Tempeh cutlets with creamy tomato-pepper spaghetti

One of my new year's resolutions is to make at least one recipe from every cookbook I own.

I bought American Vegan Kitchen for the appetizers-- namely the Spicy Balsamic Maple Wingz. Well I made that recipe; it was one of those ones where you have to make three other foundational recipes first, and the whole thing takes more than one day. It was delicious, but it was also the meal that sealed the deal-- Erik had a bad reaction to it and right afterwards we learned that he is gluten-intolerant.

I hadn't picked up the book since then, because everything seemed very seitan (and gluten) -centric. Looking for something that was easy to make substitutions on, the tempeh cutlets stood out. Only the flour (I used potato starch), soy sauce (wheat-free tamari) and pasta (quinoa-corn pasta) needed replacing. The recipe calls for a can of tomato sauce-- of course I had to make a big batch of my own, and I hadn't prepared beforehand by marinating the tempeh, so this meal took just over two hours to make.

Overall it was good, but I probably wouldn't use the recipe for the creamy tomato-pepper sauce again-- it's just sauteed peppers, soy milk, and tomato sauce. The tempeh cutlets were nice, but I ran out of red wine vinegar and used balsamic for the remainder, so they were sweeter than they should've been.

My interest in this book has revived, and I will definitely try de-glutening some of the other recipes.

Spicy soba noodles

One of my new year's resolutions is to make at least one recipe from every cookbook I own.

I can't say that I watched many cooking shows as a kid, but there weren't many on back then. In fact, the only one I remember is "Yan Can Cook." The star, Martin Yan, was so animated-- always moving, telling stories, making jokes, and turning out some really exotic (for the early 80s) cuisine. In fact, the show started the year I was born, so I really did grown up with it.

One day a couple of years ago, Martin Yan came to the cafeteria at my place of work and signed copies of his most recent cookbook. There was a little bit of snow, which is a big deal for Portland, so no one was around. I bought the book, had it signed, and posed for a photo with him. It's a terrible photo-- I was having a really bad hair day-- so I'm not going to post it here, but the cookbook has been more sentimental than utilitarian... until last week.

I needed a super-quick dinner, but stir-fry can be so boring. Searching for inspiration, I saw the unusual combination of sauce ingredients in the "Spicy soba noodles" recipe: soy sauce (use gluten-free tamari!), sweet chili sauce, lemon juice, fresh ginger, and turmeric. Intriguing!

Although I used rice noodles, stir-fried a number of vegetables-- Chinese cabbage, asparagus, carrots, onions, garlic-- and tempeh, and served the dish hot, the sauce really shines through. Erik loved it and had the leftovers for two lunches in a row. I will definitely make this again and look to Martin Yan for more new twists on classic meals.

Spinach and chickpea sabzi

One of my new year's resolutions is to make at least one recipe from every cookbook I own.

Erik and I discovered the concept of Indian burritos when we lived in the Bay Area in 2000-2001, at Avatar's Punjabi Burritos in Mill Valley. The combination of savory curry, delicately spiced rice, crisp sour pickles, and sweet chutney... it's divine.

Usually we make them at home with channa masala, fresh spinach, and plain rice. Tonight I thought I'd branch out and use a curry recipe from 30-Minute Indian. I bought the book a year or two ago after reading raves about it on someone's blog.

The spinach and chickpea sabzi was nice and simple-- mostly just cumin and coriander, with a bit of chili powder, lime juice, sugar, and amchur powder. I also mixed up a quick raita with plain soy yogurt, paprika, cumin, salt, green onions and cilantro. With a richly spiced rice (steamed with a cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamom pods and saffron) and mango chutney (made and canned by my mom) it was a delicious, complex combination.

Unfortunately the brown rice tortillas fell apart and had a terrible texture, so they had to be ditched. The sabzi was good in combination with the condiments, but a bit plain on its own. I'll try a few more recipes from the book, though, since they really are quick to make.

Chickpea and leek soup

One of my new year's resolutions is to make at least one recipe from every cookbook I own.

I was in a soup mood and needed something quick. The copy of Jaime Oliver's The Naked Chef that Erik bought me when it came out in 2000-- never used-- stared at me, producing much guilt on my part.

I had already flipped through and made note of several promising recipes, but the chickpea and leek soup really stood out. With its simple handful of ingredients and a pair of leeks barely clinging to life in my fridge, I knew this was it.

And it turned out great. I only had two leeks instead of the recipe's five, and I added some faux ham for heartiness. That's it. Chickpeas, leeks and potatoes are indeed a winning combination.

Earlier in the week I also made the more-involved green pozole from Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan. I had made the simpler red pozole previously and was ready for the challenge. The perfect reason was my ladies book club, which is really just an excuse to get together, chat (usually not about the book) and eat. Too bad I never got a photo of it. Just as well, really, since I completely forgot all of the garnishes (salt, avocados, cilantro) I had for the soup and just served it out plain and ugly. Sorry ladies!

Tamarind BBQ tempeh and sweet potatoes

One of my new year's resolutions is to make at least one recipe from every cookbook I own. Hopefully reading through and trying so many new recipes will inspire my cooking creativity and expand my go-to recipe repertoire.

First up: Isa Chandrea Moskowitz's latest book, Appetite for Reduction. I made the Tamarind BBQ Tempeh and Sweet Potatoes and added chopped raw kale before baking. It turned out really well and was easy to make.

My one complaint is my own fault-- when reading the recipe I saw the numerical "25 minutes" and skimmed right over the additional, written-out "half an hour," so we ended up eating dinner way too late. What I love about the cookbook is that just about every recipe that isn't inherently gluten-free offers suggestions at the top to make it so. Lovely touch!