Recipe Round-Up: Vegan Diner

Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson is a must have book for any kitchen. It contains within beautiful, glossy pages several of my 'best of' recipes, including mac and cheese, BBQ sauce, ribs, beer bread and chocolate chip cookies. If you don't have this book, you should go get is straight away! Let us now see some of the tasty treats I have made!

Cheezy Mac and Garlic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts: I cannot say enough how amazing this mac and cheese is, it is perfect smoky, cheesy deliciousness. The variation of stirring through some grated cheese (I used cheezly) leads to an extra rich sauce, though even without it this is amazing. James recommended that I add a few drops of umeboshi plum vinegar, which makes it extra special. The Brussels sprouts have raw garlic sprinkled on at the end, but I prefer to add the garlic in the last five minutes of baking. (If you are wondering, they are some steak-sauce glazed sliced Sanitarium sausages on the side of the plate).
Rating: Mac :D, Brussels :)



Barbecued Ribz with Garlic-Dill Potato Salad: These ribs come together so effortlessly, plus they contain peanut butter! After baking, the ribs are brushed with Rough Rider Barbecue Sauce (aka the BEST BBQ sauce in the world). You are meant to finish the ribs off in a grill pan, which I don't have, but they are still amazing done in a frying pan. These are soooo good! The BBQ sauce takes a little bit of time to simmer on the stove, but it comes together super easily and is worth it. The garlic and dill potato salad is coated in a delicious, tofu-based Homemade Garlic Mayo (if you have a chance, let it sit for a bit, the flavours really mellow and mingle!). This salad is super garlicky and super dilly - yum!
Rating: Ribz :D, BBQ Sauce :D, Potato Salad :), Garlic Mayo :)



Quick and Hearty Chili and Sweet Cornbread: This chili lives up to its name - it comes together very easily and the combination of TVP and red kidney beans makes it very hearty! It has a lovely savoury flavor, which includes cocoa powder. I took the option of reducing the sugar in the cornbread, and it was still pretty sweet, but went nicely with chili. It is a very simple recipe.
Rating: Chili :), Cornbread :)



Banana Chocolate Chip Bread: It is rare that bananas get a chance to get ripe in this household (my dad is a banana addict), but when they do I jump at the chance to make baked goods. This recipe smells great and tastes even better!
Rating: :D



Biscuits and Creamy Sage Gravy: Biscuits and gravy are not something that is part of my Australian upbringing, so thanks America for introducing me to this! American gravy also tends to be a bit different, more creamy. This gravy is laced with nooch and ground sage. The Fluffy Biscuits come together easily and are super cute! I served these with the Tempeh and White Bean Sausage Patties from VWAV.
Rating: Gravy :) , Biscuits :)



Garlic Dill Bread: I have made this so many times, it is so good! It is a beer bread, and I normally use a Cooper's Pale Ale for this because it is nice and mild in flavour. Adorably, this recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of chipped dill, but I add in as much as I can!
Rating: :D



Home-Style Veggie Noodle Soup: This is simple and classic, carrts and celery in a noochy chicken-style broth with spaghetti. Great for a quick dinner on a cold night.
Rating; :)



Smoky Spinach and Tomato Salad: This involves a few components, including Smoky Curls (see below) and a Creamy Tomato Dressing, but once you have these it comes together in a snap. It has such lovely flavours. The dressing is nice and thick, with an unexpected smoky flavour.
Rating: Salad :), Dressing :)



Smoky Soy Curls: We don't have soy curls themselves here, but we have similar products. Though I made this with actual Soy Curls that I brought home from the USA. This recipe is easy and creates a delicious, snackable end product. They are are the star of the salad above, but can be used in so many other ways, such as this BLT-style sandwich!





Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



Sahara loves broccoli! Sadly she can't have it anymore because she has inflammatory bowel disease, which is managed with medication and a very strict, very non-vegan diet. But this photo was taken in other times, when she could sample the wares. The broccoli lured her up to the table, but she was also very interested in the gravy!