Cookbook Challenge week 4: Yellow Rose Recipes

Oh my gosh, where did this week go? I did next to nothing with YRR. I picked out recipes and went shopping, but other than one quick dip recipe, that was it.

I was on the planning committee for my 20th high school reunion and it was this past weekend. The week was full of last minute unexpected projects! Because of the tension in my body, I was at least able to fit in an extra cycling class. It was my first week of doing 3. My only regret about that is that I couldn't fit in that 4th on Saturday morning. They aren't getting much easier during class - it's a tough workout - but I don't feel like I have to go lay down when they are over any more. In fact it's energizing.

I can tell I'm still sleepy from all the lost sleep this weekend because I'm beginning to babble. What I am basically saying is that since I don't have a copy of Eat Drink and Be Vegan, I will do a couple simple recipes from it. Thanks to the research of Mandee, I have a few recipes that are on the internet. But mostly, I'm going to try to go back and pickup some of the YRR recipes.

Since I never like to make a post without a picture, here's a pic of me (left) with my high school friends Candy and Kelli. It was surely good to see them! It was a great night with lots of friends, music, and dancing, but I am ready for some sleep :) And I hope the cleaners can get those spots out of my dress.

Recapping the first three weeks of Cookbook Challenge

I've done a lot more cooking than usual for the last few weeks, but I sure have enjoyed the fruits of my labor. I was getting in a terrible rut and this has helped me remember that I have a lot more options. We're past the 1/4 way point and in case you haven't seen all the posts for the last three weeks here's a recap of what I've made (and posted about). I'm looking forward to moving on to other cookbooks, but I'm also starting to make a mental list of what I want to try from these books when cookbook challenge is over.


Week 1: Veganomicon
Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Seed Rice Paper Rolls
Fresh Dill Basmati Rice with Chard
Broccoli Millet Croquettes with White Bean Aioli
Jelly Donut Cupcakes




Week 2: Vegan with a Vengeance

Green Goddess Garlic Pizza
Chickpea Broccoli Casserole
Apple Pie Crumb Cake Muffins
Mango Summer Rolls with Thai Dipping Sauce
Parsnip-Scallion Pancakes




Week 3: Vegan Brunch - The week of my 2 year veggieversary

Gluten Free Buckwheat Pancakes
Coffee Chip Muffins
English Muffins
Curried Cauliflower Frittata, Samosa Mashed Potato Pancakes, Spiced Apple Cider Chutney
Tofu Omelets

Cookbook Challenge Week 3: Vegan Brunch - Recipe #7 : Tofu Omelets

Yet again, I have gone way over the 3 recipes that I took on the challenge to do. But everything in Vegan Brunch looks so good.

Cookbook Challenge Week 3: Vegan Brunch - Recipe #7 The Recipe: Tofu Omelets (p 13)

The Reasoning: I used to make omelets almost every weekend. I haven't had one in over two years.

The Substitutions: I used burmese tofu in place of the silken or soft the recipe says to use.
Because it's a firmer tofu, I added 1 cup of water

I used the Denver filling except I used blackeyed peas in place of seitan and increased the liquid smoke to 1 tsp.

The Process: Mix everything in the food processor then cook. The cooking was a lot like making crepes. A little tedious since you can only do one at a time, but not difficult and really didn't take that long. Because of the extra water I added to the tofu, I actually got 5 omelets worth of "egg"

The Review: It's unbelievable how much black salt really does taste like egg yolks. Definitely take the advice to sprinkle a little extra on when getting ready to serve. The filling was perfectly smoky.

My omelets weren't as pretty as some. The first side to be cooked was always completely browned like a pancake instead of the nice brown speckles. I don't know the reason. Heat too high? Too much oil? All the water I had to use to make up for the burmese tofu? No matter, put the brown side inside and cover with filling.

I could not have convinced someone that this was an egg omelet, but it was surely very reminiscent of an egg omelet and quite tasty. Served with fresh cantaloupe, an English muffin and an apple spritzer it was the perfect end to a week of Vegan Brunch.

Now on to Yellow Rose Recipes next week!

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Points information - 1 omelet (burmese tofu version, makes 5, no filling)=4 points. 1/4 blackeye pea version filling=3 points

This is not figured or endorsed by Weight Watchers. I figured the points value myself using an online point calculator.

