Passionate Vegetarian recipe recommendations?

[magdon]

There were a lot of fabulous comments about this book on various threads, so I thought I'd check it out. Literally in this case: I just got it home from the library and I'm a bit overwhelmed. Any favorites out there I should try?

[Lrimerman]

I made the Eternal Soup, and I thought it was good, and I like the idea that you can put whatever you have on hand in it. It would be great for using things up. I found the dehydrated beans at whole foods in the bulk area.

We made the Cholent out of that book today, and it smelled really good, but I didn't like the flavor, something about it I just don't like. DH will eat it, but I don't think we would make it again. I think I need to try a more traditional Cholent recipe to try again. It made a huge pot, so I am sure a lot of it will go in the trash, which after 20 hours of cooking it, is a waste.

That is all I have tried so far. I found the book at the local bookstore for 40% off, so I couldn't resist buying it. However, I am only on the chapter about Pot pies, etc. I don't know how long it will take me to plug through reading it. I do find several recipes from each chapter that I want to try.

I do also like the book for the information it has on many vegetarian ingredients, I am not that familiar with a lot of them and she explains stuff pretty well.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help, and that it is such a long post.

Lisa

[magdon]

Thanks much for the long post, Lrimerman -- I appreciate you taking the time. What bookstore did you find it at? I think at 40% I would probably pick it up too!

I've picked out a couple of recipes for this week, based on what I have on hand (mostly): the garlic spaghetti & and the broccoli-tofu enchiladas. Anyone tried either of those?

[Alaina76]

Originally posted by magdon
the broccoli-tofu enchiladas

I don't have the book, but would be interested in how these turn out!

[Lrimerman]

I got it at a local independent bookseller, Creative Bookstore in Waterford, MI. They are moving and for the past several months have had all books on sale 40% off. I happened to see one copy of it when I was browsing, she orders books and everytime I go has new stuff, but the cookbook section is pretty dismal. However, of all the books I currently WANT, that was the only one they had.

Lisa

[Karen in VA]

Originally posted by magdon
Thanks much for the long post, Lrimerman -- I appreciate you taking the time. What bookstore did you find it at? I think at 40% I would probably pick it up too!

I've picked out a couple of recipes for this week, based on what I have on hand (mostly): the garlic spaghetti & and the broccoli-tofu enchiladas. Anyone tried either of those?

I did make the broccoli/tofu enchiladas a week or so ago, and have been meaning to post about them. I thought the filling tasted really good. I did season it up a bit, I think with Penzeys adobo seasoning. I think this recipe called for flour tortillas, but I used corn tortillas, and I had the same problem I always have when making lower-fat enchiladas - the tortillas get so soggy b/c they have not been fried. I would like to try these again and use the flour tortillas. In all the recipes that call for soaking the corn tortillas in either water or warming in a hot skillet, they seem to soak up the sauce and filling and get so mushy. does anyone know of a way to crisp them up without frying them?

I hope some other people post other reviews from PV b/c I want to try more from this cookbook but just havent had the time.

[magdon]

I made the broccoli tofu enchiladas last night and they were tasty. Not sure what to do about the crispy issue. I always figured enchiladas were supposed to be mushy b/c of all the sauce.

I also made Garlic Spaghetti. WOW was that garlicky! I was a garlic monster for almost 2 days after. It was good too though. And super easy.

[Gracie]

Can you please post the garlic spaghetti recipe?

Thanks!

Loren

[magdon]

* Exported from MasterCook *

The One, the Only, the Greatest Garlic Spaghetti

Recipe By :Crescent Dragonwagon
Serving Size : 3 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 ounces spaghetti or fettucine
1 large egg
8 cloves garlic -- peeled
4 tablespoons butter -- softened
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper
crushed red pepper -- optional
vegetarian bacon bits -- optional

Bring large pot of water to a vigorous boil. Drop in pasta.

As the pasta cooks, gently warm either the bowl from which you'll serve the pasta or individual plates.

Combine egg, garlic, butter, Parmesan, basil, a little salt, and a lot of pepper in a food processor. Buzz, pausing to scrape down sides, until a thick paste is formed.

When the pasta is done, drain it, but do not rinse. Quickly transfer it to a bowl (the warmed serving one, if you wish) and dollop it with the garlic paste. Toss like wild, adding a little more pepper and maybe a dash or two more salt. By now the garlic aroma should be driving you crazy [note from Monica: it will be!], so...

Sit down and eat, serving the dish ASAP on the warmed plates, passing the red pepper, bacon bits, and additional Parmesan and a peppermill. Swoon.

