would have made this better. The rice overshadowed the other ingredients. :err:
Granted, it turned out to be an okay comfort food, but it made a LOT (I could scarcely fit it into the biggest casserole dish I own, and it spilled over in the oven), and more spices would be be nice. (I even used the fresh thyme- I LOVE thyme!). I'll definitely make it again, but with revisions.
blinknoodle- I look forward to making the Chickpeas Romesco, based on your review. Thank you for this!
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Posted by Sea_of_Green on Dec 18, 2010 · Member since Feb 2008 · 2515 posts
Cheezy Sauce:
I wanted to make mac & cheez, but didn't want to make the usual veganyumyum one which includes food processors, potatoes, and other things, so I made this and added some pasta and veggies. YUM. I thought about making the Mac Daddy recipe, but the added tofu and other things sounded too complicated for what my laziness allowed. I quartered this recipe (but used the full amount of garlic, he he) and it was still enough to cover an entire package of trader joe's brown rice elbows. Mine also thickened up a lot, I'm not sure why others' didn't?
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Posted by wassernixe on Dec 18, 2010 · Member since Jun 2008 · 1017 posts
Low fat banana bread:
This turn out really moist and yummy. I added a dash of nutmeg and a half cup of mini chocolate chips. I did have to increase the baking time to about an hour because mine was still not testing done in the center.
Spinach Kugel:
I substituted slightly pre-wilted and chopped kale for the spinach which turned out yummy. I eyeballed the dill and so used plenty of fresh chopped which was amazing in it. I also increased the lemon by A LOT. I think I could have left it at increasing it by two tablespoons. I also found that the onion stayed a bit on the raw side, it would have been better sauteed before hand. It was really yummy fresh out of the oven, although a tad dry. Unfortunately, the recipe made a TON so storing it in the fridge just made it more dry. Maybe decreasing the amount of breadcrumbs to just one cup might help? I added a few tablespoons of water to my plate when reheating and that seemed to help as well.
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Posted by tino_bambino on Jan 03, 2011 · Member since Sep 2005 · 844 posts
ok...it's been a while since I reviewed this book's recipes, and I can't remember what I already reviewed so here's a bunch.
Sweet potato & black bean tortillas (yuca tortilla variation): YUM. absolutely delicious. especially with some hot sauce and the fresh, soft tortillas we have at our farmer's market! I wish I had sweet potatoes all the time so I could eat these every day.
Quinoa Salad w/Black bean & mango: also yum, but not something I'll make often because I never buy mango. (this recipe would be nothing without the mango though!)
black bean burgers: I liked these. they did lack flavour though, so I added a bit of liquid smoke. I also used cornmeal in place of the breadcrumbs because we never have those at my house. These are great to make in a huge batch and then freeze for later.
chile-cornmeal crusted tofu: not bad. I liked the texture of the coating but the flavour wasn't strong enough for me - i think the tofu should either be marinated in something before the coating, or the coating needs stronger flavour (to be fair I have mild chili powder, but even with a spicier one I would have liked a more full flavour in general)
Acorn squash, pear & adzuki soup with sauteed shiitakes: this was pretty good. The mushrooms on top were my favourite part - absolutely delicious! juicy and flavourful. The soup itself was ok, but I think the whole thing should be pureed, or else everything but the beans, to give it a better texture.
Tempeh shepherdess pie: AMAZING. Tempeh is the shiz but I usually have it bacon-style or with maple. however, this was awesome.
Plantain & Pinto Bean stew: also amazing! I found a pair of conjoined plantains that i just had to get, & didn't know what to use them for..glad I decided on this recipe. I'd make it on a regular basis if plantains were a part of my regular grocery trips.
Lentils & Rice with caramelized onions: this didnt do it for me, for some reason...I was so excited for the caramelized onion goodness that I felt kinda let down. It took a long time to make too. The spiced pita crisps were good though.
apricot bbq sauce: SWOON. DROOL. words cannot describe how amazing this is! The first time I made it I only had dried apricots, which didn't do it justice...fresh ones make it absolutely amazing.
cheezy sauce: it's been a while, but I remember this being good and not too complicated.
Tempeh Shepherdess Pie
So tasty! I used a little less oil than the recipe suggested but still turned out great! The portion sizes are pretty big so you definitely get 8 meals out of this.
I made the Chocolate Chip Brownie Waffles this morning after drooling over the recipe forever. I made a few changes: whole wheat flour instead of white, unsweetened applesauce instead of oil, less sugar, and chocolate almond milk for all of the liquid. I also used dark mini chocolate chips to avoid chopping.
They turned out beautifully - crispy on the outside and gooey-chocolatey-fluffy on the inside . They were more than sweet enough for me and I think I will cut the sugar back even further the next time. Oh, yes. There will be a next time! Yum!
Red lentil cauliflower curry - I found out through this dish that I absolutely hate parsnip. After picking it out, this dish is awesome! It has the perfect amount of spices.
