Had a wonderful day today, shopping at Whole Foods with my grandaughter, Lewella, age 3. It is our favorite place to go for lunch. We always get a slice of their yummy oven baked pizza. It is also my favorite place to shop and I think it is the only store that has absolutely every ingredient that you need for Bill's recipes.
Here is a report on more recipes that have been cooked and enjoyed.
1.Sesame Salad Dressing pg199 V++ Fascinating taste, makes enough for one salad.
2.Fruit Based Salad Dressing pg 189 V+++ Awesome , delicious esp on greens or spinach with fruit added such as oranges or strawberries with almonds.
3.Raw sweet Potato pie pg183 V+ Good for what it is (healthy but not exciting)
4. Eggplant Dip pg 8 Katie made the wonderful dip and raved about it. V+++
5.Bean Bowl Crunchy pg 18 V++ Katie again came to the rescue.
6. Lentils with Bulgar Wheat and caramelized Onions pg 111 V+ Would be best as a side dish
7. Everlasting Salad pg31 V Sounds like it lasted a little too long. No one seemed to like it.
8. Gazpacho Aspic pg35 Bill and Debra came to the rescue and cooked this one. Debra was not crazy about it so it is rated just a V+.
9. Green Cabbage with Mushrooms pg 100 V+++ Beill and Debra came through again and loved this one
10.Fruit Soup pg33 V+++ Guess who? Yep. Bill and Debra bless their pea pickin hearts!
11. Lentil and Seed Salad pg42 V+ My friend Darlene made this tasty dish. She was not crazy about it as the lentils were still a little chewy. We tasted it and thought it was good. After a year of Vegan cooking you are a little more used to chewin'.
12. Kasha with Vegetables pg 108 our first V-. It tasted so bad I threw the whole thing out. There must have been a mistake in the recipe! Or the dried Porcini mushrooms were bad. What a smell!
HATE TO END ON A SOUR NOTE BUT ITS BEDTIME......................
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Twenty Recipes cooked with the help of my friends!
We are cruising now with 20 more recipes cooked:
1. Cold Asparagus Sandwich V++ pg3 cooked by my daughter-in-law, Marsha. She said all the guests at their "Bill Irwin Cook off Party" loved this sandwich. Thank you Marsha!
2.Aduki, Orzo and Pepper Salad V+ pg 11. This was another party recipe that all enjoyed.
3.Dolmas Salad V pg 31. The party lives on but no one cared for this salad. They said it was too soggy. They suggested more rice to offset the mushy grape leaves.
4. Japanese Wild Mushrooms V pg 108 Philip and Marsha cooked up this recipe but found it so salty they could not eat it. I think there must be a typo on the amount of Braggs. Five Tablespoon sounds like way too much!
5. Pumpkin Pie V++ pg 182 cooked by my friend Colleen. She thought it was very good.
6.Lima Bean Falafels V++ pg 6 prepared by me. This was a wonderful dish. I served it like a main dish with the Tahini Dressing which was incredibly delicious.
7. Blue Print Bean Salad V++ pg 20. This has got to be one of my favorite recipes of the whole book. I kept wondering about the name of it, "What does this mean Blueprint salad, did an architect make it or something? But to mydelight I figured it out. It is a formula for making a great salad that never fails. You can make enless substitutions and always have success. Awesome concept!
I am too tired to write any more. All this cooking makes you tired or maybe its all the eating that makes you tired. I'll finish tomorrow.............
1. Cold Asparagus Sandwich V++ pg3 cooked by my daughter-in-law, Marsha. She said all the guests at their "Bill Irwin Cook off Party" loved this sandwich. Thank you Marsha!
2.Aduki, Orzo and Pepper Salad V+ pg 11. This was another party recipe that all enjoyed.
3.Dolmas Salad V pg 31. The party lives on but no one cared for this salad. They said it was too soggy. They suggested more rice to offset the mushy grape leaves.
4. Japanese Wild Mushrooms V pg 108 Philip and Marsha cooked up this recipe but found it so salty they could not eat it. I think there must be a typo on the amount of Braggs. Five Tablespoon sounds like way too much!
5. Pumpkin Pie V++ pg 182 cooked by my friend Colleen. She thought it was very good.
6.Lima Bean Falafels V++ pg 6 prepared by me. This was a wonderful dish. I served it like a main dish with the Tahini Dressing which was incredibly delicious.
