White and Wild Rice Salad w/ Walnuts, Cranberries, and Figs

White and Wild Rice Salad with Walnuts, Cranberries, and Figs {page 84} is one of the easiest, prettiest, and most flavorful salads I've had in a very long time.

The preparation, although it does require a decent amount of chopping, is quite easy, and the salad itself comes together in no time at all, once the prep work is complete. All of the colors and flavors play beautifully together to make a concoction that is not only a treat for the eyes, but for the mouth as well.

This salad is sophisticated, but at the same time simple enough to be enjoyed by people of all ages. Best of all, it has a vinaigrette-based dressing, which makes it perfect for picnics and other events outdoors, as you don't have to worry about it sitting out in the sun.

This salad is going to become a regular fixture at many of my outdoor gatherings, I'm sure of it!

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Fettuccine with Fresh Figs and Walnuts

I cannot believe I didn't find this recipe until now. Fettuccine with Fresh Figs and Walnuts {page 211} has just about everything I could ever want in a dream pasta.

Tender pasta is coated with a creamy cashew sauce, and then tossed with sauteed fresh figs and walnuts. The whole thing is topped up with crispy homemade breadcrumbs. The creaminess of the sauce paired perfectly with the sweetness of the figs, and the heady deepness of the walnuts. The salty toasty crunch provided by the breadcrumbs was really the icing on the cake...erm...plate of pasta, so to speak.

Fresh figs are rather expensive, so I cannot see myself making this often. However, this would be an easy and impressive dish to serve to guests on special occasions. In fact, I think I impressed myself with this one. I may just come back to my kitchen to eat again sometime. You're invited too, of course.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

White Bean and Walnut Patties

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Robin is the master of all things patty, and White Bean and Walnut Patties {page 122} are no exception.

These little patties are made from simple yet flavorful ingredients, and they have a fantastic texture. They're more sturdy than most bean-related patties {thanks to the high ratio of vital wheat gluten to other ingredients}, making them the perfect candidates for a backyard grilling session.

I can see them going beautifully in a bun with your favorite toppings, but I chose to serve them here cozied up to some Creamy Cauliflower and topped with Watercress Sauce.

They are elegant, but also quick and kid-friendly - the Supertoddler devoured his portion. They also make great leftovers, so make a double batch and take some to work with you the next day!

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Vanilla Walnut Cookies

I am a shy vegan. Although I believe strongly in animal rights, and the abolition of the property status of non-human animals, I am rarely vocal about these topics unless directly asked. My "activism" exists mainly in the practice of showing people how easy and "normal" it is to be vegan, and how delicious vegan food is. Along that vein, I bring treats to work with me nearly every Tuesday to share with my coworkers. Vanilla Walnut Cookies {page 432} were last week's pick.

These little cookies were easy to throw together, and quite unique, having ground walnuts in the dough itself. Robin recommends decorating each cookie with a walnut piece, and I took that recommendation.

The cookies themselves were sweet, but not too sweet, with a pleasant mouthfeel. They were a touch biscuity, but who says that cookies can't be biscuity? I thoroughly enjoyed both the flavor and texture, and so did my coworkers. They disappeared very quickly. Which, after all, is the best compliment a cook can get.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Chocolate and Walnut Farfalle

I grew up eating noodles tossed with ground nuts and sugar. It might sound weird if you didn’t grow up in Eastern Europe, but pasta + sweet is a delightful concoction the rest of the world is truly missing out on. So I felt compelled to bring your attention to it by cooking up a batch of Chocolate and Walnut Farfalle (page 480).

The farfalle of choice were whole wheat, which added a little extra flavor and nutrition. And because I tossed the nuts into the food processor with the chocolate chips right after roasting, the chips melted. And then melted more when they met hot pasta. This was a great development.

Roasting the walnuts makes all the difference. The smoky nuttiness of the walnuts, paired with the sweetness of the melted chocolate, all on top of the chewy bite of the pasta makes for one fine eating experience. I’ve had plenty of noodles with nuts, but toasting those nuts well and adding melty chocolate is a delectable, welcome twist on an old classic.

