VeganMoFo 2019 #6: D is for Dreena Burton

I thought it would be fun during MoFo to highlight a few vegan cookbook authors and show a recipe I have made from each of their books, or at least each of the books that I have. Starting off with Dreena Burton, a well known vegan cookbook author who has published a number of cookbooks. I came to know her through her earlier cookbooks, and I have her first four, and I also follow her blog (which has a lot of recipes). I'll post the recipes in order of book publication. For two of these books (her first two), this will be their first appearance on my blog!

Orange Ginger Miso Vinaigrette from The Everyday Vegan (which seems to be out of print in a lot of places): This is a simple recipe that came together quickly. The recipe calls for dry ginger, but I used a big chunk of grated fresh ginger because fresh ginger is amazing! I did find it a bit sweet, and had to add a bit of extra tamari. The recipe calls for agave (or any sweetener of your choice), but I think it only needed the slightest smidge. At least if you are using fresh ginger. I used this to mix through pasta, veggies, and tofu puffs and it was great. Works well on a warm dish as well as chilled!
Rating: :)



Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies from Vive le Vegan: You can't go wrong with cookies, and Dreena loves making cookies. While a lot of her cookie recipes tend towards wholegrain flours or natural sweeteners, this recipe is 100% classic cookie (well, she does call for raw sugar, but whatever you feel like using). It has the smallest touch of blackstrap molasses, which gives a really lovely flavour to it. All up a quick and easy recipe that will have you cookies in no time.
Rating: :)



Acai Antioxidant Smoothie from Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan: When life gives you those little frozen packets of acai, you make a smoothie. This book is my favourite Dreena book, and I have posted extensively about other recipes that you can see here. This smoothie was a lovely start to my morning, though I made a few changes. I decreased the amount of oatmilk to 1 cup, because I like my smoothies thick. This smoothie has frozen berries, bananas, and acai in it so it is nice and cold. The frozen packet of acai was in a rectangle that would fit in my blender, so I left it out for 20 minutes to defrost so I could break it up. But it half melted in that time, so remember it really only needs a few minutes to soften! This smoothie also has some cocoa powder, which gives it a nice undertone.
Rating: :)



Creamy Barley Risotto with Thyme and Star Anise from Let Them Eat Vegan: I have made many things from this book, including the famous Berry Patch Brownies, and you can see those round ups here. As for this recipe, I love star anise and this sounded like a perfect dinner for a cold evening. I love barley, and I feel it often gets forgotten with all the fancy grains available now. But barley is easy, tasty, and filling. I always soak mine for a few hours before hand to make sure it cooks in the allotted time. This was a lovely dinner, and I served it with some roasted broccoli for greens.
Rating: :)



Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



Sahara in her favourite basket bed again, as you can see she is sleeping a bit more comfortably this time! She really was the most perfect cinnamon scroll.