Cookbook Challenge Week 3: Vegan Brunch - Recipes #3, 4, 5 The Recipes: Curried Cauliflower Frittata & Friends

Cookbook Challenge Week 3: Vegan Brunch - Recipes #3, 4, 5 The Recipes: Curried Cauliflower Frittata (p 38), Samosa Mashed Potato Pancakes (p 125), Spiced Apple Cider Chutney (p 72)



The Reasoning: It's time for yet another confession. According to reaction on the ppk boards, it's shocking. I have never used curry powder. I have had a container of it in my pantry for over a year and was terrified of it. It was high time to break it out.

The Substitutions:
Frittata - I used a pound of homemade burmese tofu (chickpea flour based) in place of the regular tofu. Left out the soy sauce.

Samosa Potato Pancakes - I used the chickpea flour option

Spiced Apple Cider Chutney - I didn't have sweet white onion, so I use red onion

The Process:
Frittata - You cant really squeeze water out of burmese tofu like you can regular tofu without it losing it's texture. It starts looking a lot like really dry bread. Because of this, it doesn't really resemble ricotta. I broke it in small little chunks and mixed it. Looked more like mashed potatoes. I made quick work of the cauliflower by chopping it with the food processor. I used less than 2 tbsp of curry, but over 1.5 tbsp. And I ended up adding a little extra lemon. Overall, this was pretty easy. Because it didn't seem to be setting well, I cooked an extra 20 minutes.

Samosa Potato Pancakes - I made the potato mixture one night and cooked the cakes the next. My mixture was really watery. I ended up adding ALOT of chickpea flour. It was around a cup before the pancakes really held together. I had drained the potatos. I don't know what the problem was.

Spiced Apple Cider Chutney - lots of chopping but then you just let it cook. It took a lot longer to cook down than the recipe said. But, I did start off with a lid which I probably prohibited evaporation. I took the lid off and it seemed to go a little quicker. Still longer than the 20 minutes stated. It does make the kitchen smell wonderful.

The Review:

Frittata - I got a little of the mixture on my fingers when mixing it. The beauty of egg-free frittata is that I'm not afraid of getting salmonella. I tasted the mixture and I swear, it almost didn't make into the oven. As you can see (presumably because of the difference in texture of burmese tofu), the pieces of frittata didn't hold together. It was mushy and soft. And delicious. But a lovely thing happened the next day. I went to scoop some out and ended up getting a nice whole piece of frittata. I warmed it up at work and it stayed as one piece.

Lesson learned: when subbing burmese tofu, make the frittata the night before. Or this just struck me - maybe arrowroot added to the mixture would help firm it up.

I really cant say enough how much I loved the mixture of flavors in here. I'm thinking these flavors would make a great white bean dip too. I ate it each day until it was gone and am a little sad right now that I don't have another waiting. I honestly think I could have eaten it all in one sitting.

Samosa potato pancakes - meh. They aren't bad, but I found them a little bland. Part of it was that I ended up having to use so much flour that they didn't really even have a great potato flavor any more. They are a little too much work and a little too calorie dense for me to bother with them again. I'd just as soon just make some homefries or oven roasted potatoes.

Spiced Apple Cider Chutney - yum.yum.yum.yum.yum. The flavors here are a perfect combination. You can't really taste the vinegar and onion, they just keep it all from being cloyingly sweet. This sweet with the spicy of the frittata was amazing. I keep thinking that these need to be in some kind of pastry. I'm pretty sure that will happen sometime. But, there's not enough left now to do it. Even if you don't want the frittata, make this. It would be good filling for buckwheat crepes, be good on toast, or good on a spoon!

*******
Points information - Curried Cauliflower Frittata - 1/4 of the recipe = 3 points. Samosa Mashed Potato Pancakes - (w/additional flour and cooking oil, I got 13) =3 points. Spiced Apple Cider Chutney (I got 2.5 cups), 1/2 cup=3 points.

This is not figured or endorsed by Weight Watchers. I figured the points value myself using an online point calculator.

Cookbook Challenge Week 3: Vegan Brunch - Recipe #2 The Recipe: English muffins

Now, I will get back to the recipes between recipe 1 and recipe 6...

Cookbook Challenge Week 3: Vegan Brunch - Recipe #2 The Recipe: English muffins (p 190)

The Reasoning: The only gf English muffins I've been able to find at a store were either not vegan or had soy (I don't remember which). I'm a glutton for punishment and, despite considerable experience to the contrary, apparently think that I should be able to deglutenize any recipe successfully.

