Sesame Soba Noodles

Previously, I've been a little afraid of cooking with soba noodles. However, what better way to conquer one's fear than to face it head on? Sesame Soba Noodles {page 236} was the perfect recipe to help me do so.

This recipe is easy to prepare {although it does involve a fair amount of chopping}, gorgeous to look at, and delicious to eat! I like the bountiful variety of vegetables it includes, and how the flavors work together to make a cohesive and simple {but complexly flavored} dish.

I especially liked the notes of sesame playing throughout. They worked as a nutty undertone in the background, and really helped draw out the flavors in the other ingredients.

This dish is definitely going into regular rotation, and I think I've now conquered my fear of the weird gray noodles.

Sesame Spinach and Cranberry Chutney over Some-Kinda-Nut Cutlets

With my guests still over and having all returned from visiting the Saint Louis Arch, I had to cook up an impressive dinner and I had to do it fast—in under 30 minutes, to be exact; people were waiting and vocally hungry. I had already made the Fresh Cranberry Chutney (page 562) before leaving to sight-see with them, so all I had to do was cook up some Sesame Spinach (page 381) and fry up Some-Kinda-Nut Burgers (page 120). Oh yes, those babies are definitely good enough to repeat. This time my nut mix of choice was almonds, walnuts, and cashews.


I worked backwards on this, I wanted to make cranberry chutney, having never made any kind of chutney before, and it went perfectly with the nut cutlets. (Almost like a sophisticated savory version of PB & J.) Our family friend from Boston enjoyed it especially much, being a great lover of tart things and nut things. Sweet-tart cranberry chutney over delectably nutty cutlets? I've got to agree with her: a match made in gourmand heaven.


And the Sesame Spinach? It got even more raves than the nut cutlets! My dad couldn't stop praising it. It's incredible and I'll be making it again and again. I've always had a particularly passionate love affair with spinach, but after this dish, I think we're ready to tie the knot. It's creamy and full and flavorful and you're all invited to the reception.

- - Ulpia Spinacia - -

Sesame Spinach and Cranberry Chutney over Some-Kinda-Nut Burgers

Sesame-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

I have loved spaghetti squash since I was very little. I love it prepared all different ways. However, I think that Sesame-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash {page 345} is my new favorite way to serve it.

The "spaghetti" is mixed with lightly stir-fried vegetables and a delicious sesame tahini sauce, then piled back into the shell and baked until toasty all the way through. Then the halves are topped with more tahini sauce and black sesame seeds.

I am not the biggest fan of tahini, but I figured I would like just about anything if it involved spaghetti squash, and I was right! This was delicious, really flavorful and down-right good. The Ninjahusband and I both loved it, and ate all of it in no time flat.

This brings me to my only gripe with this recipe: it definitely does NOT serve 4, especially as a main dish. I'm not a big eater, but the Ninjahusband is, and it barely fed both of us. In fact, we were still hungry afterward.

So, make it, but make some other side dishes to go with it.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Mushroom Pâté and Crackers

I'm really not a snack-in-between-meals type of person, but I do love having a meal of appetizers because there are so many different tastes and textures. Also, I love dips and spreads with crackers or bread because I'm a total carboholic.

I really don't make my own spreads or pâtés that often (why, I don't know), but flipping through the book, several stood out to me as "must make" recipes. This one, the Smooth and Savory Mushroom Pâté (page 19) recipe, being the first one on my list. What better way to eat this but with homemade crackers, so I also whipped up a batch of Whole Wheat Sesame Crackers (page 420) to go along with it.

The pâté recipe is super easy and quick (aside from cooling). If you like mushrooms like I do, then this is a great recipe since it showcases their earthy taste paired with creamy cashews and a tiny bit of sweetness from the savoury and the booze (optional). I made this recipe as is with only one exception. Instead of the optional brandy or cognac, I added in a splash of cooking sherry that I had in the cupboard. I tasted it before and after the sherry and it definitely added interest to the flavour profile but it is just as tasty without the booze. The preparation was really easy with the most work being to slice the onions and mushrooms. After that, it's just sautéing and then blending everything in a food processor. Mine was still a bit grainy since my processor isn't great but I like that it still has texture. I'm sure that if you had a Vitamix it would turn out completely smooth. Then into the fridge to chill.

While the pâté was chilling, I started on the crackers. What I love about this recipe is that it is so simple with ingredients that most of us have on hand. Okay maybe not the sesame seeds but I keep some on hand all the time for other dishes. The majority of the flour used in this is whole wheat flour so while you can mix this by hand, you'll want to use a food processor because whole wheat flour can be really stiff. While I was throwing the ingredients into the food processor I also threw in a dash of garlic powder for good measure. The dough came together in less than a minute. Now on to the hard part. Rolling the dough out really thin wasn't that easy for me. I may have needed to use a tiny bit more water or next time to increase the white flour as my whole wheat flour is pretty heavy. Regardless, I did manage to roll it out fairly thin (a little more than 1/4") and I scored the dough instead of cutting it out. After they were baked to a golden brown, I let them cool. The crackers were super tasty with the sesame seeds but because there is no leavener in it, they are a bit dense which I like. They've got bite to them. If you wanted it less dense, then decrease the whole wheat and add in more white flour.

But how were they together? Great! The earthiness of the pâté paired really well with the whole wheat texture and taste of sesame. I can see both of these items on my regular cooking rotation.

If you've never made your own crackers, give it a try. It doesn't take much time at all and best of all, they are inexpensive and no weird ingredients.

— Ms. Veganorama