Spiced Spinach with Lentil and Rice Pilaf

Indian Spiced Spinach with Lentil and Rice Pilaf

from Vegetarian Dinner in Minutes, Linda Gassenheimer, Chronicle Books, 1977.

I needed something to go with a dish of curried chickpeas. This looked as if it would be just right.

Linda Gassenheimer’s book is divided into sections according to the cuisine. This one comes from a section entitled ‘Foods of the Far East’. I dare say since this is a US publication the ‘Far East’ is from the American perspective although it’s not really east of that country. Perhaps it comes from the period of European colonisation.

Both dishes were easy to make. The spinach, though not looking terribly appetising, was full of flavour. 

The rice and lentils with its spices and raisins was a pleasant change from plain boiled rice.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Aunt Helen Rose's Gumbo

Aunt Helen Rose’s Gumbo with Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

from Vegetarian Dinner in Minutes, Linda Gassenheimer, Chronicle Books, 1997.

Vegetarian Dinner in Minutes is organised into sections according to different cuisines: Mediterranean, Modern American, Tex-Mex, the Far East and Cajun and Caribbean. It’s an American book and so it’s largely from an American perspective. From a look through the items included I’m not totally convinced about the authenticity of the dishes. However, it is a vegetarian cookery book and so I’m willing to give it a try.

This particular recipe is apparently a quicker version of Aunt Helen Roses’s gumbo. It certainly is an easy dish to prepare.

The secret of gaining the proper flavour of a gumbo is, so the recipe tells us, to make sure that the oil and flour are cooked until a good brown roux develops.

To make the gumbo, it’s all largely a matter of do this bit, then add some more ingredients. After a bit of cooking add some more. Then cook a bit longer and add some more. Until the thing is all done.

The instructions call for the use of Worcestershire sauce. I did not include this as it has fish among its ingredients. I substituted light soya sauce.

I was also unable to obtain filé powder so used a Cajun spice mix (Lousiana style).

The gumbo was flavoursome and enjoyable. The spice flavours were different from those I am used to so it was good to try a different range.

As the instructions for the gumbo stated its flavours improve with age, I was able to test it out the next day—sufficient to agree with the statement.

The salad was easy to make and truly appetising. The avocado went particularly well with the grapefruit and the whole was blended together extremely well by the yoghurt, mustard and honey dressing. A pleasing salad.

As some of these books may be out of print if anyone would like a particular recipe, email me (alfcooksvege@ozemail.com.au) and I’ll send an abbreviated version. Of course, the whole book would be better; it’s loaded with other goodies.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Goat Cheese Enchiladas

Goat Cheese Enchiladas with Sweet Corn Salsa

from Vegetarian Dinner in Minutes, Linda Gassenheimer, Chronicle Books, 1997.

 I had some tortillas left from my quesadillas so thought I’d use them up in these enchiladas. Making the sauce was easy. Making the filling was easy. Wrapping the filling in the tortillas was hopeless. They just broke up. I had soaked them in the sauce as directed but they just cracked and would not bend. The recipe called for flour tortillas and mine were corn ones though the recipe actually says ‘Tortillas made from flour or cornmeal are easy to use’ but mine weren’t. The meal was just a gluggy, lumpy looking mess. The salsa was good though.

Taste: ✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔

Walnut Bruschetta

from The Vegeterranean: Italian Vegetarian Cooking, Malu Simões & Alberto Musacchio, Simon & Schuster, 2008.

There was also some bread left so I made another type of bruschetta. Easy and enjoyable to eat.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔

If I arranged the three bruschetta in order of my preference for taste they would be Mushroom, Tomato then Walnut—the order actually that I had made them.