Notes about Recipes in this book

• Whole wheat biscuits

  • louie734 on May 09, 2021

    Nicely done! Subbed out 1/2 c of one of the flours for some quick oats. Refined coconut in the freezer while measuring worked well. Used 1 T earth balance for that buttery aroma + 3 T coconut oil. Easy on the almond milk - don't dump it in all at once - I was barely able to work with it when I added around 2/3 cup. Throwing the dough in the freezer for a bit helps. Shaggy dough is best here though cause we love all the crispy bits - stacked a few layers of dough then patted down, used moistened fingers to help with shaping. Great treat at breakfast with some strawberry jam.

• Smoked almond and chickpea salad sammies

  • louie734 on May 09, 2021

    Love these sandwiches, so good. Smoked almonds for the win!

• Baked Spanish rice

  • louie734 on May 09, 2021

    This didn't make undercooked rice, but it didn't make good rice. This method left me with blown out, soggy grains in a pleasantly tomatoey sauce. Nope.

  • johnhowell on April 06, 2016

    not tried baking rice before but this is awesome - thought liquid was too spicy at first but it tempered during baking. Excellent texture and flavour

  • Zosia on June 26, 2016

    The ratio of liquid to rice looked very high so I used the proportions from Alton Brown's recipe in Food 52's Genius Recipes which meant reducing the liquid (sauce plus stock) to 3-1/4 cups. I used canned tomatoes (about 5 small) and added the frozen vegetables during the last 10 minutes of baking so their liquid could be absorbed. The rice was perfectly cooked and very flavourful.

  • Hannaha100 on October 02, 2016

    Pretty easy - in the oven and forget about it for an hour. Used the liquid proportions as given, came out fine. Would make again!

• Roasted beer and lime cauliflower tacos with cilantro coleslaw

  • consortiumlibrary on November 06, 2016

    Breakfast of champions! So good. So easy. Like "joyous," don't see point of beer blanch; didn't do it & didn't miss it. Cauliflower full of flavor, but not hugely spicy. Served cholula sauce & store-bought salsa on side for heat-lovers. Slaw perfect complement; I added thinly sliced red onions to it. Had & used flour tortillas; next time get corn for more flavor. Mixed together leftover cauliflower & slaw; enjoying now as lunch salad. Adding to regular rotation.

  • hyperbowler on February 16, 2017

    This was fine, but a lot less flavorful than comparable roasted cauliflower recipes. The blanching step was a waste of ingredients and makes me question the authors' understanding of how to cook.

  • peaceoutdesign on March 11, 2015

    Great veggie taco

  • joyous on April 07, 2016

    Not sure why the step of blanching the cauliflower is necessary. Didn't seem to add much flavor and I felt like I just poured the tasty liquid down the drain. Will skip this step next time as the roasted cauliflower was tasty.

  • Hannaha100 on October 11, 2016

    "Really good" was my meat-eating husband's verdict. The cauliflower was really tasty but a little too hot for me - avocado was essential! Made the slaw but used shop-bought salsa. Pretty allergy-friendly if careful about beer etc.

  • clcorbi on November 29, 2017

    Really delicious, with modifications. Like others have noted, the beer blanch seemed completely unnecessary, so I skipped it and instead mixed the lime juice, soy sauce and hot sauce in with the spice blend, and tossed it all together before roasting. I otherwise followed the recipe as written, although I didn't make the salsa, and I used a bag slaw mix rather than individually chopping the coleslaw components. These tacos are hearty and delicious, and we both devoured them. I wouldn't hesitate to make them again, especially since if you skip the blanching step, these come together quite quickly.

  • christineakiyoshi on June 04, 2021

    This is pretty tasty! I skipped the beer as others had mentioned. Love how the onions come out in this. Will definitely make this again.

• Quick lime and cilantro slaw

  • consortiumlibrary on November 06, 2016

    Easy & perfect with Cauliflower Tacos in same book, but Its bright flavor would be good with any kind of taco or spicy food. Glad I added thinly sliced red onion.

  • nadiam1000 on May 23, 2016

    I used a bag of pre-shredded tri-color slaw mix and did not add the carrot. Dressing fast and easy - really bright flavor - served with shrimp tacos. So fast and easy - this will definitely be made again.

  • peaceoutdesign on March 11, 2015

    good cabbage mix for fish tacos..or any

  • mamacrumbcake on May 18, 2016

    This was really good and easy. I see this becoming a permanent part of our family's Taco Tuesday every week.

  • Hannaha100 on October 11, 2016

    I loved the tangy dressing. Might mix up the veg next time. Allergy friendly.

  • skruse on June 06, 2020

    Delicious. I make it at least several hours to next day prior, to let the flavors marinade. Purple cabbage adds great color.

• Pumpkin chili

  • CRCarroll6 on January 03, 2015

    Had this at Kathy and Lee's house... Rika made it. Yum & easy in the Instant Pot.

  • Brieforme on April 27, 2015

    This was easy to make and tasty. Microwave pumpkin and blend for puree. Serve with couscous, sour cream and pickled chillies.

  • clcorbi on December 07, 2017

    This was a good chili and very easy, but a little too one-note for me. I found the large amount of chili powder (2.5T) really overwhelmed the other flavors. I couldn't taste the added pumpkin at all. Next time I'd decrease the chili powder and I'm sure I'd enjoy it more.

• White bean and rosemary hummus

  • Breadcrumbs on March 23, 2016

    p. 109 – Nothing new or innovative about this, just a solid recipe for a quick and tasty hummus – especially if you use canned beans which I did in this case. I went with fennel instead of rosemary this time around. Photo here: http://www.chowhound.com/post/show-spring-2016-meals-1034374?commentId=9828725

  • pennyvr on July 06, 2016

    Very easy

• Roasted chickpea and broccoli burritos

  • Breadcrumbs on May 10, 2016

    p. 165 – Another meatless Monday hit from this terrific book. I used 1 tin of chickpeas but kept other ingredient quantities the same and this was perfect for two diners. I used ½ tsp hot smoked paprika and ½ tsp of sweet smoked paprika vs 1 tsp of the latter and I also added ½ tsp of cayenne. This resulted in a good level of heat, present but not at all intense. I served this in soft taco boats topped with some grated cheddar which I melted. Photos here: http://www.chowhound.com/post/show-spring-2016-meals-1034374?commentId=9848127

  • radishseed on February 20, 2020

    The roasted beans and veggies taste great, but they are a bit dry. I sautéed some peppers, mushrooms, and kale and mixed it in with the leftovers, and that made a great burrito with a mix of textures.

  • clcorbi on December 12, 2017

    Really excellent. The filling is so flavorful. With some sliced avocado and salsa, these were just perfect and really hearty and filling. I will definitely repeat.

  • stevenpeters on February 25, 2018

    Good flavor but turned out a bit dry. Might be better served as tacos.

• Sweet corn and green chile baked flautas

  • Breadcrumbs on March 29, 2016

    p. 62 – Another quick, easy and satisfying dish from this book. While the bean mixture is seasoned, it doesn’t call for any chilies. I decided to add ½ tsp of cayenne however the filling was still a bit mild for our tastes so I’d use 1tsp next time or a blend of regular and hot chili powder. I also added some grated cheddar inside each wrap. I served these with a crisp iceberg lettuce, tomato and green onion salad with buttermilk dressing and the combination was terrific. The flautas would also be good on their own with a salsa or warm, spicy tomato sauce for dipping. Loved the corn in these. Most recently we served these for breakfast with warmed salsa and an over-easy egg atop. Photo here: http://www.chowhound.com/post/show-spring-2016-meals-1034374?commentId=9831280

  • milgwimper on November 17, 2015

    Made these and they tasted pretty good. We topped these with lettuce, cheese, onions and salsa and crema. I think eating them by themselves they were dry, and I have always like flautas with fresh veggies, and salsa. I thought I had placed my review for these a while ago. I would make these again, but I think they weren't as good as fried but much healthier I am sure.

  • texturedknitter on July 27, 2015

    Tried adding cheese for me, and pulled pork for my husband, but both became greasy from melting fats - the vegan original is better, even if you're not vegan! They are a bit dry to eat on their own, but great if you have a salsa or creamy jalapeno dressing to serve with them. This recipe has become one of my favorites for easy lunches at home - assemble, freeze, and bake as many as I want right from frozen.

