Red Bean Jambalaya

The Red Bean Jambalaya on page 252 was very simple to put together. I prefer Brown Rice but used white to stay in with the recipe.

I missed the crushed tomatoes in the recipe so used 2 cans of diced since I was in the middle of the recipe when I realized the error but it still tasted good :).

For me the beans were protein enough but if I have left over seitan or some vegan sausage links I would add that next time for sure for additional flavor.

The spices were fine for me so I don't think I'd make any alternations.

~~Gymmie

Spicy White Bean and Tomato Soup

Although Spring is right around the corner and we enjoyed weather in the mid-70s here in Texas today I still wanted some soup. Hey soup is comforting and fine all year round right :).

This soup came together quickly and easily. I had some jalapeños to use up so I added those to the soup since my store only has the mild chilies. I wanted that extra punch of the hot chilies.

As usual, using canned beans keeps the cooking time short unless you're mean and have a Fagor (I'm looking at you and you know who you are :p).

The jalapenños added the punch I was hoping for and the soup is really good. This soup also adds peanut butter which I did have to refrain myself from putting the entire jar in. YUM Peanut Butter :).

Another very good soup that takes under an hour with ingredients you probably already have on hand :).

~~Gymmie

Mexican Fideo Soup with Pinto Beans

I had purchased the missing items for the Mexican Fideo Soup with Pinto Beans on page 159 but The Divine Miss V beat me to making it.

I do agree with her assessment on the flavor. The spices need to be upped if having right away. I'll see how sitting overnight changes the flavor.

Otherwise the soup is edible with the suggested flavoring you just may need to add something.

I did have Fideo so did use that. I also cooked the onions in a separate pot for saving time and I didn't see any special reason for using the same pot. I would have an extra dish to wash regardless.

When I make this again I'm going to check and see if there are any hotter chilies (the recipe suggests hot or mild) and see if that changes the flavor.

ETA 12/21--I tried to soup today and as The Divine Miss V said the flavors meld together better with the suggested measurements once allowed to sit.

--Gymmie

Three Bean Soup

The Three Bean Soup on page 161 is very delicious and addicting.

I had some celery and carrots that hadn't been touched in a while so it made good sense to use them up.

I think soup has become my newest addiction so simple to put together.

--Gymmie

Mexican Fideo Soup with Pinto Beans

I love soup, I love easy soups, and I especially love dishes that hint of any Latin flavor, so the Mexican Fideo Soup with Pinto Beans (p159) was sure to be mine.

Since the recipe only called for 15.5 oz of beans, I used canned. I also followed the suggestion of using angel hair pasta if fideo wasn't available (which is wasn't). I also used fire-roasted diced tomatoes instead of crushed, as that's what I had on hand.

No surprise here, the soup didn't have enough flavor for us. It was "fine," but just a little flat and bland, which made it perfect for Grandma V. The flatness was resolved with an overnight stay in the fridge and the soup was much better in the flavor department the second day. However, there wasn't much liquid to the soup to begin with, and by the next day the pasta had absorbed what there was and it was basically spaghetti. So that's what I decided to call this one--Mexican spaghetti. It's good, and better with a hot sauce such as Cholula or perhaps one with chipotle flavor. It's worth making for its ease and use of pantry staples, and the next go round I will add more seasoning to make it more compatible with our tastes.

--The Divine Miss V

Maple Baked Beans

The flavors of maple and molasses come together to make an easy baked bean dish.

The Maple Baked Beans on page 257 is a great main dish or can easily make a side for a summer picnic.

The dish is simple to make the sauce is cooked over the stove and then you pour the sauce over the beans and bake and then nom!

I had to improvise on the crushed tomatoes because I didn't realize I had forgotten to get some when I was at the store so took some canned whole tomatoes and put them through the processor.

--Gymmie

Black Beans and Wild Rice

I LOVE Spinach. When I was little I only liked about 5 vegetables and Spinach was one of them.

I also like recipes with little prep work hey what can I say I'm lazy and am not a fan of chopping a million things! LOL!

So the Black Beans and Wild Rice on page 255 fit the bill perfectly!

Still not sure if I picked the right rice but picked up the only thing at the store that said wild rice so here we go!

The recipe is easy to put together and takes just under an hour. I think the flavors blended together nicely but might add some Chili powder next time. No reason in particular just sounds like a nice addition :).

--Gymmie is strong to the finich cause I eats me Spinach

Black Bean and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

Spread #3 prepared for my guests (along with hummus, tapenade, and mysterious spread #4), the Black Bean and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip (page 13), was a delightful surprise. Honestly, I decided to throw it together simply because I was going for a sort-of Mediterranean thing and I had the ingredients. Thank the entire Greek pantheon I did! My four guests all adored it; their only complaint was that I hadn't made more. This one disappeared the fastest and no one could stop praising it.

The delectable tartness of the olive oil-packed tomatoes is what really makes this spread shine. I used basil (given the choice between that and marjoram, simply because I had it) and fresh parsley snipped off of Patrick (that's right, I've named my parsley plant; wait 'til you meet Barnaby and the rest). The balsamic vinegar was a white Italian variety.

I will be making this again, repeatedly. Repeatedly, I say!

- - Ulpia, always ready to spread the beany love - -

Spicy Pinto Bean Soup

I LOVE soup! Soup is easy to put together and a "hands off" dish. We can get cold here in TX so I'm looking forward to trying a variety of soups to help me warm up :).

The Spicy Pinto Bean Soup on page 161 is a quick soup to put together. Depending on if you're using dry or canned beans your cooking time will vary.

I really like the flavors of this soup. The chilpolte chile in adobo is what adds the punch to the soup. You can add more or less depending on your palate. I did not feel that the base spices needed adjustment.

I forgot the cilantro but that is just for the garnish so that turned out to be no biggie. Add crackers and nom!

--Gymmie

Spanish Rice and Beans

I absolutely LOVE olives! I haven't met an olive that I didn't like! This is my first time knowingly having Kalamata Olives. The taste is slightly familiar.

I checked out the Spanish Rice and Beans on page 272 and it is a hit! The flavors melted together wonderfully! The meal comes together within an hour. slightly longer of course if you're cooking the beans from dry. But timewise they can end up being done about the same time since the rice mixture will cook the last hour of the beans.

The only thing I'd change is add more Olives. nom nom nom

--Gymmie

Three Bean Cassoulet

First let me apologize for my picture- my camera is not cooperating lately.

Tonight I made Three Bean Cassoulet page 257. Cassoulet was a dish my mother made often and one that I loved. I have been planning on making a vegan version for some time now. So when I saw this version, I knew I had to make it.

I followed the recipe with two exceptions-I left out the celery because as far as I'm concerned celery is of the devil, and not in a good way. I also used dried parsley instead of fresh and cut the amount in half. I followed the suggestion of adding vegan sausage. I wanted to add Field Roast sausages, but my local health food store was out of those so I used Tofurkey Kielbasa. My mom put kielbasa in cassoulet. It would have been better with the Field Roast sausages because the Tofurkey ones are a bit bland.

This dish was really easy to put together- something I like. It takes a while to cook but that was okay because I used the time to make dessert. It uses savory-a seasoning I haven't used before and one I find I really like. I was a bit heavy handed with the pepper, which suits me fine but might be a bit much for more delicate tastebuds. I find a lot of casseroles are not that tasty the first night-not so with this one. I ate two plate fulls and am really looking forward to the leftovers.

Since this was a childhood favorite, I am definitely making it again. Next time I will be using Field Roast sausages and adding seitan. My mom's version had both sausage and meat in it and I believe seitan seasoned correctly will mimic the flavor and texture perfectly.

--vegankitty

Mexican Green Rice and Beans

Vegans don't HAVE to eat rice and beans, most of us actually like them! The Mexican Rice and Beans (p270) looked like my kind of dish from the first glance. And it would have been--if I had followed the instructions. More on that in a sec.

As expected, the sauce is excellent. The delectable aroma filled my kitchen and I hung out there while the dish was simmering just to be near it. The recipe calls for two or three fresh roasted jalapenos. I used two; I recommend three. It's quick to put together--everything goes in the food processor, and then it goes right into the pan.

Now, as to my not following directions: When Ms. Robertson calls for "long grain white rice," use it. Brown rice is not an equal substitute. Of course I know this, and I know their cooking times are different, their textures are different, and they will perform in different ways, even in the same dish. So why did I do it? Eh. I do a lot of things I probably shouldn't. Because of my rice misstep, I wound up with mush. A different rice, and/or proper rice handling (i.e., rinsing) would have solved this problem before it became one. In a repair attempt, I separated a "handful" and made it into sort of a patty. Then I sauteed that until it was nice and brown on both sides. Mr. V claimed it reminded him of late drunken nights with his old jazz buddies, and a place they used to frequent--El Presidente. Apparently the owner would open up just for them, toss together whatever was left from the kitchen that night, and provide a hearty meal to go along with their tequila.

I doubt anything could compare to the memory of El Presidente, but the flavor of this dish is excellent. The recipe calls for kidney beans, but you could certainly substitute pintos, black beans, whatever your preference. This is great as a side, an entree, or as a burrito stuffing. Just get your rice right.

--The Divine Miss V

Black Bean and Pumpkin Lasagna

Lasagna's never gonna look as great in pictures as it tastes in person. But looks are hardly relevant when it comes to the Black Bean and Pumpkin Lasagna (page 219). Sure, the combination sounds a little weird, but pumpkin, black beans, and salsa, it turns out, make wonderful bakefellows.

