I’ll been eating well lately. Really well. Yup, I’ve been living the good life trying out recipes from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s latest cookbook, Isa Does It. Everything I’ve made so far has been either super easy or easy enough and delectable.
Starting with the first meal of the day, Muffin Pan Mini Omelets (page 247), served with giant strawberries and homestyle potatoes. Aren’t those the cutest little tofu omelets?
It’s certainly a nice change from always having tofu scrambles. And they’re fun to make too, you can watch them rise a bit while they’re baking, then deflate towards the end of the cooking time.
I’m still learning to cook lentils and quinoa but I’ve come a long ways from having been at best indifferent to lentils for years and unsure how to pronounce quinoa (say “KEEN-wah”). Now look at me, I’m making Lentil-Quinoa Stew with Lots of Kale (page 148).
Pleasantly surprised at how much flavor is packed into this stew and with such simple ingredients, I’ve since made it several times even without kale and serving it with other veggies instead.
More quinoa, this time with beans in Smoky Incan Stew (page 165). Since the quinoa soaked up quite a bit of the broth, I added the leftover tomato juice as mentioned in the notes. I love these helpful little tips and tidbits included in some of the recipes.
To add my own note: I didn’t have red quinoa called for in the recipe but I did have red lentils and swap around the colors, it’s still a bright and flavorful stew.
Cheddary Broccoli Soup (page 53), yes, another soup. This was back when I was having jaw pain so there was a lot of soups and stews going on. Having never tried broccoli cheddar soup before, I didn’t expect it to be so rich and without any sort of processed vegan cheese. Not that I have anything against store-bought cheese but cheddar cheesy taste from real ingredients, that’s a winner.
Finally off of soups, my jaw has healed and I’m back to my munching and crunching ways. Since fresh basil started showing up at the farmer’s market, what’s better than pesto? Bestest Oil-Free Pesto (page 128) for Pesto-Cauliflower Pasta with Breaded Tofu (page 126).
No oil necessary in this pesto, it’s replaced with vegetable broth. But alas, I only had Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base, not wanting my pesto to taste chicken-y, I just used plain water and it’s totally fine. I usually prefer to bake my tofu but the skillet pan method wasn’t too messy and didn’t take too long. Besides, the nicely browned breading was well worth the effort.
There’s so many more recipes to try now that I can chew food again. From the few I’ve made so far, I wouldn’t be surprised if Isa Does It becomes the go-to vegan cookbook for generations to come.
Still on the fence? Download the free e-book from Amazon, Breville presents Make It Vegan: Recipes from the Yiddish-speaking, Nebraska-living, post-punk vegan, Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Most of the 10 recipes in it are from Isa Does It and includes the breaded tofu pictured above. You don’t even need a actual Kindle, just download the Kindle app for your mobile device or computer. The directions are right there on the product page.
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so many recipes i want to try. I am a pesto obsessive right now so I am always looking for new ways to make it,and brocoli soup is always welcome! Hope your jaw has healed and you are enjoying food again! xx
I’ve heard nothing but good things about this book, and your enticing photos certainly sell it! Love the idea of the mini omelets- Sounds like a great thing to make in advance and eat on the go.
I love this book! I’ve made mostly soups so far and each have been fantastic.
I’m loving Isa Does It but I haven’t made any of these recipes yet! The breaded tofu and broccoli cheddar soup are definitely on my list now.
It’s been a while since I bought a vegan recipe book. I own two of Isa’s cookbooks already. It seems I might have to get this one too!
I have yet to read her latest cookbook, clearly I’ve been missing out. I saw the muffin pan mini omelets from another blog, they look absolutely cute. Did they taste airy or just like tofu omelet? I would like to try her Cheddary Broccoli soup, nice that’s just plant-based without any processed ingredients in it. I love Better than Bouillon No Chicken Base, so tasty in a lot of vegan soups & recipes.
so much good stuff here…YUM!
mmm everything looks and sounds amazing!
I’ve made most of those things and I’d have to agree with you that they are delicious and easy. We LOVE Isa’s newest, in fact, my husband cooked something from Isa Does It tonight!
I don’t know why, but it’s the tofu and cauli pasta that’s been calling out to be out of that lovely roundup. I can’t say I’d say no to a few of those mini omelettes though.
Oh my word, I love this book. I’ve just made her blueberry-lemon loaf and it’s brilliant. Keep meaning to make the quinoa and lentils dish but kale is out of season here and I can’t seem to get hold of it anywhere. Good to know it works with other veg too.