The Home Stretch

I'm trying to get as many of the 100 done before the weekend is over, and there are a few I've done so far this week, so I decided to blog them out of the way before I went much further.

Now that I have rehearsal 3 nights a week, I don't have as much time for cooking, but I still managed to get several accomplished this week.  It started out as a Thai inspired week, as 84 and 85 came from Real Vegetarian Thai by Nancie McDermott.  Because I had all the ingredients on hand, I decided to make yellow curry paste, and using that, make yellow pineapple and pea curry.  The paste smelled flavorful and I could not wait to eat my curry, however the curry itself, with two kinds of peas, pineapple, tofu, and potato, was disappointing.  Other than being to hot for my palate, there really wasn't much else of a flavor to the dish.  It was hot with an aftertaste of incredibly bland.  The Baker liked, but did not love, the dish.  I'm going to use the curry paste for another dish or two before I pronounce it a lost cause, but the curry combination itself was a no go.  C for the paste, D+ for the curry.  It was edible, but I did not want to eat the leftovers.

Next came another Thai-inspired recipe, something quick, easy, and I was certain I would at least somewhat enjoy.  My love of Brussels sprouts meant that Thai garlicky Brussels sprouts met with success for both myself and the Baker.  We both assessed that they were good without being our favorite Brussels sprouts recipe.  Garlic and sprouts is a pretty good combination, and in this recipe, they have an added touch of Asian flair in the sauce.  One thing I don't like about the recipe is that it calls for a "vegetarian stir fry sauce" so there is no option to make the recipe entirely from scratch.  In a pinch, I don't mind using bottled sauces (I used a Trader "Ming's" sauce here which worked well) but I would rather have a sauce recipe from scratch with an option in the recipe to replace it with a bought sauce.  I give #86 an A-.

I went back to Big Vegan next.  This book is really capturing my heart.  It relies on whole food ingredients, does use some of the more unusual ingredients without going overboard, so I feel like I'm stretching myself without being overwhelmed.  Most of the recipes also feel simple, though I could imagine they might be overwhelming a touch for a novice cook.  This is also a rather large compendium, much like 500 Vegan Recipes or 1000 Vegan Recipes, and it covers a variety of basics, but it doesn't spend too much time or space re-making a lot of the basic vegan dishes there are dozens of recipes for everywhere.  Yes, there are some of those the authors offer their spin on, but a greater percentage is offering recipes that seem like they should be vegan standbys already.

Chilled cantaloupe soup with almonds was one of those recipes.  It was simple enough; cubed melon, blender, a little liquid.  I think the whole thing had about 5 ingredients.  Although I love cantaloupe, the toasted almonds and orange zest really added extra depth to the taste of the melon.  I will likely make this again; it seemed like a great soup for a warm summer day if you're feeling a little bored with plain cantaloupe.  #87 gets an A.

My search for the lentil soup came to an end with the French lentil and potato soup from Big Vegan.  I added a little liquid smoke, and will probably double the garlic next time, but this was quite a tasty lentil soup.  It really wasn't too different; very similar to the split pea soup I make but with thyme and lentils instead of split peas.  I guess it's the simplicity that really works.  I'm looking forward to eating the leftovers today, as the flavors are probably even more melded now.  All this is proof of success, unless I suppose I reheat and find it disgusting leftover.  This #88, since it still needed a few adjustments, gets an A-.

Soup and Philosophy

This is Annie.  We had an interesting weekend.

I have become fairly competent at soup-making. Some, the Baker included, might say skilled. I love soups for all the reasons I've mentioned before; they are easy to store and reheat for quick meals, many are incredibly nutritious, and there are also some veggies I won't eat anywhere else but will in soup. Still, with skill comes a certain level of choosiness. More plainly stated, to make it into my regular rotation a soup has to be so good that I look forward to eating the leftovers.

I have been on the quest for an excellent lentil soup for a while. I have an excellent split pea, minnestrone, ribollita, and two varieties of tomato soup as well as a couple nice tomato-based veggie soups. These soups cover a lot of bases, but one of my goals has been to get lentils into my meal rotation a little more often, hence the search for a lentil soup. I've made a couple from Isa Chandra Moskowitz, I've made some from Robin Robertson, and now I have made one by Mama Pea. I am sad to say I am still on my search.

The lemon lentil soup from Peas and Thank You was by no means bad. There have been a few soups (and other recipes too) when I have decided that I didn't like what I was eating enough to finish it at all, and this was not one of those recipes. I ate a whole bowl of the red lentil and chock-full-of carrots soup, but when I finished it, I didn't want to ladle more into my bowl, nor did I want to take the effort to pack it into the fridge, where it would have likely sat until I decided to throw it out. It was a competent, if a bit plain, soup, but nothing that would help me make it through my morning by allowing me to dream about my lovely lunch. It was a little too bland, but I could imagine it might be good for finicky kids who might not like strong tastes. I give this #70 a C+.

For morning snack today (and probably for snacks for the rest of the week as well) I kept with Mama Pea and made use of some ripe bananas and baked up some banana chocolate chip millet muffins. They're pretty good. They're sweet without being overly so, the texture is a little grainy from the millet, which I liked a lot. I didn't like the banana slices on top, however. The mushy texture was a bit of a turn off. Still, leaving off the banana slices would be incredibly simple. I think I still like banana bread better.

For #72, I decided to try escarole, something that I'd been thinking about for a while. I used a recipe from Appetite for Reduction to add a little punch to some of the green while wilting it on the stove. The flavor profile was all right, but the red pepper flakes were a little to hot for me. I know, I'm a spice wimp. I might try this dish without the pepper. Then again, the flavor profile, even without considering the heat, did not knock my socks off, it was just okay. You know me, I much prefer the savory I eat with a touch of sweet. The lemon wedge was not enough to temper this for me. C+.

Perhaps it is cheating, but 73 and 74 are two kinds of kale chips from Vegan Family Meals by Ann Gentry. I made the basic chips and the garlic sesame chips. I overcooked them a touch, but gosh darn it, they are quite yummy, both flavors, although the garlic sesame only tastes a touch different than the regular (a hint of soy and a little saltier). These will definitely be made again! And if there is adjustment for user error (since I left them in too long) this is an A-.

75 was a wonderful addition from 30 Minute Vegan's Taste of the East.  Curried (Indian) potatoes were a lovely side to my Italian green beans.  The dinner hit the spot after a long tough day.  Annie, my 18 month old dog, got injured and required stitches this weekend.  This means that she's been a little tough to deal with, especially yesterday after breaking her e-collar.  I couldn't leave her home and allow her to chew on her bandage, I couldn't take her in the car since she decided she needed to ride standing on my lap (restricting my access to not only the steering wheel but my vision).  We walked to the pet store, which secured a better afternoon for me, but it also required a good meal to uplift my body and spirits.  I give the curried potatoes an A+.  They were simpler to make than I expected, and the only down side is that they turned my nails yellow with turmeric.
76 was a quick dinner tonight, a breakfast recipe that I found simple and comforting. Quick oats with quinoa flakes, a combination I would not have thought of on my own, came from Vegan Family Meals.  Not a tough meal to make, and also quite comforting in its own warm and creamy way.  The touch of cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup (as well as the warm almond milk) was quite the comfort food.  In my college days I used to make oatmeal for dinner more than once, and if it stays cooler, I might be able to do this more often on busy nights-or mornings, y'know, to be all traditional about it.  I give it an A.