Book Review ...

Post coming tomorrow! This week I'm a stop on the blog tour for Whole Grain Vegan Baking, so check back tomorrow for the review and give away!

Recipe of the week - Green Bean Waldorf Salad

Now that summer is just around the corner (or maybe even here where you are) I thought I'd spend a couple of weeks sharing some salad recipes. In this one I’ve added green beans to your typical Waldorf for another layer of flavor and texture, and capers for a pop of tartness. I like the combination with these extras as the sweetness often found in a Waldorf is counteracted a little.

Green Bean Waldorf Salad

Serves 6

Preparation Time – 20 Minutes

[gluten free]

¼ cup vegan Mayonnaise, homemade or store bought

2 teaspoons Lemon Juice

¼ teaspoon Dijon Mustard

½-pound Green Beans, trimmed to 1-inch lengths, blanched and refreshed, about 1 ½ cups

1 stalk Celery, finely chopped

1 Red Dessert Apple such as Gala, unpeeled, cored and cut to ¼-inch pieces

½ cup toasted, roughly chopped Walnut pieces

¼ cup halved red Grapes, seedless or seeds removed

¼ cup halved green Grapes, seedless or seeds removed

2 teaspoons drained Capers, finely chopped

In a large bowl combine the mayonnaise with the lemon juice and mustard, Mix well.

Add the remaining ingredients and combine.

Taste and season as required.

Refrigerate for at least an hour prior to serving at room temperature to allow flavors to meld.

Variation

Serve in inner romaine lettuce leaves, or bib lettuce leaf cups for an appetizer, or finger food starter.

Product Review - Vejibag

While I was sent a vejibag to try out I wouldn't be here telling you I love it, if I didn't love it, and I do.

It claims to prevent slimy veggies so I put it to the test with the veggies which ALWAYS go slimy for me very quickly, I'm talking within days, cilantro and green onions. Now, I know its not normal, but I have had a bunch of cilantro in my vejibag in the crisper of my fridge for 2 weeks now, and while looking a little worse for wear, as you'd expect, the cilantro is not slimy! I am more than impressed, and am more than happy to heartily recommend the vejibag to everyone I meet!

While not super cheap the vejibag is crafted by hand by women in Maine using organic cotton grown in the US, and is a quality product - lovely feel to it and nice workmanship.

Check out the site for vejibag to read and learn more.

Book Review - Happy Herbivore Abroad

The third low-fat, plant-based offering from Lindsay Nixon, with a focus on international flavours. (Review of previous book here) The idea behind this one seems to be both a presentation of food from around the world, and a travelogue / commentary about life and travelling in other parts of the world. Cuisines represented included those such as Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Indian, Mexican, with a smattering of Middle Eastern, African, and others thrown in, but on the whole I found the recipes to be very Euro-centric, and the travelogue part was basically about European travel, which I would have liked to have seen expanded to be more truly "around the world". While the premise is a good one, combining food and travel tips from places all over the globe, I do feel there could have been more of a global presence.

The book itself is bright and colourful, with photos of many recipes, and snaps of many of the places mentioned in the travel commentary. I'd have liked fewer photos of the author and more of both the food and the locales. The chapters are logical, the recipes easy to read and follow, with chatty but not overly familiar introductions. Some of the recipes were really too simple to be recipes for anyone other than a brand new cook, but at least any brand new cook won't be overwhelmed by this book.

The recipes I made -
Page 20 Goulash
This was OK. A little underwhelming, and I felt it needed something spice wise to liven it up.

Page 23 Taco Soup
H loved this one. I was a little less enamoured but her wanted more! I'll make again for him for sure.

Page 51 Nona's Chickpeas
I would have liked these a little saucier - maybe with some tomato added, but that is personal taste. They were good, but I do love chickpeas!

Page 93 Thai Mango Curry
In the introduction is states that this is based on a dish eaten in Maui. I don't think it captures anything Thai at all (and is no way an authentic Thai dish) and should have been left as a spicy Hawaiian influenced dish. Tasty but not Thai.

Page 127 Paella
Simple but nice, would have been good with artichoke hearts added in too. The picture shows carrots and beans which are not in the recipe.

Page 169 Bolognese Sauce
Loving mushrooms I had high hopes for this one, but it didn't really hit the spot for me. It was OK, just missing something which would have made it awesome. A dash of acid from Balsamic vinegar maybe?

Page 178 Cheater Pad Thai
Cheater being easy to make, and not really Pad Thai. The sauce is more of a peanut sauce, and pad thai may be garnished with peanuts but doesn't have peanut butter in the sauce. Tasted good, so was worth making, but it's not pad thai.

Page 237 Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
Interesting this one. Used in another recipe. I've never had a commercial vegan worcestershire sauce so can't comment on how it compares.

If you're a fat-free / low-fat eater then I'm sure you'll find a whole lot to love about this book.

Recipe of the week - Roast Beet and Quinoa Salad

Roast Beet and Quinoa Salad

Serves 6

Beets always add an earthy touch to a dish, especially if they are roasted to bring out their natural sweetness. In this salad they are paired with nutty quinoa, and lifted by the slight bitterness of the greens. If you can’t find beets with greens attached, use another lightly bitter green such as Arugula, and if you don’t want a pink salad then use yellow beets! I find it a good idea to roast the beets in advance, just return to room temperature to complete the salad and serve.

Gluten and Soy free

3 medium Beets, any color, with greens attached, about 1-pound, or 2 cups once cut

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 tablespoon White Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

¼ cup White Wine, or Vegetable Stock

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

½ teaspoon Garlic Powder

½ teaspoon Onion Powder

½ cup finely chopped Red Pepper, ½ medium

¼ cup finely chopped Red Onion

1 cup cooked and cooled Quinoa

Pre-heat oven to 425°F.

Remove the greens from the beets and set aside in the fridge until required.

Peel the beets and cut to ½-inch pieces. Toss in a roasting pan with the olive oil, vinegar, and a little salt and pepper. There is a lot of liquid here to pick up the beet flavors then to be used in the dressing later.

Roast the beets until tender, and slightly caramelized, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove beets, then deglaze pan with white wine. Transfer wine after deglazing to a large bowl.

Allow beets and deglazed liquid to cool until at room temperature.

Add the oil, mustard, garlic and onion powders to the bowl and whisk to combine.

Add the pepper, onion, quinoa, and beets to the dressing, toss to combine.

Shred the beet greens and lightly toss to incorporate.

Serve at room temperature.