updates

Hello, fellow whoever-you-ares!
I just finished updating all the recipe links in my past posts, all the way back to the very first one! Vegetarian Times mag doesn't always put their recipes online right away, and I have been a little lazy in going back and posting the links. I had so much fun going back through all the great recipes and memories, so go surf around and enjoy! Some of those old recipes are worth making over and over again!

seared baby eggplant with mozzarella and basil oil

Recipe
Well, I looked all over the place, and I just could not find any baby eggplant anywhere, even though it's the middle of summer. Since I had a ton of basil threatening to wilt in the fridge, I decided to just make it with zucchini.
The best thing about this recipe is the basil oil-it is so simple to make, and similar to pesto, but so much more versatile. You just puree blanched basil with olive oil, then strain.
I do have one complain about this recipe. It uses up every pot and pan in your kitchen. Why do people write recipes like this? You're supposed to cook all the ingredients individually, then remove from heat, then cook the next thing. I don't think a simple dish like this should need so many steps, so I got the leeks cooking, then threw in the zucchini.
I would love to take credit for this beautiful photo, but I lifted it off VT's site. But mine looked just as good.
Just don't forget the capers-they add a nice layer of flavor to an otherwise simple dish.

nectarine and basil summer rolls with almond sauce

Well, here's another great one! The thing I liked best about this recipe was that it was a whole new mix of flavors for me. Nectarines, almond, basil, and avocado, to name a few! I love spring rolls, but I always end up just putting the same old things in every time. The nectarines I got weren't even very ripe-they were crunchy and wouldn't release the pit. These were still fantastic, though, so I can imagine how incredible they would be with ripe nectarines.
The only thing I changed was to use spinach instead of watercress, due to the fact that watercress is nasty and ruins the flavor of anything you mix it with. Also, the spring roll wrapper made this a nice little package, but is totally unnecessary. This would be essentially the same if you made it with rice or bean-thread noodles, or even with no noodles at all, it would be a great salad.

Here's the recipe! It's from the May/June '09 VT.

chilled noodle salad with mango

This recipe is SO good! I made it two days in a row, once for each person who reads this blog! This recipe is a vegetarian version of the vermicelli-noodle bowls you get at Vietnamese restaurants. That was a lot of v-words. The sauce is such an amazingly delicious substitute for the Vietnamese sauce, nuoc cham, that I think I like it even better than the fish-sauce version. And the salad is so light and fresh, salty and sweet, but still so hearty and filling. Check out the full recipe here.
The only new twist on the recipe was the addition of mango, which was so delicious! However, since mangoes on the mainland tend to be hit-or-miss, you could certainly leave out the mango and put in some kind of seasoned tofu.
The first time I made this, I forgot to put in the cilantro, but it was still great. The second time, I left out the mint, and it was still great. There are so many flavors going on it this salad, which makes it a very forgiving recipe. Just don't leave out the peanuts!
Even though I made it twice, it got scarfed down before pictures could be taken both times. Fortunately, it happened to be the cover recipe, so it was easy to find a picture online.