Athena Barley with Kalamata Olives and Tomatoes

Cookbook * The Real Food Daily Cookbook
Recipe * Athena Barley with Kalamata Olives and Tomatoes
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

Barley ain't just for beer making. This is one of those "healthy tasting" dishes that actually tastes good. I feel healthier just having a few bites! Its a produce delight - fresh tomatoes, scallions, dill, onion, parsley, lemon juice. And the barley is great source of fiber. Bonus points for barley - its a grain with a long and interesting history!

Long Life Soup

Cookbook * The Candle Cafe Cookbook
Recipe * Long Life Soup
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

Thanks to a wonderful week huffing it in the BEAUTIFUL Olympic Mountains, I have a bit of a cold and there is nothing better than this soup to cure what ails you! Its got shiitake, garlic, ginger, and as much or little cayenne as you need. I love this soup not only because it makes me feel better, but because its quick to make and versatile enough that I usually can make it without having to go out to the market for anything. In the first pic, I substituted hijiki for arame and added carrots and purple potatoes. And in the second pic, I added soba, bok choy, carrots, and tofu. Enjoy it with a slice of "buttered" bread. A star replacement for the outdated chicken noodle soup of my childhood!

Hijiki to Aburage

Cookbook * Shojin Cooking
Recipe * Hijiki to Aburage
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

This is another wonderful shojin (Buddhist Vegetarian) recipe from Japan. I really needed something healthy after demolishing the key lime cheesecake! You can find aburage in Asian specialty stores or online. Hijiki triples when cooked, so I cut this recipe in half. To improve flavor, saute the Hijiki in sesame oil before adding the broth.This is a very common dish in Japanese cooking and you could probably find a great recipe somewhere on the web!

A note on Hijiki: If I was to have a fav seaweed, Hijiki would be a strong contender. I first fell in love with it while living in Hawaii. We were regulars at hole-in-the-wall macrobiotic cafe called Well Bento in Honolulu. The original owner has sense moved back to NYC, but the amazing hijiki side remains and yes, your bento comes with macaroni - it is Hawaii after all! I've used hijiki in all sorts of ways - even in a potato salad. Be brave and try it, you might just love it.

Key Lime Cheesecake

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Key Lime Cheesecake
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

This is as good if not better than restaurant cheesecake. It is a SUGAR RUSH - so beware. I would make this just for the ginger snap crust alone, but the lime filling tastes amazing. You can use regular limes, even though they don't live up to the recipe's namesake. Eat it by the slice or "just" the spoonful - it only lasts 24 hours in our house!


PLUS top 5 things everyone should try before they die CHALLENGE
We took madeinalaska's challenge to identify 5 foods everyone should try before they die. These are 5 we really love!

1. My Mom's Veganized Cornbread Dressing

2. Mighty O Donouts

3. Super Tings

4. My Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

5. Vegan Planet's Udon Shiitake Recipe

Tortilla Soup

Cookbook * The Real Food Daily Cookbook
Recipe * Tortilla Soup
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

We love this spicy soup. Chopped toritalls make this fresh tomato base soup so creamy. If you've been looking for an opportunity to use your hand-held immersion blender (no, I don't have one either), this recipe is up your alley. Otherwise, just blend in batches. Crispy tortilla strips garnish and add a crunchy texture. So good on a fall night - I can't believe its fall - its not right?

Spicy Ginger Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

Cookbook * The Artful Vegan: The Millennium Restaurant
Recipe * Spicy Ginger Cookies
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

We usually make these cookies during the holidays, but paired with peach ice cream (Celestial Seasonings), they make a wonderful summertime treat. And what better way to bid farewell to summer than an ice cream sandwich? Follow the directions exactly and these will turn out perfect everytime. Bonus points for making the whole house smell like Christmas time.

