Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Coconut Lime Cookies


More cookies?? But, of course!

This time, my Coconut Lime Cookies from Vive le Vegan!.

These cookies are quite tender and just a little crispy on the edges cookies with the incredible combination of coconut and fresh limes. A little exotic, a lot fantastic! For sure these Coconut Lime Cookies will awaken those chocolate-dependent tastebuds!

So, it's two posts of cookies to keep you happy for a little while. I will be taking a break for the next few weeks. I need to reorganize, refocus, and also get ready for some family holiday time.

I will be checking e-mails and comments, I just won't be posting until I return - sometime in late August. Also, I will be returning with a bang - yep, a giveaway - so, take note!!

To keep you going through the summer I thought I'd make a quick reference for you of all the recipes I've blogged to date from Vive le Vegan! and The Everyday Vegan.

I thought that if I were you guys, looking through my books, I'd love to see photos of the recipes and get more info on them, so... here's your summer recipe guide!! Below is the list for Vive le Vegan!. I will include recipes from The Everyday Vegan over the next couple of days, and when I return I'll set up this reference as a permanent link and update it regularly.

Vive le Vegan! Recipe Links:

Muffins, Baked Goods, & "On-The-Go" Snacks: Apple-Hemp Muffins, Banana Oat Bundles, Easy Pleasin' Oat Bars, Energy Cookies

Vinaigrettes, Sauces, & Toppings:
Balsamic-Garlic Flax Oil, Creamy Orange-Poppy Seed Dressing, Sesame Mustard Tahini Sauce, Sweet Maple-Hemp Vinaigrette.

Salads, Sides, Spreads, & Appetizers:
Cannellini Bean Yam Hummus, Chipotle Yam Wedges, Creamy Hummus, Lemon-Herb Tofu, Lemon Rosemary Potatoes.

Soups and Stews:
Chipotle Corn Black Bean Soup, Roasted Tomato Bean Stew.

Main Courses:
Brown Rice Pizza, Greek Basmati Rice, Hummus Tortilla Pizzas , Molasses Baked Beans, Moroccan Chickpea Patties, Sweet Curry Chickpea Casserole, Tomato-Lentil Pasta Sauce.

Sweets & Treats:
Chocolate Hemp Squares, Chocolate P-Nut Butter Squares, Double Chocolate Almond Explosion Cookies, Fudgy Brownies, Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies, Peanut "Better" Cookies, Sublime Chocolate Bark.


The Everyday Vegan Recipe Links:

Sauces, Gravies, and Dressings: Mi-So Good Gravy, Tahini-Tamari Sauce.

Soups and Stews:
Chickpea Mash Stew, Pureed Curried Squash and Yam Soup.

Main Courses:
Spiced Mushroom Potato Phyllo Pie.

Simple Sides:
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, Roasted Turnip Puree, Yam Puree.

Muffins and Snack Loaves:
As-You-Like Muffins, Maple Banana Loaf.

Sweet Treats:
Coconut Raspberry Squares, Baked Lime (or Lemon) "Cream" Pie, Coconut "Cream" Pie, Triple Layer Chocolate Cream Cake.

Enjoy... go cook, go bake... go eat fabulous vegan food, and have some summer fun! :)

60 comments:

Eat Peace Please said...

Dreena, Dreena, I will certainly miss you but you are the best for leaving us cookies! Even better, you compiled so much goodness into this one post to tide us over, I think it's wonderful. Thanks for all that time and effort you took making that list. I can't wait to see what you have made when you're back as well as another giveaway! Talk about keeping people on their little vegan toes...

urban vegan said...

Darn! These would have gone perfectly with last night's dinner. But there's always next time. These look exotic and delicious.

Dreena said...

Leslie, have I mentioned before what a sweetheart you are??!! Thank you - I will miss you too!! You're welcome, I know people can search recipe titles and such within blogger, but I have found the searching unreliable and difficult at times, so I thought a quick link would be useful. The giveaway... I'm such a tease, aren't I?!!

urban vegan, there's always tomorrow!! :) Any day is a good one for cookies!

