• Eat Your Books

  See Lisa Is Cooking's take on Sikil pak and Espresso banana muffins and Crema de guacamole and Baby lima soup and Clemenquat salad from this book.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Spring minestrone

  • jaelsne on June 17, 2012

    This delicious recipe was easy to make using boxed vegetable broth. It tastes like spring, and is hearty enough to make it the main part of your supper. I'm going to make it one of my seasonal staple dishes.

  • Rutabaga on May 17, 2018

    This soup isn't bad, but I feel like it needs a little flavor boost to make it more interesting. To be fair, I used a mix of turkey stock, water, and a turkey neck I had stashed in the freezer instead of vegetable stock, and my broth was pretty mild as a result. For vegetables, I used a mix of green and white asparagus, snow peas, edamame, and green garlic instead of shallots. I recommend stirring in some pesto, flavor-infused oil, or even just some sesame oil.

• Green-packed stir-fry

  • jaelsne on January 03, 2015

    Very good recipe. I'm not sure that the prep work was worth it, though. I'd like to try it again. The next time I'll cut back on the chiles. I used 3 red serranos, and the heat overwhelmed the flavors.

  • TrishaCP on April 25, 2020

    My CSA had most of the ingredients needed for this recipe so I decided to give this a go and I’m glad that I did. I hated the addition of the lime juice, though the zest was nice. (I had to use a homemade hoisin sauce and it wasn’t that sweet, so maybe that was why the sourness of the lime juice was jarring.) I used Fresno chiles and it wasn’t too spicy.

  • Beckiemas on June 02, 2015

    This was really nice. We had a couple of modifications: broccoli instead of asparagus, lots of mixed leafy greens, and tossed the tofu in tapioca flour before cooking. We also used a homemade approximation of hoisin. I used broccoli in place of asparagus as it was what we had on hand, and a whole lot of mixed Asian greens and leafy brassicas from the garden. The chopped broccoli stems went in at the same time as the ginger, garlic, etc., then added the kale and other thick brassica leaves with the broccoli florets following the recipe. Covered for about 30 secs, then stirred and fried for a few minutes. Then added the lighter leaves (tatsoi etc.), covered for approx. 30 secs then removed from the heat not long before serving. I also pre-cooked the tofu in a mix of rice bran oil and sesame oil, but tossed the tofu in tapoica flour (cornflour works for the same thing) to give it a nice chewy outer which absorbed the flavours from the stir fry really nicely when added back in.

  • Rutabaga on June 13, 2017

    Using what I had, I omitted the tofu, spinach, ginger, and red pepper flakes, and substituted cilantro for the mint and black soy sauce for the hoisin. Those are a lot of changes, I realize, but I think the result was true to the heart of the recipe. My husband loved the lime, but I found it a bit overpowering (probably because my omission of the tofu and spinach turned this into a smaller side dish), so would add the juice from only half the lime next time, then taste before adding more. After all, people can always add more at the table. All in all, it was a great, very quick stir fry, and I love the combination of asparagus and cashews.

• Chunky lentil soup

  • jaelsne on June 02, 2013

    Simple and delicious. One of the better lentil soups that I have made.

  • jzanger on February 26, 2011

    This is a really satisfying soup for minimal effort. It's a great "pantry" type of meal which becomes more than the sum of its parts. Kept well for days, too. One suggestion though, add more water than she suggests or else it will quickly become more of a stew or tomato sauce.

  • radishseed on October 16, 2012

    A good, basic lentil soup that is easy to throw together and easy to customize. I added some harissa to mine as a garnish. I also needed to add more water, as the other note suggests.

• Shredded green beans

  • Laura on September 20, 2012

    Pg. 91. A really nice way to prepare green beans. I will say that I would parboil the beans for a minute or two before sauteeing (I used butter) because it took longer than stated in the recipe for the tiny pieces to be cooked. Other than that, it was a lovely and refreshing dish that I'd make again.

  • cpauldin on July 25, 2012

    This is my new favorite way to eat beans! I followed the directions but the second time I added some roasted pine nuts, which made it even tastier. I liked the beans sautéed with butter rather than olive oil, gave them a little more flavor.

  • Rutabaga on November 10, 2020

    This a super simple way to prepare beans, but still vibrantly tasty. With good fresh green beans, a little lime really brightens them up nicely.

