VW'S 2012 COOKING CHALLENGE IS BACK HERE IS THE LIST!!! WEEK 8
We have all decided this cooking challenge will begin Monday 1/9/12 and end 12 weeks later on Sunday 4/1/12.
Each week will consist of 2 ingredients and 2 themes specified below. You can use however many ingredients/ themes specified for the given week.
Example for Week 1: You could use both black beans and mango (Ingredients) and the Caribbean/ Tropical (Theme) in 1 dish or you could just make 1 dish focusing on black beans.
Try to make a dish a day if possible or hit all 4 specified items that week.
Please try to take pictures if you are able and upload them. If not, it is still ok, a recipe review works fine (But ya'll know we vegans like some food porn).
On to the List:
Week 1 (1/9/12-1/15/12): Mango, Black beans, A cookbook(s) you haven't used since going vegan, and Caribbean/Tropical
Week 2 (1/16/12-1/22/12): Miso, Shrooms, Bryanna Clark Grogan, Chinese
Week 3 (1/23/12-1/29/12): Cayenne pepper, Buckwheat, Dip/ Condiment, Ethiopian
Week 4 (1/30/12-2/5/12): Leeks, Pineapple, Fusion cuisine, Soup
Week 5 (2/6/12-2/12/12): Lentils/Split Peas/ Dried Beans, Millet, Indian, DIY Milk and Ice Cream
Week 6 (2/13/12-2/19/12): Asparagus, Tempeh, Donna Klein, Italian/ Mediterranean
Week 7 (2/20/12-2/26/12): Silken Tofu, Cashew, Isa/Terry, Latin
Week 8 (2/27/12-3/4/12): Jackfruit, Coconut, Crockpot, Moroccan
Week 9 (3/5/12-3/11/12): Cabbage, Fresh Herbs (Mint, Thai Basil, Thyme), Raw, Salad (Pasta, Kale, Coleslaw, etc)
Week 10 (3/12/12-3/18/12): Eggplant, Chile Peppers, Robin Robertson,Thai
Week 11 (3/19/12-3/25/12): Quinoa, Amaranth, Colleen Patrick G., Meatloaf/ Loaf/ Roast
Week 12 (3/26/12-4/1/12): Broccoli, Polenta, Fermented/ Pickled, Blog/Online/VWRecipes
Post your stuffs on here!
OMG YAY!!!!!
amy I always soak lentils unless they are the split kind (like the common skinned split red lentils). Even soaking them for two hours or so makes them more digestible. You don't HAVE to but there are some chefs who advise it and I find it makes thema lot less gassy and cuts down on the cooking time, which is helpful at dinner time.
For the longest time I could not log into vegweb... but that was not because I was not cooking! Here is what I have done for the last 3 weeks of the challenge:
Week 5 (2/6/12-2/12/12): Lentils/Split Peas/ Dried Beans, Millet, Indian, DIY Milk and Ice Cream
For Lentils (technically this is Bengali):
Toasted Green Lentils with Spinach from 660 Curries
-This is a simple bean and green curry with moong dal that is toasted so that it keeps its shape and has a nutty flavour. Spinach is added along with fennel and cloves for a unique but nice flavour. With 3 cups of water, this was rather soupy, so I would decrease it next time. Also forgot to add turmeric because it wasn’t in the directions... but a quick curry that is different than the ordinary. Yum!
For Indian:
Chana Saag from What Would Cathy Eat?
I absolutely adored the dal palak recipe on my blog and I was curious about trying out this chana saag (Indian Chickpea and Spinach Curry). Because it also has tomatoes, it was not at all like dal palak, but it was tasty in its own right. Subtly spicy with a great mix of flavours. I still find it amazing how much spinach wilts down.
Recipe here: http://www.whatwouldcathyeat.com/2011/03/chickpea-and-spinach-curry-chana-saag/
Chana Masala from PPK:
R made this and he was positively smitten. I liked it, too, having searched for a bright and flavourful chana masala. Subbed 28oz canned tomatoes. The tamarind adds a nice tang that works well with the tomato.
Recipe here: http://www.theppk.com/2011/08/chana-masala/
For DIY Milk:
Chai-Spiced Cashew Milk Tea - inspired by Choosing Raw
I have never seriously considered making homemade nut milk but decided to give it a go for the challenge! Thank you! I actually made a creamy chai tea: I brewed 1 cup of tea with my favourite chai rooibos, added that with the cashews, date and vanilla for a very glorious creamy tea. Yum!