Cool! - thanks Chris!!

Eat Peace Please said...

Yes. Teaser.

Peace, Love and Veganism said...

Yay! These are one of my favorite coconut cookies to date - and so easy to make! I just have to get a planer now, for the lime zest... What awesome flavors in this one little cookie! I made banana oatmeal coconut rum cookies yesterday, from Cooking Light (sorry!) but veganized of course. Not as good as these!!

Dreena said...

Thanks Savanna, you're a darling. :) You're welcome re the bean info. You really amaze me with your maturity at your age. I know, I know, I sound so "old" saying "at your age"!!! But, you are beyond your years with your views and the responsible decisions you are making. You give us hope, yes you do!!! :)

Leslie, between the posts on cookies, chocolate, and the giveaways, I am terribly shameless!

Thanks Mrs. Carlson! Oh, I got your e-mail and will get back to you soon - and yes, my e-mail was not working for a while, but I've changed the link now and it's a-ok! p.s. - it's okay to cook/bake from other cookbooks and magazines... really!! I don't kick you out of the vivelevegan blog - ha!! :)

Carrie™ said...

I have still been pretty busy and haven't had much time to comment. I do check my comments and other's blogs, but don't always have the time to leave a comment. That explains why a response from me was absent from the previous post. As you know, I'm a choco-fiend and almonds are my very favorite nut. Can you believe that I completely forgot about this recipe and have never made these cookies?? I can't blame that on mommy brain, so what is wrong with me? It must have been my focused mission for tomatoes. Yowza! I will make these cookies for sure.
The coconut lime cookies are to die for! Such a great flavour combo. Someone somewhere, and I'm sorry I can't remember who or where, told me that they liked these cookies so much, it was worth the price of Vive Le Vegan just to have this recipe.
I'll miss you Dreena and all your delicious food, helpful hints, encouraging words and wonderful photos. Enjoy your holiday with your family. Relax and have a blast!

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

these cookies are divine -- mine didn't look this pretty, but all the stuff was there. what an awesome post - i'll be referring to it often. have a super break & i'm already looking forward to when you return! :o)

Michelle said...

i agree, these cookies rock.. very non-traditional ;)

we'll miss you!

Cherie Anderson said...

Those look fabulous! Enjoy your break. :) And thanks for the listing.

Anonymous said...

Have an awesome summer with your beautiful, lucky, well-fed girls! You deserve the break!

And thanks also for the links with pics... very handy-dandy! ;-)

P.S. I fed my little one her first taste of fresh, organic peaches and she LOVED them! Still haven't gotten up the nerve to try the strawberries. (hee hee! *grins sheepishly*) I'll keep you posted...

Dreena said...

No Carrie, I cannot believe that... what on earth is wrong with you??!!! How could you skip over that recipe with all your favorites? :) Well, I have a feeling that you'll be making 'em soon - um, when you're not out scouring the town for Muir Glen tomatoes!!! (read your post - funny you!) I haven't started stockpiling yet - but I haven't seen the deals you have, though I think once they start to get rid of the inventory they will mark them down. Such a shame... but, we still have cookies! That's such a cool story about the coconut lime cookies. I've heard it said that if you have one recipe that is a winner for you in a cookbook, then it is worth the purchase. Nice thought, though most of us want more than 1 good recipe in a book for sure, but I love that this recipe was enough for someone to buy Vive. Very cool!! Thanks for all those sweet comments too. I think I will be having some major blogging withdrawal over the next few weeks... how will I cope??!!! Enjoy your summer days, Carrie, your fabulous new wines (I need your wine expertise, I know very little - ok, pretty much zilch), and maybe even some cookies!! :) (are there wines to go with doub choc cookies??)

