Post Punk Kitchen Forum

The Smoky Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad is delicious, but it made, like... one and a half servings, as many of Dreena's recipes do for me. I don't know if I'm just a massive eater or if her "three servings" is her and two small children, or what.

I got this one in the mail a few weeks ago. I am loving the sweets recipes ;)

Tried the white sauce on ww pasta tonight and everybody loved it! I added nooch to it and the kiddo gobbled it up like a champ :-D

ohhh i soo need to make this!

I'm still absolutely loving this book. I don't understand why it is not way more popular!

I'm finding it really difficult to find food to eat as a main course from it, and I really do not like the way the ingredient lists are made 3
times as long as they need to be with loads of unnecessary explanations on every recipe.

My husband made a lentil soup for lunch on Saturday from it, I don't know the name, and I had leftovers. It was OK.

I think Dreena's books are more in "combinations" - so for a meal, it's not always a one pot thing. There's a whole chapter of burgers, patties, etc that you can have with the sides (and they're always suggested), there's a whole chapter of main-chapter soups, stews, sauces (with suggestions on how to use them in mains), a chapter on pastas, and a chapter on mains?? I don't understand how you can not find mains in this, lol!

And as far as ingredient lists - I like the extra info, and there often don't end up being lots of ingredients in recipes, just suggestions and info. I know some of your fave books have HUGE ingredient lists that put me right off!

I don't mind a huge ingredient list that uses a lot of ingredients! I don't like a long list that doesn't have many, because it unnecessarily repeats the same information about the ingredient in every recipe.

I don't think soup is ever really a main course, but there must be something about the stews and pastas that is just not catching my eye, because they're the things I cook
on weeknights and what I'm always drawn to first in a cookbook. I'll have to pull it out again and see if I can see why. What's your favourite main course thing from the book?

I made the mediterranean lentils with the creamy polenta last night. I liked the lentils a lot, especially with the optional pine nuts. The polenta was just OK, I added the optional sun dried tomatoes and it was still a bit bland and not especially creamy but it was a good solid easy midweek meal. Portion sizes were too small for us but that's often a complaint, whatever the book.

I usually double recipes for us (2 adults, 1 kid)

Breakfast this morning: Whole Grain Chia Pancakes. They were good, but needed some sweetness so I added a bit of maple syrup on the side.

I just browsed through my new copy last night. It looks very complicated, but I did notice that most of the ingredients are actually notes, so maybe when I start cooking from it, it will not seem so bad.

I am used to easy vegan cooking, so we will see how it goes. I will have to make a special trip out to Whole Foods to find some of the ingredients that I don't have, and that my grocery store doesn't stock.

I made the festive chickpea pie with the rosemary gravy for Thanksgiving. I really enjoyed it! The rosemary gravy is especially good. I might make the meatloaf for Christmas...

I made the French Lentil Soup with Smoked Paprika last night and it was wonderful! I did use plain old brown lentils because I can't get French ones here, and it was fine. My friend gobbled it up and so did her boyfriend, who asked, 'How can it taste like there is meat in it, but there isn't any?' and at first I was confused, but then I remembered: the smoked paprika! Anyway, a hit with omnis and vegans alike, simple, easy, done in about 45 minutes, which isn't bad!

Really, the only thing I haven't liked that I've made so far from this book is the Wonder Bean Puree. The flavors of that are really odd. Everything else has been awesome, though!

That's so funny - I made the wonder bean puree when I was exhausted and desperate, and thought it was incredible, especially considering how few ingredients it had, and that it was just blended. Think I had it over rice?

Love the french lentil soup though! Have been meaning to try the festive chickpea pie for so long.

I think that it was just too sweet for me? I dunno. I ended up making it into a dip and adding lots of cumin. My sister-in-law loved it, so maybe it's just me that isn't keen on it!

Last night I made the tofu baked with olives, grapes, and sundried tomatoes over the creamy polenta. Both were very good! I was nervous about the tofu, for one because it isn't pressed (turns out, it doesn't need to be for this recipe) and second because I was afraid it would be too sweet for me. While I will probably leave out the maple syrup next time, it really wasn't that sweet. The polenta was really easy and tasty, and the added lemon zest went really well with the tofu dish, which I would have added lemon to, if it hadn't been for the polenta.

I just love Dreena's books. So many wonderful, easy, fool-proof recipes.

I made the salted chocolate cream cheese brownies for a vegan Cheese and Wine soiree yesterday. Omgooodnessss. They were amazing! I could have eaten at least half the recipe myself. So moist and delicous and chocolately and salty and sweet and creamy.... I'm so sad that I don't have any left to eat now! I will definitely be making those again.

Next time I am going to try that substitution. In getting ready for the storm that hit the East Coast this weekend and inspired by this thread, I made the French Lentil Soup. (If we lost power I wanted to have something I could heat on our woodburning stove!) The recipe is great as written but I might like it even better made with brown lentils. To my taste buds, this lovely soup defines comfort food. The softer, less toothsome brown lentils would likely underscore its gentle nature, I think.

Yeah, I'm sure I made those and they were really good. The cream cheese is a cashew mixture? I think that's it.

Today, I'm making the Mexican Bean Soup from this book with the chipotle/avocado cashew cream. And Julie Hasson's skillet cornbread from Vegan Diner to serve alongside. I think I'll also make the "no-fu" loaf soon. (Meatloaf-like recipe without soy products).

Yep, that's the one. Nobody guessed that the cream cheese wasn't the store bought analogue kind or that the brownies itself was made with spelt and only 3 tablespoons of oil!

I loved that soup too, btw, and it is great with the creamy topping! Very filling too.

Yes, the soup is really nice! I love the cream to put into it.

I also made the Hello, Vegan (caramel bars) and I haven't tried one yet, they're in the fridge firming up, but the caramel sauce was delicious off the stovetop and I think they'll be divine once they're set.

Ooh, I have those bookmarked. I've got a little vegan knitting group I go to so maybe I'll make some to share with those lovely ladies. I have no idea what a Hello Dolly bar is but they sound yummy!

I just made the No-Fu Love Loaf for dinner. Hope it will be good!

They are really tasty and I'm not a huge coconut fan and I still like them.

I would just advise to watch the last five minutes of cooking that the coconut sprinkled on top isn't burning because mine came close to doing so but luckily, I stayed in the kitchen while they were in the oven so could detect if any burning type smells were setting in and caught that in time. Also, I used my toaster oven which can get a little hotter and burn things quicker than standard-size home ovens so just to say.

I really want to try the No-Fu loaf. In fact, I was going to try it this week but already have enough stuff to make. Will probably make it within the next couple of weeks with the rosemary gravy and some mashed potatoes and some other veg alongside.