• Farro with green onion sauce, toasted walnuts, and asparagus

  • Laura on May 23, 2012

    Made this for the first time this evening and I was not impressed. Granted, I forgot the creme fraiche, so that could have made a difference. This makes an enormous amount of farro and the other ingredients did not seem to complement it that well. I won't make this again.

  • cespitler on November 03, 2012

    This is a quick and tasty dish. The farrow is creamy, the creme fraiche gives it a dash of tartness, while the asparagus and lemon keep it bright. I switched out the walnuts for pecans since I had those in the pantry. The bright green of the onion is inviting.

  • Emily Hope on March 28, 2012

    This is a great use for farro--I try to make it a least once during asparagus season. I usually let the green onions cook a bit longer than she suggests, so they start to get caramelized, and add some green garlic. Rather than blending the sauce I just mix it into the farro (though there never seems to be quite enough--I'd like to try doubling that part of the recipe). I usually mix in the creme fraiche as well. Had to sub in sour cream for the creme fraiche last time, which was not as good. Last time I made, served with a salad of roasted beets, sectioned oranges, mint, and a vinaigrette made with zinfandel vinegar.

  • soleilune on April 12, 2012

    Not bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to make this again. The green onions never quite became saucelike, even when using an immersion blender.

• Otsu

  • radishseed on August 19, 2018

    The sauce here is so good, but it's really spicy. Depending on how hot my cayenne is, I might start with 1/4 t. and add from there to taste.

• Espresso banana muffins

  • radishseed on November 18, 2013

    I love this recipe. This time around, I used half white flour and half whole wheat, and substituted hazelnuts for the walnuts.

  • monica107 on January 25, 2014

    I didn't like how the texture came out, but the flavor combination is great.

  • skvalentine on January 28, 2022

    Really good flavor! These came out a bit gummy, but I'm enjoying them split open and toasted with butter.

• Wheat berry salad

  • radishseed on April 26, 2012

    I combined this with Heidi's Citrus Parmesan Farro Salad recipe online, adding Parmesan, asparagus, and chive blossom vinegar, and using farro, goat cheese, almonds, and kale for the grain, cheese, nuts, and greens. It was very delicious, though in the end it's rather different from the recipe in the book.

• Risotto-style barley

  • radishseed on November 27, 2012

    I like the creaminess of this risotto, but my dining companion says the citrus flavor is overwhelming, and I agree that the lemon and orange zests are a bit much. I might try it again without the zests. Substituted Greek yogurt for the crème fraîche. I made it in the pressure cooker, and it was done in 18 minutes. I'd like to do a shorter cooking time and see how it turns out.

  • Rutabaga on February 07, 2015

    My husband was not a fan of this dish, but to be fair that seems to be because he did not like the flavor or texture of the barley. This means I will be eating the leftovers for breakfast, probably topped with cotija, sautéed kale stems, and more toasted nuts or pumpkin seeds. I thought the dish was fine, but a little lacking in flavor. I was also unsure about adding the orange segments (I used a tangerine), but the little bursts of sweetness from the orange turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the dish. I also substituted baby spinach for the arugula, and think that a fresh, spicy arugula would complement the barley better. Cooking the barley in stock, as is usual for risotto, would also boost the flavor, as would string in some stronger, saltier cheeses like feta or goat.

• Agua de Jamaica

  • radishseed on May 14, 2012

    Add a cinnamon stick or a piece of canela to the hibiscus, along with a few crushed cardamom pods. Star anise might be good too.

  • TrishaCP on July 29, 2012

    A delicious and refreshing alternative to iced tea or another caffeinated drink. I added a piece of canela for some extra zing, but the floral note of the hibiscus is likely lovely on its own.

• Giant crusty and creamy white beans

  • radishseed on October 12, 2011

    Nice add-ins at the end of cooking: chopped tomatoes, chile flakes or hot pepper sauce, and/or vinegar

  • TrishaCP on March 15, 2016

    I made this with Spanish judiones and for the most part they got nice and crispy outside and soft on the inside as advertised. Some of the beans did get smushed somewhat-per her photo that seems to be par for the course so I didn't stress too much. I skipped the Parmesan but added hot red pepper flakes (the dish really needed it) and a bit of olive oil.

