FFtVSC: Wild Rice Pilaf with Peas, Lemon Zest, and Tarragon

This Wild Rice Pilaf from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker is unexpectedly one of the best recipes of this cookbook. I'm a relative novice when it comes to tarragon. I remember the first time I tried tarragon it seemed too licorice-y and sweet, and I generally prefer savory flavors. But I'm beginning to learn how it can be used in unexpected ways. I didn't want to run out to buy fresh tarragon, so I used a teaspoon of dried instead of the Tablespoon of fresh that the recipe calls for. I must admit that lemon and tarragon make a lovely pairing, and the two together helped balance out the natural swampiness of the wild rice without masking it's rich nuttiness. I also want to mention that cooking the wild rice in the slow cooker is pure genius. I used my rice cooker last time I made wild rice, and it's so tricky to get it beyond the crunchy stage and into delightful fluffiness. The slow cooker cooks the wild rice slowly enough that it doesn't burn, and the glass lid allows you to easily monitor the cooking progress without releasing all of the wonderful steam.

101 Cookbooks: Split Pea Soup

Don't go by my photo. Go here and salivate.

This is by far and away the best split pea soup I've ever had. The ingredients are so simple that I was tempted to add a few things here and there, but I'm glad I didn't. The fruity olive oil (I used my best olive oil for the finishing touch) and lemon brighten up the dish, and the paprika adds the smokey flavor that you expect in a split pea soup. Yum! This soup wasn't on my original menu plan for the week but I had to work it in as soon as I saw Heidi's photograph.

Veganomicon: Tempeh Shepherdess Pie

I can count on one hand the number of tempeh dishes that I really love, and now this is among them. I get nervous using tempeh. When I was still a young vegetarian living at home with my parents I tried to cook with tempeh. I knew nothing. I thought that tempeh would be like tofu and that I could cook it any old way I liked. Needless to say it wasn't and my first tempeh creation was completely inedible. It wasn't until a few years ago that I tried tempeh again using a Carolina-style BBQ recipe from Veggie Life Magazine. And then more recently, the other tempeh recipe I've tried from Veganomicon was great. The texture of the filling was perfect. The taste was fabulous, though I'll probably boost the thyme next time. The one little problem I had with the recipe was that the potatoes came out a bit crumbly and dry when I first mashed them, so I added a bit more soymilk to them. But with that one exception the dish was a huge success. I might just have fallen in love with tempeh after all!

Veganomicon: Green Pea and Lemon Risotto with Roasted Red Peppers

I love risotto. This risotto is a lovely combination of the sweet peas and roasted red peppers and the rich, herby, and creamy rice in harmony with the sparkle of the lemon. I think this would be a dreamy dish for a Valentine's dinner with the one you love.

Veganomicon: Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits

This is an excellent potpie recipe. The biscuits cook up just past doughy but not yet dry or crumbly, the broth is thick, and the vegetables are tender. My one concession to health and nutrition was using white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, but the difference wasn't terribly noticeable. Paul and I both enjoyed it, and agreed that it reminds us a bit of my seitan pot pie. I have to admit that using beans instead of seitan makes this a much less labor-intensive dish, though seitan provides a nice chewy counterpoint to the tender vegetables. I probably will make this again, but I think that I will use more leeks for a stronger flavor since they get mellowed quite a bit in the cooking and I will use less cornstarch, maybe as little as 1 Tbs, so that the broth is a bit more fluid. I'll probably also add a bay leaf and more herbs to boost the flavor a bit. And to those of you undertaking this recipe, make sure that you stir the vinegar/soymilk mixture quite well before adding it to the dry ingredients because I failed to remix them and evidently the two had separated and we ended up with a couple very tart biscuits, but that was certainly my fault and not the recipe authors'.