• Spiced chickpea wraps with tahini dressing

  • Breadcrumbs on March 21, 2016

    p. 32 - This recipe exceeded my expectations and made for a delicious, satisfying meatless Monday meal. The secret is in the tahini dressing that adds the perfect amount of tang to the dish. I’d happily eat this on a regular basis and I rarely feel that way about a dish. I made one slight change by using 1 tsp sweet paprika and 1 tsp smoked vs 2 tsp of the smoked. I would increase the cayenne powder next time. Delighted to have discovered this recipe. Photo here: http://www.chowhound.com/post/show-winter-2016-meals-1030300?commentId=9827899

  • eliza on January 07, 2017

    My first recipe from this book, and a keeper. Very easy and quick to make, and very tasty. I used the full amount of the spices and found the heat just about right. I did add a bit of salt to the chickpeas at the end. I liked the tahini dressing, but next time I would add the liquids gradually to get the right consistency, rather than just stirring everything together, since mine was a little too runny. Will definitely make this again.

  • Zosia on June 21, 2016

    This was quick-cooking, light yet substantial and really quite delicious. The chickpeas were very flavourful and the dressing bright and tangy with nutty notes from the tahini. I omitted the wrap and served it as a salad with the chickpeas mounded on a mix of baby spinach, sliced carrots, cucumbers and radishes.

  • clcorbi on December 19, 2017

    Yum. I actually really loved this tahini dressing, despite the fact that I often don't like them. With crunchy cucumber slices and charred tortilla wraps, this made such a satisfying and easy weeknight dinner.

• Roasted Sriracha cauliflower bites with peanut dipping sauce

  • lorloff on August 29, 2022

    Had these at a friends house and they were excellent. It was served with the peanut dipping sauce. It was great and I look forward to repeating at home with some super fresh and delicious Sriracha made by a farmer at my local farmer’s market

  • Jojobuch on July 08, 2019

    Agree with the notes so far - you may even be able to skip the batter altogether, and coat the cauliflower with just the sauce to prevent it from getting soggy? I've used the peanut sauce separately, it was that good (e.g. spreading on sandwiches)

  • Hannaha100 on January 02, 2017

    This was a rare miss from this excellent book and I'm prepared to believe it could be user error. Cauliflower didn't crisp up as I was expecting - remained soggy, too much batter? Tray too crowded? That said, husband and baby ate without complaint. Both sauces excellent. Used wowbutter for peanut butter. If making again, make sauces in advance - too many components on the go at once.

  • raybun on November 26, 2016

    This was one of the first recipes I mentally bookmarked when I got the book. I finally got around to making them tonight, and will be repeating at every future opportunity! Excellent recipe, demolished by my guests.

  • clcorbi on September 03, 2018

    I also found that the cauliflower batter didn't work as written. Mine turned out soggy and, while the flavor was very good, the texture just wasn't right. Next time I'd try these with a different tempura batter. I did really like the peanut sauce, though.

• Roasted broccoli and millet pilaf

  • Astrid5555 on April 10, 2015

    A simple, ok side dish, nothing special.

  • clcorbi on November 29, 2017

    Agree that this was good but not really special. I think it could have used more broccoli (although a weight for the broccoli isn't given, so who knows how much the authors used). I substituted farro for the millet.

• Quinoa oatmeal

  • Astrid5555 on January 03, 2015

    Loved the idea of combining quinoa and oats, but needed something extra. Added some frozen blueberries and topped with desiccated coconut.

  • kimboston206 on January 21, 2016

    This is something I make frequently. Definitely something you can add fruit or nuts to. Love the extra crunch from the quinoa.

• Smoky maple marinade

  • Astrid5555 on March 23, 2015

    Did not have time to let the tofu marinate for 2 hours, but rather baked it in the oven with the marinade. Great smoky flavor, potential to become new favorite tofu marinade!

  • Hannaha100 on June 25, 2016

    Marinaded in fridge whilst I was at work. Swapped maple syrup for brown sugar. Lovely smoky flavour, one of the most successful tofu recipes I've ever used. Served in wraps with salad, peppers and chilli sauce for easy dinner. Even my tofu-sceptic husband was impressed!

• Carrot cake cookies

  • eliza on October 30, 2017

    Very simple to make, liked by our entire group. I used walnuts and dried cranberries. Baked 18 minutes at 350 convection. These are soft cookies, best eaten the same day; they become more cake-like once stored.