- - Ulpia, the nuttiest! - -

Caribbean Rice, Squash, and Peas, Zucchini Walnut Fritters, and Roasted Baby Potatoes...

A seemingly odd hodge-podge of side-dishes, Caribbean Rice, Squash, and Peas {page 268}, Zucchini Walnut Fritters {page 385} and Roasted Baby Potatoes with Spinach, Olives, and Grape Tomatoes {page 376} came together to make an easy, satisfying, and delicious meal.

Caribbean Rice, Squash, and Peas was a rice pilaf which included some flavors of the Caribbean, along with black-eyed peas and gems of tender butternut squash. The textures and flavors worked well together, although it was a little bland. Some additional seasonings and liberal addition of salt saved the dish and made it pleasant to eat. A great staple.

In Zucchini Walnut Fritters, I found yet another recipe in this book that is going to grace my table repeatedly. Easy to put together, these little fritters were crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of wonderful flavor. Everyone at the table absolutely loved them, including Supertoddler, Ninjahusband, and the Wondersisters. We all wished that I'd made a double batch, as we were hankering for seconds.

I love roasted vegetables, and Roasted Baby Potatoes with Spinach, Olives, and Grape Tomatoes was a fun variation on the standard. I didn't have the Savory herb called for {speaking of which...wtf is Savory? I'm beginning to think it doesn't exist. I have never been able to find it any ANY store.} I used a garlic and herb seasoning instead. The tomatoes and spinach went really well with the potatoes. I found the olives to be a little overpowering and distracting, but they were good for color, and added an interesting flavor note.

Over all, the dinner was delicious, and came together relatively quickly, despite the number of dishes. It is definitely something I would make again, either in whole or in part.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Pecan Pie (... but with walnuts)

Let me start by saying that I almost never make desserts. I really don't have a sweet tooth and well, as an intuitive cook who cooks by sight, smell and taste, I have a lot of problems with the exact measurements needed for baked goods (except bread). I am terrible with pastry and have no patience for it. However, over the holidays I decided that I was going to practice making pie crusts for both sweet and savoury pies and ended up buying a dough blender, perforated pie pan and a silicone pie crust guard thingy. All three sat there unused until today.

Even though I don't have a sweet tooth, I did previously enjoy a butter tart or two pre-vegan. Basically it's like a pecan pie, but without the pecans and you can find it in a package of two at most convenience stores in the great white north. I had a craving for them so I thought, hey, why don't I try the Pecan Pie (page 462) from the book?

The pie crust is pretty much like any standard pie crust — the kind that I am terrible with. Flour, fat, salt, sugar and water. I readied myself to struggle with it but it came together fairly easily with the dough blender. So much easier than a damn fork or two butter knives. If you don't have a dough blender, GET ONE. I substituted vegetable shortening for the margarine and upped the salt to almost 1 tsp.

While the dough was chilling in the fridge, I made the filling. As the liquid was simmering in the saucepan, I realised that I didn't have any pecans (doh!) but I did have walnuts which I thought was a worthy substitute.

Now on to the taste. The crust? I thought it was great! Flaky and rich, just like a pie crust is supposed to be. The filling was gooey and sweet but not sickly sweet and I can see it working with lots of different types of nuts, not just pecans (or walnuts). Colour me impressed — I made a pie with a great flaky crust! I do need to work on my crust shaping but who cares, it was good! Now I still don't like making pie crust, but now I know I can actually make a decent one.

This is one delicious pie that I can see myself making again. Maybe next time I'll make them into little tarts, without pecans and a sprinkle of raisins. ;)

— Ms. Veganorama

Black Bean and Walnut Croquettes

What pairs perfectly with mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other comfort foods on a cold fall day? If you guessed Black Bean and Walnut Croquettes {page 267} you are right!