Source:
"Passionate Vegetarian"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 171 Calories; 17g Fat (86.9% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 104mg Cholesterol; 176mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 3 Fat.

NOTES : This recipe contains an egg that does cook some on contact with the hot pasta, but maybe not enough for all eaters. Because of the risk of salmonella from undercooked eggs, if you are cooking for children, the elderly, or someone with a compromised immune system, always make sure your eggs are thoroughly cooked.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[Gracie]

Thank you, it sounds wonderful. But OMG - 87% fat!!!!! Have you tried to lighten it?

Loren

[magdon]

Well, there really isn't much to it but butter, egg & cheese so I'm not quite sure what you can do. Actually the recipe does say 3-4 T. butter and 1/4 to 1/3 cup cheese but Mastercook doesn't let you put in ranges. And I think the author mentions that she doesn't eat this all the time but as a treat. And if you served it with something, maybe chicken, then you would make the servings smaller, and the overall percentage would be less. Let me know if you figure something out.

[Lrimerman]

We also made the Broccoli and Tofu enchiladas, DH ate them and DS loved them, I thought they were so-so (as did DH) and DD wouldn't touch them. However, I used a canned sauce (a brand I hadn't tried before) and I didn't care for it. I liked the filling alright, although I may add more seasoning next time.

I still want to try more tofu dishes, I still have that hang up about the tofu taste, I can't seem to get past it.

Lisa

[mrswaz]

I keep looking at this cookbook, and I always wonder if it's one I'll use...Right now it's the featured selection at The Good Cook.Hmmm...

Any chance someone could post the broccoli and tofu enchiladas? Maybe a sample will help make up my mind one way or another. Thanks in advance!

[lisas3575]

Bumping up this thread because I too just checked this book out from the library. It's been a few months since anyone posted, so are there any more reviews? TIA! :)

[cryskie]

I went to one of Crescent's cooking classes at Central Market a while back, and she made a few recipes that were excellent. I've made a few again, but here's my list of recipes I've tried from the book (with my notes I wrote):

Oven Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms with Garlic and Coarse Salt (p. 48)
These were soooo good. Crescent made this at the cooking class, and I made them again later at home. It's so simple but the mushrooms are so flavorful. She also used these chopped and sprinkled on pizza dough with grated fresh Parmesan (also yummy).

Salad of Tender Greens with Sweet-Peppery Blackberry Vinaigrette and Crisp Tempeh Cubes (p. 75)
I haven't made this, but Crescent made it at the class, and it was fantastic. It calls for some ingredients I don't usually buy, like almond oil (and a whole cup of it!) and nutritional yeast for the tempeh, but someday I will make it! She mentioned you could use other variations such as hazelnuts, walnuts, or sesame seeds with the appropriate oils (you'd need to dilute the walnut and sesame oils with canola oil).

Artichoke and Lima Bean Ragout in Lemon Garlic Sauce (p. 240)
Crescent made this, and it was very good. It was very lemony, so maybe smaller bowls of it would be nice--we had it with olive bread, and though I don't like olives, I could taste that the two went well together.

Quick Yeasted Pizza Dough, Processor-Style (p. 350)
She made this at the class, and I've made it at home, too. I make it by hand because I don't have a big enough food processor, but it's a very good and easy crust.

Iced Herbal Cooler (p. 380)
This was good--just Red Zinger tea mixed with apple juice concentrate, orange, and lemon. I thought it was a bit tart (I'm not big on sour stuff), but I have used the idea to make whatever Celestial Seasoning tea I feel like having and using frozen apple juice concentrate instead of some of the water to sweeten it.

Dal (p. 609)
This was just okay to me. I wrote in that it needed more seasoning/salt, and made a lot--too much for my husband and me. Won't be repeating this one.

Sugar-Glazed Peas with Radishes (p. 697)
This was the first time I had eaten real shelled fresh young peas (which I found at Whole Foods in the spring), and the dish was so perfectly sweet and tender and yummy. I'm looking forward to next spring when I can (hopefully) find the peas again!

Cabbage T'horin (p. 719)
I thought this was just okay...the cabbage was a little too crunchy for me, but the coconut flakes were good. Not a repeater.

Skillet-Seared Fennel (p. 752)
This was my first attempt at cooking fennel, and it was wonderful! We actually thought it would be good as a crunchy topping on a baked potato or a boca burger, too.