• Wedding soup with white bean balls and kale

  • notknapping on December 03, 2015

    This is quite good!

  • Zosia on July 10, 2016

    The vegetable soup base was good but the bean balls were almost too highly seasoned and I was quite disappointed that after all of the time and effort that went into making and baking them, they reverted to mash in the soup. Next time, I'll add only half the amounts of all of the flavourings to start, taste and go from there, and I'll add an egg so they hold together.

• Chickpeas and dumplings

  • notknapping on December 03, 2015

    Delicious, make this!

• Breakfast greens

  • notknapping on December 03, 2015

    I really like this for breakfast.

• Basic maple granola

  • julesamomof2 on February 05, 2018

    I have tried many, many granola recipes looking for the perfect one and for me it all comes down to the liquids and the ratios. I think this recipe may be the closest I've gotten to perfection as I see it. I may tweak the add-ins next time, and I did use the millet (because I had it and wanted to use it up). I also added in the dried cherries to keep the kids happy even though I find them to be too sweet.

  • averythingcooks on January 04, 2018

    I had MANY maple syrup/olive oil granola recipes on my bookshelf to choose from but I picked this one and we really like it. It has a lovely, not too sweet maple flavour and there are lots of possibilities to freestyle the add-ins. This time I used a mix of chopped pecans, slivered almonds & chopped whole almonds AND dried cranberries & chopped apricots. I did use extra oats in place of the millet as suggested in the recipe. In addition to a delicious jar of granola to eat with yogurt, I was able to fulfill my kitchen resolutions of cooking from the overflowing pantry & freezer AND making at least one new thing from every book on my bookshelf before summer!

• Coconut cornmeal cake

  • macfadden on February 17, 2015

    This cake is so good--very moist and with a much more interesting flavor than plain yellow cake. Doesn't need frosting. Really, truly delicious. I tell people about it all the time.

  • Hannaha100 on July 14, 2019

    Quite a straightforward recipe - my 3yo helped make it. Overall we liked it but didn't love it enough for a special occasion where you want wow factor. Slightly savoury taste, good with contrast of berries and cream as suggested. Having said that M1 loved this and asked for more. Next time try and find more of the fine cornmeal. Might be worth trying an additional flavour e.g. citrus. Coconut milk is nearly one can - 375ml.

• Strawberry shortcake

  • Zosia on July 01, 2016

    These were just okay. With coconut milk the only substantial source of fat, I used one with a high fat content. The cakes were tender but tasted strongly of whole wheat flour. We much preferred the taste and texture of the blueberry scones and will use that recipe as a shortcake base next time. I had hoped to try the vegan whipped cream but the high fat coconut milk remained emulsified even with several days refrigeration.

• Blueberry walnut lavender scones

  • Zosia on June 24, 2016

    These were very easy drop scones with a tender, cake-like crumb. The lavender was subtle and was a nice complement to the fruit and nuts. I would have preferred them a little sweeter and with more berries. At this time of year, my coconut oil is liquid so I added it with the almond milk.

• Whole wheat banana pancakes

  • Zosia on June 24, 2016

    Definitely light on the banana flavour but family loved them and no one's a vegan! There's a lot of baking soda in the recipe and not much acid to neutralize it so I added 2 tbsp white vinegar to the non-dairy milk (non-dairy buttermilk equivalent). The batter was thick but the pancakes were very light and fluffy. I used whole wheat pastry flour and my yield was 18 using 60ml batter each.

  • mamacrumbcake on May 19, 2016

    My kids (vegan teenagers) liked these, though they did say that the pancakes were a bit rubbery. I made it with whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour. I thought the pancakes were just OK and will continue searching for a vegan pancake recipe that I like better. I did think that 2 cups of almond milk would have been too much—1 3/4 cups made a batter with the right consistency. The banana flavor was hardly noticeable.

  • Hannaha100 on October 10, 2016

    These were a lovely weekend brunch, although I agree with Zosia, the banana flavour was fairly mild. We used gluten-free flour instead of pastry flour and 1/2tsp xantham gum with soy milk. These are small and thick Scotch-style pancakes rather than large thin English pancakes. Would make again!

