#51-55

I've been cooking a bit this fortnight, and two cookbooks are to thank, for the most part. If you have not, I recommend picking up 30 Minute Vegan Taste of the East by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray, as well as Peas and Thank You by Sarah Matheny. Both have inspired me to try new combinations and new ingredients.

Dinner on Sunday, #51, was teriyaki tofu from 30 Minute Vegan Taste of the East. It was a dinner for one on Sunday since the Baker had to work late. This recipe was another success! The teriyaki was quite tasty, and though I pressed and baked the tofu a little before putting the sauce on, a step the recipe did not call for, the end product was quite tasty.

I was making this recipe when I wondered how often I actually make a recipe directly to recipe. I prefer to do that the first time through a recipe most often because I want to know what I'm operating with before I change anything, however, there are a lot of times when I add extra garlic because I know I would appreciate more, or transplant canned for fresh or fresh for canned (beans/tomatoes/etc.), or cut down on red pepper or some such to lessen the spicy bite for my tender palate. I know myself and the flavors of a number of major components of my cooking well enough that I can tell when I'd appreciate a change. All that being said, though, I probably make something to recipe the first time about 40% of the time. Or maybe 35%.

In this case, I will definitely make this teriyaki sauce again, and I will likely add it to tofu some of those times. I can imagine having this sauce on hand for a quick dinner of rice and beans and some greens thrown in. Another thing that really worked for me was the mere teaspoon of oil in the sauce and preparation. The amount of sauce for the amount of tofu, however, was a touch excessive.

Breakfast for the last two days has been my 52nd recipe, the chocolate cherry almond smoothie from Peas and Thank You. A mixture of frozen cherries, non-dairy milk, chocolate powder, and a few other items has stolen my summer breakfasty heart. I am usually an oatmeal kind of a girl, but sometimes during the summer (and record long heat waves) you just don't want a breakfast that steams. At her recommended serving size, it isn't big enough for my entire breakfast, but I'm thinking of combining it with her breakfast oatmeal bars or one of my very own whole wheat banana muffins. With that there may be just enough fiber to last me to lunch. You know, next week when school starts and I have to worry about that kind of thing again. I'd call this sweet but healthy and calcium-filled treat an A.

I made the blackberry basil smoothie from Peas and Thank You to have with my lunch. It too was good, but I did not like the basil/blackberry combination as much as I liked the cherry/almond/chocolate. It does not mean I will not make it again, however, and I think that I will also make it with strawberries instead of blackberries from time to time, and maybe switch out the basil for mint and blackberries. Overall, a solid recipe. A-

The jury is still out on the Ligurian basil pesto from Vegan Italiano. We got a ton of basil in the share this week, so we decided it was pesto time! We didn't have fresh parsley on hand, so we switched some out with baby spinach. We are saving the pesto for pizza night this week, so I can't tell you how it is yet- I will update!

Finally, my success with the Asian food in another book (and a trip to ye olde Global Foods) inspired me to try an Indian-inspired recipe from 1000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson. It uses a chickpea noodle called "sev" that are crunchy and remind me of chow mein noodles as well as cooked chickpeas in a spicy tomato sauce.


I halved the pepper in the recipe, but still ended up with a very fire-kissed mouth. I think it was tasty, but my taste buds might have been just a touch too burnt out to tell. I do know, however, I'd like it to be a touch "saucier." It felt dry to me, but I do know I enjoyed the crunch of the texture. The crunchy noodles gave it a little bite, on the tooth level, that I enjoyed. If I make it again, I would add a little more broth and tomato, maybe a little soy sauce(yes, I know, not incredibly authentic) or tamarind concentrate, and a little less pepper. Serving it on a bed of steamed greens might be nice as well.

I wouldn't be surprised if I made it to 60 before the start of school on Monday! I have truly enjoyed reading and cooking along with Sarah and her "peas" this week, and trying new Asian-inspired dishes. Sometimes it takes a new point of view or a new cuisine to break me out of a rut, and I have found them both!