Pumpkin saag - Not worth the work. It was just so bland.
Spicy tempeh and broccoli rabe - I didn't like this at all but I guess it's because I like tempeh in certain things and not others. I made it for my partner and she said it was edible but she wouldn't request it again.
Pumpkin baked ziti - This was good but it wasn't anything I would make again in the future. I felt like the best part of the dish was the bread crumbs.
Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms
Things take longer to cook the higher up you are, so I had to add more liquid while they were cooking. That being said, the flavor was good(I love tarragon), but really not mind-blowing. Probably won't make them again, and if I do, I'll use the crockpot.
Tomato rice soup with roasted garlic and navy beans
This is pretty good. I halved the recipe, but should have used the full 2 heads roasted garlic. I couldn't really taste the 1 head that much...and I roasted them just for this. I guess my brown rice was short grain (I couldn't tell!) because it didn't really cook that well. I think the beans really add a lot, and it definitely seems like it will be much better later. Wouldn't make again specifically, but tasty and filling.
terry's favorite almond cookie-
I liked these! I made them without almond extract which is really sad but i didn't have any and i really wanted to try these. i am sure they are a thousand times better with the necessary extract, but i liked them nonetheless.
wheat free chocolate chip cookies-
I made these exactly to the recipe & they came out very.. soft and crumbly. I know it says in the description that that is how this recipe is supposed to be, but i wasn't really into them.
Lower fat banana bread
I think it's obvious how versatile this recipe is. I was planning on adding walnuts, but forgot. She talks about adding chocolate chips, but there's no mention of how many she would add (I wasn't planning on using any, but noticed). I used 3 bananas, 1/4 cup+ a bit oil, no applesauce, and some added almond milk. It's good, but not my fave banana bread. It's addicting and tasty, though. I think I baked 50 minutes. Nice dark color with the molasses.
Lower fat banana bread
This turned out wonderfully! I loved the flavor (and color) the molasses added. I used 2 med/lg bananas and went all out...added walnuts AND chocolate chips. I used probably around 1/4 cup of each...a few handfuls. Otherwise, I stuck to the recipe and then baked it for about 50 minutes.
Smoky red peppers 'n' beans gumbo
I can't believe NO ONE'S reviewed this. This is one of the first recipes i ever wanted to make out of vcon when i got it a year and a half ago but never did. instead of the okra (I didn't have any and i'm not really sure if I like it because i've never had it) I used a whole bunch of celery and added about 1/2 tsp gumbo file powder. I also didn't have any green bell peps, and this calls for two of them, so i just added an extra red bell pepper. I don't eat seitan a lot and it is recommended in one of the side columns of this recipe, so i added about 1/2 cup leftover grilled tofu. I really, really liked this. It comes out as a really thick type of stew.. i guess that's what gumbo means anyway? I have lots of leftovers in my fridge and i will definitely be making this again as the weather moves into coldness.
Herb scalloped potatoes
I liked these way more than I thought I would (I didn't like the lemony roasted potatoes). These are just really savory and yummy. The layering is confusing, but I think it's just one layer? So they all cook through and the top gets browned. I dunno, I might just do a smaller dish next time. I think the flavors are perfect for these taters. I had quite a bit of sauce, but that's ok. I just wouldn't be able to serve them on a plate without the sauce running into everything. Will make again.
Mediterranean olive oil and lemon vinaigrette
Really good! Simple, but nice. I think I would add a little extra lemon juice next time. I used fresh basil for dried, but otherwise followed recipe. It's hard to find dressings that P likes, but he liked this one pretty well. Nice, basic lemon vinaigrette.
Tamarind Lentils
These were awesome! I bought an entire thing of tamarind paste for this recipe and I am not disappointed I did. The tamarind wasn't overpowering and the combination of the sweet and sour paired well with the Sauteed Spinach and Tomatoes and basmati rice. Will defiinitely be making a reappearance at my table.
Pumpkin crumb cake with pecan streusel
I read these reviews beforehand, so I tried to do a few things differently. I added a bit of extra liquid to the streusel, but then I just had to add more flour. I used a bit less sugar and oil in the cake, and was extra careful about mixing. I think my pan was 11x7, so the cake rose really tall! I baked for 45 minutes, but my topping got a bit too done. (I even tried the powdered sugar glaze, but it just oozed into the cake) I would call the cake moist, but not really gummy. It's getting close, but not gummy. It might have used the 5 more minutes, but the topping would have been completely burned. Anyway, I think it's lovely. I think it could use even more spice, and I'd probably leave the sugar as is, but it's good. I like the height, so I'd stick with the 11x7 next time.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs965.snc4/75878_10150304429200533_507120532_15815958_2541023_n.jpg
Mushroom gravy
Yeah, this is a good gravy. I like the method of always mixing the flour with the broth; always works well. I added a bit of chopped bell pepper that I had leftover. Halved the recipe, and was still a good amount. Would make again. Make sure you have a flavorful broth.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs993.snc4/76666_10150306733385533_507120532_15839846_8198146_n.jpg
Chickpeas romesco - Why isn't this getting the love here? I loved this dish! I roasted my own peppers (3) and served it with brown rice. Creamy, spicy, salty, sweet.. perfect.
