Vegan Mofo 5: Carrot Ginger Burgers and Pear Cauliflower Curry

I’m somehow not on the official blog roll for this year’s Vegan MoFo.  I suppose I should have confirmed my registration was successful sooner than 9 days into MoFo.  Live and learn, it seems.  Though I’m disappointed not to be an official participant, I’m going ahead with blogging this month anyway. 

We’re in a transition period here in the Veggie Lawyer household following my decision to quit my job and move 3,000 miles to be closer to family.  In keeping with our life situation, the theme I have chosen for the month is “Try Something New.”  I’ll be trying new foods, doing new things and making recipes for the first time.  Then, I’ll blog them here.

2 New-To-Me Recipes From The Complete Guide To Vegan Food Substitutions

The Complete Guide To Vegan Food Substitutions by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman is a handy little paperback novel-sized guide to veganizing recipes, which I previously recommended as one of my five favorite cookbooks for the novice vegan cook.  It’s a book I consult often when trying to decide the best egg substitute in a recipe or if I need to make a basic to use in another recipe (like condensed milk or “sorta yogurt”).

But The Complete Guide To Vegan Food Substitutions isn’t just a reference book; it also has lots of unique recipes.  The Carrot Ginger Burgers are one of the recipes I’ve been meaning to make since I first got the book back in 2010.  Since I’m focusing on trying recipes that are new to me this month, I figured there was no better time to give them a go.  For a side, I went with the Pear Cauliflower Curry that the authors recommend as an accompaniment.  Here’s my dinner all plated up.

I was very pleased with how well-rounded and veggie filled this plate was, but, unfortunately, the meal got mixed reviews.  (For those who haven’t been following my MoFo posts, my current recipes tasters are my husband and son, both vegetarians, and my parents, both omnis). The burgers, which combine carrots, beans, gluten and Asian-inspired spices, smelled delicious while cooking.  However, the flavor of the finished product was too subtle.  I ended up removing the burger from its bun and adding lots of hot mustard for flavor.  My dad said that, while there was nothing wrong with the burgers, he wanted a much bigger ginger flavor.

The curry was a hit.  I never would have thought to pair curry spices, cauliflower and roasted pears, but it worked.  My mom especially loved this dish and gobbled up all of the leftovers the next day for lunch.  Of the two dishes, only the curry makes it onto the “make again” list.