The Substitutions: I used soy free Earth Balance for the margarine.
For the 2-1/4 cups of flour, I substituted the following mixture:

• 3/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
• 3/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1 tsp xanthan gum

The Process: I don't have a 3 inch biscuit cutter. I didn't want to buy a biscuit cutter for something that might have been a complete and utter failure, so I used a smaller one and got 10 muffins instead of 8.

In case you don't already know this, the process of making gf bread dough is different from regular dough. My understanding is that you knead dough in order to make the gluten do its work. No gluten, no need to knead. All you really need to do is make sure it's mixed in really well. In fact, if you knead it too much it could get a little gummy. Because I didn't have to knead anything, it was really pretty easy. I just had to wait to let it rise.

Which brings me to the main problem I had with these. The dough didn't rise as well as I would have liked. I have a couple thoughts as to why this might be and will probably try to correct these at some point.

1. The flour mixture was a little heavy. Perhaps I should lessen the garbanzo flour and increase the tapioca.
2. The water wasn't warm enough. I think my definition of "lukewarm" is different from the actual definition.
3. The margarine was still too cold.

I think the main culprit was item 2 w/a hint of item
These rolled out great and were easy to cook.

The Review: Please bear in mind that the review is for my gf version of these English muffins. I have not tried the original recipe for comparison. They were a little more doughy than I would have liked at first, but after a day or two they were much better, especially toasted. They don't have big nooks and crannies, but as you can see they had enough for the Earth Balance to pool in a little bit. I still would like to tweak them a little bit so that they rise more and are a little more muffin-y, but if they never get any better, that would be ok too.

*******
Points information - 1 muffin (yield 8)=4 points; 1 muffin (yield 10)=3 points

This is not figured or endorsed by Weight Watchers. I figured the points value myself using an online point calculator.

Cookbook Giveaway

One frugal foodie is giving away Vegan Brunch and Vegan Soul kitchen. See this link for details.

Just in case you need one more reason crash diets are a bad idea...Ugh!

Thats Fit Tweets

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Cookbook Challenge Week 3: Vegan Brunch - Recipe #6 The Recipe: Coffee Chip Muffins

Yes, I have jumped from recipe #1 to recipe #6. Recipes 2-5 will be posted before the end of the week, but because of this special day these needed to be posted now.

Cookbook Challenge Week 3: Vegan Brunch - Recipe #6The Recipe: Coffee Chip Muffins (p 168)

The Reasoning: It's my 2 year veggieversary! I wanted a special new sweet to celebrate.

The Substitutions: Got your pencils ready? I'll start out with the usual. I used turbinado sugar and I used a 2:1 ratio of cream of tartar:baking soda in place of the baking powder. If I ever miss stating these two things, you can pretty much bet that I did them.

Now for the other changes...

• The flour mixture was: 1/2 cup almond meal, 1/2 cup garfava flour, 1 cup gf all purpose mix, 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• Because of the fat in the almond meal, I reduced the oil to 3/8 cup
• To make up for the liquid from the oil, I increased the milk to 1-1/8 cup
• On Vegetation's suggestion, I increased the instant coffee to 2 tbsp. It was decaf. No one in my life wants to see me on caffeine.

The Process: Standard muffin procedure. Not hard; didn't take long. And, drum roll please...for the very first time ever, I had enough batter to make 12 muffins without having to redistribute batter from other tins to make the last two!


The Review: I am quite possibily the only person in the world who doesn't prefer hot muffins. I like them room temp, or better yet, cold. How much would it gross you out if I said I even like them frozen sometimes? I'm hard core like that.
My hard core completely disintegrated when I took these out of the oven. I couldn't wait until they cooled off to try one. They smelled so good. They are so good. I don't know about the original, but my version is a nicely dense*, very moist muffin with quite a lot of chocolate and just a hint of coffee. If anything, they could stand just a touch more coffee flavor for me. But, if you're a coffee drinker and have a cup with the muffin, they're probably just about perfect.
* I like relatively dense muffins and cakes. I got that from my dad. If you don't, I'd suggest leaving out the almond meal and the extra xanthan gum and using 1/2 cup more of the all purpose flour mix. I haven't tried this, so I can't say for sure, but drawing from other things I've made, I think that would make them a quite a bit lighter.
*******
Points information - 1 muffin w/my subs (or original recipe) =5 points.

This is not figured or endorsed by Weight Watchers. I figured the points value myself using an online point calculator.