Original recipe: http://www.choosingraw.com/vanilla-cashew-milk/
Week 6 (2/13/12-2/19/12): Asparagus, Tempeh, Donna Klein, Italian/ Mediterranean
For Mediterranean:
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad from 2WWS
I really liked this! A perfect combination of stir-fried sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes with chickpeas overtop fresh spinach. I used more greens. Lovely Mediterranean salad. :)
Fresh Greek Delight from RHIW - I made this with a collard wrap and omitted the olive oil. Added garlic sprouts. Loved it!
Recipe here: http://rhiw.blogspot.com/2011/03/fresh-greek-delight.html
White Bean Farro Soup with Chickpea Parmigiano from Terry's new cookbook
The tester recipe does not much special for the soup but the chickpea parmigiano adds a nice dimension- it is more lemony than cheesy though. We ate the leftovers over besan chilla, of all things. ;)
Week 7 (2/20/12-2/26/12): Silken Tofu, Cashew, Isa/Terry, Latin
For Isa/Terry and Latin:
Butternut Rancheros at PPK
First my modifications: I used a kabocha squash roasted with hazelnut oil. I substituted 2 green chilis for the jalapeno and increased the garlic to 6 cloves. It was a very simple meal to prepare and tastes very good. A smooth flavourful tomato sauce coats black beans and it contrasts well with the sweet roasted squash.
Recipe here: http://www.theppk.com/2010/11/butternut-rancheros/
For Latin:
Pineapple and Cucumber Guacamole from Truly Mexican
This was the hit of the party. Cooling cucumber and sweet pineapple adds an extra dimension to this chunky guacamole. I had it as a dip but also made wraps with cabbage, carrot, cilantro, pickled red onions, alfalfa sprouts and sunflower seeds.
Recipe here: http://blogs.buffalonews.com/hungryformore/2011/06/recipe-pineapple-and-cucumber-guacamole.html
For Cashew (and kind of Latin):
Raw Burrito (Collard Wrap filled with Jicama, Sprouts and a Nacho Cashew Spread) - my own creation
I made my own raw collard burritos filled with julienned jicama, sprouts and a cashew nacho cheese sauce. The cheese sauce was of my own creation with sweet smoked paprika, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper paste and nutritional yeast. It was really good!
Been off for technical difficulties...I might join back up on Monday. I'm curious to use jackfruit. Sexy Vegan has a recipe that really looked good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ep4n8oueTI&context=C3152f7fADOEgsToPDskI39q7ePGZTVRxcEN_R9MWg
I have two super delicious right here so I think I'll stop... R used the crockpot for beef brisket. Dos that count? ;)
Week 8 (2/27/12-3/4/12): Jackfruit, Coconut, Crockpot, Moroccan
Carolina BBQ-inspired pulled "pork" from Clean Green Simple
This was my first time using jackfruit and I really liked it. R made beef brisket in the slow cooker and I made this on the stovetop and oven. His took 8 hours, mine only 1 hour. Of course, it is all about the sauce. This has a tangy BBQ sauce which I liked (omitted the cayenne and added in some red pepper paste). Worked really nicely well in a wrap with shredded Romaine, chopped tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, sliced cabbage, avocado and the pickled red onions. Also really nice with the pineapple and cucumber guacamole.
Recipe here: http://cleangreensimple.com/2011/05/carolina-pulled-pork-sandwich/
Plantains and Cabbage with Split Pigeon Peas from 660 Curries
OMG this was so good. The best curry I’ve ever had, I think. I used frozen coconut for the first time and a super ripe (ie all black) plantain. It is simmered with split pigeon peas and cabbage. Spices are coriander, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Sinfully delicious.
Thanks for hanging in there blink. I don't think I'll complete the challenge because of the technical difficulties. After I made the above post, my browser was advising me to not come to this website, but today it didn't. When it says don't come, I don't come. Sucks. Next challenge perhaps.
Yeah, I have been getting those warnings, too. They come and go.