• Lemon-mint quinoa

  • Zosia on June 23, 2016

    The simple dressing and mint added lots of fresh flavour and the almonds a wonderful crunch to this easy dish. It made a delicious lunch with the wilted greens, another recipe from the book.

• Corn and basil chowder

  • Zosia on June 23, 2016

    Delicious soup that reminds me a little of succotash with its inclusion of red pepper (which also tints the soup so it's a pretty pale orange) but the recipe seriously underestimates the time it takes to brown onions or simmer potatoes/vegetables until they're soft enough to puree easily. I added the naked cobs to the simmering soup for extra flavour.

• Wilted greens

  • Zosia on June 23, 2016

    The lemon juice and soy went really well with the kale but unless you like your tough greens to remain tough, cook time is too short. I steamed them with the water and soy for a few minutes with the lid on before stir frying them and adding the lemon juice.

  • Hannaha100 on December 03, 2017

    Didn't rate this method for spinach but really meant for tougher greens.

• Peach-mint sun tea

  • Zosia on July 23, 2018

    This was my first time using this method to brew tea and it worked very well, resulting in a strong tea without bitterness. The mint and peaches made this version very refreshing. Make sure to use very ripe, flavourful peaches so that their flavour comes through.

• Watermelon hibiscus coolers

  • Zosia on June 21, 2016

    The watermelon-hibiscus pairing works very well in this refreshing slushie with the hibiscus bringing a cranberry-like tartness and slight bitterness to the fruit.

• Lentil tacos with carrot-jicama slaw

  • Zosia on September 04, 2016

    These were a hit. The lentil-mushroom filling was hearty and meaty and would make an excellent side dish. The slaw added freshness and lightened the dish considerably. The rice vinegar added enough acidity that I omitted the lime and I also didn't make the fresh herb salsa.

  • clcorbi on December 20, 2017

    This was my first dud recipe from this otherwise-excellent book. To be fair, I didn't have jicama for the slaw so I substituted green apple, but otherwise I followed the recipe as written. I found the lentil/mushroom mixture to be very bland, which is surprising considering the normally bold flavors from this book. And the slaw just didn't seem to mesh well with it. I wouldn't repeat, especially when I could remake the excellent cauliflower tacos from this book instead.

• Vegetable pad Thai with dry-fried tofu

  • Zosia on July 01, 2016

    I did not care for this at all. The sauce was too sharp/acidic and the vegetables were lost in the overwhelming amount of noodles. The dry-fried tofu, however, is a definite keeper. It was quick cooking and had great texture...it just needed a good sauce.

  • Hannaha100 on October 10, 2016

    I've yet to have a dud recipe from this book. Our family loved it, including baby, even though my husband forgot the toppings, and I didn't have the heart to tell him. We used wide flat noodles rather than the thin ones in the picture. Because baby can't eat peanuts we used a drizzle of nut-free satay sauce instead, which I'm sure is probably culinary heresy. I guess toasted sunflower seeds might have worked? Quite doable for a weeknight, could make sauce and fry tofu in advance. Update: we made again - agree sauce is quite sharp, could dial back vinegar slightly but we all liked it. Made again with half the vinegar, tasty! Mushrooms were a great addition. M2 loved the noodles, M1 loved the veg/tofu.

• Cauliflower cream pasta with fresh herbs

  • Rradishes on April 08, 2022

    Great quick dinner, sauce tastes lemony and slightly cheese because of miso. Toddler liked as well

  • Hannaha100 on October 19, 2017

    I thought this was really good, even without miso which I didn't have. Used onion instead of garlic. Lovely creamy consistency and mild flavour. Toddler ate pasta but not spinach.

• Ginger-lime sparklers

  • ldtrieb on April 19, 2015

    We loved this, so easy and fresh tasting, we drank it plain but I can't wait to try it with gin. I used agave syrup but not as much as this recipe, just "to taste". My tonic was was also sweetened with agave.

• White bean and red lentil burgers

  • mamacrumbcake on July 05, 2016

    These are delicious and very flavorful vegan "burgers!" We served them on hamburger buns with sliced tomatoes and pickles and they were very satisfying. I think that even non-vegetarians would like this. I think these veggie burgers would be really nice cut into chunks and used as a burrito filling along with some salsa, guacamole, and other vegetables.