Vicki, they don't always have to look good to taste good! In fact, I have made these other times and I think they were a little flatter but tasted better to me! Thanks... hope you enjoy the rest of your summer!! :)

Thanks Michelle... omg, I'm getting all sentimental!

Most welcome, Cherie... thanks (and what a drag that you lost your old posts - you had some awesome photos there - bummer!)

Hi Arlete, yes, *I* think I deserve the break too!! haha... well, with the kidlets and activities and all, I can certainly benefit from a few weeks change of pace before fall and school begins. Ohhhhh, peaches - how I'm with you on that! We just got our first local organic peaches at the market last weekend. They were positively divine. I mean, so juicy and sweet and fragrant. The absolute best. One of my favorite fruits for sure, and the girls too - I don't think your daughter is missing out on the strawberries with peaches around!! Take care and thank you. :)

theONLYtania said...

I know you are from Canada, but do you know if Barnes & Noble in the U.S. carries your books? I've been to several looking for Vive! but I can't find it! Should I just order it online?

Dreena said...

Hi theonlytania... well, yes, B&N does carry my books but for some reason stores (not just B&N but other chains) are notorious for poor stocking of books. It *is* best to order online, either through amazon or B&N. That's a drag, and sorry you made the trip. I've spoken to my publisher about this in the past, but it's out of our hands because the ordering usually is done from a central computer with these chains and it is pretty much impossible to ask for any specific location to bring the stock into their store. Thanks for your interest, and e-mail/comment again if you ever have q's about my recipes! :)

Peace, Love and Veganism said...

In response to the query about how to get Vive in the stores, I have found both of Dreena's books very easily in Border's. Now, that was a while ago, and since I have been back, they are sold out of many popular vegan titles! I guess that's a good thing, huh?

kaivegan said...

I've been trying to ignore your posts since they're cookie related (jk)... but I have to say, I miss you already.

Thanks for the great list.

I'm about to order a 2nd copy of VLV- and that's for omnis always asking for recipes.

Now if I could only remember to pick up limes so I could make these cookies... (Yep, I'm giving in to the cookie temptation.)

Have a good break, Dreena!

Anonymous said...

Dreena! The coconut lime cookies are quickly becoming a family favourite at our house...delicious!

Dreena said...

Mrs. Carlson, that's good to know about Borders, since we don't have that chain here, and the stocking of books in our own stores is not great at times. thx!

That's cute, Kai... you're a dear, thank you! I am missing blogging already too!!!! You are quite special to buy another book to have for others to check out - I don't even think my mom does that! hmmm, can you have a word with her - ha! Thank you...... :)

Nancy, it always makes my day to know that my vegan cookies are being enjoyed, thanks!!... if only more people could see that we don't need eggs/butter in our cookies - or other foods for that matter!!!

Harmonia said...

I miss you already! This post and the links are very helpful! Thanks!

I attempted an Avocado Pest (minus the parm cheese) from another veg cookbook...I will be having it for lunch today over Pasta!

Dreena said...

Hi Vegegriff, yippeee, glad you liked those! I know the ones you mean - the "swallow it all banana balls". My nephew named that recipe when he was about 7 or 8. I gave him a couple to eat, asked them what he would call them (because I thought they were a playful yet healthy kid food), and he said "hmmm, they are very banana-y, and you want to eat them all up... I think swallow-it-all-banana balls" That's the story behind that one! Yes, they are healthy... super okay to eat them up!! Thanks for the note, and you are so welcome! :)

Hi Harmonia!! Hey, I hope things have settled down with you and everything is okay...? Avocado pesto sound very cool! Literally!! :)

theONLYtania said...

oh, hey! i finally got the book.. at my THIRD b&n. they didn't have it in philadelphia OR new york, but wouldn't you guess they had it in a small b&n in eastjabipnonametown, new jersey. huh. anyway, it's really great :-)

Julie said...

I'll miss all of your posts!!

Thnx for the wonderful list of links!

Dreena said...

Hi theonly tania - that's funny, hey? Sometimes it's the smallest of stores that have the best selection (and service), even as part of a chain. Glad you found it, pls e-mail/comment if you want to ask about a recipe or anything!! :)

Thank you Julie. :) Hey, you look like you could be wearing a Leslie original in that photo - beautiful necklace... LOVE the colors!

Anonymous said...

Dreena - I just bought Vive le Vegan and it's AWESOME! I'm a new vegan and a new cook too. how I made it to 34 without knowing how to cook is a whole other story, but I will definitely be trying out some of your cookies this week! Thanks!

Pure Zuke
http://purezucchini.blogspot.com

Dreena said...

Hi Pure Zuke! Thanks!!! Yes, get to the cookies first - dessert before dinner I say. :)

I didn't start cooking much until my 20's btw. It wasn't until I became vegetarian that I really became interested in cooking. I've never cooked a turkey, for instance, and the few meat-based dishes I did cook before becoming veggie just turned me off the cooking experience - dealing with the raw meat, and the mess after cooking with the fat, etc. Cooking seemed laborious, dirty, and not all that interesting. Now, I love cooking, even though I never really grew up with a household that cherished it. Thought I'd share that, because it's never too late to get interested. :)

Oh, and I was on your blog... you will have MANY chocolate delights eating vegan to indulge your chocolate cravings... trust me, I know! (too well)!

Harmonia said...

Dreena! Check this post out!

http://harmonia.blogsome.com/2006/07/27/is-1-recipe-worth-the-price-of-an-entire-cookbook/

I think you will be excited.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the encouragement Dreena! You know, the few times I've handled meat are EXACTLY why I stopped cooking! I'm trying one of your cookie recipes today and I'll blog about it later!

Thanks!

Dreena said...

Whoa, Harmonia, that's what I call a shout out!!! That's just WAY gracious of you to say, thank you my dear! :) I had been intending to do that recipe for a posting for you for months now, and just never got around to it. You got cookin' before I did! I'm so pleased you liked it as much as you did too... yay!!! Thx... :)

Pure zuke, you're most welcome... can't wait to hear how you liked the cookies!!!

Dreena said...

Oh, Harmonia, forgot to mention... those 8-ball squash are adorable! I've never heard of them/seen them before, so thanks for the info and the pics!

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Dreena! I plan on trying many different veggies on top each time! I love, love, love it!

Will you be adding more casserole recipes in your new book by chance???

From Harmonia (wouldn't let me log in)

Harmonia said...

I have never heard of them before I saw them last week...they are cute!!!

I think it's letting me log in this time...ya!

Julie said...

Dreena-Sadly, it is not a Leslie original--but it is handmade...not by me--but, someone talented hehe. However, I do plan on purchasing some of Leslie's beeeaaauuttiiffull stuff!!

by the way--my blog is alll messed up-can someone help?

Dreena said...

Harmonia, I am definitely planning more casseroles for the book. Also lots of dips! Great soups too. Oh, yes, and cookies!! :)

oooh, lucky you Julie, getting to shop from Leslie's treasures!! Is your blog fixed yet? Oh, I just clicked on and it is. Good thing. I have NO idea what was happening there, and I was about to throw out a big "can someone help this girl and her blog??"!! :) Oh, btw, I saw your post on the felafels... cool that you made them on your own! I should tell you that my felafels *are* on the mushy side. Well, soft side I guess. I don't like them too heavy and dense, so I don't add a lot of extra chickpea flour or other binders (eg breadcrumbs). I'm not sure if they would work to deep-fry for this reason. I like them pan-fried and often just as patties with the tahini sauce. So, if you thought they were too soft for your liking, go ahead and add more binder (flour/breadcrumbs) next time... it wasn't your cooking, it was my soft felafels!! :)

Hi Shinyruby, wow, what's with all these stores and how difficult it is to buy a book from a "real" store??!! Everything is online now I guess! I've heard a lot from people that they can't find my books in stores, but talking with my publisher, the best way for the stores to bring it in *is* to ask for it. So thanks for doing so, because now they might stock it more regularly! How fun that you are excited to try it!!! Comment or e-mail if you have any q's! :)

Harmonia said...