Neo-Traditional Falafel with Tahini Dressing and Kibbutz Salad (p. 842)
This is one of our favorites, and I've made it several times. The Falafel is perfectly seasoned, and the Kibbutz salad is the perfect complement in a pita. I haven't made the tahini dressing though, we usually make a cucumber-tomato raita to go with this instead (just because I will use any means possible to get raita into a meal--I love it!)

Tortellini with Mushrooms and Peas (p. 860)
This was really good--I wrote that the mushrooms and peas went well together, and it would be good with regular pasta, too. It's very simple, but good.

Shocking Pasta (p. 863)
I tried this pasta with beet sauce recipe to use up some CSA beets, and here's what I wrote: "Whoa! Funky fuschia color made it unappetizing to me; tasted okay." Not a repeater.

Blueberry Crisp (p. 977)
Crescent made this, and I've made it at home, too. It is so delicious served with blueberry ice cream. I wrote that used a fourth of the amounts of the ingredients, and it made two generous servings.

Jeez! Sorry this post was so long. Hopefully this will help you out a little...Now that I've looked through the book, I think I'll cook something new from it this week! I'd be happy to type up any of the recipes for those of you who don't have the book--just let me know.

:)
Crystal

[Kayaksoup]

Broccoli Tofu Enchiladas!!!!Pretty Please:D :D

[Kayaksoup]

Artichoke and Lima Bean Ragout in Lemon Garlic Sauce (p. 240)
This sounds really good too...

[cryskie]

Here's one of them:

CD's Famed Tofu-Broccoli Enchiladas

Makes 6 to 8 enchiladas; serves 3 or 4

1 package (16 ounces) firm, fresh (not silken) water-packed tofu, preferably reduced fat
2 to 3 ounces neufchatel reduced-fat cream cheese or regular cream cheese
2 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons top-quality chili powder, preferably New Mexico-style
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 large onion, cut into 4 pieces
2 to 3 cups cooked, coarsely diced broccoli
Cooking spray
Six to eight 8-inch flour tortillas, preferably whole wheat (or eight to ten 6-inch white, yellow, or blue corn tortillas)
Tomatillo Salsa Verde or Cupboard Enchilada Sauce
3 to 4 ounces grated sharp Cheddar or jack cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F. Place half the tofu in a food processor. Coarsely crumble the other half into a bowl and set aside.
To the food processor, add the neufchatel, garlic, chili powder, and salt. Buzz until smooth, pausing several times to scrape down the sides of the work bowl. Add the onion and pulse-chop a few times. Add the broccoli and pulse-chop just a couple of times more. What you'r aiming for is a thick, smooth mixture (the seasoned tofu-neufchatel part) in which nice texture-y chunks of raw onion and cooked broccoli are distinct. Turn the mixture out into the bowl with the crumbled tofu, and stir well to combine. (Now is the time to rinse out your food processor work bowl, reassemble it, and put together the Cupboard Enchilada Sauce in matter of maybe 1 minute.)

Spray a 10 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place the filling and a stack of tortillas nearby.

Heat a nonstick skillet, or one that has been sprayed with cooking spray, over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and warm just enough to soften it, about 45 seconds. Flip and warm the other side. Pull it out of the skillet and warm another tortilla. As the second tortilla heats, slap about one-sixth of the filling down the middle of the first warm tortilla, roll it, and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Flip your in-skillet tortilla, and repeat the whole process. Keep going until all of the enchiladas are filled and the dish is full.

Pour the sauce of your choice over the enchiladas. Cover with waxed paper, then with foil, and bake until hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil and waxed paper and sprinkle the top with optional cheese. Raise the oven temperature to 450F and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.


Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Makes about 3 cups.

1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos, husks removed
1/2 large onion, quartered
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 to 2 fresh serrano chiles or jalapeno peppers, stemmed
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Buzz until smooth.

Cupboard Enchilada Sauce

Makes about 3 cups

1/2 onion
1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice
3 cloves garlic
3 to 4 tablespoons commercial hot salsa
1 red bell pepper, charred, peeled, stemmed, and seeded (optional)
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and buzz until smooth.

[cryskie]

The artichoke ragout can be found at:

http://www.passionatevegetarian.com/recipe_index.htm

with some other recipes she has posted.

:)
Crystal

[lisas3575]

Thanks, Crystal! I appreciate all that typing. Wow!

[cryskie]

No problem, lisas3575. Glad I could help out!
:)
Crystal

[lisas3575]

Originally posted by cryskie
No problem, lisas3575. Glad I could help out!
:)
Crystal

You can call me Lisa Numbers. ;) :p

[Kayaksoup]

Thanks so much for the recipes. They look gooooood:D