Eggplant Parmesan~pg 145; Quick All-Purpose Garlic Tomato Sauce~pg 179

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Loved this! It really helped to salt the eggplant to take out the bitterness. I don't think I've ever done that before and you can really tell the difference. I doctored up the sauce by adding a tsp. of Italian seasoning, some chopped fresh basil and another tsp. of agave nectar. This recipe was time-consuming but so worth it. I used the brown rice like she suggested in her recipe. Next time I'll use some pasta!

This got a thumbs-up from my husband but he didn't like the brown rice with it either.

Quick Breakfast Quinoa~pg. 50

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I love quinoa so I knew this would be good. The raisins cooked with the quinoa made it sweet enough without adding any sugar. I'm glad this turned out because it kept boiling over on me while I was cooking it. Here is my stovetop that I had just cleaned:

Isn't that lovely!

Jae's Peanut Butter Fudge~pg. 200

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I really wasn't looking forward to making these for several reasons. 1-too much sugar (2 cups) ugh! and 2-my fear of candy thermometers and boiling hot sugar! I have never used one before but I finally conquered my fear and did it. They turned out kind of crumbly, probably didn't use that dang thermometer right. These are way too sweet, even for me, who has a sweet tooth. I'm sending these to work with my husband.

Wolffie's Pasta Salad~pg. 82

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

This one's a keeper! I added kidney beans to my salad for a complete meal. The dressing for this is really tasty. I might have to use it separately on another salad.

February Challenge Recipes!

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

February 2012

Wed. 02/01: Margo’s Veggie Peanut Stew-116

Thu. 02/02: Cauliflower Red Lentil Soup-107

Fri. 02/03: Cinnamon Donut Holes-198; Basic Cake Glaze-260

Sat. 02/04: Bountiful Beans & Brown Rice-146

Sun. 02/05: Dilip’s Stuffed Manicotti with

                   Roasted Red Pepper & Porcini Mushroom Sauce-131

Mon. 02/06: Chocolate Walnut Truffles-202

Tues. 02/07: Quinoa Black Bean Salad-75

Wed. 02/08: Festive Stuffed Butternut Squash-162

Thu. 02/09: Chocolate Pecan Cookies-216

Fri. 02/10: Tomato Cabbage Soup-115

Sat. 02/11: Curry Fennel Cauliflower Bake-147

Sun. 02/12: Vegan Fruit Juice Flavored Jell-o-Tin-198

Mon. 02/13: Monday Morning Meusli-46

Tues. 02/14: Parsnip Apple Soup-110

Wed. 02/15: Berry Oat Squares-214

Thu. 02/16: Shook ‘n’ Cook Pickles-56

Fri. 02/17: Sarah’s Green Split Pea Soup-118

                  (add Heather’s Swedish Rye Bread-270)

Sat. 02/18: Coconut Pie Pancakes-39; Economy “Maple” Pancake Syrup-40

Sun. 02/19: Choice of salad and Wolffie’s Balsamic Vinegar Dressing-95

Mon. 02/20: Emira’s Speedy Gourmet Kale & Tofu Delight-148

Tues. 02/21: Anything Goes Fruit ‘n’ Nut Smoothie-52

Wed. 02/22: Eileen’s Sesame Ginger Stir-Fry-148

Thu. 02/23: Cinnamon-Spiced Roasted Veggies-193

Fri. 02/24: Breakfast Brown Rice Pudding-52

Sat. 02/25: Faux Fish-286; Veganica.com Cajun Sweet Potato Fries-186

Sun. 02/26: Wolffie’s Cocoa Cake-250; Chocolate Fudgey Frosting-259

Mon. 02/27: Harvard Beets-187

Tues. 02/28: Choice of salad and Teresa’s Dressing-92

Wed. 02/29: Apricot Walnut Coffee Cake-252

Auntie Bonnie's Chickpea Salad~pg. 71

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I've been so busy looking at all the new vegan cookbooks I just got (like I need any more!) that I haven't had time to post! Just received - Forks over Knives DVD & cookbook; Engine 2 Diet; Peas and Thank You; and the McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook. Can't wait to dig into some new recipes. I would be perfectly content to be locked in a room surrounded with books! Oh, but then I wouldn't be able to cook anything :(

Yumm! Chickpeas!

I love my chickpeas! I make several different chickpea salads and this one tastes really good on top of my spinach salad. I posted another chickpea salad/spread recipe in my Salads section that I make alot.



Miki's Pumpkin Bread~pg. 280

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Loved the smell of these while they were baking in the oven-pumpkin, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Next time I'll use my 8" loaf pans so they will make a thicker loaf. Still delicious, though. I didn't add the optional chocolate chips. I used a mix of half walnuts and half pecans for the nuts.