• BBQ bean burritos with grilled peach salsa

  • Hannaha100 on September 29, 2016

    Hands down one of the best things I've ever cooked. Delicious.Husband loved it (One for vegan doubters!). Would be great for informal dinner party. Gluten-free with GF wraps and tamari. Not too spicy. I used a chipotle and smoked paprika paste (2 generous tsp). Downside - although the components are all easy, overall it's a bit labour intensive. Definitely not one for work nights.

• Crispy millet and peanut butter buckeyes

  • Hannaha100 on June 17, 2017

    These were great! Used wowbutter due to nut allergies and it worked really well. Needs 3.5 hours in freezer but otherwise quick to make. Getting a perfect buckeye will take practice, I just rolled them in the chocolate in the end. Perfect for people whose sweet tooth runs a bit savoury.

• Spring veggie bowl with red curry lime sauce

  • Hannaha100 on October 17, 2016

    Totally unseasonal but this was delicious, even without the tofu (which I had left off the shopping list). Used wowbutter for peanut butter and honestly couldn't tell the difference. The lime and salt on the veggies was a complete revelation and will definitely use that again. Sauce too hot for baby but veggies and plain noodles went down well.

  • clcorbi on May 13, 2018

    Even with a lot of components, this meal is still fairly quick to throw together and very satisfying. I don't even think it needs to be a spring bowl, either--you could substitute basically any tender veggie you wanted, making this perfect for most seasons. Garnishes really help up the ante here--I also added extra lime juice to the curry sauce to brighten it. Of course, if you aren't vegan, a fried egg is also a really awesome addition to this bowl.

• Dry-fried tofu

  • Hannaha100 on October 13, 2016

    I really love tofu cooked this way - we've had it twice this week. Very healthy because no oil used.

• Roasted beet and quinoa salad

  • Hannaha100 on October 18, 2017

    Made a version of this with cooked (not roasted) beets. Nice. Toddler wouldn't eat.

  • clcorbi on January 23, 2019

    I think this salad is a good idea in theory, but the instructions don't really work as written--even if you cut the beets into very small chunks, it still takes longer than 20 minutes for them to roast, and at such a high roasting temperature they'll get too burnt on the outside before they've softened. Also, I think you need an aggressive amount of salt to make the flavors pop here, which isn't mentioned anywhere.

  • TNWalberg on May 19, 2020

    Great salad warm or cold - we like adding feta to the salad to add a salty kick. I roast the beets ahead of time in a big batch and then whip up this salad a day or two later.

• Roasted potato salad with fresh herbs

  • Hannaha100 on April 11, 2020

    Made with about 1/4 cup of parsley because I thought it might be overpowering but willing to admit I was wrong and would try the full amount next time. Didn't leave to chill because I don't plan that far ahead but still tasted great. Had kept some of the potatoes plain for kiddies and this method of roasting with skins on proved popular - was asked to repeat the next day! ETA: this was less popular when made as written. Kiddos prefer the potatoes hot!

  • averythingcooks on June 30, 2020

    I always feel odd reviewing Thug recipes because although I love their flavour profiles (and have 2 of their books) I often add meat. So here I am....I roasted the potatoes as instructed (with the paprika as recommended). In the last 10 minutes, I threw some yellow grape tomatoes into the pan. Once out of the oven/after some cooling, I tossed in a handful of roasted red peppers, chopped cooked mild Italian sausages and additional green onions. A good toss in the delicious herby vinaigrette (made exactly as written) and finished with chopped celery & some crumbled feta resulted in an awesome roasted potato salad bowl.

• Grilled eggplant with soba noodles

  • Hannaha100 on November 06, 2016

    Skipped the garlic and sesame due to household allergies but this was still a delicious lunch (had it with avocado and black pepper instead). Excited about leftovers! Internet has suggested perilla oil as a substitute for toasted sesame oil and poppy seeds/pumpkin seeds for sesame so will try this next time. Husband thought aubergine was tasty but didn't like the texture - don't think I'm going to win that battle. He did like soba noodles, can try those again.

  • msimfam on April 13, 2019

    Eggplant! Good review

  • WandaA on February 24, 2016

    Great lunch dish. Burst of Asian/Japanese flavours. Delicious!

