Vegan Gourmet Dreena Style & Brilliante Shout-Outs

I adore anything that is wrapped in pastry. Make it puff pastry or phyllo and I'm all over it. So when I saw the recipe Walnut, White Bean & Spinach Phyllo Rolls in Eat, Drink & Be Vegan, I knew I had to make it. Phyllo always looks so impressive, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to work with. I've used it in the past, so I knew this was going to be a cake-walk (or a pastry-walk if you will)

I tried to get a good shot of the filling and still show you the delicate flaky layers. The filling is savoury with perfect textures that don't overpower the pastry. These could be eaten hot or at room temperature and if made bite-sized they would be a terrific hors d'oeuvres.

I made these 'regular' size to have as a meal and was trying to decide what to serve as a side. Pasta is always a hit with Jim and I remembered a wonderfully delicious sauce I had made many years ago from Dreena's very first book The Everyday Vegan.

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Here is whole wheat spaghetti smothered with Basic Creamy Garlic Sauce. This sauce is so freakin' delicious. The garlic is roasted first so it's a nice & mellow. Fresh herbs are mixed in to give it a little lift.

To top off this delicious feast, another winner from Dreena. This is also from her new book, Eat, Drink & Be Vegan -

Lime Sucker Coconut Pie

This is one of my new favorites. It's not very difficult to make and the lime coconut combo is a perfect compliment.

There are pretty flecks of green throughout. I don't know if you can see them too well in this photo. I made this in the morning so there would be no fussing after dinner. The pie kept nice in the refrigerator for a few days. This whole meal was very delicious and because I could do a lot of the prep work ahead of time, I made it again for a small dinner party we had. I was able to spend more time with my guests rather than in the kitchen and everyone really enjoyed the meal.
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Thanks to Catherine at Food Snob & to Peggy at Vegan Teen Cuisine for giving me a shoutout. From what I gather, I'm now to nomiate 7 people that I feel are deserving of a Brillante Weblog mention, so here we go. (psssst....before I start, let me tell you that I've been known to not really follow the rules for these sorts of things.)


1. Urban Vegan - not only do I love the food Dynise makes, but the restaurants she frequents and the wonderful get-away holidays she blogs about. Her cats are adorable, her Omniman is wonderful (and has very handsome hands) and I LOVE her Philly digs.


2. Vegan Vice - Vicki is always cooking up something fun in her Idaho kitchen. Her daughters help alot and the cuteness factor there is over the top. Check out her red tile countertop - to die for. Vicki & her husband also take jaunts to California and she blogs about their beach & restaurant adventures there.


3. Are You My Mother & The Daily Antics of Kody (tie) - Both of these blogs are put up by Tanya Kristine, a kindred spirit. She's a drinking, partying, dog-loving, life-loving Irish woman like myself. Topics range from weight obsession to striking it rich to saving animals & bugs to pub crawls to heart wrenching family tales. Kody is her beloved dog who has his own blog full of handsome photos and funny stories.


4. Where's The Revolution? - Bazu loves her ice cream! And there's nothing wrong with that whatsoever. There's always something new & interesting on this blog. Whether she's educating us in Iranian customs, telling us about fellow bloggers she meets on her trips, or just showcasing downright tasty food, the revolution is in Syracuse.


5. Walking The Vegan Line - Think that living as a vegan in Texas would be difficult? No so! Besides hosting potlucks for Society of Peace, and showcasing delicious vegan fare right in the heart of Texas, Amanda is a Daring Baker and the goodies she whips up in her kitchen are nothing short of amazing. The trip to NYC for Vegan Baking Bootcamp & the photos of what she made there keeps me going back for sneek peeks. And did you know, her prom date was Johnny Depp? (hehehe) ;o)

6. Veggie Girl - Where she finds time to do all she does is just short of astounding, but Liz is an inspiration. She has such a love for life, animals & fellow humans, it shines through in her posts. Always willing to experiment in the kitchen, she shares her latest baking adventures with us. As a student, hoping to write for a magazine, she's certainly getting a great start with her blog.


7. Strictly Tastings - A fellow wine lover & Burlington resident, I've been lucky enough to meet Wino Will. I like the set up of this blog and how the entries are updated as the wines are tasted. We seem to have sort of similar tastes and I'm always checking to see if my favorites get a good score from Will. A wide variety of wines are chosen as well, from the uber cheap to more expensive Vintages releases.

8. (see, I told you I cheat) Vivacious Vegan - After a too long hiatus, Crystal is back! Picking up from where she left off, delicious food porn is abundant on this blog. Whether she's showcasing dishes from trendy veg*n restaurants or scrumptious homemade creations, Crystal's photos will surely have you drooling. She's not shy about showing off her skateboarding skills either.

Honourable mention to Michelle at Can You Marry Your Dog. (honourable mentions are not cheating) Former chef & buddy of Tanya (see #3), Michelle blogs about food, her family, her dogs, the wine bar, etc. all with great wit. Any girl who thinks vodka is a food group is definitely worth a shout-out!

Now, those of you I nominated should in turn do your own nominating. Ready....GO!