7. Blue Print Bean Salad V++ pg 20. This has got to be one of my favorite recipes of the whole book. I kept wondering about the name of it, "What does this mean Blueprint salad, did an architect make it or something? But to mydelight I figured it out. It is a formula for making a great salad that never fails. You can make enless substitutions and always have success. Awesome concept!
I am too tired to write any more. All this cooking makes you tired or maybe its all the eating that makes you tired. I'll finish tomorrow.............
Sunday, February 13, 2011
We just hit recipe 258 with a Foccacia that you will love
Let me share what has be happening in the kitchen:
1. Hummus, pg 5, rated just a V as Sam's dad, being Lebanese, gave me a far better Hummus recipe.
2. Grilled Avocado and Tomato pg 102, V++. The recipe calls for using a regular grill but since mine is under 2' of snow I used the broiler. The broiled avocado was heavenly and it made a picturesque looking, plated salad.
3. Raw Pumkin Pie pg 181, rated V+. Loren made this but used canned squash instead of the bad pumpkin I left for him to use (it looked good from the outside). So it was very tasty but not very appealing in appearance. I'll try again with fresh pumpkin.
4. Pie crust, pg 195, rated V++ as it was thin and delicious.
5.Popcorn, pg 195, V++. This is the best way to eat popcorn without all the bad stuff like salt and butter. Very tasty!
6. Foccacia, pg 165, rated V++. This is a great recipe. It makes two 14" rounds. I made the dough with the mashed potatoes and then Loren decked it out with tomatoes onions, garlic and spices. It was delicious and would be a fun to make for company.
More to come...................
1. Hummus, pg 5, rated just a V as Sam's dad, being Lebanese, gave me a far better Hummus recipe.
2. Grilled Avocado and Tomato pg 102, V++. The recipe calls for using a regular grill but since mine is under 2' of snow I used the broiler. The broiled avocado was heavenly and it made a picturesque looking, plated salad.
3. Raw Pumkin Pie pg 181, rated V+. Loren made this but used canned squash instead of the bad pumpkin I left for him to use (it looked good from the outside). So it was very tasty but not very appealing in appearance. I'll try again with fresh pumpkin.
4. Pie crust, pg 195, rated V++ as it was thin and delicious.
5.Popcorn, pg 195, V++. This is the best way to eat popcorn without all the bad stuff like salt and butter. Very tasty!
6. Foccacia, pg 165, rated V++. This is a great recipe. It makes two 14" rounds. I made the dough with the mashed potatoes and then Loren decked it out with tomatoes onions, garlic and spices. It was delicious and would be a fun to make for company.
More to come...................
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Down the stretch with 5 more recipes (two are V+++)
Racing toward the finish line, we have some great results to report:
Last Night I made the Greeen Bean Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms V+++ on pg 99. Oh my gosh, what a delight. This would be a meal I would prepare for a king or for my son Loren, who is home now from Sweden. He is the one who got us all started on this plant based diet. He is a tough critic and he even rated it V+++.
For dessert, I made the Carob Peppermint Hedgehog Balls. I think they are the best of this type of dessert that I have ever tasted. They rated V++
Colleen is cooking up a storm. Yesterday, she made the Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes pg 122 and reated it V+++. She said it was a fast and easy recipe and delicious!
She also, made the Garden Medley Delight pg 33 which she rated V+. She said it seemed very healthy but not her cup of tea.
Today, I baked the Banana Nut Bread pg 160 and it is not only tasty but it also looks beautiful. The loaf rose nice and high and the texture is light and moist not like most vegan quick breads that I have baked where they are heavy and soggy. I'd give it a V++
Last Night I made the Greeen Bean Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms V+++ on pg 99. Oh my gosh, what a delight. This would be a meal I would prepare for a king or for my son Loren, who is home now from Sweden. He is the one who got us all started on this plant based diet. He is a tough critic and he even rated it V+++.
For dessert, I made the Carob Peppermint Hedgehog Balls. I think they are the best of this type of dessert that I have ever tasted. They rated V++
Colleen is cooking up a storm. Yesterday, she made the Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes pg 122 and reated it V+++. She said it was a fast and easy recipe and delicious!
She also, made the Garden Medley Delight pg 33 which she rated V+. She said it seemed very healthy but not her cup of tea.