Cookbook Challenge Week 3: Vegan Brunch - Recipe #1 The Recipe: Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancakes

Does it count as brunch at 3:30 on Sunday afternoon? Probably not, but I love brunch food no matter what time of day. I'll be eating Vegan Brunch for most of my meals this week I expect.

Cookbook Challenge Week 3: Vegan Brunch - Recipe #1 The Recipe: Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancakes (p 82)

The Reasoning: I like the rich taste of buckwheat, and it's not often I find a recipe for pancakes that is already vegan and gluten free.

The Substitutions: I used 365 brand (Whole Foods Market Storebrand) of unsweetened rice milk in place of soy milk.

The Process: My stash of quinoa flour is gone and I couldn't find any at Whole Foods the other day. So, I put some quinoa flakes in the food processor until as fine as possible. Then I put it through a strainer to get the larger pieces out. Other than that the process was pretty standard to making from-scratch pancakes: not done in just 2 minutes, but not hard at all. My ice cream scoop must be small because I got 10 pancakes instead of 8.

The Review: When I saw this batter I was very, very afraid. It was thick. Unpourably thick. I was so close to adding some more milk, but decided to give it a try. I had to spread out the batter with the back of the ice cream scoop and even coming out of the pan these looked REALLY heavy. I was pleasantly surprised. They aren't light fluffy pancakes, but who would expect that from buckwheat? They have hearty body and a hearty taste. Topped with fresh peaches, a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkling of powdered sugar, these were warm and satisfying. The picture doesn't do them justice, which is probably why the book doesn't picture them either.

*******
Points information - If the recipe makes 8, 1 pancake=2 points. If you get 10, 2 pancakes=3 points. As pictured (4 small pancakes, 1/2 peach, maple syrup/powdered sugar)=7 points.

This is not figured or endorsed by Weight Watchers. I figured the points value myself using an online point calculator.

Cookbook Challenge Week 2: Vegan with a Vengeance - Recipe #5 The Recipe: Green Goddess Garlic Pizza

This is the last catch-up post for CC Week 2. And what better way to end a week of reviewing good recipes, than with a pizza? This recipe is actually three recipes in one because you need the Green Garden Puree (p 137) and the Classic Pesto (p 132)



Cookbook Challenge Week 2: Vegan with a Vengeance - Recipe #5 The Recipe: Green Goddess Garlic Pizza (p 136)

The Reasoning: Green Goddess. Garlic. Pizza. That is all.

The Substitutions:

Pizza: Rather than reinventing the wheel by trying to figure another gf pizza crust, I used my usual which I posted earlier . But, I have started letting it rise 20 minutes instead of 10, and I followed VwaV's cooking instructions instead of the ones I posted with the crust. I left off the olives for the simple reason that I don't like them.

Puree: In case I haven't made this perfectly clear in previous posts, I am a basil hater. I used only about 1/4 cup of basil instead of a full cup. I also replaced the pound of tofu with 1-1/2 cups of navy beans (but any white bean would do). Because of the subs, I only got 5 cups.

Pesto: I replaced the basil with parsley and added a little dry basil for the kick. I used all the parsley I had - about 3 cups, not packed. Because of the sub, I only got about 1 cup of pesto.


The Process: This is labor intensive! I made the garden puree the day before, and it still took me two hours after work to make the pesto, roast the garlic, make the crust and put it all together. Two hours seems forever for one meal. And then I realized it wasn't one meal. I typically eat 2 slices of pizza with a salad for one meal. This recipe is for 2 pizzas. Hello...that's 8 meals for me. Doesn't sound so bad when I look at it this way. I will however, do this on a day off in the future. I'm not too keen on eating dinner at 9 pm when I like to be in bed by 9:30 or 10. I actually didn't make 2 pizzas at once, I saved the toppings and made a second crust when the first pizza was gone. Even after the 2 pizzas were made there was pesto and garden puree leftover. VwaV suggests using it for pasta. I already had enough meals prepared for the week, and I don't eat much pasta anyway, so I froze them in hopes that I'll be able to pull them out and whip up a pizza at a later time.


The Review: I was a little concerned about the idea of cooking pizza at 500 on the bottom shelf not knowing how that would work with the gf crust. It was a dream come true in the pizza crust world. It was crispy on the outside, soft and bready on the inside. If someone had handed it to me, I would have suspected they were lying about it being gluten free. I doubt I will ever cook a pizza any other way ever again, especially since this method only takes 12 minutes until I have hot pizza goodness in my grubby little hands.