I sliced and froze the extra loaf for future enjoyment!

Vegan "Sausage" Hash~pg. 46

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Sizzlin' in the pan!

I used soyrizo for the vegan 'sausage' this time and it was excellent! It is nice and spicy and the 'sausage' crisps up really well. Of course, it's always better with Daiya melted on top.

I served this for supper along with some freshly steamed broccoli and Alvarado St. Bakery Sprouted Whole Wheat Flax Seed Bread toasted and spread with Earth Balance margarine.

Tip-Top Tofu Loaf~pg. 154; Maryland's Kale

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

It seems like it's been forever since I've posted a recipe. I guess life happens. My niece's 'celebration of life' memorial was on Saturday and on Sunday we surprised my mother-in-law with an 80th birthday party. Lots and lots of people hugged and loved on for two days. I wasn't looking forward to making this 'loaf' again because I didn't really like it the last time. The flavor is good but the consistency and texture is like a spread for crackers. Plus, my poor hubby wouldn't eat it:(  I think he's got a mental block about tofu!

I served my "loaf" with roasted butternut squash (olive oil, coriander, cumin, cinnamon) and Maryland's Kale from Everyday Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S. Nixon. The kale recipe has Old Bay seasoning and fresh lemon-easy and delicious. When I ate everything together the tofu "loaf" tasted good. I'll just have to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Maple Flax Squares~pg. 213

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

These squares tasted just like pecan pie but with walnuts!

Jen's Creamy Basil & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta~pg. 133

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I love fresh basil so this creamy tofu sauce was a hit. I cooked my broccoli separately and then tossed it with the sauce and pasta.

I served the pasta with a fresh salad topped with the Vegan Ranch Dressing I made earlier today and Simple Sassy Soda Bread (pg. 269) broiled with Earth Balance margarine, garlic powder and Faux Parmesan.

Vegan Ranch Dressing!

Sometimes I miss good old ranch dressing on my salad or to dip veggies in. After the fiasco of buying an expensive bottle of vegan ranch that tasted like crap and I ended up throwing away I wanted to find a good vegan alternative. Ta-da! I found it! The recipe is from Veganize This! by Jenn Shagrin. Oooh, it's creamy and delicious and tastes just like bottled ranch dressing.

 

This will last for a couple weeks in the fridge but I usually finish it off in a couple of days! I like to eat it with lots of raw veggies-cucumbers, red, yellow, orange bell peppers, carrots, celery and also dried veggie chips. Yum!

Dijon Mustard Brussels Sprouts~pg. 185

La DolceVegan! Challenge:

This recipe will get rave reviews from me. It's permanently marked in my cookbook. I probably make this at least once a month when I can get brussels sprouts. This is my favorite way to make them. I love the little mustard seeds popping in your mouth and the flavor that the shallots and Dijon mustard give to the sprouts. If you thought you didn't like brussels sprouts you've got to try this recipe.

I served my sprouts with Faux Turkey (pg. 289) and gravy over mashed potatoes. We had made the Faux Turkey previously for the challenge and I had put it in the freezer with some of the simmering broth. I thawed it out and made a gravy with the broth and added chopped up Faux Turkey. Quick and delicious!

Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Strudel~pg. 227

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I tried just a little taste. I wasn't sure if the bananas were cooked enough for me since I'm allergic to raw bananas. I think my bananas weren't ripe enough; not much banana taste. I sent some home with my daughter and my husband ate the rest. This was too messy to make and now what do I do with the rest of the phyllo dough? At least I can refreeze it.  Not adding this to my 'sweets' list!

Roasted Kalamata Parsnips~pg. 193

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I love the flavor of roasted veggies-the sweetness of the butternut squash combined with the parsnips and carrots is warm and comforting. The kalamata olives give it a nice, tangy bite.

I served my roasted veggies with a fresh romaine and spinach salad and Gardein Chick'n Scallopini.

Wolffie's BLT Brunch Casserole~pg 43

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Alot of work but it tasted pretty good. I didn't use the extra salt the recipe called for and it was plenty salty from the "bacon" bits and the nutritional yeast sauce. I will have to eat this one on my own; my husband isn't too fond of tofu based dishes! I'll save the rest for breakfast tomorrow.

Nikole's Boss's Mom's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake~pg. 248

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Just what I love-peanut butter and chocolate!

The vegan cream cheese and peanut butter mixture swirled into the batter made this cake extra moist and delicious.

Wolffie's Nutritional Yeast "Cheese" Sauce~175; Rainbow Greens

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

A good, quick nutritious 'cheese' sauce to whip up for anything. After I took the picture I added some Garlic Herb Seasoning to spice it up a little. I served my macaroni and 'cheese' with Rainbow Greens from Everyday Happy Herbivore.