Today, I baked the Banana Nut Bread pg 160 and it is not only tasty but it also looks beautiful. The loaf rose nice and high and the texture is light and moist not like most vegan quick breads that I have baked where they are heavy and soggy. I'd give it a V++
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
5 More Recipes with the help of my friends
It's great to have friends when you need them, especially, at a crunch time like this. Well we have five more recipes tried and tested and the results are good.
My friend Colleen, who is an excellent cook, made the Green Bean, Broccoli and sSnow Pea Medley pg 100. She described it as having an Asian flair with crisp vegetables and rated it V+++. She also called it very Yummy!
My friend Sue, another great cook, made the Hanoi Noodle Soup on pg 40. She said it was fantastic and a total surprise as to how good it was, especially, without meat!
"The portobellos make a warm dark brown broth and it tastes rich and meaty without meat!" She rated it a "definite V+++!"
Sue also made the Jicama, Grapefruit Salad pg 42. She commented that it was easy to make with big bang flavor. A delightful salad! It received the V+++ rating as well.
I made the Black Bean Salad pg 19 and much to my surpise(considering some of the ingredients like gherkin pickles, black beans etc)it was a wonderful intertwining of flavors that kept my taste buds hoppin' and colors that kept my eyeballs poppin'. Rating V++.
Dried Fruit compote was another dish I prepared today. It is easy and very different
We all enjoyed it although it wasn't nearly as thrilling as most of Bill's recipes therefore i gave it just a V.
My friend Colleen, who is an excellent cook, made the Green Bean, Broccoli and sSnow Pea Medley pg 100. She described it as having an Asian flair with crisp vegetables and rated it V+++. She also called it very Yummy!
My friend Sue, another great cook, made the Hanoi Noodle Soup on pg 40. She said it was fantastic and a total surprise as to how good it was, especially, without meat!
"The portobellos make a warm dark brown broth and it tastes rich and meaty without meat!" She rated it a "definite V+++!"
Sue also made the Jicama, Grapefruit Salad pg 42. She commented that it was easy to make with big bang flavor. A delightful salad! It received the V+++ rating as well.
I made the Black Bean Salad pg 19 and much to my surpise(considering some of the ingredients like gherkin pickles, black beans etc)it was a wonderful intertwining of flavors that kept my taste buds hoppin' and colors that kept my eyeballs poppin'. Rating V++.
Dried Fruit compote was another dish I prepared today. It is easy and very different
We all enjoyed it although it wasn't nearly as thrilling as most of Bill's recipes therefore i gave it just a V.
Monday, February 7, 2011
4 more recipes cooked (one is over the top delicious)
For the Super Bowl party with Bill and Debra I made the Artichoke dip V+++ on pg 1. Served warm this dip was fantastic. In fact, there was not a lick left in the bowl.
After appetizers we had Cream of Mushroom soup V++ pg 29. My mother especially loved this soup.
Tonight, we had Corn and Tomato salad V++ pg 26. A wonderful recipe that would be perfect for company. We all loved it. This was followed by Corn and White Bean Soup
V+ pg 26. This was quite good, very intersting flavors.
After appetizers we had Cream of Mushroom soup V++ pg 29. My mother especially loved this soup.
Tonight, we had Corn and Tomato salad V++ pg 26. A wonderful recipe that would be perfect for company. We all loved it. This was followed by Corn and White Bean Soup
V+ pg 26. This was quite good, very intersting flavors.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Recipes 232,233,234,235,236,237,238 We are going to make that goal with just 12 days to go
My kitchen is cranking! I made Potato and Navy Bean Stew V++ pg132, Wild Rice Chili V++ pg 156, Date and coconut logs V+ pg 176, Tasty pulp Crackers Pg 169 and Crunchy spicy Crackers pg 163 (these are still in the dehydrator so not rated yet), and the crowning glory, Buckwheat Noodles and Vegies V+++ pg 76. This last recipe was cooked in my kitchen, tonight, by none other than Bill and Debra Irwin themselves and let me tell you it was outstanding! Bill wants to make some correction and additions to the directions on this complex recipe so wait to cook it until I get the updated directions to you. But mark this one down as drop dead gorgeous to the palette!!!!!
I'll update you on the cracker results tomorrow.................
I'll update you on the cracker results tomorrow.................
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