So, I made some Vegan Zuchinni Bread and it was tastee but crumby. It fell apart! Any ideas? I believe the recipe was from VegCooking.com

Dreena said...

Hi Harmonia! Sounds like it needs a little moistener/binder of some sort - perhaps some soy yogurt, or some flaxy 'eggs' (flax meal mixed with water or soy milk), some pureed silken tofu, or even unsweetened applesauce - any of things should help out the moistness some. Does this help?? Did the recipe have any of these? Good luck! :)

karen said...

Hi Dreena!

I made your Ginger and Hoisin noodles from TEV- YUM! I put a pic at my blog...

http://prettypennygirl.blogspot.com/

Dreena said...

Savanna, ox to you!! That is just most sweet of you... I am missing interacting with everyone too!! I'll be back before you know it... thanks... :)

Hi Karen, thanks for the blog mention and photo! I have been away from the computer a lot the last couple of days with our vacationing, so I'm just getting a chance to get back to you now. Your photo of that dish might just be better than the one in TEV!!! Seriously! I'm so pleased you liked the recipe, thanks for letting me know. :)

karen said...

Wow Dreena! What a compliment! thank you so much... Amazon is mailing me Vive le Vegan this week, so I can't wait to try some of the things on your list on your blog!

Dreena said...

Hi Savanna, sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you about the ginger! Crystallized ginger will only sub okay for sweeter recipes. Most of the ginger in my recipes is in the savory dishes, and for this you shouldn't sub the crystallized ginger but use fresh. Sometimes you can sub powdered ginger, but the flavor isn't the same at all. Even for sweeter recipes, I'd still go with fresh if a recipe calls for it. I keep fresh ginger root in the fridge all the time. It's cheap, and it stores well. In fact, you can even keep it in the freezer! Once you get the hang of using it, you will want to use fresh ginger and not sub any dried, it's just so fabulous - much like fresh basil vs. dried basil - not the same thing! Hope that helps... :)

Hey Karen, you're welcome!!! I hope you like some of the Vive recipes... let me know if you need clarification on any of them or q's about substitutions, or anything else!! :)

Jody from VegChic said...

Dreena, I made the coconut lime cookies last night.

I ran out of maple syrup and subbed brown rice syrup for the rest. Also, I had no coconut extract...so I used Malibu coconut rum. They turned out wonderfully.

I don't know how it is possible, but I may in fact like these better than chocolate chip cookies!

BTW - This time I didn't double the baking powder (as my aluminum free canister says) and the cookies were fine.

Anonymous said...

I just thought I'd let you know I've been busting out Vive le Vegan all over the place since the PB Cookies! I think it's the best cookbook I've ever bought! And I've been making sure anyone who reads my blog knows it: which truth be told really isn't that many, but hey ;)

http://purezucchini.blogspot.com/

Dreena said...

Savanna, I'm pretty cool with dried herbs/spices that aren't organic. I mean, I don't want to be completely neurotic about everything I use, and you won't find everything you need organic anyhow. I do try to buy organic leafy fresh herbs, like basil/parsley/cilantro, etc, much like I buy lettuce/spinach organic. But for dried herbs and spices, if they are organic and around the same price point, then yes, but if they are much more $$ and just hard to find, then I don't fuss and buy the regular. As for oils, I do always buy organic canola oil, and the flax/olive oils I buy are usually organic varieties as well. Occasionally I may have olive oils that aren't organic, but definitely organic canola oil (I read something about it years back and since then I've always chosen organic canola). Does that help? I hope so... I think if we make most of our produce/food choices organic (esp the dirty dozen foods), then we don't need to fret too much about the seasonings and condiments here and there. :)