Curried Ginger Butternut Squash Soup~pg. 114

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I liked the flavor of this soup better than the carrot soup from Tuesday. I love butternut squash and this soup had a milder, creamier taste. I added the cilantro just for some color; next time I might add some chopped cilantro for extra flavor.

Simple Oatmeal Cookies~pg. 216

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

These should have been under the breakfast section because they tasted like oatmeal in cookie form. I think I'll crumble them in some soymilk in the morning or maybe some vanilla soy yogurt might be good. They don't taste like a good old-fashioned raisin oatmeal cookie that's for sure. I rather like the new colorful plate more than I did the cookies!

Quick Ginger Carrot Soup~pg. 113; Simple Sassy Soda Bread~pg. 269

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

This bread was quite bland tasting to me. I used 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 C white flour when making it. It needs some kind of herb flavor in it. I'll have to add something to it next time.

Whoo! My ginger must have been extra potent-this was spicy! I even reduced the amount of black pepper I used. It was still good though; especially with the Simple Sassy Soda Bread (which had no flavor at all).

Sesame Miso Dressing~pg. 96

La Dolce Vegan Challenge:

I only made half of the recipe because I don't really like the taste of tahini. This dressing might be good mixed with some Napa cabbage, veggies and soba noodles. But in reality I'm probably not even going to use it. Can't get past the taste of the tahini.

Chocolate Pear-zza~pg. 233

La Dolce Vegan Challenge:

Sorry for the state of the pizza pan, but it still works! I didn't think I would like the chocolate chips in this but it tasted pretty good. Even better the next day. It's been kind of hard getting the challenge done this week. My niece passed on Saturday after putting in a long, hard fight with leukemia. I'll miss her but I know she's at peace and free from pain now. It helps to keep doing the every day things.

Roasted Asparagus Potato Salad~pg. 90

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Loved this salad. I used one pound of asparagus because I like alot of asparagus. I only used 1 Tbsp. flax oil in the dressing instead of the 2 it called for. It was plenty for this salad. I will be making this one again.

Hot Nuts~pg. 68

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Love these hot nuts! Next time I'll use more Asian chili garlic sauce (Sriracha) to make them hotter; I played it safe and only used 2 tsp. chili sauce this time.

Breakfast Banana Smoothie~pg. 52

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Since I am allergic to raw bananas I'll call this "Breakfast Mango Smoothie". After I whipped this up in the blender I calculated how many calories I would consume if I drank this whole glass. . . . . . . 602 whopping calories!!! It would have been even more but I used only 2 Tbsp. of tahini. Wowie~I drank half for breakfast with nothing else. I sipped on it throughout the day and tried to watch what I ate for lunch and dinner. Well, that certainly wasn't worth it.

Wolffie's Spinach-Walnut Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette~pg. 78

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Look at that luscious red raspberry dressing! Much better than store-bought varieties.

Love this recipe-I usually eat a big spinach salad for lunch every day so now I can use this Raspberry Vinaigrette for my dressing.

On Golden Pond Mushroom Soup~pg. 105

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I made this soup for lunch because my husband really doesn't like mushrooms. It was delicious! I reduced the salt in mine; the tamari and vegetable stock give it enough saltiness. I'll definitely make this again.

Wolffie's Snickerdoodles~pg. 215

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Just like Wolffie says, "crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside." These were my favorite cookies my mom used to make when we were kids. I used the ground flax seeds instead of egg replacer and they turned out great.

Chickpea Salad/Spread

The start of a great New Year's Eve party!! I made Chickpea Spread (on the left), salsa (middle) and Triple Ginger Gingersnap Cookies (in the background). Everyone really liked the Chickpea Spread so I thought I would share the recipe. It comes from meatoutmonday.org . I also brought a veggie tray and some bottled vegan ranch dressing (you can see the dressing in the yellow bowl); it was disgusting, I threw it away. I'm sure I could have made a great vegan ranch dressing-anybody have any good recipes?

Chickpea Salad/Spread
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed well
3-4 Tbsp Vegenaise mayonnaise
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp mustard (I use Dijon mustard)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper (to taste)
*If you want a smoother, spreadable consistency blend chickpeas in food processor. Remove and combine with other ingredients in bowl. I usually just use a pastry cutter to chop and mash my chickpeas. It makes a chunkier salad and then I eat it on top of baby spinach leaves. Refrigerate salad or serve immediately.

Spiced Potato Salad~pg. 89

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Happy New Year everyone! Still trying to get back in the groove of cooking! This was an easy meal to put together. I couldn't wait for my potato salad to completely chill so I'm sure it will taste better tomorrow. I served it with some swiss chard and Gardein Crispy Tenders.