I also think I caught a virus at work visiting vegweb. :(
Week 8 (2/27/12-3/4/12): Jackfruit, Coconut, Crockpot, Moroccan
Same here, "computer says nooooo" = a definite NO. :(
But no warnings today so I can finally share the one appropriate dish I made last Wednesday: roasted eggplant-tahini soup with Ras-el-hanout, a Moroccan spice blend. The original recipe has yogurt, which I of course skipped. You could use some soy cream or soygurt to garnish but I didn't find it necessary. My globetrotter friend said the taste of this soup transported her right back to Morocco! ;D
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6805980088_316fed49e7_m.jpg
It's a complete coincidence that this dish fit the challenge, as I only bumped into it on Saturday. ;) I thought about cheating and also post the carrot-walnut salad I made that night, but that's Turkish and I like to play fair. Hehe.
Working on my menu plan right now, so let's see what I can do with this week's challenge!
Looks good. I just got some Ras-el-hanout at the spice shop the other day and I like it.
I will persevere... this is what I made for last week:
Week 9 (3/5/12-3/11/12): Cabbage, Fresh Herbs (Mint, Thai Basil, Thyme), Raw, Salad (Pasta, Kale, Coleslaw, etc)
For cabbage:
Japanese Okonomiyaki Veggie Pancake from Big Vegan
I was drawn to this recipe because it uses tofu as the base and you bake it as a huge pancake instead of making it on the stovetop. It took more like 60 minutes to bake but it was delicious. I didn't make the side sauces, just topped it with shredded nori and black sesame seeds. R topped it with bonito flakes, Japanese mayo and tonkatsu sauce.
For cabbage, salad and raw::
Hearty Salad with Smoky Avocado and Cumin Dressing from Choosing Raw
I used the dressing with sliced collards, Napa cabbage, Asian pear, red peppers, sprouted chickpeas and sprouts. The dressing is a hearty smoky dressing. It works well with a toothsome salad, such as this. Not sure it would go so well with baby leafy greens.
Recipe here: http://www.choosingraw.com/smoky-avocado-and-cumin-dressing/
For fresh herbs:
Shiitake-Basil Spring Rolls from Two Week Wellness Solution:
I liked these. My only changes were subbing kelp noodles for the bean thread noodles and baby spinach for the Romaine. I also used less cilantro and basil and chopped the green onion as per emd’s suggestion. I used collard instead of rice paper. The dipping sauce really brings these rolls to the next level.
For raw:
Sweet Potato Mushroom Sliders from Rawmazing:
I wanted to put my dehydrator to the test for a real raw goodie. This was great! A good combo of ingredients and the flavours really popped. I bet these could be baked, too, with good results.
Recipe here: http://www.rawmazing.com/raw-food-sweet-potato-mushroom-sliders/
I didn't do too well on week 9's challenge and forgot to keep track, but here's my update anyway.
Cabbage:
~ Aw, I know I used cabbage (because I had some and now I don't) but can't remember what for. Probably added it to salads and stirfry and such.
Fresh herbs (cilantro, thyme):
- Leftovers from last week's Moroccan roasted eggplant soup, topped with fresh cilantro
- Pumpkin soup with fresh cilantro
- Oven-roasted root vegetables with fresh thyme
Salad:
- Green salad (different kinds of lettuce, seeweed, gherkin, cucumber, green jalepeno peppers, sesame seed & croutons) with miso dressing from 'La Dolce Vegan!'
- Green salad with awesome tomato-tahini dressing
- Other salads of which I forgot the details (and I didn't add them to Evernote Food app - it was a hectic week)
Raw:
~ No idea whether my salads were raw as well since I don't know about the production of vinegar et cetera.
It's a pity because I really felt like challenging myself with a raw recipe!
Your salads sound raw to me! Your tomato-tahini dressing sounds delicious. :)
Glad you guys are hanging in there.
I decided to jump back in although few a few days this week I was blocked from the site again. Because I get blocked so much, I'm starting early on next week's challenge.
For both the eggplant and Robin Robinson challenge, from her book "Carb Conscious Vegetarian" (an all vegan book) I made "Caponata-topped baked tofu triangles"......it has eggplant, tomatoes, olives, and capers and was most delish. The tofu is simply sliced, brushed with tamari and olive oil for eight minutes on each side and was quite tasty.