Tamarind lentils - Another one of my favourite dishes. Healthy too. I add more tamarind paste though. Spicy, sweet, succulent lentils served with rice. Yum!
Vanilla yogurt pound cake - I made the lemon variation and was digging on the taste and texture. It's so light and super moist it feels like it melts in your mouth. It took me a lot longer than the 65 minutes for it to bake but it ended up setting nicely.
Red lentil cauliflower curry
I thought this was pretty tasty. I didn't simmer for nearly as long as indicated...the lentils began to mush after about 10 min and all the broth had been absorbed, so I added some more water and then simmered until the cauliflower was tender. I also used a potato instead of a parsnip.
http://i52.tinypic.com/eafskh.jpg
Seitanic Red and White Bean Jambalaya I WISH I had taken heed from previous reviewers, who were spot on. Less rice and more spices would have made this better. The rice overshadowed the other ingredients. :err:
Granted, it turned out to be an okay comfort food, but it made a LOT (I could scarcely fit it into the biggest casserole dish I own, and it spilled over in the oven), and more spices would be be nice. (I even used the fresh thyme- I LOVE thyme!). I'll definitely make it again, but with revisions.
blinknoodle- I look forward to making the Chickpeas Romesco, based on your review. Thank you for this!
Cheezy Sauce:
I wanted to make mac & cheez, but didn't want to make the usual veganyumyum one which includes food processors, potatoes, and other things, so I made this and added some pasta and veggies. YUM. I thought about making the Mac Daddy recipe, but the added tofu and other things sounded too complicated for what my laziness allowed. I quartered this recipe (but used the full amount of garlic, he he) and it was still enough to cover an entire package of trader joe's brown rice elbows. Mine also thickened up a lot, I'm not sure why others' didn't?
Low fat banana bread:
This turn out really moist and yummy. I added a dash of nutmeg and a half cup of mini chocolate chips. I did have to increase the baking time to about an hour because mine was still not testing done in the center.
Spinach Kugel:
I substituted slightly pre-wilted and chopped kale for the spinach which turned out yummy. I eyeballed the dill and so used plenty of fresh chopped which was amazing in it. I also increased the lemon by A LOT. I think I could have left it at increasing it by two tablespoons. I also found that the onion stayed a bit on the raw side, it would have been better sauteed before hand. It was really yummy fresh out of the oven, although a tad dry. Unfortunately, the recipe made a TON so storing it in the fridge just made it more dry. Maybe decreasing the amount of breadcrumbs to just one cup might help? I added a few tablespoons of water to my plate when reheating and that seemed to help as well.
ok...it's been a while since I reviewed this book's recipes, and I can't remember what I already reviewed so here's a bunch.
Sweet potato & black bean tortillas (yuca tortilla variation): YUM. absolutely delicious. especially with some hot sauce and the fresh, soft tortillas we have at our farmer's market! I wish I had sweet potatoes all the time so I could eat these every day.
Quinoa Salad w/Black bean & mango: also yum, but not something I'll make often because I never buy mango. (this recipe would be nothing without the mango though!)
black bean burgers: I liked these. they did lack flavour though, so I added a bit of liquid smoke. I also used cornmeal in place of the breadcrumbs because we never have those at my house. These are great to make in a huge batch and then freeze for later.
chile-cornmeal crusted tofu: not bad. I liked the texture of the coating but the flavour wasn't strong enough for me - i think the tofu should either be marinated in something before the coating, or the coating needs stronger flavour (to be fair I have mild chili powder, but even with a spicier one I would have liked a more full flavour in general)
Acorn squash, pear & adzuki soup with sauteed shiitakes: this was pretty good. The mushrooms on top were my favourite part - absolutely delicious! juicy and flavourful. The soup itself was ok, but I think the whole thing should be pureed, or else everything but the beans, to give it a better texture.
Tempeh shepherdess pie: AMAZING. Tempeh is the shiz but I usually have it bacon-style or with maple. however, this was awesome.
Plantain & Pinto Bean stew: also amazing! I found a pair of conjoined plantains that i just had to get, & didn't know what to use them for..glad I decided on this recipe. I'd make it on a regular basis if plantains were a part of my regular grocery trips.
Lentils & Rice with caramelized onions: this didnt do it for me, for some reason...I was so excited for the caramelized onion goodness that I felt kinda let down. It took a long time to make too. The spiced pita crisps were good though.
apricot bbq sauce: SWOON. DROOL. words cannot describe how amazing this is! The first time I made it I only had dried apricots, which didn't do it justice...fresh ones make it absolutely amazing.
cheezy sauce: it's been a while, but I remember this being good and not too complicated.
...I think that's it for now!
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