VeganMoFo 2011 #12: 'Veganomicon'

Veganomicon
Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, Marlowe and Company, 2007



That other book I was waiting on from Amazon for Christmas was none other than Veganomicon, that mighty tome but Isa and Terry. Being completely besotted with Vegan With A Vengeance and having very much enjoyed Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, it stands to reason that I was eager to get my hands on Vcon as soon as possible.

Veganomicon is a lovely book, it is large and hardback, so it stays open very easily on the bench. There is a middle section of colour photographs. The book starts with sections on the pantry, equipment, cooking and prepping terminology and instructions for basic cooking of vegetables, grains and beans. Chapters for Recipes include Snacks, Appetizers, Little Meals and Dips, Brunch, Salads and Dressings, Sammiches, Mix-and-Match (Vegetables, Grains, Beans, and Tofu, Tempeh, and Seitan), Soups, Casseroles, One-Pot Meals and Stove-top Specialties, Pasta, Noodles, and Risotto, Sauces and Fillings, Breads, Muffins, and Scones, Cookies and Bars, Desserts. There is also a lovely section of Menus.

So I went through and made a list of all the five-star recipes from this book. It is way too many to post photos of all of them in the one post. I have a couple of photos I haven't posted before, so I have uploaded those. Otherwise I have reposted some of the prettier photos, plus a few recipes that have an extra special place in my heart.

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango, and Tangerine Baked Tofu


First off, let's talk about the salad (made here with red quinoa). It is amazing, and to me is just the taste of summer. I used carrot in place of capsicum. When I first made this I still didn't like coriander leaves (cilantro) so I made it with mint. I not love coriander leaves, but I actually think I like this better with mint! Now, the tofu. This is chewy and delicious. I subbed in mandarin and oranges for the tangerine. Put these two recipes together and you have a perfect summer night's dinner.

Chickpea Cutlets with Mushroom Sauce


Two amazeballs recipes. The chickpea cutlets are the stuff of legends. I always mean to make a big batch to keep in my freezer to have on hand. The mustard sauce is also fantastic. I served here with some roasted asparagus and some mashed potatoes. Take that meat and potato omnis!

Hot and Sour Soup with Wood Ears and Napa Cabbage


Hot and Sour soup is my favourite sort of soup - yum! I found with this soup that I had to double the amount to the liquid ingredients to get it soupy enough for me. I love all the textures in this soup!

Eggplant-Potato Moussaka with Pine Nut Cream


This is a beautiful casserole, and is made all the more awesome by the pine nut cream that tops it. Zucchini also joins eggplants and potatoes as they roast up to deliciousness. Then they are layered with a lovely tomato sauce and topped with that amazing cream.

Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits


I don't think there is anyone alive who could try this and not be in heaven. It is what you want on a cold winter night, plus it has biscuits!

Kabocha-Udon Winter Stew


This is a wonderful, warming and very pretty stew. It also makes a lot, so your belly will be full and happy. When you are making it, it may seem like the vegetables are too much for the liquid, but it all cooks down just fine.

Spicy Tempeh and Broccoli Rabe with Rotelle


Special mention to this recipe as not only is it a total five-star recipe, it was also the first recipe I ever made from the book! I used broccolini instead of broccoli rabe, which are apparently similar though not quite the same.

Sour Cilantro Cream


This isn't one of the prettiest photos, but this recipe has to have a very special mention. I once hated cilantro, I made a face if I so much as smelled it and I would sub it out for mint or parsley. However, it was in so many of my recipes and I felt like I was missing out on something special. So I decided to teach myself to like it. This was the recipe that started to change my mind towards cilantro.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip-Walnut Cookies


These cookies are crispy, chewy and awesome. I usually use pecans rather than walnuts, because that is my preference. Initially I found the dough to be quite sloppy, but it thickens on standing so you can roll these out.


Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake


I love bundt cakes. They are fun to say and pretty to look at. I also like making them in my nice non-stick silicon bundt pan. This cake is delicious, moist and light.

Here are the other five-star recipes I've made:

Mediterrnean-Style Cashew-Cucumber Dip
Diner Home Fries
Chocolate Chip Brownie Waffles
Portobello Salad with Spicy Mushroom Dressing
Maple Mustard Dressing
Black Bean Burgers
Roasted Portobellos
Soft Poppy-Seed Polenta
Saffron-Garlic Rice
Chickpea Romesco
Baked BBQ Tofu
Mole Skillet Pie with Greens
Cauliflower and Mushroom Potpie with Black Olive Crust
Tomato and Roasted Eggplant Stew with Chickpeas
Parsnip Chips
Penne Vodka
Mac Daddy
Lasagne Marinara with Spinach
Asparagus and Lemongrass Risotto
Curried Udon Noodle Stir-Fry
Backyard BBQ Sauce
Cheezy Sauce
Citrus-Date-Sesame Sauce
Banana-Wheat Germ Mushrooms
Carrot-Pineapple Sunshine Muffins
Cranberry-Orange-Nut Bread
Pistachio-Rose Water Cookies
Orange-Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Fudgy Wudgy Blueberry Brownies

And these are just my favourites, it doesn't even scratch the surface of all the other great recipes that I have made from here. To see other things I have made from Veganomicon, click on the veganomicon tag at the bottom of this post, or search Veganomicon in my blog. There are lots of posts! Now, do you need this book? Well, many people would have it already! But if you don't, the answer is yes.

Do you take photos of your food?

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post


I've posted this photo before, but it seems fitting in today's post to post it again. Sahara is reading Veganomicon!