Mac and "Cheese"

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Mac and "Cheese"
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

One warning - be sure you use regular soymilk, not vanilla flavored. If you follow this simple advice, you will reep bountiful Mac n'Cheese rewards. If not, this dish ends up tasting like a desert pudding. I made the mistake once and never again. Oh, and watch the broil time - the suggested 10 minutes would have made a blacktop out of this great comfort food dish!

Breakfast Tofu Scramble

Cookbook * Vegan Vittles
Recipe * Breakfast Tofu Scramble
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

I'm not a big fan of tofu scrambles, but this one has changed my mind! I like it better than scrambled eggs. Although I don't know that it tastes like scrambled eggs, it does taste divine. We added jalapeno and mushrooms to the mix. The recipe feeds only 1 really hungry camper - so adjust according to your appetite. We doubled the recipe for the two of us and had just a little bit left over - we were hungry though! I'll have to devise a plan to get my husband to make this every Sunday morning for me.

Spiced Banana Pancakes

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Spiced Banana Pancakes
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

I wish they were a little bit spicier to support their namesake, but they are delicious all the same. Drenched in maple syrup and topped with carmelized banana and kiwi, these brought back childhood memories of pancake goodness!

Baking Powder Biscuits

Cookbook * Cookin' Southern: Vegetarian Style
Recipe * Baking Powder Biscuits
Yumm or Yuck? * Yuck

It had to happen sooner or later - a yuck review. This designation is reserved only for those hopeless recipes you wouldn't wish on anyone. Hopefully this will save you the trouble of making the bad recipes just as the yumm reviews guide you toward the winners. These are not fluffy biscuits, but hard hockey pucks. My dog practically choked on a bite. They could be marginally improved if I rolled the dough out thicker. If you douse them with Earth Balance "butter" and jelly they are edible, but otherwise a very poor representation of our cherished biscuit!

Gyros

Cookbook * Vegan Vittles
Recipe * Gyros
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

These are nearly identical to gyros served up at Macy's in Flagstaff, AZ. If you are ever in Flagstaff, you won't want to miss this little jewel of a veg cafe. I haven't found a soy latte to match Macy's yet - even in Seattle. Back to the gyros. My kitchen smells like I live in a Greek restaurant after cooking this seitan spin on a traditional lamb specialty. Paired with tasty cucumber dressing, this quick meal hits the spot!

Fried "Chicken" Tofu and Gravy

Cookbook * Cookin' Southern: Vegetarian Style
Recipe * Fried "Chicken" Tofu and Gravy
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm and So So

Everyone needs a staple mock chicken recipe. I wasn't thrilled with this recipe the day I made it, but during the night it miraculously transformed into what is easily the best "cold chicken fried tofu" I've ever had. I remember eating cold chicken sandwiches using leftover fried chicken as a kid. This tastes almost exactly the same! Take your next-day leftovers and make a sandwich with veganaise, tomato, and lettuce. Make sure you really dredge the tofu with nutritional yeast and cook on a medium high heat or lower to avoid burning.

The gravy is another story. The taste is okay, but too many lumps foiled my plans for a perfect Southern dinner.

Udon-Shiitake Stir-Fry with Sake and Ginger

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Udon-Shiitake Stir-Fry with Sake and Ginger
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

The title says it all. This is a old standby saved for those times when I can find really fresh shiitake in the market. Of course, if I took the time to figure out how to use my "grow your own shiitakes" tree, I would eat this everyday. You can make this as a stir fry, but its MUCH more flavorful if you double the udon "sauce." And the sauce is awesome! I always add diced tofu to round out what is already a nutritious meal. Pass the sake - preferably not the cheap stuff I have in the pic.

Prissy's Easy Peach Cobbler

Cookbook * Cookin' Southern: Vegetarian Style
Recipe * Prissy's Easy Peach Cobbler
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm
I'm often wary of recipes that are exceedingly easy or exceedingly complicated - they just never seem to turn out. This recipe is an exception. It is very easy and tastes just like what you would expect a peach cobbler to taste like. It sets up nicely after cooling to make for easy slicing/serving. Nothing extraordinary here, but if you are lookin' for a good old-fashioned cobbler - this is it.
Thanks to my husband's midnight freezer raid, the only thing missing is the soy vanilla ice cream.