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/422563_3064979222291_1197836956_32376737_1194607484_n.jpg
Finishing up the challenge I used chili peppers in this Thai stir-fried noodles with tofu dish from the Thai section in "The Asian Vegan Kitchen". It was very very good. Loved it. (Full review in the cookbook forum).
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/422055_3069992747626_1197836956_32379132_1269264708_n.jpg
Glad people are back!
Week 10 (3/12/12-3/18/12): Eggplant, Chile Peppers, Robin Robertson,Thai
For Thai:
Curry Pineapple with Parsnip Rice from Rawmazing:
This is a raw version of Thai pineapple fried rice. I modified it slightly - decreased the currants and cashews, increased the curry powder and added lime juice. Did not make the mache dressing. But you know what, it was great! Super flavourful! This was my first time making parsnip rice and I’ll definitely do it again. :)
Recipe here: http://www.rawmazing.com/curry-pineapple-with-parsnip-rice/
Sexy Saucy Noodles from Two Week Wellness Solution
I really liked the “Thai Skinny Dipping Sauce” that I made for the wraps, so I tried it with this dish as well. I subbed kelp noodles again and upped the veggies (3 cups broccoli and 3 cups chopped king oyster mushrooms). I didn’t need to use a full cup of sauce but I am sure even more would be wonderful.
Thai Skinny Dipping Sauce from Two Week Wellness Solution
I thought this was going to be a mainstream coconut-peanut sauce, but I was wrong! It was Delicious! Cilantro and ginger are the dominant flavours with a backdrop from the basil. The coconut milk and peanut butter make it creamy. Make the full recipe, you won’t be sorry. You might end up eating half of it with crackers like I did!
For Chile Peppers:
Black Bean Soup with Chocolate and Chillies with an Avocado Salsa from For the Love of Food
This was an interesting soup with the chocolate infused into the soup along with black beans, red pepper and the green chiles. I added aleppo chili flakes instead of the chipotle. It was quite a heavy soup but still good. There wasn’t much salsa but it was a nice touch since it had a brightness lacking from the soup.
Recipe here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/8430154/Black-bean-soup-with-chocolate-and-chillies-and-avocado-salsa.html
For eggplant:
Eggplant and Black Eyed Pea Curry from PPK
This is a nice curry but we had to increase the curry powder to make it more flavourful (added in an extra 2 tbsp or more). The cayenne made this a bit too spicy for me but ok for R. I liked the combination of beans. It makes A LOT of food though - be warned!
Recipe here: http://www.theppk.com/2012/01/eggplant-black-eyed-pea-curry/
sorry this died out like vw did :(
i will try to get back on the cooking bandwagon, i feel so so behind!
sorry this died out like vw did :(
i will try to get back on the cooking bandwagon, i feel so so behind!
I felt the same way and just looked ahead instead without trying to do anything about what I missed. bleh
For both the eggplant and Robin Robinson challenge, from her book "Carb Conscious Vegetarian" (an all vegan book) I made "Caponata-topped baked tofu triangles"
Oh My, that looks absolutely delish!
I'm not sure how much I'll be able to do this week, so I'm just going to post each theme when I've crossed it off.
Starting with quinoa: I made a Spring eQuinoax Bento yesterday to bring on a hike. Nothing fancy though.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7112/6856598628_171e601173_m.jpg
I used a Dutch recipe for South-West American quinoa salad from deVegetarier.nl. It sounded great: containing sweet potatoes, avocado, red bell pepper (I used orange), red onion, cilantro, pepitas, lime juice and red chili flakes, salt & pepper for spices. But it was a bit dull, even after adding some extra 'African Peper Mix' (containing citrus, garlic, salt & pepper) and resting until it was time to eat.
I also want to complain a little about the description of the recipe. Needed was 400 grams of cooked OR uncooked quinoa (which then of course had to be cooked, but it's strange the amount is the same, right?). It didn't say what to do with some of the ingredients and suddenly used others in finishing the salad. Nothing I couldn't figure out, but it's annoying.
All in all I'd say the salad was 'okay' but nothing special - and I don't think I'll make it again.
Looking forward to your results!
(Clicking on the pic will bring you to a post on Graasland showing a bigger photo.)
The website warned me not to come again this week, so I couldn't remember what the challenge was and missed it. As long as the site was up, I'll try again next week.
ANNOYING! :(
i forgot to update about the challenge so I am going to go back through my challenge and post them all on here and my blog.
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