These little babies are made from pantry staples {if you're into keeping walnuts stocked, like I am}, and come together in minutes. The mixture is really easy to work with, and holds together great {unlike many croquettes I've made in the past}. Lightly coated in panko breadcrumbs, these little babies fry up great, the outside getting crisp and delicious while the inside is still soft and supple. Mmmm...supple...

I served these with Hollandaze Sauce drizzled over top {as the recipe suggested}, and it paired really well. I can also see these being great in a wrap, pita, or sandwich. They are flavorful on their own, but are also happy to work behind the scenes to make the flavor-magic happen for other accompanying sauces or dishes.

Both the Ninjahusband and Supertoddler enjoyed them {the Supertoddler calling them "poke-ettes"}. I can see this recipe being easily modified to use any bean and nut combination you like. These will definitely end up on our menu again and again. Great, solid, cheap, quick, versatile...what's not to love?

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Ginger-Pear Tart with Cranberries and Walnuts

One of my best friends is named Ginger, and fittingly, she loves food made with ginger. For the Friends Thanksgiving Dinner that my best friends and I had today, I knew that Ginger-Pear Tart with Cranberries and Walnut {page 469} was perfect -- both for the season and for G-licious.

The tart dough came together perfectly, rolled out easily, and was plenty to fill the tart pan and press into the edges. The pear filling was delicious, but made too much to fit in the standard 9" tart pan that is called for in the recipe. I mounded the filling quite high, and still ended up throwing out at least 1/4 of the filling.

My main issue with the recipe was the topping. Overall it was a good idea, but just didn't work out properly. The recipe said to bake the tart uncovered, and at that high temperature for that long, the walnuts and cranberries were burnt black. They tasted like poison. I picked out the ones I could get to, and warned everyone not to eat any others they might find. I sprinkled some uncharred cranberries on the top for flavor and color, and that helped quite a bit.

The whole tart was actually very delicious, minus the cranberries and walnuts. I would definitely make it again. However, I wouldn't add the walnuts and cranberries until the last few minutes of baking.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Fruit Salad in Winter

With Fruit Salad in Winter {page 96}, fruit salad need not only be confined to your summer plate, you can enjoy this delicious concoction of fruit and nuts at any time of year.

This salad showcases winter fruits at their finest -- apples, oranges, pears, red grapes, and star fruit combine into a delicious medley of textures and flavors. Chopped walnuts paired nicely with the fruit, for a crunchy and savory surprise. My only gripe with the salad at all is the dressing. I don't really feel like fruit salads need dressing, but in the spirit of being true to the recipe, I made it anyway. It was very oily, and while I didn't find it too off-putting {although it was definitely unnecessary}, the Ninjahusband and a friend I had over joked about it being "greasy fruit salad" and how they felt like their mouths were now primed for eating any number of large or difficult to eat objects. If I made this again, I would definitely avoid the dressing, or maybe skip the oil and just toss it with the lemon juice/agave.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Agave Baklava

Baklava is a family vice. Of course, no one in the family's ever made any themselves, much less imagined that anyone in the family ever would. So I had a certain feeling that making the Agave Baklava (page 439) would impress and delight my parents especially much.

I was right. They thought I had bought it from somewhere and could barely believe my assertions to the contrary, especially after tasting it. And tasting it again, and again, before even turning their attention to the savory food. They all unanimously agreed, grandma and family friend included, that this was the best baklava they'd ever tasted. Did I mention baklava was a family vice?


The filling is amazing and it's all wonderfully syrupy without being overbearingly sweet. It's perfect. I don't say this lightly; I've had a lot of baklava throughout the years. But, seriously, it's perfect. (It's also changed my mind about walnut baklava, which I always thought inferior to pistachio; though you bet I'll be trying this with pistachio too next time.)

That said, it's very time-consuming. Don't underestimate how time-consuming it is—I did. It's not particularly difficult, but taking each sheet of phyllo (and there are a lot of sheets) and brushing it individually gets tedious fast, especially since they rip so easily and must be stacked fairly evenly. So for the first time in my life, my legs actually hurt later, and I work my gams hard. But boy am I glad I went through with it.


