Recipe Round-Up: Forks Over Knives The Cookbook

A brief break in the Seattle posts, as I realised that I have not labeled the rest of my photos yet and that will take a little while, so here is a recipe round-up post I prepared earlier. And what better book to break up the indulgences of an overseas eating trip than Forks Over Knives - The Cookbook.

Mayonnaise: My favourite store-bought mayo is super expensive (I like the Plamil, we don't have have all of the choices that people in the USA have), and the cheaper one that you can get in the supermarket is too sweet and vinegary for me, so I am a big fan of home-made silken tofu mayos. This oil-free mayo is creamy and comes together in a snap.
Rating; :)



No-Cheese Sauce: I didn't have any roasted capsicum on hand when I first made this (which is one of the options) so I warily made it with the raw red capsicum. A small amount of cashews and tahini add creaminess, and the cheesiness came from a cup of nooch. Though I added an extra 1/4 cup to get it cheesy enough for me. The sauce has a slight sweet quality, and the capsicum was not overpowering at all. I made this in a food processor because I knew that the ration of solid to liquid would not do well in my blender, which meant it was a little granular. I added 1/4 cup of water to smooth it all out. This sauce is used in lots of recipes in the book.
Rating: :)



Very Berry Smoothie: This pretty in pink smoothie is extra pretty in my Vegan Wares mug. It is simply dates, berries and almond milk blended. It gives you a choice of berries, but I went with strawberries.
Rating: :)



Breakfast Scramble: This unusual scramble uses cauliflower instead of tofu (there is the option of using tinned ackee instead, but I have never found that here), plus lots of vegetables. I used zucchini and carrot in place of green and red capsicum. it lists nooch as an optional ingredient, but we all know that there is nothing optional about nooch in our lives. I served this with some avocado on toast and some tinned baked beans.
Rating: :)



Breakfast Rancheros: This recipe requires some of the breakfast scramble from above, which is topped with a tomato-chili sauce and served on corn tortillas. It says it serves 6, but really it is 4.
Rating: :)



Portobello Florentine: Cauliflower hollandaise tops some sauteed spinach, which rests on a grilled mushroom (more on those below). The sauce is quite thick, as you can see, and very lemony, but this all melds perfectly with the other flavours. It says it serves 4, but serves two as a light meal.
Rating: :)



Rice Salad with Fennel, Orange and Chickpeas: This is a very refreshing salad, with the mild flavour of the fennel and the bright citrus of the orange. I served this with over some spinach, and topped it with some avocado and a leftover grilled mushroom.
Rating: :)



Tuscan Bean Stew: Sometimes you just want a simple and satisfying vegetable soup, and this hits the spot. Leeks, celery, carrots, cabbage and potato with lots of garlic and basil will make you happy.
Rating: :)



Millet Stew: I really enjoy millet as a grain, it makes a nice change from rice and quinoa (not that I could ever get tired of those!), and it adds a great bulk to this stew. Large serving sizes mean that this will keep you full.
Rating: :)



Creamy Basil Pasta Salad: This is a nice way to use up some of that homemade mayo. It says to halve the artichokes, but I chopped then roughly to make them a better size. Definitely make sure you use the pinenuts, they should not be optional, as they add a great flavour and texture.
Rating: :)



Grilled Portobello Mushrooms: These were used in the florentine recipe above, and turn up in a few recipes throughout the book. These are garlicky and juicy. I didn't have a grill, so I just pan-fried these. The marinade goes very sticky when it hits the hot pan, so make sure you have lots of hot water to clean it quickly.
Rating :)



More Seattle coming your way soon!

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



Dim Sim loves to find little tents to hide herself away in. This is her current favourite, which is created by an crocheted blanked draped over a flat basket. Here I breached the sanctity of the tent to take a photo of her.