  • Smokeydoke on February 24, 2017

    Had this for a light dinner, Mr. Smokey and I finished it off, no problem. Next time I'll serve this for lunch, as we were both still hungry. The dish felt a lot like a salad to me, probably because I added spinach to it. Soba noodles were delicious. Marinade was great but I felt like it could add an extra punch, maybe some red pepper flakes and more garlic next time?

• 5-spice fried rice with sweet potatoes

  • Hannaha100 on April 11, 2020

    Agreed, this makes a ton of rice - more of a main dish than side. I added cabbage instead of greens. Hot sauce on the side. M1 liked the veg but not the rice, M2 liked the rice but not the veg, I despair of my family sometimes. DH did like this. Turns out I'm mildly allergic to five spice so won't be repeating as written but will be a decent base recipe for vegan fried rice.

  • clcorbi on December 12, 2017

    This was a fine fried rice but not my favorite. I thought the 5-spice flavor felt a bit out of place. Also, this recipe makes a TON of fried rice--too much for me to fit comfortably in even my largest skillet. I think you'd need to either half the recipe or use two skillets to get a nice stir-fried dish out of this recipe. Even so, the finished dish was tasty enough.

  • Acarroll on October 29, 2021

    This was ok, but I'm still not sure how I feel about the 5-spice. Flavor is slightly off.

• Apple baked beans

  • Hannaha100 on December 03, 2017

    We had this with baked potato. Used 2 tins of cannellini beans, 1 carton passata and reduced stock to 1 cup. Liked it but a touch sweet - reduce sugar next time. Toddler ate!

  • clcorbi on November 29, 2017

    Really delicious. I grated the apple rather than cubing it, and added in a few tablespoons of tomato paste to sautee with the onion. I would repeat this.

  • averythingcooks on November 19, 2020

    This was mostly frustrating .......I am positive my beans are NOT “old” and I soaked them for 14 hours. The problem was that after the sauce and broth were added, it took a LONG time before the beans were even remotely soft enough to eat which also involve continual additions of broth. I did some research which says that acid (i.e. tomato and vinegar - both used here) can result in tough beans. I like the idea of the apple (I used a whole macintosh for a 1/2 recipe) so if I try again, I’ll start with cooked or canned beans and simmer them in the sauce (without all the broth) until it thickens and the flavours develop.

• Sweet potato, squash, and black bean enchiladas

  • Hannaha100 on April 16, 2017

    As with all enchiladas, this isn't a quick recipe but end result very nice. Sauce came out a bit thin. Husband said he didn't miss the cheese! Update: used leftover filling as pizza topping (tomato base)

• Mixed mushroom and spinach lasagna

  • Hannaha100 on January 16, 2019

    This was a lot of effort to make all the parts, definitely too much for a weeknight. However, DH quite liked it, even though not a mushroom fan so may use mushroom-pesto combination again.

• Mango curry

  • Hannaha100 on October 13, 2016

    For me this was good but not great. It needed something to counteract the sweetness of the mango. Maybe I didn't put enough ginger in. On the plus side, it was faster to cook than some curries and I really enjoyed the tofu.

• Silky roasted bell pepper pasta with zucchini and basil ribbons

  • Hannaha100 on September 28, 2016

    Creamy texture - a bit like a vegan carbonara. Too much vinegar left a strange aftertaste but worth trying again. Baby ate this quite happily. This would be a good one for hiding veggies for fussy eaters.

• How to roast your own bell peppers

  • Hannaha100 on September 28, 2016

    Timings for oven worked beautifully.

• Grilled peach salsa

  • Hannaha100 on October 02, 2016

    This was delicious and so unusual. Had to use jalapenos instead of serrano chiles. Although this recipe is quite straightforward, with the grilling of the peaches and the chilling of the salsa it took me quite a while overall. One to make ahead and impress guests with (or to make just a small amount). Baby was a fan of grilled peaches!

• Warm the fuck up minestrone

  • Hannaha100 on April 29, 2020

    We enjoyed this! M1 didn't like the lentils or celery and M2 would only eat the pasta and bread dipped in the soup but overall a pretty good result. I might try to cook the pasta for slightly less time next time because it goes slightly mushy but I think that's pretty normal for minestrone. A vegetable base would speed up the process because the onion carrot and celery goes on first. I think this would be fine without the potato. A great recipe for using up whatever you have left. Portion sizes about right - we had 4 adult and 2 children portions (with bread).

