Notes about Recipes in this book

• Peach and tomato panzanella

  • dinnermints on August 18, 2022

    A lovely fresh panzanella for the summer season. I added 1/2 tsp salt to the dressing and 1/2 tsp of salt at the end, but would likely decrease salt at the end and salt the onions as they're roasting. I roasted instead of grilled the onions and peaches - the author indicates peaches should be ripe, but for grilling or roasting, they should also be firm. I used a cup of chopped basil rather than a "handful" per the author - why skimp on basil in a panzanella?? Very good, though - would repeat.

• Naked taco bowl

  • Nancith on July 22, 2020

    This was remarkably yummy. With no tomatoes on hand, red peppers were subbed in & added a nice crunch. Rather than keep the roasted sweet potatoes a separate element, they were just added to the black bean salsa. Since green cabbage was on hand, that's what I used, although red cabbage looks more striking in the book's photo. Thawed frozen corn worked just as well as fresh, & I made the chipotle cream from dairy sour cream & yogurt instead of cashew cream. Very satisfying & filling. A great dish for a summer meal.

• Warm salad of roasted cauliflower, grapes, and forbidden black rice

  • Nancith on May 18, 2019

    This was utterly delicious--even hubby thought so, although the cilantro was not his favorite. Really interesting combo of flavors enhanced by the miso-lemon-tahini dressing. Visually appealing as well, although not as vibrantly colored as the book photo; the sauce & the black rice muddy the look somewhat. The grapes provide a nice pop of sweetness in contrast to the overall savory-ness.

• Late autumn/winter bowl

  • Nancith on November 18, 2025

    Very delicious, though labor intensive, bowl! Very well received by my lunch guests. The suggested dressings didn't appeal to me so I used a balsamic-maple syrup-Dijon vinaigrette which worked well with the dish. Did add in the optional shredded cabbage which added a nice touch of crunchiness to the other softer elements. Didn't use the optional pickled red onion but I do think that would add a nice extra bit of sharpness.

• Lemony teff polenta with tahini, leeks, and chickpeas

  • dinnermints on March 30, 2023

    Great flavors - the sweetness of the leeks with the nutty tahini is lovely. I used 2 cups cooked chickpeas and subbed chicken broth for chickpea broth. Used 1/2 T olive oil in the tahini sauce, 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil total in the teff, and 1 T olive oil (forgot to use coconut oil) in the leeks. Added 1/2 tsp salt to teff and another 1/2 tsp to the leeks. The texture and flavor of the teff polenta was also delicious and a good pairing. Served with some shaved parmesan on top. Would make again.

• Creamy coconut lentils with broccoli

  • Nancith on May 29, 2020

    Nice recipe, great flavors--even my husband, who is not fond of broccoli, gave it a thumbs up largely due to the coconut lentils. The lime-coconut-tamari-ginger is a winning combo, & has mellow & bright notes. The only drawback is that the appearance is not as vibrant as in the book photo; all components are ultimately cooked together (it IS a stew), but the photo is more like a composed dish, which could be an alternative way of serving it.

• Spaghetti squash ramen with marinated tempeh

  • Nancith on April 08, 2019

    This recipe required quite a few steps & more dirty vessels than I like on a weeknight. The result was visually appealing, but seemed to lack depth of flavor, & was rather bland. Can't find kombu around here which the broth needed & just used kelp seasoning sprinkles & seaweed snacks which was probably part of the flavor issue. The marinated tempeh was the star, flavor-wise--very tasty!. This dish has potential, but needs some punching up.

• Curried bean and Brussels sprouts stew with roasted kabocha squash

  • Nancith on September 26, 2019

    Very appealing visually, very tasty as well, leaning towards a Thai curry flavor. Didn't have adzuki, so used canned cannellini beans, which were fine, but resulted in a thinner broth. I think it would be worth the extra effort to prepare your own beans as recipe says, to get a thicker & more flavorful broth. Didn't have cilantro either, which would be a great addition. Makes a large potful!

• Cauliflower riceless risotto with spinach and corn

  • Nancith on April 02, 2019

    Very yummy! Nice textures & meld of flavors--even my meat-loving hubby enjoyed this with no meat on the side! I did add a few tiny potatoes that needed using, diced small, and forgot about the lemon zest, but the flavor was still bright & enticing. Added a little Parmesan as per the option, but I think the other option of feta might be even better. Easy to prepare, except that my food processor had konked out, so had to use a hand chopper for the cauliflower. Great way to use up partial amounts of veggies.

• Cranberry pear crumble bars

  • Kattancock on October 18, 2020

    Really nice bars! Definitely on the healthier side - if you like things to be sweeter you could add more sugar to the filling.

• Eat Your Books

  Anya makes plant-based cooking crave-worthy and easy in her second cookbook, Simply Vibrant.

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