Hi pure zuke! Ho-ly! I'd say you've been busting out about Vive. Goodness, thank you!!! :) It really is very rewarding for me to know that people find my recipes so helpful/tasty/easy, etc, and I am thrilled to hear you are enjoying Vive so much!! You have really been making a lot of changes in recent years, hey? I read your post about how you quit smoking, and now you are eating so much healthier. Give yourself some big pats on the back. Kudos to you! It's easy to stay the path we always know, and to make lifestyle changes is challenging, and you have made suge huge ones that you must feel very proud, and also very healthy. Reward yourself, girl... go buy another pint of Soy Delicious Decadent!! :) Really, though, thank you for your support of my recipes and your enthusiasm, and all the plugs you are giving Vive on your blog. (and you'd be surprised how many people are visiting!) Thanks... D. :)

Harmonia said...

MISS YOU!

http://harmonia.bloggoing.com

Here is my new link. Hope to see you there soon! My old link will still be active. I am going to keep my blogroll there and use it as a back up but my daily updates will take place at the above location. Spread the word!

Tanya Kristine said...

yup. i made these FINALLY the other day...and they were, indeed, fabulous...

Anonymous said...

These cookies sound so delicious. I have really been into limes lately, making lot's of limeade. What a tropical treat these cookies would be.

Carrie™ said...

Hey Dreena! We're really missing you out here. Enjoy your family vacation time, but don't take "too" long, OK? :o)

Anyhow, check this out:

http://herbivoremagazine.com/blog2/

Carrie™ said...

Holy Trinity. I like that.

MeloMeals said...

I finally made the coconut lime cookies today.. and omg.. they are sooo good. I sub'd stevia for the sugar, but still used the maple syrup.. I LOVE them..

Dreena said...

Hi guys! Finally back home after a veeerry long flight back to Vancouver from Newfoundland, and now getting the family over a 4 1/2 hr time change! Will be back in a week or two with blogging, and will keep checking comments and e-mails until then. Thanks for all of your very wonderful comments!

Harmonia, thanks for the note, I've bookmarked the change. :)

Hey, tk, glad you liked them!!! Thanks for letting me know!

Anne, I'm flattered by that comment. Wow, thank you!! I read your note last week but didn't have an opportunity to reply. I was having a bummed out day, and your comment really perked my mood! Your enthusiasm for the brownies is terrific!! I'm tickled that you think they are that good, and that they are keeping you on the vegan path... well, that's just inspiring - thank you!! When/if you try the fudgy brownies from Vive, please let me know how they compare in your opinion - I'd love to know!! Thank you again, your words are very kind and much appreciated. :)

Hi Cindy, oooh, limeade sounds delightful!! Refreshing change from lemonade. I love limes, and really like to use lime zest and lime juice in recipes - give such flavor and life to dishes!

Hey Carrie!!! Aww, that's sweet of you! I'd like to say I'm chillin' out and uber-relaxed with this time off, but our vacation wasn't that much of a 'vacation' for us. Our girls had fun, but the travel and adjustment and travel back, etc - that's been quite tiring! I'm SO happy to be home, and looking forward to getting back to things and blogging. That Herbivore post is way cool!! Vive part of a vegan cookbook trinity?? - Super cool!! Thanks for giving me the link and note! :)

Thanks Melody!! Wow, that's awesome that the stevia sub'd okay for the sugar. I've never tried that myself. I'm often nervous to sub stevia for sugar, b/c of the volume and textural change. I use stevia daily in my teas though I love it, so it's great to know that you had success with the cookies this way. Thanks for leaving me a note and I'm really pleased you liked them. :)

Harmonia said...

Miss YOU! Glad you are back safely. :)

Dreena said...

Thanks Harmonia... xo!

