Cookbook Challenge 2: Weeks 1-2 Appetite for Reduction and Vcon

I've been trying to utilize my cookbooks more, so I decided to join the Cookbook Challenge over at the PPK.  Week one was Appetite for Reduction, a book I got semi recently but I love it so damn much that I'd like to cook from it all the time.

Below are two things I cooked over the holidays before the challenge.  Sorry for the photo quality.  Sometimes a girl needs to get her eat on:

chickpea piccata & caulipots

hottie black eyed peas and greens & ginger mashed sweet potatoes and apples for New Year's Day

Now for everything I made during the first week of the challenge followed by my thoughts on the things I hadn't made before.  There is so much greatness in this book that I can't wait to get back to it.

 baked falafel, eggplant kibbeh, shabby sheik hummus

Brussels sprout-potato hash

mushroom and cannellini paprikas w/ scarlet barley

THOUGHTS (newly tried recipes)
1. Chickpea Piccata: The piccata in Vcon is my favorite meal of all time.  This is a great alternative to having it with seitan.  I honestly could not tell that this was low fat.
2. Caulipots: These are another thing that blow my mind!  They taste so damn good that I might even like them better than regular mashed potatoes.
3. Eggplant Kibbeh: This made me realize that I hate fresh mint in every form.  I liked the kibbeh though!  Very delicious.
4. Shabby Sheik Hummus: Smoky.  Awesome.  Deliciousness.
5. Brussels Sprout-Potato Hash: This was far more amazing than I thought it would be.  Super filling and the lemon really makes everything pop!
6. Mushroom & Cannellini Paprikas: This was good, filling, and earthy.
7. Scarlet Barley: This stole the show and a bit of my heart!  By far, my favorite dish from the book so far.  And it's visually stunning.

The second week was all about Veganomicon.  I have cooked more recipes out of this book than any other.  I decided to randomly choose what I was eating so I could branch out of my comfort zone.

saffron garlic rice

chickpeas romesco

chile cornmeal crusted tofu, southwestern corn pudding, and green pumpkin seed mole

THOUGHTS (newly tried recipes)
1. Saffron Garlic Rice: I've made this before but didn't remember it so I'll include my thoughts.  The best part about this rice is the almonds. Such crunchy goodness!
2. Chickpeas Romesco: I know.  I've had the book for 3.5 years and never made one of the most talked about recipes.  This was so delicious!  I loved how beautifully the ground almonds work in the sauce.
3. Southwestern Corn Pudding: Truthfully, I never tried this because I thought it would be like creamed corn (which I hate).  However, it was delightful!  I loved the flavors and colors in this thing.
4. Green Pumpkin Seed Mole:  This tasted fresh and nutty.  Great paired with the corn pudding, and super easy to make.
5. Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms (not pictured): Good, but I had a lot of trouble with my beans.  Instead of cooking them for 45 minutes like the recipe said, I cooked them for at least 3 hours.  This is entirely due to the quality of beans I used.
6. Tomato Couscous w/ Capers (not pictured): I love anything with capers, so this was really good!

Some time this weekend I'll post everything that I cooked from Urban Vegan this week.  Happy Friday all!

Appetite for Reduction Lurve

I'm still reeling from MoFo.  I've spent the last 10 days chilling out, baking, and getting ready for our Texas trip.  I felt compelled to post today because I opened up Appetite for Reduction, and had the Caesar Salad with Eggplant Bacon.  Basically, I'd like to have Isa's babies.  That ish is AMAZING!  It's so good.  Plus, 1 serving is only 100 calories.  I had 2 because the salad was that good!

don't trust the simplicity, this thing is loaded with flavor

And some other stuff from when I tested.  I didn't take nearly enough pictures, though.  I think this curry was my first tester.  It was so damn good.  And I love love love the jerk asparagus!

Caribbean curried black-eyed peas w/ plantains and jerk asparagus

The Goddess Niçoise was probably my favorite tester.  It was so colorful and seriously delicious.  This is what I love about Appetite for Reduction...the salads are so frickin' delicious and filling.

just a gorgeous plate of awesome

This is the Pineapple Collards with what I'm pretty sure is the Red Lentil and Root Veggie Dal.  It was delish.

pineapple collards and dal

I've already mapped out our New Year's meal and it will be this plate of awesome.  Prolly even some cornbread.  Mmm.

hottie black-eyed peas & greens and ginger mashed sweet potatoes & apples

I also loved the Surefire Seitan so very much.  Ooh!  And the Tempeh Helper...and the Basic Baked Tofu!  I can't wait to make more from this book because I only tested around 15 recipes or so.  Bad tester!

This blog is probably going to be pretty quiet until January, but I just bought some books (Vegan Soul Kitchen and Yellow Rose Recipes) and received a copy of Caribbean Vegan.  I'll be cooking up a storm and giving reviews and all that.

Ooh, and I'm hoping to film and put up an ultra nerdy Festivus episode while in San Antonio.  I hope everybody is enjoying December!  I'm still catching up on blogs, and it feels like I'll never be done.

Happy Friday!

The Ultimate Hummus Application: Pizza!

Happy 4th of July, y'all!  I remember growing up on air force bases and heading to the flight line as a kid to see the fireworks every year.  Those were some great memories.  Now, I just think of the fireworks scene in The Sandlot and giggle.  Love that movie.  Today, we ate glorious foodstuffs and watched the Criminal Minds marathon on A&E.  Oh, and there were beer margaritas (made with vodka because tequila makes me sad).

Today's Menu:

grilled pizza (margherita and a modified version of this Bobby Flay recipe)

Isa salad nicoise tester

watermelon

mocha cupcakes

beer margaritas

So much yumminess!

Hummus on pizza is the best thing of all time.  Forget everything else.  Put hummus on your pizza and know what euphoria feels like.  So, I used Bobby's recipe but used Sabra's roasted garlic hummus instead of a spicy one.  I also added a portobello to the mix.  I made my own cashew goat cheese, which was a variation of this recipe (used 3/4 cups soaked cashews and umeboshi paste instead of preserved tofu).  It really was one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten.  Creamy, smoky, crunchy, salty, and herb-a-licious.  Mmm!

Check out this bangin' salad!  I can't wait for Isa's weight loss book to come out.  There are so many good recipes.

So, a friend of a friend is known for her margaritas.  Her secret is beer.  I couldn't remember her recipe so I used this one.  They were a little sweet for me and I had to add more water, but they really hit the spot.  Beer adds a bit of salty and carbonation to it.  Soooo good.  And ridiculously strong.

Mocha cupcakes with light and fluffy vanilla frosting.  They really hit the spot.  I was fiending for a cupcake yesterday.

I know my blog entries and blog reading have been lacking lately.  We've been enjoying summer, had some family down, and we're getting ready to move.  So I probably won't be around until late July at the earliest.  However, I really stoked because the new house has a bigger kitchen, better lighting, and a glorious backyard fit for patio dining.  Hope everybody is enjoying the summer!