All that garlic sounded like too much. It wasn't. My tummy may have disagreed with me a bit (though I suspect that was the chickpea casserole), but my tastebuds say it rocked.

The garden puree was a little bland (probably because I hardly had any basil in it), but when mixed with the strong flavors of the pesto it was delicious. I followed the "dolloping" instructions on the first pizza and I got some bites that were strong and some that were bland. For the second pizza I spread out the pesto and the puree so that I got some of each in every bite. I liked that MUCH better.

This was not the kind of meal that would first spring to my mind when I think of the word pizza, but I loved it even heated up for breakfast. If there is anyway possible, please, for the sake of all that is good in pizza-land, reheat your pizza in the oven. (500 bottom rack 3-5 minutes)



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Points information - Green Garden Puree, w/my subs - 1 cup=6 points; Classic Pesto, w/my subs - 1/4 cup=9 points; Pizza, w/my subs 1 slice=4 points
This is not figured or endorsed by Weight Watchers. I figured the points value myself using an online point calculator.

Cookbook Challenge Week 2: Vegan with a Vengeance - Recipe #4 The Recipe: Chickpea Broccoli Casserole

Today is the official start of week 3 (Vegan Brunch) but I have a couple catchup reviews from last week to post.



Cookbook Challenge Week 2: Vegan with a Vengeance - Recipe #4 The Recipe: Chickpea Broccoli Casserole (p 96)

The Reasoning: I can't remember the last time I had a casserole. There was nothing in here I didn't like so I figured it couldn't go wrong.

The Substitutions: Since the recipe doesn't specify the kind of bread crumbs I guess it's not really a substitution, but made bread crumbs from Food for Life's brown rice bread.

The Process: This was more labor intensive than I thought it would be. I'm apparently not as good at mashing chickpeas with a fork as a vegan should be. The "2 minutes" to get the right consistency turned into the time it took to listen to two Bryan Adams songs and the first half of The Bangles' "Hazy Side of Winter" and I still ended up with some whole chickpeas. I think I will process them with the S blade in my processor next time. Other than that it was pretty easy to put together.

The Review: I heard how creamy this was. Mine wasn't. It was a little dried out. I suspect user error though. It was probably a combination of two things. My cooked beans come out of the freezer, so they tend to be a little drier than canned beans or freshly cooked beans. Then, After I cooked the casserole, I left it in the still-warm oven until I got home from cycling class and then re-warmed it. However, when I went to warm it for lunch the next day, I sprinkled on a little water before heating in the microwave. It was a creamy delight. It was a little bland, but in a pleasant way, not the oh-my-gosh-will-somebody-please-hand-me-that-bottle-of-Texas-Pete kind of way. Overall, (with a little added broth next time) this is definitely going to be a repeat.
*******
Points information - 1/6 recipe=5 points
This is not figured or endorsed by Weight Watchers. I figured the points value myself using an online point calculator.

Cookbook Challenge Week 2: Vegan with a Vengeance - Recipe #3 The Recipe: Parsnip-Scallion Pancakes

Warning: The following recipe could be addicting.

Cookbook Challenge Week 2: Vegan with a Vengeance - Recipe #3 The Recipe: Parsnip-Scallion Pancakes (p 90)




The Reasoning: I really like roasted parsnips and wanted to try them another way. I can imagine no way to make parsnips any better than adding scallions. I also rarely eat fried food and have just been wanting some.

The Substitutions: I replaced the all purpose flour with gf mix. You could probably use any kind of flour here, the mix was just handy.

The Process: I had a brain cramp today and used dishwasher detergent when handwashing my food processor. It says "not for handwashing" so I was a little afraid I wouldn't get it all rinsed off without sending it through the dishwasher. All that to say, I shredded 4 cups of parsnips...by hand. They do not shred as easily as zucchini or other more watery vegetables. It was certainly do-able, but they were a lot more work than had I used the processor. My mixture was a little dry so I added the extra water as suggested. Overall the recipe was pretty easy to throw together.

The Review: Oh my gosh! Yes, they are greasy. Yes they were fantastic like that. I ground a little sea salt on top and they were even a step above that. In classic southern girl style, my immediate thought for something greasy and salty? Ketchup! This was one time where that wasn't the answer. The delicate taste of the parsnips was best enjoyed unadulterated. They wont be a weekly staple for me just because of the high fat content, but they are a definite standby for when I want something fried. They might even take place of the bi-weekly fast food french fries. At least I ate them with a salad. Right?