My guests liked it so much, in fact, that we decided to play a trick on our local friends by taking some to their house and pretending it was purchased. (My dad brings them baklava from a shop close to home often, so this seemed perfectly plausible.) They couldn't believe their taste buds either. Another case of “What do you mean these are vegan? No way!” (I've been getting that a lot lately.) Way.

Seriously, the whole book was worth it for this recipe and its reception alone.

- - Ulpia, purveyor of fine sweets - -

Maple-Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

I'm something of a cookie fiend, so I decided to whip up some round little delights for my guests. To be perfectly honest and as much as I love oatmeal cookies, the Maple-Walnut Oatmeal Cookies (page 430) sounded slightly boring as I was making them. But the heavenly aroma wafting from the oven piqued my interest. Then I pulled them out, waited a moment or two, and picked out the ugliest one (these were for company, after all).

It was love at first bite. Tender and chewy, perfectly sweet with that warm, maple flavor calling to mind snowy cabins and deep forests, log fireplaces and softly descending snowflakes. But unlike a Thomas Kinkade painting, these are deliciously authentic. The walnutty touch brings forth memories of childhood, if yours involved large amounts of walnuts, cooked, baked, and freestyle. Why, we'd climb the trees to get at 'em. We'd spread 'em outside to dry in the sun (or eat them green, infinitely better).

These are both decadent and homey, best still-warm straight out of the oven. Or on a plate next to a cool glass of some nut-milk for whoever shoves the presents under your tree or into your socks.

The cookies were gone a day before my guests were; I'll infer that means they enjoyed them. Of course, these little darlings, yummy as they were, rather paled in comparison to the other desserts I whipped up. Especially a certain Mediterranean one. (We didn't abandon that theme, no; stay tuned.)

P.S. Can you spot the hidden bat? It's always Halloween 'round here.

- - Ulpia, the other cookie monster - -

Banana-Walnut Cake with "Cream Cheese" Frosting

One of the most delicious and elegant desserts I've had in a long time, Banana-Walnut Cake {page 448} with "Cream Cheese" Frosting {page 502} was a smash hit.

Last night I was playing match maker, and setting my youngest sister up with a cute, nice boy from the neighborhood. I'd invited both over for dessert, and wanted to make something special for the occasion. This cake definitely fit the bill.

Upon first glance of the recipe, the cake looks simple and even pedestrian in nature. However, it was anything but. The cake was simultaneously dense but delicate, decadent but not overly sweet. The cream cheese frosting went with it perfectly, and the last minute topping decision of bananas and extra walnuts was perfect.

I decided to be "fancy" and punch out little circles of the frosted cake, rather than serve standard squares. I feel like that really upped the ante as far as presentation went.

Overall, it was great. In fact, Ninjahusband just leaned over and told me again how much he'd liked the cake, and that I should make it again soon. Victory!

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Soy-Tan Dream Cutlets, Mushroom Gravy & Barley Pilaf

Whew! That title was a mouthful and it wasn't even the full titles. Be prepared for the WoT (wall of text) that follows below. If it's tl;dr (too long; didn't read), just skip to the last paragraph. :p

I love love love comfort food. I often make some sort of seitan with gravy and vegetables for a big dinner at least once a month, but sometimes two or three times a month. I'm a total sucker for this type of meal. Heavy and comforting! It was inevitable that I would then make the Soy-Tan Dream Cutlets (page 294) with Mushroom Sauce (page 546) and decided that I may as well make a side so I also made the Barley Pilaf with Carrots, Walnuts, and Golden Raisins (page 276) and a side of oven roasted broccoli and cauliflower (my own, not from the book).

