Recipe Round-Up: Let Them Eat Vegan

I had a few days off the computer, but here I am again with another recipe round-up.

Dreena Burton writes some great recipes, so I was excited when her newest (but not for long, she has a new book on the way) book Let Them Eat Vegan came out. This book has a slant towards wholefoods and family-friendly recipes.

Tofu Backed in an Olive, Grape, and Herbed Marinade and Creamy Polenta: This tofu dish intrigued me with the flavour combination. I am a bit iffy about grapes in cooked savoury dishes, but they added a nice sweetness with the salty olives. The polenta is creamy and satisfying and makes a good base for the stronger flavours of the other dish.
Rating: Tofu :), Polenta :)



Panfried Falafel Patties with Smoky Spiked Tahini Sauce and Quinoa Tabbouleh with Olives: This was a fun dinner. The patty mixture was very thick, and needed several minutes in the food processor. It formed quite a soft patty mix, though held together well. The tahini sauce is outstanding, you could drink it! The salad is a great, refreshing side, that would be good on its own for lunches as well.
Rating: Falafel :), Sauce :D, Salad :)



Chickpea and Artichoke "Bliss in a Dish" with Basil Lemon Pistou: I think this was the first thing I made from this book. I increased the amount of tomato to replace the capsicum. It was a lovely mix of flavours, including sultanas that added a nice touch. The Pistou was a ovely, bright and fresh topping (though the recipe only makes a small amount). Leftovers make an excellent salad mixed with some cold quinoa and left over greens.
Rating: Chickpea and Artichoke :), Pistou :)



Mac-Oh-Geez and Almond Roasted Cauliflower: This is a nooch free mac dish (what?), that is very filling and quite good, though I missed the cheeziness. The sauce is a bit bland, but does have a nice tang. It also thickens up quite quickly, so keep an eye on it so you don't end up with glug. The cauliflower is delicious, though sadly makes pretty small servings. Dreena was not lying when she said 'maybe just 1' in the serving sizes! The cauliflower is coated in ground almonds and nooch - amazing.
Rating: Mac :), Cauliflower :D



Nutty Veggie Burgers with Sunshine Fries with Rosemary and Coarse Sea Salt: These burgers are a mix of almonds, walnuts and pecans as well as carrot and zucchini, and they hold together very well. They are great on a bun with all the burger fixings! Burgers need fries, of course. My 'sunshine' fries were more like 'stormy fries', because I thought I had found some yellow (rather than orange) sweet potatoes but it turned out that they were actually purple on the inside. Still good!
Rating: Burger :), Fries :)



Fragrant Kidney Bean Lentil Dal and Indian-Inspired Rice: Dal is one of my comfort foods, and this is a smooth, mushy, delicious bowl of comfort. The brown rice side is lightly spiced with mustard, cumin, cardamom, coriander and cinnamon, making it a great accompaniment.
Rating: Dal :), Rice :)



Kids' Cheesy Chickpea and White Bean Soup with Cheesy Sprinkle: Smooth and cheesy is why this soup is designed for kids, but it will be enjoyed by just about anyone - it is delicious! Made even better with some easy cheese sprinkle made from nooch, cashews and almonds. Underneath all of this soupy and cheesy goodness is a mound of sauteed kale.
Rating: Soup: :D, Sprinkle :)



Tomato Lentil Soup with Cumin and Fresh Dill and Classic Caesar Dressing on salad with Brazil Nut Parmesan: A huge pot of tomato lentil soup is a very satisfying thing to have bubbling along on the stove. Served with salad, it is a great dinner. Crisp lettuce leaves are the perfect vessel for the caesar dressing. While the list of ingredients is quite long, it is worth it. The parmesan does take a bit of time - it requires a baking step and cooling - so make it in advance. I only made a 1/3 batch of this and it made heaps.
Rating: Soup :), Dressing :), Parmesan :)



Wonder Bean Puree and Gingered Broccolini: A simple but very satisfying dinner, served over brown rice. The bean puree is well seasoned, though really only made three serves (not 4-5 as stated in the book), and even a double batch of the broccolini only made enough for 3 servings as well. It would have made good leftovers!
Rating: Wonder Bean Puree :), Broccolini :)



Tempeh Tickle with Peanut Tahini Sauce: This is some great tempeh - juicy, tasty slices of goodness. It could make a great addition to any number of dinners, not mention a yummy sandwich filling! Doused in some drinkable Peanut Tahini Sauce, this is a great combination. Brown rice and broccoli were the perfect to let the tempeh and sauce flavours really shine!
Rating: Tempeh :D, Sauce :D



Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



Our beautiful family boy Possum, he liked sitting on cushions. It would have been his 20th birthday a couple of months ago. We all miss him very much.