*******
Points information - 4 pancakes=7 points (and worth every one of them!)
This is not figured or endorsed by Weight Watchers. I figured the points value myself using an online point calculator.

Cookbook Challenge Week 2: Vegan with a Vengeance - Recipe #2: Apple Pie-Crumb Cake Muffins

For the more observant of you - yes there are 14 muffins on that tray. Yes, the recipe only yields 12. I'd made a double batch.

Cookbook Challenge Week 2: Vegan with a Vengeance - Recipe #2 The Recipe: Apple Pie-Crumb Cake Muffins (p 53)




The Reasoning: I'm a muffin addict.

The Substitutions: I replaced the all purpose flour with my go-to gf mix. I couldn't find apple cider anywhere, so I used an all natural apple juice (Simply Apple) and a squeeze of lemon for a little acidity. Although I've stated before that I almost always use turbinado sugar, I only had enough of that for the topping, so I used plain white granulated sugar for the muffin. I also used less oil in the topping (probably about 4-1/2 tbsp for a double batch). It was turning into an oily mess so I stopped. This could be because I used turbinado instead of regular brown sugar.

The Process: A little extra chopping and grating for the apple, but basically a straightforward muffin recipe. Not hard. Hopefully one day I will learn how to eye how much batter should go in each muffin so I don't get to the end and have to "steal" batter from already full muffins to make the last 2 muffins. Doubtful!


The Review: I was disappointed with only one thing. The recipe states that the apples would form an apple pie filling in the center of the muffin. They didn't. The apples were spread throughout the muffins. I don't know if this happens to everyone or if it's because of the gluten-freeness of the batter. Never mind, they tasted great! The spoken review that I thought was best came from my friend Melissa: "They taste kinda like gingerbread without the ginger" Pretty accurate. They were dense, moist and a little spicy - just no ginger. The best unspoken review was my (usually fairly picky) friend Tim who took seconds when nobody else was going for the last muffin on the plate. I would still like to figure out how to get the cute little filling in the middle...

*******
Points information - 1 muffins=4 points
This is not figured or endorsed by Weight Watchers. I figured the points value myself using an online point calculator.

Cookbook Challenge Week 2: Vegan with a Vengeance - Recipe #1 The Recipe: Mango Summer Rolls with Thai Dipping Sauce

If you read my posts during week 1 of Cookbook Challenge, you shouldn't be at all surprised to see these. I warned you they were coming.

Cookbook Challenge Week 2: Vegan with a Vengeance - Recipe #1 The Recipe: Mango Summer Rolls with Thai Dipping Sauce (p 84-85)




The Reasoning: I was going to a ladies event at the rec center at church Saturday night and the instructions were to bring your favorite appetizer. I guess I interpreted the term "favorite" pretty loosely. I'd never had these before, but I figured how could you go wrong with mango? And I wanted something that looked kinda fancy, but had simple ingredients and weren't overly complicated.

The Substitutions: Hmm..not so much a substitution as a big ol' brain cramp. I wrote cilantro on the shopping list. I bought cilantro. I forgot cilantro. Again, not a substitution, but I chose the cucumber version.

The Process: Using the "Punk Point" on p 154 on how to cut a mango, I was able to not completely destroy a mango for the first time ever! The directions on the rolls themselves weren't quite as elaborate as the ones in Veganomicon, so I'm glad I'd learned the rice paper roll process last week. That being said, it took some time, but it's really not hard. If you're still hanging back on rolling your own, what are you waiting for?

BTW, the recipe makes 20 rolls not 30 as stated. But this was pretty easy to figure by the fact that you were to use 20 rice papers.

The Review: The rolls were really good. And pretty. I stopped at a friend's house with the few that were leftover and I ended up with an empty plate. They would have tasted much better and been even prettier with the aforementioned cilantro. The dipping sauce was WAY too vinegary for me and separated quite a bit. I added another 1-1/2 tsps sugar which didn't quite do the trick, so then I added probably around a tablespoon of agave nectar. I didn't measure - so do that step to taste. It gave it a great touch of sweetness and acted as a bit of an emulsifier so the sauce didn't separate so much.


*******
Points information - 2 rolls with sauce =3 points
This is not figured or endorsed by Weight Watchers. I figured the points value myself using an online point calculator.