Cook Most of the Book - Vegan With a Vengeance
I bought the tempeh a couple of weeks ago. I had a harder time that I'd expected finding it, and when I did, I snagged the last package. Before I bought Vegan with a Vengeance, I'd never heard of Tempeh, and until I bought it, I'd never seen Tempeh. Here's what it looks like:
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Tempeh Sausage Crumbles (brunch, pg 22)
Isa says: "...don't be afraid to experiment with it (in different dishes)."
Sara says: "..."
I tried. I really did. I wanted to like this. I liked the spice mix (fennel, basil, oregano, hot pepper, sage) and I thought the end result looked like sausage. But I had issues with the texture and the smell. Scott, who was as I mentioned was sick in bed the day I made this, didn't think much of it either. He didn't care for the spice very much (he hates fennel) and didn't like the texture either. But hey, we tried, right?
What I did differently: Nothing.
What I'll do differently next time: Nothing. There won't be a next time.
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Baking Powder Biscuits (brunch, pg 27)
Isa says: "(this) biscuit recipe has served me well for years."
Sara says: "Who doesn't like a biscuit?"
I love me a biscuit, and these are really nice and flaky. I cut them into the requisite 2 inch rounds, and boy, did they look small. But they were still yummy. I served the above plate of warm biscuits to Scott in his sick bed. They didn't make him better, but he liked them.
What I did differently: Nothing.
What I'll do differently next time: Make 'em bigger!
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White Bean Gravy (brunch, pg 27)
Isa says: "The gravy is a modified version of a recipe submitted to my Website by someone named Lisa."
Sara says: "It's like pea soup on a biscuit!"
Actually Scott said that. I omitted the tempeh sausage crumbles from the gravy, so this was just white bean gravy on the biscuits. Pretty good, for a can of beans with some broth and seasoning.
What I did differently: used dried sage instead of fresh.
What I'll do differently next time: This was pretty good, but I'm not sure I'd make it again.
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Coconut Pancakes with Pineapple Sauce (brunch, pg 32)
Isa says: "Coconut and nutmeg are a great combination"
Sara says: "Scott thinks he's back in Hawaii!"
Coconut is not my favorite thing in the world, but these are nice, and the coconut and pineapple really transform a plain pancake. I'm used to pancakes and waffles not really tasting like anything. I love how Isa adds nutmeg (in this recipe) and other spices to her pancakes and waffles. I would make the pancakes again, but I'd probably play with the pineapple sauce. (PS, have you made the pumpkin waffles yet??)
What I did differently: cut back the coconut to 3/4 of a cup.
What I'll do differently next time: Nothing.
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Well, I'm disappointed we didn't like the tempeh. But I'm glad we tried it. Unfortunately I'll be omitting any other tempeh recipes from this challenge. There's no point in cooking with something we won't eat.
Next week: well, I'm not sure yet, but maybe noodles and pizza!