Breaded Eggplant Cutlets

Cookbook * Incredibly Delicious: The Vegan Paradigm Cookbook
Recipe * Breaded Eggplant Cutlets
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

These have been in our meal rotation since we first adopted a veg diet, 5 years ago, and over time we have tweaked it here and there for our tastes. While the original recipe is good, we don't usually use the tahini for "wet batter", but just dip the eggplant slices into a bowl of soymilk, then into the "dry batter”. Its easier and doesn't seem to make a difference in taste. Also, we don't cook the eggplants first. Instead, we slice the eggplant thin, batter, and fry. Again, its easier this way and doesn't make a difference in taste. We double batter because, well, because I'm originally from the South where frying has been elevated to a science - trust me its worth it to double batter. This batter recipe is great for any veg and tofu.

We top with Nayonase, fresh heirloom tomato, and lettuce. Use fresh eggplant for the best results!

Satori Summer Rolls with Primal Peanut Sauce

Cookbook * Vegan World Fusion Cuisine
Recipe * Satori Summer Rolls with Primal Peanut Sauce
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm and Yumm

If you can get over the frustration of working with rice paper (akin to making crepes), you will love these rolls. They have a nice coconut rice mixture that gives them some substance. Filling suggestions are offered, but you can use any veg mix. Don't forget the mint! I added thin strips of tofu for protein punch.

The sauce is simple and so amazing. Just like what we get when we go to our favorite Thai restaurant, Araya's, here in Seattle. I add a little extra curry paste to satisfy my burned out taste buds. A perfect summer dish from our friends in Kauai. Aloha.

Lentil Pecan Pate

Cookbook * Cafe Flora Cookbook
Recipe * Lentil Pecan Pate
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

A Seattle favorite. This pate looks and tastes like the real thing and perhaps even better. We get it as part of an appetizer platter loaded with olives and onion confit everytime we have dinner at Cafe Flora. Add the miso to fit your salt taste buds - the recipe calls for a bit too much for me. If you've been looking for a veg dip for parties (or just to hoard all to yourself) look no further.

Chipolte BBQ Temphe Burgers with Grilled Pineapple and Caraway Slaw

Cookbook * Candle Cafe
Recipe * BBQ Temphe-Chipolte Burgers with Grilled Pineapple and Lemon Caraway Slaw
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm and SoSo

Fire up the grill, this is the best BBQ sauce I have ever tasted and seeing as how I hail from the South, this claim has some substance. I am always annoyed when cookbooks assume you should know little things like how thick to cut the temphe. Here I first sliced the square temphe block to create two equally thick squares. Then I sliced the squares into thirds. This makes for thinner temphe slices and greater marinade success. Save the reserve and use on a pizza - yumm!

The slaw was refreshing in an oh so healthy, but tasteless sort of way.

Broiled Mushrooms with Poor Man's Pesto

Cookbook * The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen
Recipe * Broiled Mushrooms with Poor Man's Pesto
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

A delicious way to enjoy summer's bounty of pesto. Serve as an appetizer or toss with pasta and a raw tomato sauce. Pine nuts, garlic, basil, and olive oil. How can this not be good? They are so addictive, even self-proclaimed mushroom prohibitionists love this one.

Traditional Pizza Dough

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Traditional Pizza Dough
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

Prep time is quick - like 5 minutes - then you just wait for it to double and you are ready to bake. Its one of the quickest meals around and you can make extra to freeze. My only complaint is that the dough gets air pockets, this is almost certainly because I don't knead it enough or punch it down enough. Its really an aesthetic issue as it doesn't influence the taste of the pizza at all. Add your favorite toppings. Here we added mushrooms, vegan cheese (follow your heart brand), garlic, sundried tomatoes, spinach, and chad's half with vegan pepperoni (yves brand)as I don't really care for faux meats. Mangia!