Hi Savanna!! First, no worries at all about the questions... I'm always happy to help out - esp very sweet folks like yourself!! :) Okay, so yes, you can absolutely make the hummus without the toasted sesame oil. There isn't much in the recipe. It just gives that very slight toasted sesame taste that is a little mysterious in the hummus! But, it is not at all essential. You may find through your cooking in the future that you'll want to have some toasted sesame oil on hand. It is used in a lot of Asian inspired recipes, and it is quite fabulous in flavor. It stores well in the fridge too, so it keeps a while. For this hummus though, go ahead and get whizzing without!!
Next, the apple cider vinegar. It IS a strong smelling vinegar - but the taste is much better than the smell. It's also a vinegar that's long been touted for many health benefits. I made that salad dressing when I was prego with our second, and I couldn't get enough of it for some reason. Probably because it is much stronger tasting than other vinaigrettes - I think I mention that in my book. Anyhow, if you are to make another vinaigrette, try maybe the lemon zinger next time - it doesn't have any vinegar so you may enjoy that more. As for the tahini-tamari sauce, you can for sure substitute another vinegar. You can use red wine vinegar or rice vinegar. Also, you can sub lemon juice. You may need to play with the amount of sweetener in the sauce, using a little more/less of the agave nectar to your taste. But, those sub's should work fine. I used to use rice vinegar (unseasoned and seasoned) much more in my cooking - as you can probably tell from TEV recipes. Now I use apple cider vinegar, and when I go back to TEV recipes, I simply sub apple cider for the rice vinegar - so you can do the opposite subbing rice vinegar for apple cider. :)
Finally, the tahini. I'm with you. The first time I tried it I thought it was nasty. Gritty and bitter. Well, it IS a bitter paste. If you take a sesame seed and chew through it you'll see that it has a bitterness that nuts and some other seeds don't have. That's part of the appeal of using it in sauces, because it balances well with vinegar/lemon juice, tamari, and some sweetener. So, you may find that you really like the tahini sauce, and it may bring you to appreciating tahini (but, that might take a while). Savanna, I now take carrot sticks and dunk them into tahini. I also grate carrot and put it on my sandwiches with a slather of tahini. That's how much I have come to enjoy it now! But, it's not a substitute for nut butters. If I use cashew, almond butter (or another) in my recipe, I NEVER sub tahini. Too different in flavor, not enough natural sweetness. So... for the hummus, I really don't think you'll taste the tahini in there. You can reduce the amount to 1 tbsp if you like, and add just a smidgen more of olive oil (another 1/2 tbsp). Try it that way first, and then on the next batch you can add more tahini if you like. I don't like hummus that has a very pronounced tahini flavor. I think I mention that in the recipe. I like milder flavors in the hummus, and that's what the Creamy Hummus is. I have other new hummus recipes using tahini and you don't taste the tahini flavor really at all. If you want to test one out perhaps, then you can e-mail me and I'll give you a few options that you can choose from. Maybe that will get you over your hummus aversion!! Try the sauce too, and the Creamy Hummus as I said, maybe with just a smaller amount to start. Soon, you'll be dunking carrots into tahini just like me!! (for some reason, carrot and tahini are a beautiful pairing to me (esp grated carrots) - it's the sweetness of the carrots I think with the bitterness of the tahini). Alrighty, this was rather long-winded... hope it helps!! :)

Dreena said...

Savanna, funny you mention about jazzing up the hummus, because I am working on a batch of new hummus recipes for the next cookbook. Different varieties and I am really excited about all of them!! Re Erik's Diner, you can visit www.vegan.com to listen to the podcasts. They are short radio segments that I recorded for his show (audio rather than video segments). It's been a while since I did the majority of them, but there is a fairly recent one there about nutmeg, and then if you search the archives (or do a google search on "Erik's Diner Podcasts" you will come across some others). Let me know how you make out with that hummus!!! :)

Dreena said...