• Lemony red lentil soup

  • Hannaha100 on March 24, 2020

    Very easy and fairly quick to make. I enjoyed but thought it needed more lemon. I also liked the addition of coriander but didn't add as much as recommended. M1 not keen on lentils but ate it blitzed up. M2 ate some of the chunky veg.

  • JChef on January 27, 2018

    Used sweet potatoes instead of russets and added a dollop of sour cream. It was very tasty.

• Sweet citrus marinade

  • Hannaha100 on March 11, 2021

    Made a version of this with fresh orange juice, soy sauce, olive oil and brown sugar which went down well with family.

• Cold citrus noodles with cucumbers and carrots

  • Hannaha100 on January 02, 2017

    Subbed perilla oil for sesame oil. I liked the taste but overpowered the citrus, would reduce next time. Better the next day.

• Barley-stuffed peppers

  • Silverscreensuppers on October 29, 2019

    I found this pretty bland to be honest...

  • memphiseat on January 09, 2023

    Put some Parmesan cheese on top but not the best stuffed peppers I’ve made.

• Shredded carrot and apple muffins

  • msimfam on June 10, 2016

    REALLY good. use good quality chips. Make in small loaves. Freezes well. PLUS when frozen, just cut off the piece you want, let defrost and you are good to go.

  • skvalentine on September 06, 2022

    My kids loved these! Very tasty.

• Creamy peanut slaw

  • clcorbi on December 12, 2017

    Very tasty! Nothing earth-shattering, but a good peanut dressing. Maybe a little too ginger-heavy for me, which I'd account for next time.

• Tofu scramble tacos

  • clcorbi on January 05, 2018

    Unfortunately, these were a miss. I thought that 1T each of cumin and chili powder seemed insane, so I halved the spices, and the taco mix still ended up tasting only of cumin. Just way too much dried spices compared to everything else. Also, you really need to salt this at multiple steps in order for it to be tasty, which is something the instructions completely omit. I probably wouldn't repeat without significant changes.

• Brown rice bowl with edamame and tamari scallion sauce

  • clcorbi on November 29, 2017

    I made this for breakfasts this week. While it's not the best breakfast I've ever eaten, it's satisfying, filling and was very fast to throw together. For the tamari scallion sauce, I opted to leave half the scallions un-blended to add texture to the bowl. I also had to add some salt to the sauce, as well as an extra drizzle of sesame oil to balance out the acidity. I have noticed that the recipes in this cookbook tend towards the under-salted.

• Sweet corn and black-eyed pea dip

  • averythingcooks on February 02, 2023

    I served this as a little salad beside some quesadillas and used black beans in place of black eyed peas this time. We liked the combo of flavours including the double hit of acid from both lime juice & red wine vinegar.

• Potato leek soup

  • Kitiara121 on January 10, 2020

    This soup turned out to be very bland.

• Banana cream pie

  • ingabritt on June 10, 2017

    The crust was amazing, but the filling was meh and it was grayish (yuck).

• Smoky black-eyed peas with roasted sweet potatoes and collards

  • debriser on April 29, 2018

    This was fantastic. I couldn't find dried black eyed peas, so I had to used canned. I just rinsed them very well and added them right in after the onion, celery, and seasonings.

• Tortilla soup

  • toddmain on February 24, 2018

    I found this recipe to be fabulous, but I made two significant changes: 1) I used pinto beans instead of chickpeas (just couldn't put chickpeas in tortilla soup) 2) I didn't puree it at all

• Tempeh peanut noodles with blanched kale

  • hbakke on December 03, 2022

    The sauce seemed too watery, but the noodles absorbed it nicely. Although we're not big fans of kale or tempeh, we both really liked this relatively simple dinner.

  • dynamicfigure on December 11, 2020

    Good stuff, can be a "throw in the kitchen sink" base, we used mushrooms vs tempeh and it was great. The base with noodles is very adaptable.

• Whipped cream

  • billcranecos on November 28, 2020

    Despite chilling the ingredients and blender carafe, I could not get this to properly whip and set. It was tasty enough though as a sauce over the banana cream pie.