My minor modifications were circumstantial rather than deliberate. The chili powder I had was from a nearby Middle Eastern store and I felt it lacked sharpness, so I sprinkled a tiny pinch of cayenne along with it. I had more like two cups of salsa instead of three (which worked out well, since I had hot salsa and any more may've overpowered the rest of the flavors). I also used fewer lasagna noodles than the recipe called for, probably because of a difference in sizes. (I also had those already-boiled ones, not out of laziness, just what I found.)

The flavors are deep and comforting, absolutely perfect for autumn. And it's even better after it's cooled a while and some of the salsa's sharpness has calmed, letting the other flavors mingle and shine through. (Or a mild salsa can be used for those with more sensitive palates; I personally enjoy the bite.) It's a solid, comforting dish with just enough of a twist to make it delightfully unique. I'd happily make this for company.

(And those 1-step lasagna noodles are great; they came out perfectly tasty! My grab-it brand was Pasta Vigo – it's blue with an Italian lady and some wheat.)

- - Ulpia, part of the lasagna fanclub just like Garfield - -

Three Sisters Stuffed Squash

I've always been attracted to the festive elegance of stuffed stuff. Especially if that stuffed stuff was some manner of squash. So I decided today was the day I stuffed some stuff myself. It wasn't hard to pick out the Three Sisters Stuffed Squash (page 346) – corn's involvement was practically calling my name. (The three sisters in question are squash, corn, and beans, the main food supply of the Iroquois.)

My only modifications were using white onion instead of yellow and red kidney beans instead of pinto; my squash of choice was acorn, but, as it's small, there would've been enough filling left over for another little acorn. I just enjoyed it while waiting for the rest to bake.

Ample salt is what teases out all the wonderful flavor, bringing out the sweetness of the corn and allowing it to mingle wonderfully with the light bite of the chile and the steady comfort of the beans. And baking it makes it that much better.

Verdict? The stuff inside is great, baked squash is always great, and the whole thing together makes for some superb stuffed stuff! A flavorful autumnal dish that would be perfect for company during the harvest time festivities.

- - Ulpia, lover of stuff - -

[variation on] Penne with Chickpeas and Rosemary (Fast)

Last night I made a variation of the Penne with Chickpeas and Rosemary (page 210) with neither chickpeas nor rosemary. I had neither one, so I opened up a can of soy beans and minced up some fresh parsley. The parsley was a suggested variation; the soy beans are mild enough to be able to stand in for chickpeas, I figured. (I know, I know, I upturned the whole recipe's title; except the penne part – though, interestingly, “rotini” is what appears in the recipe description itself. Well, I had whole wheat penne. In fact, I now realize I used tomatoes that're more diced than crushed. So, wow, we're different, aren't we?)

Still, I'm going to tell you all about it because what gives this simple dish its kick is the garlic + herb; sauteeing them together in olive oil unlocked a truly wonderful aroma. The longer I let it simmer, the more these base flavors developed with the tomatoes and beans. Salt, stir, simmer. It'll just get better.

So while you've got this on the stove, go do something, like...wait impatiently for the premiere of The Venture Brothers Season 4, and by the time you're practically dancing in anticipation because there's just a few seconds left, your sauce will be ready to be poured over some pasta. Between the glory that is my favorite show and the delight that is this otherwise simple pasta dish, I ended up polishing off the whole batch. Whole thing, gone. Totally worth it.

The recipe is also marked with an F for “fast,” so it's perfect for a super quick throw-together after a long day.

- - Ulpia - -

Roasted Vegetable Strudel

My initial foray into the book was the recipe for Roasted Vegetable Strudel (p333). All of the ingredients were easily obtainable from a regular grocery store--just loads of fresh veggies, beans, and phyllo dough. I had some leftover Great Northerns in the freezer, so I just used those.

This recipe is straightforward and simple to follow. Dice, roast, mix, roll, bake! It's a bit time-consuming for a weeknight, so unless you work from home or are a bum, I recommend getting an early start or saving this one for a weekend, or at least not a busy weeknight. From the assembling of ingredients to cutting the first slice, I would estimate the strudel took approximately an hour and 45 minutes--but remember--most of that time is not hands-on, so it's really not all that involved. The only substitution made was the use of baby bellas in place of the white mushrooms called for in the recipe.

Interestingly, the recipe states that it makes 4-6 servings and is written to make one strudel--I don't know if it was magic or what, but I wound up with 2 1/2. This is not a bad thing by any means. The strudel is as strudel should be--flaky, buttery (thanks to the Earth Balance), and full of roasted vegetable deliciousness. It's a light meal that goes great with a side salad, and would make a nice luncheon dish for company. You could easily vary the vegetables used according to what's in season and in your fridge.


--The Divine Miss V