• kiwii on December 27, 2016

  from Amazon: "A more compact version of The New "Laurel's Kitchen", this book has all the same recipes as its big sister, but abridged nutritional and culinary information."

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Anise seed cookies

  • MsMonsoon on November 12, 2025

    A pretty healthy cookie since it uses all whole wheat flour and only 3 Tbsp of butter. I love anise so I find the flavor really interesting and good. They taste very 'holiday' and would make nice gifts, though they are a little humble looking. I dipped some in powdered sugar and kept some plain. My slices were not very round, getting a bit smushed with the slicing action, so maybe I could chill a bit more, using the freezer, or try to roll the log tighter.

• Apple bran muffins

  • eliza on January 25, 2018

    I really didn't like these muffins at all. Definitely not a repeat.

• Banana bread

  • eliza on June 23, 2016

    I've been making this banana bread for a long time and it is excellent. It was one of the first whole wheat recipes that worked for me, and is also good with a mix of whole wheat and all purpose flour. The optional dates are a good addition. I usually bake 3 mini loaves instead of one larger one at 350 for 30 minutes. It's adaptable and you can add chocolate chips, nuts, etc as desired. When using oil it's a vegan loaf.

• Black bean soup

  • blozoff on May 17, 2020

    It was fine without celery and savory. I liked it with lime juice, cilantro, and a little hot pepper flakes.

• Buttermilk sauce

  • eliza on March 16, 2021

    Really easy sauce and a good way to use up leftover buttermilk. Really is best eaten when freshly made. I add the Shoyu or tamari and a bit of cheese to mine. Good with noodles, roasted mushrooms etc.

• Carrot salad

  • eliza on February 28, 2016

    I often make this as part of a salad lunch teamed up with lentil and rice salad and some grain salads. Tastes have changed since I first made it and I now cut the sweetness a bit by adding less orange, more lemon, and fewer raisins. Really good.

• Cauliflower eggplant curry

  • vickster on September 13, 2013

    I didn't have cauliflower so added some potatoes. Simple and delicious!

  • johanson on October 04, 2021

    A good recipe for late summer CSA produce.

• Confetti quinoa

  • CordovaBayCook on April 16, 2023

    Years ago, this was the first recipe I made using quinoa, and it is still on rotation in our kitchen today. Very simple, but a flavorful accompaniment to many dishes.

• Corn bread

  • dinnermints on February 08, 2022

    I've been struggling to find just the right corn bread recently, and this one was exactly what I was looking for. There are several ways to adapt it; I used 2 T sugar (next time would do 1.5 T honey instead), two eggs, 2 T canola oil, 1 cup grated carrot, and 3/4 cup low fat Greek yogurt mixed with 3/4 cup water to approximate 1.5 cups buttermilk. The batter was pretty loose and filled 12 muffin cups to the very max, but then they turned out perfectly - nicely mounded on top, not too sweet or salty, great corny flavor, and pretty with the carrot flecks. Hooray!

• Corn chowder

  • sayeater on January 12, 2024

    Doubled recipe and left out the parsley to appease my son. A very thin chowder, I prefer a thicker consistency. Needed quite a bit of extra salt/pepper. Not the best corn chowder I've ever made, but I usually just wing it instead of using a recipe.

• Cranberry squash

  • csavegetablesfan on November 19, 2018

    Good with Buttercup squash, Pink Lady apple and 1 T dark maple syrup instead of honey. Really like not peeling the squash. I scraped the leftover squash off of the skins and added all the apples and cranberries to the blender and made a great squash puree for the next day.

• Creamy cauliflower soup

  • vickster on March 23, 2016

    I had been craving cauliflower soup and this fit the bill. Filling and satisfying, the potatoes are a great complement to the cauliflower.

• Dosas

  • eliza on November 21, 2018

    I’ve made with either split black gram or garbanzo beans - usually make half the recipe, and I add a bit more water and about a tablespoon of oil to the batter. They can be cooked without fermenting. These are very good dosas and are good with the masala potatoes on the next page. They’re gluten free so a good alternative for those who need to avoid gluten. To ferment in instant pot: after blending both rice and gram, mix together in instant pot insert and place on yogurt cycle for 8 hrs with a loose fitting lid. Can sit overnight at room temp and repeat yogurt cycle again if needed.

• Eggplant Parmesan

  • catrijn on May 29, 2022

    Ingredients list includes making tomato sauce.

• Golden broth

  • nhhale on June 02, 2026

    As a starting point, this is good. I always add more of the spices and peas/beans for a richer broth.

• Golden noodle soup

  • Foodfann on October 22, 2011

    This soup is really delicious! I used tofu instead of potato to make it a complete meal and I didn't bother to puree it. The only problem with using it for illness is that you might not have the energy to make it yourself if you are really sick. If your head is stuffed up, it is best to eat something with chiles or horseradish.