Hey Savannah! Huh, that's funny that you don't like chickpeas. I haven't heard too many people say that they don't like chickpeas/hummus. You certainly CAN make dips/hummus out of other beans. Yes, most definitely try the cannellini bean yam hummus. Be sure to toast up some pine nuts for it too and use the chipotle hot sauce. The whole combo is delish together!!! As for your mom's tomatoes, I would say that something fresh from your garden is most likely waaaay better than something from a grocery store. She is not using any sprays/pesticides on them, and that's the main thing. I don't know a lot about potting soils either, but what do we know about the soils that all of our produce that we buy is grown in??!! I mean, for those things that are certified organic we can feel good that there are no herbicides, pesticides, etc in the soil - but what about the other things we buy? Also, the fact that you are getting the FRESHEST tomatoes from you garden means you are getting the most nutritious and tasty. Some of the produce that we eat that's been shipped from longer distances, well they lose some nutritional value over time. That's one reason why it's best - when we can - to buy locally and closer to home with our produce, because it has retained more vitamins/minerals. Give your mom a kiss for growing you some tomatoes, and maybe she'll plant some other goodies in there too!!! :)

Everyday Superhero said...

Hi Dreena, After losing my cooking/baking mojo because of the intense heatwave we just had I finally turned my oven on last night and baked the Coconut Lime Cookies. They were such a nice treat and what an interesting flavour.
I hope you're enjoying the summer.

Everyday Superhero said...

If you don't have a zester then a cheese grater might do the trick or a knife. But a cheese grater might be faster.

Dreena said...

Hi sweet pea!! Wow, we haven't had too hot weather like that at all. Just one stretch of about 4 days that were pretty hot and not fun to cook in, other than that I have been cooking as normal. Glad to hear you are past very hot days yourself. That's not comfortable, esp when prego. :) How are you feeling, by the way? Glad you liked the cookies and have your mojo back - 'yeah, baby'! :)

Savanna, you can still make the muffins without the zest. It does give a more pronounced orange flavor, but if you are having trouble getting the zest then you can go without. It's hard to use a knife - do you have a very fine grater? That will work too - just grate lightly to get just the orange and not the white of the peel. Re the poppy seeds - have they been stored in the fridge? They might still be okay. Give them a taste/smell to see if they smell okay. If they have an odd/off taste/smell then chuck them, but you may still be able to use them. I like them in the muffins because they give a little crunch without too much of a strong seed flavor - but if you like sunflower or sesame seeds, go ahead and use them. You can chop the sunflower seeds some to make them finer, but sesame seeds are pretty small so no need to chop those if you use them. You can also sub chopped almonds - that would be nice in combo with the orange. I like orange and almond together. Hmmm, hope these suggestions are helpful. Good luck (oh, and with planting your herbs too - fresh herbs are the BEST)!!

Dreena said...

Sweet pea, you are super fast!! Too funny, I just posted and your comment popped on there too. :) Thanks...

Everyday Superhero said...

Dreena, I'm feeling well. The intense heat wasn't pleasant but I don't think it was pleasant for anybody - pregnant or not. My energy level is great but I've been craving lots of comfort food. Fortunately, some of the comfort food has been soup but also my mom's cooking, which gets me in trouble sometimes (mangia! mangia!).

Dreena said...

Oh, that's super sweet pea (not the heat of course)! Just that you can enjoy your pregnancy and not be sick or have other issues to work through. Enjoy your mama's cookin'!! Before long, you'll be up in the night and breastfeeding and wishing you had that pampering again - hmmm, maybe she'll do it for you then too - I'm sure she will, but there is nothing nicer than accepting that prego tlc while you can!! :)

Anonymous said...

Love me some of those coconut lime cookies! I saw the picture you posted and then had to order your cookbook to make them! :) DELICIOUS!!! Haven't made anything else from the book just yet but I will get to work on the other recipes asap. I also tried making coconut lemon cookies and coconut orange cookies...both fantastic too! Thanks for compiling such a great book for us vegans! :D