As I mentioned in my Pad Thai post, seitan is another recipe that I will try from a book despite the fact that I already have my own tried and true recipes for seitan (of all variations). Because of that, I had the Soy-Tan cutlets bookmarked from day one. These were also made by The Divine Miss V in her Vietnamese Po-Boys post. Before I go any further, I need to stress to you, especially to my fellow freaks with a Tofu Xpress, DO NOT PRESS THE TOFU. It's tempting, I know, but don't. Put the gadget away. :p This is actually attempt number two since I did actually press my tofu the first time since I was on Tofu Xpress autopilot and it totally screwed things up.

The Soy-Tan Cutlets came together really quickly and easily. I doubled the recipe and removed a little bit of the tofu from a 14 oz package (the recipe for one batch calls for 6 oz) I substituted Braggs for the soy sauce since I was out and used the suggested amount of seasonings. They were pretty easy to work with, soft enough to press down into thin cutlets — a little sticky but not so much that they could not be handled. I fried them up as per the directions in the book. Now, here's where texture results may vary. My stove/range is electric and it is awful. I believe that the controls are not accurate so that when something is set as low, it's really more like medium and when set to medium it 's more like high and of course it takes forever after you adjust for the temperature to come down. As the the cutlets were frying and covered, they puffed up a lot in the pan. I make seitan of all sorts a lot so I knew that the quick expansion usually happens when there is too much heat applied too quickly. Also, I knew ahead of time how the texture is supposed to be versus what I got just by looking at the recipe. Stupid stove. When I removed them and put them on a rack to drain and cool a little they did lose a bit of puff but the interior wasn't quite like how it was supposed to be. It had quite a bit of air pockets due to the high heat (my stove's fault). It looked spongey but luckily it didn't actually feel spongey when you were eating it. Taste-wise it is seasoned perfectly to be used for other applications — not too salty and no one seasoning was overwhelming. I should also mention that with seitan, the texture is better the next day after being in the refrigerator overnight and that is also true for this (just tasted a leftover piece). The next time I make them I'll make them the day before I need them and I will fry on low heat due to my sucky stove. Update: I had a full piece reheated for lunch today and after sitting in the fridge overnight, the texture is perfect, so if you run into the same thing I did, eat it the next day.

The Mushroom Sauce was also quick to put together. With any gravy that uses vegetable stock, the stock you use is what's going to make or break the taste so use your favourite vegetable stock or bouillon cube. If you use a stock that doesn't taste good to you, the end product is going to suck. Okay back to the gravy. It is very similar to how I make my own gravy except that it uses a cornstarch slurry instead of a roux for thickening which works great especially if you are concerned about fat content. It also uses thyme as the main herb whereas I usually add in a lot of other herbs. Really it's just personal preference. Make as is the first time and adjust to your liking. If you want more of a holiday taste, throw in some sage as well. I did have a couple of minor changes. I used Braggs instead of soy sauce and also threw in some gravy browning for colour. I think the Braggs gave it a little extra taste and a little more depth. The gravy was pretty tasty and worked perfectly with the cutlets. I should mention that I also used a salted bouillon cube. With two cups of liquid and only a few spoonfuls of soy sauce, I think you need to use a salted stock or you'll really need to up the amount of soy sauce and salt.

Next up, the Barley Pilaf. We had guests in from out of town so I needed to double the recipe. One problem though, I only had 1 cup of barley but I had a ton of brown rice. So I made the doubled recipe with 1 cup barley and 1 cup brown rice. I also used some baby heirloom carrots instead of regular carrots and used dark Thompson raisins instead of golden raisins. Like the gravy, a pilaf made with vegetable stock is only as good as the stock you are using, so use your favourite stock or bouillon cube! The pilaf came together easily but needed to simmer for a bit since I had brown rice in the mix (about 50 minutes). I also put the raisins in when it was simmering since my raisins were sort of dry and hard and not super soft and plump. The pilaf was indeed a really nice change from my usual pilaf and the carrots, raisins and walnuts gave it some nice differences in texture and taste. It's also really nice with a spoon of margarine mixed into your individual portion for a little extra richness.