  • julesamomof2 on December 12, 2019

    I used canned butter beans and made sure to dry them super well and they held their shape fine and became nicely browned. I would have preferred more swiss chard so would increase it next time, maybe even double.

  • Rutabaga on August 27, 2018

    I used canned cannellini beans for convenience, although Swanson recommends cooking them from scratch for this recipe. The beans still browned nicely on the outside, although it's true that their overall texture was a little mushy when compared with home-cooked. The beans are great on toast. Season well and drizzle on plenty of extra olive oil.

• Raspberry curd swirl cake

  • radishseed on May 18, 2013

    Warning: Don't try to make this cake using the kind of curd that has butter and eggs in it (like lemon curd). Believe me, it will not turn out right. Use a fruit butter instead, made without butter and eggs.

  • monica107 on January 25, 2014

    I made this using apple butter instead of the raspberry. Any type of fruit butter would be delicious. I did have a problem with spreading the apple butter in the middle of the cake and putting the second half of the batter on top. This pretty much ruined my cake structurally - the top part came out of the pan while the bottom part did not. You are also supposed to swirl some on top of the cake, which I did, but it was pretty much enveloped by the batter. What I would recommend is putting ALL the fruit butter on top of the cake, a bit at a time, and pushing it downward with a butter knife. I would drag the knife longways, since you will cut slices crossways.

• Coconut panna cotta

  • radishseed on January 26, 2015

    The first time I tried this, I used agar agar powder, and it didn't work at all. I'm not sure what went wrong. The second time, I used agar agar flakes, and it came out great. After the flakes were added, I simmered it on the stove for a full ten minutes before taking it off the heat. I think this would be nice with a little vanilla added, maybe 1/2 teaspoon.

• Mesquite chocolate chip cookies

  • ComeUndone on April 04, 2011

    http://wscwong.typepad.com/dessert_by_candy/2011/04/nifty-cookie-packing-idea.html

  • monica107 on January 25, 2014

    This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I absolutely love the flavors and I especially love the texture with the oats mixed in. I baked only a few and put the rest of the scooped balls in the freezer so I can have just a few anytime. I used mini chips since that's what I had but I think it would be nice with chopped dark chocolate chunks. I'm also imagining using coconut oil instead of butter and subbing some of the oats/chips for shredded coconut...

• Golden-crusted brussels sprouts

  • mcvl on December 19, 2018

    This really is the tastiest way to cook brussels sprouts. Watch them closely, they love to burn.

  • Astrid5555 on September 30, 2012

    Best way to enjoy Brussels sprouts, will make again!

  • Rutabaga on April 04, 2017

    This may be the fastest way to get beautifully charred brussels sprouts on the table. While placing all the sprouts cut-side down in the pan is a little fiddly, the results are well worth it, and it's still quicker than roasting them in the oven. This is a recipe to turn to again and again.

• Roasted tomato and paprika soup

  • Emily Hope on November 18, 2010

    A nice variation on tomato soup. I peeled the roasted peppers before adding to the soup--other approach would be to use a blender and strain. Served with the (delicious) zucchini braised in butter and garlic from Diana Henry's Plenty.

  • Astrid5555 on September 05, 2012

    Unlike any other tomato soup you have ever tried. Just let the vegetables roast in the oven and soon you will have a hearty satisfying soup you want to cook over and over again!

• Crunchy slaw salad

  • Emily Hope on February 29, 2012

    Had this as a side dish with the curry noodle bowl from the same book--reduced the amount of oil to about 1/4 cup, used 1 tbsp sesame oil (not a super-dark roast) and added the juice of one tangerine. Pretty tasty, and nice and crunchy (as advertised). Next time I might try adding some orange or tangerine segments in addition to the apple.

  • monica107 on January 25, 2014

    I omitted the heavy cream, it didn't seem necessary to me (and it wasn't).

• Big curry noodle pot

  • Emily Hope on February 29, 2012

    This was fairly easy and a nice warming meal for a cold night. I sauteed the onions and garlic longer than suggested, added some fresh minced ginger and used madras curry powder instead of turmeric, and included some baked savory tofu in addition to the fresh tofu. I also put in a teaspoon or so of fish sauce, and crumbled some roasted nori on top (along with the cilantro and peanuts). Served with the savoy cabbage slaw from the same book, slightly altered to give it a more asian spin. I did think that there were too many noodles for the amount of broth--if I make again, will try it with less noodles (4 or 6 oz) and up the liquid.