  • Wlow on January 31, 2025

    2/92 good, but 10/09, T (aged 3) liked a lot then said no potatoes next time! Note to self to make Golden Broth ahead. Maybe try tofu instead of potatoes as suggested by Foodfann.

  • nhhale on June 02, 2026

    Chicken noodle soup for vegetarians

• Good shepherd's pie

  • ruthdeutsch on September 23, 2025

    Added kidney beans to filling and used a lot more potatoes in topping.

• Gumbo

  • Foodfann on October 22, 2011

    This does not resemble authentic gumbo at all to me, but it tastes great all the same.

• Hearty pea soup

  • eliza on May 16, 2024

    Very good soup and easy.

  • ruthdeutsch on September 23, 2025

    Wonderful pea soup. Good flavor.

• Lazy pirogi

  • oboistaalli on August 30, 2020

    This is a delicious, filling, and simple recipe. I made this with Jovial brown rice tagliatelle pasta (https://jovialfoods.com/egg-tagliatelle-gluten-free-brown-rice-pasta/) and homemade Purple Sauerkraut with Caraway Seeds (https://www.krautsource.com/blogs/recipes/purple-sauerkraut-with-caraway-seeds). The purple sauerkraut was tasty and beautiful in this dish. Will definitely make this again.

• Lentil nut loaf

  • eliza on May 16, 2024

    This worked well as a loaf although it was a bit crumbly. Taste was good; I put cheese on top of mine.

• Masala potatoes

  • eliza on November 22, 2023

    This is one of my go to fillings for dosas with the following adaptations; I tend to use chili garlic sauce for the green chili, and often omit the cilantro. I almost always add a green vegetable such as peas or cooked kale, finely shredded. Recently made with ginger I grew in my garden and that was very flavourful. The lemon juice at the end amplifies everything. When used to stuff dosas this makes a delicious vegan meal.

• Oatmeal pancakes

  • macfadden on September 24, 2016

    The batter was so liquid that when scooped onto the griddle it would not hold a round shape. There would be a pile of oats in the middle where I wanted the pancake, and then little rivers of escaped batter coming out the sides; most pancakes turned out looking a bit like a paint splatter. The recipe says to let the oats and milk soak for at least 5 minutes. I probably left them for 10 minutes, and the first few had an unpleasantly raw-oat-y texture, but by the end of the batch they had softened a bit more and were no longer obtrusive. Flavor was alright but not noteworthy.

• Old-fashioned pancakes

  • christina_nca1d5 on March 02, 2026

    This is my go-to pancake recipe, has been for years.

• Persian rice salad

  • Wlow on July 18, 2019

    Finally made this dish happen, after many attempts to have lemon, (fresh) dill, scallions, cashews and dates all at the same time. Just a delicious salad! Made brown jasmine rice day before and the salad came together quickly. Used closer to 1 T fresh dill.

• Poppyseed muffins

  • Recluse on January 30, 2011

    These muffins have a delicate, crumbly texture, and a pleasing, minimally sweet taste. Good with butter and/or jam.

• Potato dill sauce

  • eliza on May 16, 2024

    Good sauce for greens, broccoli or cauliflower. Easy to make; I often use chicken broth instead of veg stock. Can change the herbs for change of pace.

• Rice lentil polou

  • eliza on November 23, 2018

    This is delicious, everyone seems to like it, and it’s a good way to include lentils in a meal. I always add the optional nuts (I use almonds, cashews, etc), and I also switch the raisins for other dried fruits such as cranberries or dried apricots.

• Russian salad

  • Wlow on July 24, 2016

    This salad is an old friend. Make it at least once a year even though rest of family has no interest!

• Sandy's gingered squash

  • eliza on February 27, 2023

    A good, simple way to prepare winter squash.

• Sebastopol pizza

  • eliza on January 25, 2018

    This was fantastic pizza! It was part of a memorable lunch with some other pizzas and salads.

• Spanish rice

  • eliza on November 22, 2018

    This is excellent and very quick and easy if you already have cooked brown rice. Vegetables can easily be varied, for example, red pepper can replace green pepper, etc. The cheese variation is also delicious.

• Sweet and sour tofu

  • Foodfann on October 24, 2011

    The only changes I make are that I add ginger and some chile flakes, I use water chestnuts instead of celery, and almonds or cashews instead of walnuts. The sauce is also good on Asian noodles.

• Tomato kale

  • Wlow on August 11, 2019

    8/19 great (just me) w/o tomato paste

• Yogurt rice

  • Wlow on March 13, 2018

    2/2018 I liked this a lot dish years ago but made it again and found it pretty boring. Kids didn’t like it. Other versions with more additions (Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian for example) might be better.

• Yogurt salad dressing

  • skvalentine on January 12, 2026

    Easy and good! Could take the flavor in a lot of different directions by adding herbs or spices, but I liked this on a simple green salad with avocado and sprouts.