Vegan Mayonnaise

I had originally made this several months back but a computer crash happened before I had a chance to post about it.

As Batgirl said in her post back in June about the Vegan Mayonanaise on page 573 this is very easy to make. Short of the silken tofu possibly, everything else most folks will have on hand already!

It just uses a few ingredients & it's easy to tweak it to satisfy your tastebuds & make various flavors.

As Batgirl said it takes under 5 minutes to make! I used it on my Black Bean Burgers & can't wait to use it on other things!

--Gymmie

Black Bean Burgers

Since it had been a while since I made something in the book I decided to make the Black Bean Burgers on page 120. This is very easy to make, I hadn't checked my spices very well so missed that I didn't have thyme but for me the flavors were great that it wasn't missed. Not that I have that talent to pull out flavors by trying something unless it's an obvious flavor.

The recipe makes 4 but I doubled it so that I could have some just about all week & not have to stop & make it again.

--Gymmie

Grilled Portobello Burgers

Who says vegans can't have juicy, meaty, satisfying burgers? Grilled Portobello Burgers (page 118) prove any naysayers wrong.

In this sophisticated but simple burger, tender and succulent portobello mushrooms are marinated in a balsamic glaze and grilled to juicy perfection. The burger is topped with grilled red onions, basil, and tomato. All of the flavors compliment each other so well, no one will be asking "where's the beef?" with this satisfying burger.

I know cook-out season is officially at an end, but these burgers are worth firing the grill up for one last time.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Hiatus

Even with the best of intentions, life can get the better of you. All of us have been super busy and we've been unable to keep up with the project.

A big thanks to Batgirl who was so diligent in keeping up with recipes and for creating our backend spreadsheet to help us keep track of everything.

So I guess consider this a hiatus. I know I would like to pick this up again in the future when things aren't so crazy and I hope that some of my fellow bloggers will as well.

Thanks everyone for visiting and commenting. Check back once in a while to see if anything's been posted. Until then, stay happy and stay vegan!

White and Wild Rice Salad w/ Walnuts, Cranberries, and Figs

White and Wild Rice Salad with Walnuts, Cranberries, and Figs {page 84} is one of the easiest, prettiest, and most flavorful salads I've had in a very long time.

The preparation, although it does require a decent amount of chopping, is quite easy, and the salad itself comes together in no time at all, once the prep work is complete. All of the colors and flavors play beautifully together to make a concoction that is not only a treat for the eyes, but for the mouth as well.

This salad is sophisticated, but at the same time simple enough to be enjoyed by people of all ages. Best of all, it has a vinaigrette-based dressing, which makes it perfect for picnics and other events outdoors, as you don't have to worry about it sitting out in the sun.

This salad is going to become a regular fixture at many of my outdoor gatherings, I'm sure of it!

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Blazing Sunset Salad

Something about summer just makes me want to devour an inordinate amount of fruit salad, and that desire is simply amplified when it comes to summer cookouts. Blazing Sunset Salad {page 96} was my choice for our last cookout.

This beautiful, quick, and easy fruit salad distributes the limelight gracefully between juicy cherries, refreshing oranges, sweet nectarines, toothsome bananas, and crisp apples, all dancing in a light dressing.

There's really only so much you can say about fruit salad, but this one is definitely a keeper. I truly look forward to testing out the rest of them in the book. Yum!

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Fettuccine with Fresh Figs and Walnuts

I cannot believe I didn't find this recipe until now. Fettuccine with Fresh Figs and Walnuts {page 211} has just about everything I could ever want in a dream pasta.

Tender pasta is coated with a creamy cashew sauce, and then tossed with sauteed fresh figs and walnuts. The whole thing is topped up with crispy homemade breadcrumbs. The creaminess of the sauce paired perfectly with the sweetness of the figs, and the heady deepness of the walnuts. The salty toasty crunch provided by the breadcrumbs was really the icing on the cake...erm...plate of pasta, so to speak.

Fresh figs are rather expensive, so I cannot see myself making this often. However, this would be an easy and impressive dish to serve to guests on special occasions. In fact, I think I impressed myself with this one. I may just come back to my kitchen to eat again sometime. You're invited too, of course.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl