Cookbook challenge, week 1, days 2 & 3 - Veganomicon

Yesterday was day 2 of the Veganomicon cookbook challenge, and I made the Applesauce-Oat Bran Muffins.



They were nice the day of, though I wish I could've had one while they were still warm. My only complaint for the first one was that the cardamom was a bit overwhelming, but I got used to it after a few bite. On day 2, the spices seem to have mellowed, so it's just a nice spicy muffin.



And it's healthy! Loads of applesauce and only 2 tbsp of oil (though the recipe calls for 3), made with wholemeal flour, and only 1/2 c of sugar. This is the kind of thing you make when you want to bake but don't want to feel guilty about eating all of it. I'll definitely make these again, though I might up the cinnamon (just because I love cinnamon) and grate an apple to add to the batter (I didn't have any yesterday).

Tonight's dinner was roasted spaghetti squash from the Farmers' Market with V'con Beanballs and Roasted Garlic Marinara



and new leaf salad with Miso Tahini dressing and wholemeal croutons.



The spaghetti squash was weird. It was really liquidy - I poured off about 3 cups worth of liquid when I took it out of the oven, and then at least another 2-3 once I'd shredded it. It wasn't terrible, but I won't spend £5 for another one. However, the marinara and beanballs were delicious, so much so that I ate my entire plate of food even though the squash was funky. I'll be using the leftovers to stuff pitas (because I have pitas and not sub bread). The beanballs weren't an exact replica of meatballs texture-wise (I think tofu balls do a better job of that), but they were very close in taste. And I think they might even have been a little easier to make than tofu balls, as well as being cheaper (beans are cheaper than tofu) as long as you have vital wheat gluten on hand.

It took a while for the dressing to grow on me. It was very salty. Unfortunately, since there's no actual salt in it (it's just equal parts miso and tahini and warm water to thin it out), there's not much you can do to make it less salty. I added some pepper and garlic powder and used about twice as much water as the recipe called for, but it didn't really help much. It was good, but I don't think I'll make it again because of the saltiness issue.

Tomorrow I'll be making the Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits, and I'll probably make the cookies again, but with a bit of a change.