Friday, November 2, 2007

Nom Night

I have officially broken in my copy of Veganomicon. It even has a small stain on it from the marinade for the Smoky Tempeh. I was so excited to use my next grill pan for the first time! I still need to work on perfecting the grill marks, but I was happy just the same. I have really started to like tempeh just recently, and this recipe was no exception. The tempeh accompanied another newbie, pineapple-cashew quinoa. After re-learning my lesson about touching hot chiles (ouch in the nose, trust me), this dish came together quite easily after some serious chopping, but it was well worth it. I think the highlight of the dish was the mint and basil, so if you make this don't skip the fresh herbs!

Even though we still have gingerbread cookies, and we're leaving town for Austin tomorrow morning (to attend a Vegan Chile Festival!), I still wanted to try a cookie recipe. Since I have been craving chocolate, I went for the chocolate-chocolate chip walnut cookies. The only thing I did differently was use chocolate hemp milk to sub for the soy milk. I think the result was an even chocolatier flavor. These were yummy right out of the oven, I actually needed a glass of water to wash them down (sometimes soy milk just won't do that for me). John even ate a whole cookie on his own (which he rarely does, he usually has a bite of mine), attesting to the true power of these cookies.

My love affair with this book has only just begun....

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find it so funny that you had enough cookies but had to make more to try a recipe. I did the exact same thing yesterday morning. and we're proud of ourselves, too! :)

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

Have fun at the Chilifest! Be sure to stop by Dhabajoy for some vegan softserve or baked goods while in Austin :o).

And if you need someone to babysit your precious new cookbook while you're gone, I'd be willing to do the job hehe.

Sheree' said...

The chiifest sound like a blast. I so wish we had more things like that around here. Oh how I wish I could get many of the new cookbooks out right now. I am going crazy with everyones creations. I love quinoa and this dish sounds great. Have a great time at the fest!

n/a said...

Yay! I was waiting for you to make something from 'Con. Looks great and the cookies with hempnut milk........Hello!!! I'm drooling.

Kayla said...

I want..no, I need V-con. I thought I could hold out until Christmas (or until someone felt sorry for me after I moped around for a bit), but I just can't. I recently pre-ordered Yellow Rose and Vegan Yum Yum. It's going to be a big cookbook month for me! Everything looks excellent. Can't wait for the Chili Fest!

aTxVegn said...

Your food looks so good! I'm cooking from v-nom today too.

Look for me and Chase at the Chili Fest tomorrow!

Anonymous said...

yum!!! i cant wait to put my hands in that book!!!

Veggie Cookster said...

Everything looks scrumptious! :)

bazu said...

I could go for that cookie right now. Ok, I'm about to go have a chocolate tofutti cutie right now, first thing in the morning, and I consider it your fault! ;-)

Have fun in Austin! I have a good friend that lives there (and another who used to) and I've always wanted to go...

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

I have yet to make anything from Veganomicon - it's killing me, since I really want to start cooking from it; but I don't know where to start!!

nice choice on starting with making the smoky tempeh and the pineappe-cashew quinoa - looks delicious!!

oooh the chocolate-chocolate-chip-walnut cookies look amazing; and yay for using hempmilk!! hempmilk is right up there with carob, on my list of obsessions :0D

by the way, I attended my first Veg-Meet Up event today - I'll post about it later in the week :0)

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

P.S. Have a wonderful time at the Vegan Chile Festival!! sounds incredibly fun (and tasty)!!

urban vegan said...

I am so jealous. The book hasn't hit my bookstores yet. I could order it online, but I keep hoping, praying, wishing....

What yumminess you have portrayed here.

Lori- the Pleasantly Plump Vegan said...

the cookies look like they really turned out. my fave chocolate cookie is a double chocolate chocolate chip cookie.

Jody from VegChic said...

The cookies look awesome. I broke in Veganomicon with the chickpea patties and Pumpkin Sag. ---Both were really good.

Sorry to hear about you camera, but the pics look good on this end. I'm digging all your Halloween photos.

Have fun at the festival!

Alicia said...

I'm eager to hear what you thought about the chili cookoff in Austin. My husband and I entered a Chili. We didn't win, but we had a lot of fun. I really enjoy reading your blog!
Alicia

Anna said...

Ahhh, those cookies are calling me! I LOVE chocolate on chocolate--and with walnuts to boot. They look perfect, and the tempeh super-yum as well. Can't wait till mine arrives--it's on its way from the US now!

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

If you give me some cookies, I will let you into my freezer ;o)

Monika K said...

Mmmm...those cookies look fantastic!

Anonymous said...

Your husband seriously does not eat a whole cookie? My husband could eat an entire batch of cookies before they are barely cool! He must not be the kind of "cookie monster" that I'm married to! They look gorgeous - my hubster would certainly eat them all!

Pink Theory said...

oh my goodness, you've been busy! I love your Halloween spread, it all looks so good. And I may have to fork out the dough for that cookbook soon b/c all the dishes people keep posting from it looks sooo good including yours! those cookies are beautiful!

Rose said...

I'm glad you have fun at the chili fest unfortunately I couldn't go
:( We were way too tight on time