  • TrishaCP on August 27, 2020

    This was pretty easy, but just ok for us. I think it is missing ginger. I bumped up the curry paste quite a bit, because the teaspoon and a half called for didn’t feel like enough. We had a ton of sauce- so I’m surprised at the other review saying the amount was skimpy.

  • Rutabaga on March 09, 2016

    This works very well as a one pot dish if you use "fresh" udon, rather than dried. I admit I did not seek out whole grain udon, but just used the standard kind. They can be added to the soup for the last couple of minutes, no need to cook them separately. I also admit I used chicken (and chicken stock) in place of the tofu. While it was no longer vegetarian, it was very comforting for our household, especially as we are presently suffering through late winter colds. Add the lime juice to taste, as the juice of one lime can impart a pretty strong lime flavor.

• Crema de guacamole

  • Vanessa on February 09, 2013

    Somehow, the dead of winter seems to be avocado season in our grocery stores (something to do with the Super Bowl?). We have avocados coming out of our ears (comes from asking husband to pick up a couple of avocados and having him come home with 10 because "they were such a good buy!"). Really, as much as I love avocados and guacamole, I wasn't sure that a chilled avocado soup was going to be great. But the recipe was very persuasive, so we gave it a shot. VERY GLAD we did! (The same husband had five, yes, "5", bowls of it.) I used three serranos, but the spice level was very mild after the avocados were mixed in. We went a bit low-end on presentation and skipped the crema and salsa to finish, but it was still extremely pretty, and even the avocado-dislking son thought the soup was pretty darn good.

• Baked purple hedgehog potatoes

  • TrishaCP on June 21, 2013

    My potatoes weren't as pretty as Heidi's picture, but they were still tasty. I found I needed to cook them about ten minutes longer than suggested to really finish cooking all of the way and next time I would also add a smidge more harissa. I love the yogurt-mint dipping sauce- the mint made the final dish really bright and flavorful.

• Quinoa and corn flour crepes

  • TrishaCP on June 07, 2015

    These made a nice change of pace for lunch. I only had about half of the quinoa flour called for, and so the dominant flavors were wheat and corn, which was fine by me. I didn't bother to strain the batter, but I whisked it well and there were no lumps. I did have to add a lot more water after the batter rested to get it to a sufficiently thin consistency. The cheese, chives, and hot sauce were great with the flavor of the crepes. The potatoes were fine but I would be tempted to use eggs or mushrooms next time- there was a lot of starch going on with the potatoes and they were a bit bland.

• Sushi bowl with toasted nori, avocado, and brown rice

  • TrishaCP on June 21, 2013

    Really tasty- I love the brightness of the dressing, and the flexibility to dress the bowl per the recipe, or with vegetables of your choice. I would definitely not substitute the avocado though- it was creamy and perfect with the citrus.

  • Rutabaga on November 07, 2015

    This is a fun make-it-what-you-want meal. I would not, in the future, alter Swanson's dressing ingredients, however; lacking an orange, I used two Meyer lemons instead, adding a pinch of extra sugar as well. Unfortunately, the dressing was a little too acidic in flavor. Having made the additional mistake of stirring all of the dressing into the rice, I discovered too late that it was too sour for our four-year-old to want to eat. Sweet orange juice is definitely needed for the right balance. Instead of tofu, I used up some fall vegetables I had on hand, and served it with sauteed sliced kale stems and tiny sweet potato cubes.

  • Rutabaga on January 17, 2017

    I made the sauce as written this time, and only mixed 1/3 cup of dressing into the rice (white rice this time). That seems about perfect to me. Both my husband and five-year-old preferred adding additional plain soy sauce rather than more dressing atop their bowls. I served them with avocado, toasted chickpeas, furikake, shichimi togarashi, and green onion.

