Vegetarian Times Recipes Tested from March 2007 Issue

Today I received the April issue of Vegetarian Times. So before I embark on trying any of the newest recipes, here is a summary of the recipes I have tried so far from the March 2007 issue:

p.29 Garlicky Grits Cakes with Red Pepper Tapenade
These were yummy. I liked the consistency better than February's Hummus Cakes. Probably because the corn grits gave the batter more substance. I didn't roast the garlic in the oven. I roasted it on top of the stove, in the manner as I did in my Salsas, as it's much quicker. Now, here's something I tried. For some of them, I did the following alteration and I call them Poblano Polenta Patties: I put part of a roasted poblano pepper in my food processor along with the garlic and some of the chick peas and some olive oil. Coarsely processed. Then I stirred into that mixture the rest of the chick peas and the cooked grits (cooked in water). Then i shaped the patties and cooked them as directed. This was a very nice variation, and they didn't need any tapenade.

p.34 Rise-and-Shine Cinnamon Rolls
I found these easier and quicker to make than I thought they would be. And they had a very nice lemony finish. But, they are not really rolls. The consistency is way more like scones or even biscuits than bread or cinnamon rolls.

p. 35 Cornmeal Waffles with Warm Peach Sauce
These have such a beautiful orange flavor. The first time I made these, I mistakenly used the wrong kind of cornmeal. The one I used was the more coarse grits or polenta meal. And that was way too coarse for these waffles, so they didn't turn out. Since I didn't have the cornmeal needed for this recipe, the second attempt I used Masa Harina corn flour. And that worked out fine! I didn't have buttermilk either, so I used soy milk and a generous squeeze of bitter orange juice to it. Bitter oranges are available to me in Florida, but maybe are not common in other parts of the country. So, you could use lemon or lime juice. I think these waffles would also be great with some dark chocolate chips in them. As for the peach sauce, I never made it. Instead, I topped my waffles with slices of fresh pears that I sauteed in a pat of butter with a sprinkling of turbinado sugar.

p.78 Cream of Lentil Soup

p.85 Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

p.86 Thai Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce
Nice spiciness! We really liked this. The marinade and the sauce would be great with many other vegetables too, in addition to the shitakes and tofu. The peanut sauce was even good as a dip for tortilla chips and as a spread on sandwiches.

p.86 PB&J Whole Grain French Toast