Veganomicon

I have no plans to give up eating meat, let alone become a vegan, but if I did the new cookbook we picked up in Boston, Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, would be the guide to do it with. I had read about it elsewhere, but when I picked it up in the bookstore so many recipes stood out that I broke the three book rule Bob and I had made for ourselves. (We were in Cambridge, our apartment was in the North End, and we still planned on being tourists around town, so we imposed a rule on ourselves in order to avoid lugging a ton of books around. Of course, we both bought more books than were allotted, then I had a brilliant idea to just take the T all the way to the JFK Library and Museum since it was on the same line forgetting that you also need to take a bus to the museum. Then, the museum didn't have a coat/bag check, so we ended up lugging a ton of books around, rules and brilliant ideas notwithstanding).

So tempting were the recipes that most of the drive home was spent with me quietly flipping through the book, then shouting out, "Acorn Squash and Black Bean Empanadas!," "French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme!," "Eggplant Potato Moussaka with Pine Nut Cream!," "Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramalized Onions!," and on and on. We even had to stop at the grocery store on our way into town for ingredients for dinner that night.

So far, in the week and a half that we've had the book, we've made Grilled Yuca Tortillas, Curried Carrot Dip, Sun-Dried Tomato Dip, Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing, Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango, Pineapple Cashew Quinoa Stir-Fry, Potato and Kale Enchiladas, and Curried Udon Noodle Stir-Fry. All the dishes have been healthy and fresh and tasty and a few will make it into the regular rotation (in particular both stir-fries and the enchiladas). And while I'm not quite ready to join the vegan revolution, I might attend a rally or two in support of the cause.

Curried Carrot Dip
from Veganomicon
This dip is great simply spread on crackers or pita, but we ate most of it in sandwiches. Spread some on a tortilla, throw in some veggies and avacado, roll it up and enjoy.

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds (salted or unsalted are ok, just adjust the amount of salt later)
2 tsp grapeseed or other vegetable oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbl fresh lemon juice

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Boil the carrots for 7-10 minutes until soft. Drain and let cool just until they are no longer steaming.
2. Place the sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor and process into crumbs.
3. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as you go.
4. Taste for salt and adjust the spices and lemon. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use (at least 30 minutes).