All in all this was a delicious dinner and everyone enjoyed it. Our houseguests weren't vegan but they also enjoyed it and finished everything on their plates. So that's 8 thumbs up in total from us 4 and another score for Team Vegan for showing folks that vegans eat very well.

— Ms. Veganorama

P.S. Time-wise this all took about 2 hours from start to finish including prep time. I probably could have shaved some time off that if I had managed my tasks a little better.

Creamy, Crunchy Fruit-and-Nut Sandwiches

Lunch today was Creamy, Crunchy Fruit-and-Nut Sandwiches {page 111}. These sandwiches are your standard PB&J, all grown up -- and on sweet creamy crunchy fruity steroids!

The recipe called for agave nectar or maple syrup, but I couldn't decide so I did half of each. With the crunch of the walnuts, the toothsome chew of the cranberries, and the crisp freshness of the pears, this is one decadent lunch. I served it on my favorite whole grain artisan bread from the local bakery.

I made a big batch of the almond butter mixture to keep on hand so I can have these sandwiches whenever I want. I bet they'd be great with apples!

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Caramelized Onion and Walnut Focaccia

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a total carboholic. I savour freshly baked bread like people would savour a fudgey chocolate cake and have been known to down an entire loaf of bread in one sitting (on more than one occasion) with just some sea salt, pepper and good olive oil. As mentioned in a post on my other blog, I haven't purchased bread from a store in a long time. I don't bake desserts but I bake bread a lot. There's just something magical about such simple ingredients coming together to create so many wonderful varieties of bread.

When flipping through the book, I made a beeline for the bread section and the recipe for Caramelized Onion and Walnut Focaccia (page 414) jumped out at me.

If you've never made bread before, focaccia is really easy and somewhat similar in technique to a regular pizza crust recipe. The dough does need to rise for an hour on the first rise and then about 35-40 minutes on the second rise so allot yourself about 2 hours from start to finish. There is minimal prep work involved, just slicing onions and chopping the walnuts, but it does take some time to caramelise the onions to perfection (about 35-40 minutes). Seems like a long time, but trust me, it is definitely worth it. You really don't have to do that much while the onions are cooking. You just need to make sure they don't burn and stir occasionally. You can prep the onions on the first rise and cook on the second, or if you don't want to lose momentum, you can do that all during the first rise. I prefer doing this actually to get it out of the way. While the onions are cooking, you can take that opportunity to flip through the cookbook and plan your next dish!

The focaccia itself is a fairly basic one with no extra ingredients in the dough, but where this dish really shines is the topping. The smell of the onions combined with the thyme while it's cooking will make your house smell as delicious as any bakery café. If that wasn't already delicious enough, the taste and texture of the walnuts worked perfectly with the onion mixture. It baked up in my oven in about 30 minutes (my oven sucks by the way) and filled the house with the smell of baking bread.

The taste of the finished focaccia was soooo good. I sliced it into smaller slices and had it alongside some mashed roasted garlic in olive oil and additional salt and pepper. I actually wished that I didn't have an entire dinner of something else waiting for me because if left to my own devices, I would have just sat there eating slice after slice. On the upside, I have tons of leftovers which I will eat tomorrow, slice after slice, until it's all gone.

— Ms. Veganorama

P.S. The plate was purchased from Jeanette Zeis (Vegan Dish). I get asked about the plate a lot. :)

Banana-Walnut Breakfast Muffins

Wanting to make a quick-grab breakfasty item to have on hand throughout the week, I turned to the Banana-Walnut Breakfast Muffins (p524). I followed the recipe as written and it was quick to put together. However I did have to add probably an additional 1/4c of apple juice beyond the 1/4c called for in the recipe to get the right consistency for the batter.

Now when I say I wanted to have these on hand, I don't mean MY hand. See, bananas and I don't exactly get along, so these were made for those who do enjoy such things. All reports are that these muffins are moist, tasty, and full of banana walnut goodness. The recipe made a perfect dozen.

--The Divine Miss V