• Sticky teff-kissed spice loaves

  • TrishaCP on April 05, 2012

    This gingerbread tastes delicious. But I had big problems with the leavening of the recipe- the batter exploded out of the top of my loaf pans (the size called for in the recipe) and out into my oven. Not sure if the baking soda in the recipe is too much (1 1/2 teaspoons), if my baking soda was "too" fresh, or if my oven temp was too hot. I still gave this three stars because the cakes are delicious, and I was able to salvage them, but definitely use a jellyroll sheet under the loaf pans.

  • e_ballad on August 09, 2019

    Very tasty. I was a little concerned that these would be overly sweet given the amount of sweeteners, however, the spices seemed to temper this. I didn’t have the same ‘explosion’ issue as @TrishaCP, but I probably did overmix the batter.

• Garlic scape soup

  • eliza on August 07, 2017

    Really nice soup! I used chard for the spinach since that's what is in season at the moment, and used a light chicken stock instead of vegetable broth. Very easy and quick to make. I'll definitely make this one again.

  • Rutabaga on June 28, 2017

    I made this soup with a mix of garlic scapes and green onions. Even so, the garlic flavor really shone. Unfortunately, I forgot to add the spinach when I first pureed the soup, and after a second puree with the spinach, the texture was pretty gluey, a common issue when potatoes have been over-pureed. In the future, I may try setting some of the diced potato aside prior to blending the remaining soup with the spinach. A somewhat chunky soup could work well here. As a final note, I'm not sure what is meant by "three large" potatoes. I ended up using 2.5 pounds of Yukon Golds, which made for a nice hearty soup.

• Creamy wild rice soup

  • monica107 on January 25, 2014

    I doubled the Thai red curry paste, then ended up adding about 1/2 tsp of a red curry powder near the end to bring the heat up to where I wanted it. I used about 1/2 the amount of turmeric. I also started with frozen cooked wild rice. I sauteed the onion mixture for several minutes longer than intended since it wouldn't be simmering for 40+ minutes. Then, when you're supposed to add the dry rice and the water to cook it in, I just put in the cooked rice with about 1/2 cup of water and let it go for a few minutes to absorb the flavors. I followed the rest of the recipe as written except for using a little more water near the end. This worked out well - the soup was delicious and it was done in much less time.

  • Rutabaga on October 30, 2015

    This soup is wonderfully warming and filling; the different ingredients really come together to create a beautiful whole. I had only half the called for amount of wild rice, so didn't add an additional cup of water with the coconut milk, as I didn't want the soup to be too thin. This made for a richer broth, but it was still nice balanced. It also has the distinction of being one of the few ways my husband will happily eat sweet potatoes.

• Wild rice flour pancakes

  • monica107 on January 25, 2014

    I did not have much success sprinkling the wild rice onto the pan as directed (maybe because mine was a bit overcooked) so I mixed it in instead.

• Straw and hay fettucchine tangle

  • soleilune on April 12, 2012

    The recipe makes enough puree for 1.5 lbs of pasta. I've been using it on bread and such...but that's a lot.

• Clemenquat salad

  • rmardel on July 20, 2013

    Bright and refreshing winter salad, a nice counterpoint to a rich main course. Also good with baby arugula.

• Creamy cauliflower soup

  • cjross on December 19, 2013

    Really great soup. I've made this a couple times, once with cilantro pesto and once with smoked paprika. I use cashew cream instead of heavy cream.

  • Rutabaga on May 19, 2017

    On its own, this is a very mellow, creamy (but not too rich tasting) cauliflower soup. The pesto is quite good and adds a little kick, but be cautious with the garlic. I used four large cloves, which gave it an assertive raw garlic flavor. When using large cloves, two would be enough.

• Spiced caramel corn

  • Rutabaga on October 26, 2015

    I really liked the flavor of this caramel corn, although my husband thought he would prefer it without the cayenne pepper (I used cayenne in place of regular chile powder - just enough to give it some hear without it overwhelming the other flavors). Unfortunately, it stayed very sticky, and I'm not sure if this is because I didn't cook the syrups down enough or if it's just the nature of using these ingredients rather than the typical butter and sugar. I would love to incorporate these flavors into another batch of caramel corn, but probably merge this recipe with another to try to eliminate the stickiness.

• Red Indian carrot soup

  • lesleybelle on August 05, 2018

    I followed the recipe, including the optional honey. It turned out a little sweet, so maybe try half the suggested honey.