February 28th, 2006

Help round out this meal?

I'm having 10-15 people over for a dinner-party this week-end, but I'm kind of tired, so I don't want to attempt anything too crazy-complicated. I'm definitely making a spicy peanut and mustard green soup and probably spinach pies. What other dishes would go well with this (that I can either make myself or have others bring)? Dessert?

Thanks for any suggestions....


has anyone here made the quiche from the farm cookbook?
i'm trying to decide between that recipe and the one from the garden of vegan (that one i have made before and it came out super-salty, but otherwise good).

any input would be appreciated...

EDIT: i went w/the recipe from the garden of vegan and omitted the sun-dried tomatoes which i think were the salty culprit last time--i'll post after we've eaten.

"breakfast treat" cookies

Lately I really miss Stella D'oro "breakfast treats", which are a light, crispy cookie, almost like a hard sponge sorta thing. They look like this:

Anyone have a recipe for a cookie like the ones described? Obviously the texture is what's the most important to replicate, so just making any old cookie dough into S shapes won't be the best option. The original ingredients (simplified) are:


I'm guessing the texture is affected by the fact that both whole eggs and yolks are used (assuming the invert sugar is just used to paint that strip of glaze on the outside, and not in the dough itself). Any ideas?

storing lettuce

i get a salad mix (i guess it's like what you would call spring mix) every friday from my CSA. it comes in a plastic bag and it's generally kinda wet. i'm not sure how to store it in my fridge to keep it from getting wilty. i don't have a salad spinner and i don't really think i have the space for one. does anybody have any good ideas for storing salad mix to keep it from getting wilty/slimy?

Soy free protein in a stir fry?

Stir frys are so healthful and they are something my husband an I really enjoy. However I am slightly sensitive to soy and my husband doesn't care for tofu or bean curd. It seems like I can get away with using a small amount of Bragg's (like soy sauce), but I don't want to include any additional soy product. I added mung bean sprouts thinking that they would replace the missing protein but was disappointed to discover when I entered them into my fitday.com food journal that they're not particularly protein rich. Do you have any suggestions for soy-free ways of incorporating a good amount of protein in a stir fry while keeping it vegan? Is there a suitable non-soy vegan replacement for Braggs or soy sauce that I could use to flavor a stir fry if my soy sensitivity worsens? Thanks for your help.

using whole wheat flour in scones?

ok, so in an effort to procrastinate even further this week, i want to make some scones from a recipe a friend wrote out for me (not sure where it is from). I was wondering: would it be ok to use all whole-wheat flour in this recipe? Here, let me write out all the ingredients:

ingredientsCollapse )

I've never attempted to make scones, vegan or otherwise, so i'm not sure if using whole wheat is workable. I've had horrid results subbing it into other recipes (namely an experimental vegan pumpkin loaf that broke my heart with its disgusting lack of solidification). Advice?



Thanks so much for the help, folks! I poked around our (one) health-food store and couldn't find WW pastry flour :( Soooo, i went to plan B and replaced 1/2 the all-purpose flour w/ regular whole wheat flour, and it worked SO WELL! SUCCESS!!! They are really nummy ^__^ thank yoooou!

I love old cookbooks!

Found an old (1970's) cookbook and was skimming it... Found this recipe and decided to use up my butternut squash. It was really good, the kids gobbled it up and I had seconds! I've had the cornbread recipe for a long time, and have no idea where it came from... It's the best vegan cornbread, though, and so simple to make!

Recipes in hereCollapse )

spaghetti squash

i baked a spaghetti squash in the oven today and had half of it with a tomato sauce.. but i'm unsure if it was done. how do you know when a spaghetti squash is done? i guess i'm used to squash being softer and what i ate was a bit 'crunchy', though it came off in strands easily.
  • Current Mood: curious

adzuki bean and lentil soup

This soup brought to you by rainy, chilly Oregon nights:

1 cup dry adzuki beans, soaked 12 hrs or more
1 cup dry lentils
lots of water
dried seaweed (I used nori)
1 onion, sliced
large handful fresh shiitake caps, stemmed and sliced
1 large shallot, minced
1 large can of tomatoes
1/2 cup - 1 cup soy/whatever milk (I'm a fan of this stuff)
1 handful wholegrain pasta
tamari and/or sea salt to taste
thyme and black pepper to taste
1 bunch mustard greens (or turnip greens or collards or whatever), stems removed and leaves shredded

Place soaked beans and lentils in large pot, add water, seaweed, shiitakes, shallot, and onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until pulses are soft. Add all other ingredients besides greens, and cook until pasta is done. Add greens and cook until just wilted.