Thoughts From a Vegan Girl

Recipe #2 from The Conscious Cook is Cornmeal Crusted Tempeh with Smoked Tomato Sauce, Green Chili Relish, Black Bean Puree and Braised Kale. Holy cow is this good!!

it took me a solid two hours to prepare. It's basically tempeh, that has been cooked in a broth of water, shoyu, ginger, garlic and chilis, then coated in cornmeal and pan fried, layered with a black bean puree, braised kale, a spicy tomato sauce and a chili relish. I have no idea how the chef, Tal Ronnen actually intended for it to be plated, but the above was my best guess. I honestly don't know that it matters how you stack it, because I think it would be delicious regardless.





Again, still really loving this cookbook. I do, however, have a couple of additional observations that I would like to share. First, in the description of the book, it indicates that Chef Ronnen is a former lover of steak and this is a "ground-breaking book filled with delicious and hearty meals that will satisfy even the most devoted meat-eaters." Based on my experience thus far, mission accomplished. The other thing I would like to note is that even though these are all vegan recipes so they are healthier than their meat and potatoes counterparts, the two recipes I have made so far do not feel healthy. There is fairly generous usage of oil and other fats - this particular recipe called for 3 tablespoons of Earth Balance to put melted into the tomato sauce after it was pureed, but I just could not bring my self to do it. In addition, there's nearly a cup of oil used throughout the rest of the cooking, either for pan frying or sauteing. Also, he instructs you to add the liquid that comes with black beans into the pot; maybe there's nothing to it, but I have always drained and rinsed my beans to remove excess sodium and whatever other things were added so I was left with just beans. Now, I have thumbed through the book and this is not indicative of all 70 recipes, but it is a point worth making.

What does this all mean to me? Well, it means that I will look for ways to modify the recipes to reduce the amounts of fat and sodium, where necessary. That, combined with the complexity or time required for some of the recipes, this will be a cookbook reserved for special occasions and lazy Sunday afternoons. But still, I have to say this is a cookbook that every vegan should have, especially if they are called upon to entertain from time to time, or love to try different things.

Now, which cookbook to cook from next week...???

As previously mentioned, the cookbook of the week this week is Tal Ronnen's The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change The Way You Eat. The first recipe I made is Tempeh Creole Over Brown Rice, page 150.It was braised tempeh, simmered in a stew consisting of a broth infused with soy sauce, ginger and garlic along with onions, green pepper, celery and seeded, peeled tomatoes along with some spices. It had just the right amount of heat and great flavor!

I am really excited about this cookbook. The pictures are all great and it really puts a little bit of a fancy flair to vegan cuisine. One recipe in particular I am excited about is the cashew cream recipe, which is made to replace dairy-based creams in a variety of recipes - apparently you can even whip it to make a whipped topping! The one drawback is that many of the recipes require two plus hours to prepare. But, this is perfect for a lazy Sunday!

Stay tuned for recipe #2!

It has been so very long since I even logged into my blog - I am embarrassed. Good thing I don't have a lot of readers. :-)

One of my New Year's resolutions is to pick a different one of my lovely cookbooks each week and select two brand-spankin' new recipes to try. I decided to do this because I really do have so many beautiful cookbooks and I always just rely on the internet when I am looking to try something new. Incidentally, I have become a huge fan of several vegan blogs and look forward to reading them everyday! I gain a lot of inspiration from their various entries.

Last week, the cookbook I chose to cook from was Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson. This was a cookbook I received last year as a gift and had never cooked anything out of it. This was partly because it was a big book (555 pages of recipes, not including the Resources section or the index) and it doesn't have any pictures - I tend to find cooking inspiration from pictures. Well, that has now changed. Last week, I selected Indonesian Style Rice with Tempeh (page 235), Ziti, Artichokes and Olives with Spicy Tomato Sauce (page 245) and finally Artichoke and Root Vegetable Gratin (page 355). Before I talk about the recipes, I want to confess that I did not take any pictures as I didn't know I was going to blog about them until about 5 minutes ago.

I found the Indonesian Style Rice with Tempeh to be ok. it was basically brown rice with shredded cabbage and carrots, some poached tempeh and a very light sauce made of tamari and light brown sugar, garnished with shredded cucumber and chopped peanuts. it didn't have a lot of flavor - next time I would likely add more veggies and kick up the spice a few notches.

The second recipe was the Ziti, Artichokes and Olives with Spicy Tomato Sauce. This was pretty good - the recipe title being a pretty indicator of the ingredients. I did use fresh tomatoes and based on how I tend to like my pasta a little more saucy, I would probably use canned whole San Marzano tomatoes next time. I think the recipe could have used a little more kick and perhaps some roasted red peppers.

Finally, I saved my favorite for last - the Artichoke and Root Vegetable Gratin. Again, the title says it all - a potato, large carrot and parsnips, all sliced thin. Then leeks and artichokes sauteed with some garlic. Layer the sliced root veggies in the gratin pan, alternating with the leek and artichoke mixture, top with some bread crumbs and bake. It was really good! The artichoke and leek mixture made it a little more sophisticated and the lack of a sauce made it healthier than your typical gratin. of course, I served it topped with some hot sauce, but I really enjoyed it a great deal!

I really like this cookbook. It contains 400 recipes, all organized in an inventive but easy to navigate way. I do miss the pictures, but with this many recipes, there would hardly be room! The author has incorporated a lot of common ingredients in some unique ways and I appreciate the descriptions she has taken the time to write. I will certainly be turning to this cookbook in the future for cooking inspiration!

Up next week: The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen.