Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Pie

My sister Emily and I used to have a pretty good system down for splitting slices of Dairy Queen ice cream cake: she'd eat both of our frosted vanilla ice cream layers, and I'd get the fudge-topped chocolate ice cream layers.  Fellow chocolate-lovers can surely understand why that arrangement worked for me.   

This ice cream pie recipe takes things to the next level, swapping out vanilla for peanut butter.  It starts with a chocolate graham cracker crust. Then, chocolate peanut butter ice cream filling is topped with chocolate peanut butter fudge and garnished with chopped peanuts.

Ice cream pie

Recipe:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Pie

Crust:

• 2.5 cups vegan graham cracker crumbs (I crushed graham crackers in the food processor)
• 1 teaspoon honey (or agave)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup shortening, softened

Peanut Butter Fudge Topping:

• 1/4 cup agave
• 1/4 cup honey (or more agave)
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup plain organic soymilk
• 5 ounces Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips

Filling:

• 1 heaping tablespoon arrowroot powder
• 3/4 cup plain organic soymilk
• 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 5 ounces Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 12 ounces vanilla flavored, coconut milk-based, vegan yogurt
• 3 pints So Delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Coconut Milk Dairy-Free Frozen Dessert, softened

Garnish:

• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

First, make the crust.  Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, honey, cocoa powder, and shortening in a medium bowl until well-combined.  Pour the mixture into a 10-inch springform pan and press onto the bottom and most of the way up the sides of the pan.  Set aside.

Then, make the peanut butter fudge topping. Pour the agave and honey into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5-7 minutes.  The mixture should bubble and get a bit darker in color.  Remove from heat and add the peanut butter, soymilk, and chocolate chips.  Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.  Set aside and allow to cool.

Next, make the ice cream filling. In a medium saucepan, heat the arrowroot powder and soymilk on medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until simmering.  Remove from heat, and whisk in the cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and peanut butter until well combined.  Then stir in the yogurt.  Transfer this mixture to a large bowl, and add in the ice cream.  Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture until all ingredients are combined and the mixture appears light and fluffy. 

Now, assemble the pie.  Pour the filling into the crust, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze the pie for one hour.  After an hour, remove the pie from the freezer, remove the plastic wrap, and spread on the peanut butter fudge topping.  Top with chopped peanuts.

Allow the pie to chill in the freezer for another 8 hours (overnight) to set completely.

Remove the pie from the freezer at least 15 minutes before serving.  Run a knife around the inside of the spring form pan to loosen the pie, and then release the spring form ring from the bottom of the pan.  Cut the pie using a knife that has been run under hot water, and serve. 

Comments:

Taste:           

YUM.  This ice cream pie is a chocolate peanut butter lover's dream, even though the peanut butter flavor is somewhat subtle.  The rich, gooey, peanut buttery fudge topping is the star of the pie, in my opinion.  I also enjoyed the variety of textures throughout the pie: the crumbly crust, smooth ice cream filling, and crunchy peanut garnish complement each other well.  The only thing I'd change is the crust -- it was a bit too crumbly, but I think softening the shortening before using it (as I wrote in the recipe above) will help fix that.

Accessibility:         

This is an expensive dish to make.  Unfortunately, vegan ice cream is not yet fully mainstream; so, it's both difficult to find (we went to Whole Foods) and quite expensive.  We also had to get vegan yogurt at Whole Foods.

 Ease of Preparation:        

Each individual step in this recipe isn't too difficult, but it does take a long time to make (freezing overnight will do that to you).  At least you can lick the spoons/bowls used for preparation immediately!

Non-vegan friendliness:            

I haven't had an ice cream cake in years, so it's hard to compare this version to the "real thing." Simon says that it doesn't taste quite like ice cream, but it's still very good. 

Frozen Peanut Butter Banana Whip

I've been looking forward to trying out this recipe for banana-based "ice cream" for some time now.  (Click here for the recipe, which I followed as written.)  It contains just two ingredients: bananas and peanut butter.  It turns out that bananas have some pretty amazing properties when frozen--properties that are perfect for creating naturally-sweet frozen treats! 

A bowl of whip.

Comments:

Taste:           

Unfortunately, this banana whip did not live up to my expectations in a couple ways.  First, the peanut butter flavor was definitely overpowered by the banana flavor.  The banana flavor is nice, but it's not what the recipe promises.  Second, I thought the texture of the whip was a bit gummy, or almost too thick.  If I make this dish again, I might blend in a tiny bit of soymilk to make it a bit lighter. 

Accessibility:            

It's hard to beat a recipe with just two ingredients--especially when one of the ingredients is old fruit and the other is a pantry staple! 

 Ease of Preparation:      

This recipe requires a bit of advanced preparation and takes a while to make, although most of that time is inactive.  Before making the banana whip, which simply requires food processing (or blending), you need to freeze the bananas for an hour or two. 

Non-vegan friendliness:           

The original recipe authors call this dish "ice cream," but I'm calling it a "banana whip."  As a frozen banana treat, it's decent; but, as a vegan version of ice cream, it doesn't make the cut. 

Despite my mediocre review of this recipe, I might give it another shot.  I'm curious to see if I can find a way to incorporate some chocolate into the whip.  Chocolate makes everything better. 

Sesame Noodles with Shredded Cabbage

The other night we made Sesame Noodles with Shredded Cabbage for dinner.  I selected this Asian-inspired pasta dish mostly as a vehicle for eating cabbage (cabbage is so good!), and it ended up having a pleasantly light, fresh taste.   I will say that it tasted much better when served immediately compared to when served as leftovers, so you may want to keep that in mind.  

Grain + Vegetables.

Recipe:     
Sesame Noodles with Shredded Cabbage

• 20 ounces spaghetti 
• 1 pound cabbage, shredded
• 2 carrots, sliced thinly
• 6 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

First, prepare the spaghetti according to package instructions.  Before draining the pasta, place the cabbage and carrots in the (large) colander you will use.

Meanwhile, whisk together the peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, wine, vinegar, sugar and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan while heating over medium-low heat.  Mix until the sauce becomes smooth and then allow to simmer on low, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are ready.

When the spaghetti is ready, drain the noodles over the cabbage and carrots.  This will wilt the cabbage.  Then transfer everything back into the pot, add the sauce and cilantro, and toss to combine. 

Yields 6-8 servings.

Comments:
Taste:            

This dish had a decent, mild flavor: the sauce was light, the peanut flavor was minimal, and the cilantro added a bit of freshness.  While the flavor wasn't terribly exciting, the texture was quite interesting.  Perhaps Simon and Rachel can comment on this later, but the shredded cabbage mixed with the sauce almost reminded me of the texture of tuna salad.  It definitely added some intrigue to the dish.  

Accessibility:          

We happened to have an open bottle of white wine in the refrigerator, making it pretty easy to add in just 1/4 cup.  You could also use vegetable broth or sherry in place of the wine. 

  Ease of Preparation:     

It was a hassle to shred the cabbage using a hand grater, so I would recommend using a food processor with the grater attachment or even buying a bag of cole slaw cabbage instead of a head of cabbage.  But, the rest of the dish is quite easy, and I love being able to take advantage of already-boiling pasta water to wilt the cabbage.

Non-vegan friendliness:           

This dish wasn't very satisfying as a one-pot meal (after all, it has very little protein and left us hungry).  Even if it were served alongside seitan or some other protein, this wouldn't be one of my favorite Dinner is Vegan recipes.       

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Today is my five-year vegan anniversary!  Five years ago, while I was a freshman in college, my roommate and I decided to try out veganism together (remember that, Danielle?).  I was driven by a desire to reduce the impact of my eating habits on the environment, although any search on the Internet will offer numerous other compelling reasons to eat less meat.  Today, I am convinced that the most significant impact my diet has on the world comes not from my own consumption patterns, but rather from the conversations I have with others about veganism.

In order to celebrate my veganniversary, Simon and I made chocolate peanut butter cups!  Forget those leftover Reese's from Halloween that are lying all over our apartment: now we have delicious, homemade, vegan peanut butter cups, too! 

I love the ridges on the outside almost as much as the peanut butter on the inside.

Thank you, Dad, for passing along the original recipe.  We made several modifications, so here it is:    

Recipe:     
Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons "pretzel flour" (pretzels crushed up into a powder)
• 1 - 12 ounce bag Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips

First, line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners; set aside. 

Then, prepare the peanut butter filling.  Combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and pretzel flour in a small bowl.  Mix until smooth and well-incorporated.  Then divide the mixture into 12 even portions and roll each one into a ball.  Place the balls on a cutting board or plate and press them down with your fingers, forming flattened discs.  Place the plate in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Next, melt the chocolate.  You'll need a medium saucepan and a medium glass bowl that can rest on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler.  Place about two-thirds of the chocolate chips in the glass bowl and reserve the rest for later.  Then fill the saucepan about halfway with water and bring to a simmer.  Once the water comes to a simmer, turn the heat down to low and place the glass bowl with chocolate on top of the saucepan.  Stir the chocolate as it melts and becomes smooth.  Use a candy thermometer to ensure that the chocolate gets to 115 degrees Fahrenheit and then turn off the heat. 

 

Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set it down on a potholder or towel.  Add the remaining chocolate chips and stir constantly as the chocolate melts together.  Bring the temperature down to about 82 degrees; then return the bowl to the saucepan and bring the temperature back up to 90 degrees (turn the heat back on if you need to).

Pour or spoon enough hot chocolate into the bottom of each cupcake liner to cover the bottom.  Then remove the peanut butter filling from the refrigerator and lightly press one disc into each cup.  Spoon or pour the remaining chocolate evenly on top of the peanut butter filling.  Finally, tap the pan to remove air bubbles and level off the tops.  

Refrigerate the peanut butter cups for at least an hour, or until the chocolate is set. 

Yields 12 chocolate peanut butter cups.  Store the cups in the refrigerator and serve cold (so they don't melt).

Comments:
Taste:           

The only problem with this recipe is that it only makes 12 peanut butter cups!  If I had my way, I'd eat one of these cups every day.  The chocolate has a nice snap when you bite into it, and the smooth filling inside really does taste like a Reese's. 

Accessibility:          

With only four ingredients, this recipe makes me wonder why Hershey's needs 13 ingredients for Reese's cups.   

  Ease of Preparation:    

The major downside to this recipe is that it is a bit complicated to carry out.  Using the double boiler prevents the chocolate from burning by allowing it to melt over moderate, consistent heat, so I do recommend that you use this method.  On the other hand, I'm not sure if the temperature alteration is absolutely necessary.  Tempering the chocolate gives it a shiny finish and creates the nice, snappy crispness that's ideal for candy; in practice, I'm sure these cups would have a similarly wonderful flavor if you simply melted the chocolate.  So, if you don't have a candy thermometer or just want to cut down on time, I'd still give this recipe a try.  

Non-vegan friendliness:           

These rich, smooth chocolate peanut butter cups will be sure to please anyone.  I do want to note, though, that these are no M&Ms: they melt in your hand, not your mouth.       

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies

Q: What's better than peanut butter cookies?
A: Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

Q: What's better than peanut butter chocolate chip cookies?
A: Peanut butter chocolate chip pretzel cookies! 

The last two cookies.  It was sad to see them go.

While the classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter will always have a special place in my heart, I must say that the salty crunch in these pretzel-filled cookies adds a nice twist.

Recipe:     
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies

• 1.25 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegan butter at room temperature
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg equivalent (I used Ener-G Egg Replacer Powder)
• 1 tablespoon soymilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1.5 cups Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1.25 cups chopped (not crushed) pretzels
• Salt, for sprinkling (optional)

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 

Next, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Then, in a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until smooth.  Add the egg equivalent, soymilk, and vanilla and beat again until well incorporated.  Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.  Then, using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips and pretzels.

Drop the dough by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets and lightly sprinkle each cookie with salt, if desired.  Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly brown on the edges. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for a couple minutes before transferring them to a wire rack or paper towel.

Yields approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Comments:
Taste:           

These cookies are soft, crunchy, sweet, and salty, all at the same time.  The chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzel flavors balance each other quite well, with no single flavor taking over.  The only flaw I can find with the cookies is that they were a bit fragile, but that didn't stop us from devouring them.  

Accessibility:        

Aside from the egg replacer powder, everything should be easy to find at the grocery store.  The good thing about egg replacer powder is that it can sit in the pantry for a long time without going bad.

 Ease of Preparation:         

There's nothing out of the ordinary in this cookie recipe: mix, bake, cool, and serve. 

Non-vegan friendliness:         

I look forward to serving these to non-vegan friends and family! 

Maafe (West African Peanut Stew)

Virginia is famous for its peanuts, but I recently learned that the history of Virginia peanut soup goes far beyond colonial Williamsburg.  Maafe, a traditional West African dish first made by the Mandinka and Bambara people of Mali, was brought to the United States through the slave trade and is the direct ancestor of Virginia peanut soup, according to African American foodways specialist Michael Twitty.  Maafe can be served with rice, couscous, or sweet potatoes, but when we made it the other night, we ate it as a stand-alone stew.  

I promise it tastes better than it looks.

Recipe:     
Maafe

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 onions, diced
• 1 - 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 - 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1.5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 acorn squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 - 10 or 14 ounce bag of cole slaw cabbage 

First, heat the oil and garlic in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then add all remaining ingredients except the cole slaw cabbage.  Stir together and bring to a boil.  Then add the cabbage and cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.

Serve hot over rice or on its own.  Yields 6 servings.

Comments:
Taste:          

Rachel and I are maafe's new biggest fans.  The sauce is incredibly rich and creamy, and the peanut butter taste is subtle but pleasant.  My favorite part was that the acorn squash almost melts in your mouth.  Rachel compared the flavor of the sauce to chicken makhani.  Simon wasn't as keen on the dish because it lacked something to bite into, but I think serving it over rice or with some bread to dip in would add a bit more heft.

Accessibility:        

None of these ingredients is difficult to find.  You can substitute the bag of cole slaw for half of a head of cabbage, if you prefer. 

 Ease of Preparation:         

The recipe is pretty simple, but peeling the acorn squash was the opposite of simple.  It took forever to peel because of the ridges!  (We also don't have a vegetable peeler, which surely didn't help.)  Next time, I might try out these tips for peeling acorn squash: http://lazyhomesteader.com/2011/10/11/how-to-peel-an-acorn-squash/. 

Non-vegan friendliness:         

This dish has a great flavor and smooth texture, though I think it would be best eaten along with rice, bread, or something else (rather than on its own). 

Peanut Noodle Salad

I've made enough noodle dishes to realize that no one peanut sauce-covered noodle recipe is quite like another.  This recipe for Peanut Noodle Salad is different from more classic Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce in a few ways:

1. It's more of a side dish or salad than a stand-alone main dish.
2. It can be served cold.
3. It contains raw ingredients.

We served this noodle salad alongside Asian Cabbage Slaw and crispy spring rolls for a quite satisfying meal.

Peanut noodle salad garnished with crushed peanuts.

Note: this dish is best consumed on the same day you make it.  Enjoy it while it's fresh!

Recipe:     
Peanut Noodle Salad

• 1 box whole wheat linguine or spaghetti, prepared according to package instructions (see note below)
• 1 - 12 ounce package pre-shelled frozen edamame, prepared according to package instructions
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I prefer Frank's)
• 1 cucumber, seeded and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin, bite sized strips
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• peanuts, crushed, for garnish

First, prepare the pasta and edamame according to package instructions--but reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.  Once they're cooked, rinse both the pasta and edamame with cold water and drain before combining in a large bowl.  Add the sesame oil and toss until coated.  Set aside. 

Next, create the sauce.  Whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, hot sauce, and 6 tablespoons pasta cooking water in a medium bowl until smooth.

Finally, add the sauce and the cucumber, pepper, and cilantro to the noodle bowl.  Toss all ingredients together, top with crushed peanuts, and serve. 

Yields 8 small portions. 

Comments:

Taste:          

I really enjoyed the freshness that the cucumbers bring to this dish.  I also like that the peanut sauce isn't overpowering or too heavy.  This is definitely a nice summer dish.

Accessibility:   

Frozen edamame should be easy to find.  If you don't have natural peanut butter, you can always use regular peanut butter.

 Ease of Preparation:       

This recipe is nice and quick.  You can prepare the sauce and chop the veggies while the first two ingredients are cooking. 

Non-vegan friendliness:      

Everyone should enjoy this veggie- and protein-packed side dish. 

Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce

I've made a few different peanut sauces before with varied levels of success.  Last night we made a new version with great success!  While some peanut sauces can be quite thick and heavy, this one was both light and flavorful.

We served this with Asian Cabbage Slaw on the side.  

A delicious dinner.

Recipe: 
Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce

• 1 package whole wheat linguini
• 1.5 cups frozen broccoli
• 1.5 cups frozen snap peas  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1" chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 7 tablespoons (just under 1/2 cup) rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 
• 2 carrots, sliced finely or grated 

First, begin preparing the linguini according to the package instructions.  When about 4 minutes remain in the cooking time, add the broccoli and snap peas and cook with the pasta for the remaining time.

Meanwhile, brown the tofu.  Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet, add the tofu to the hot oil, and cook, turning the tofu every several minutes, until it has browned on most sides.  Set aside.

Then, prepare the peanut sauce.  Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.  Add the crushed red pepper flakes, ginger, and brown sugar to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes.  Next, add the soy sauce, vinegar, and peanut butter to the pan and use a whisk to combine the ingredients into a smooth sauce, cooking and whisking for another couple minutes.

Once the sauce is smooth and hot and the pasta/vegetables are cooked and drained, combine these together with the tofu and carrots and toss until everything is evenly coated.

Serve hot or cold. Yields 6 servings. 

Comments:

Taste:      

As I said above, this was a great peanut sauce.  It was light, unlike other heavier peanut sauces I've had in the past, which was unexpectedly nice.  The addition of uncooked carrots also added a nice crunch to the dish.

Accessibility:     

Compared to some other Asian-inspired dishes on this blog, this dish is pretty accessible.  We just used plain old whole-wheat linguini rather than rice noodles (we haven't had much luck with rice noodles in the past, unfortunately).

 Ease of Preparation:    

This recipe involves several steps; however, they flow together nicely and allow for multitasking.  Plus, it was pretty quick to make.  We cooked both the tofu and the peanut sauce in the time it took to prepare the noodles. 

Non-vegan friendliness:   

This dish has a great flavor and a variety of textures that would please any palate.  If you're cooking for someone who is suspicious of tofu, browning it is always a good bet--as is covering it in tasty peanut sauce!  This was a filling, satisfying dish. 

Pad Thai with Tofu

We've had "Pad Thai Rice Sticks," AKA rice noodles, sitting around ever since making Asian Pesto with Rice Noodles.  Yesterday we put these noodles to good use by making Pad Thai with tofu for dinner.  I love Pad Thai and I always get noodle dishes of some sort at Thai restaurants (I'm not the most adventurous restaurant diner...), so I was pretty excited about this. 
  

Pad Thai -- I probably shouldn't have put it in a bowl to take the picture...

Unfortunately the picture doesn't do it much justice, but SPOILER ALERT: it was tasty! 

Recipe:
Pad Thai with Tofu

• 8 ounces rice noodles (we used "Pad Thai Rice Sticks")
• 1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• about 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound extra-firm tofu, pressed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped (we used frozen broccoli)
• 1 cup snow peas (we used frozen snow peas)
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped

First, prepare the rice noodles according to the package instructions.  Keep them in a pot with a tight lid to keep them from drying out while you prepare everything else.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.  Whisk together the peanut butter, sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside.

Then heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium-high to high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the tofu and sauté until the tofu browns on most sides, turning the tofu every few minutes.  Sprinkle on salt and pepper while it's cooking. When the tofu has browned, move it to a bowl and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium-high and add a bit more canola oil (or water) to the same skillet.  Add the garlic, broccoli, and snow peas and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables become bright green.  Add the green onions and sauté for another minute or two.  Then, add the tofu, noodles, and sauce to that pan and stir to combine.  Cook until all ingredients are heated through.



Garnish with sliced lemons, chopped cilantro, or chopped peanuts if desired.  Yields 2-4 servings. 

Comments:
Taste:      

I was surprised at how close this tastes to restaurant-style Pad Thai.  The lime juice really makes the dish.  Unfortunately, our Pad Thai was a bit soupy/mushy.  We had trouble cooking the rice noodles correctly the last time we used them, and it was the same story this time.  Let me know if you have any tips on cooking rice noodles!

Accessibility:        

I wasn't able to find all of the ingredients I wanted to use in this dish.  I'd recommend adding 1 cup of bean sprouts near the end of the cooking time, if you can find them.  They'll add a nice crunch.

 Ease of Preparation:   

This dish isn't very difficult to make and involves minimal chopping, but the rice noodles take a pretty long time to prepare even before you start the real cooking.  The instructions on our noodle package said to soak them in warm water for 45 minutes.  We kept the water pretty hot by heating the pot of noodles over medium-low heat throughout the soaking process, but it still takes a while.        

Non-vegan friendliness:   

The Pad Thai had a great flavor, but between the somewhat mushy noodles and the tofu, it might not be a non-vegan's favorite dish.  Still, we all really enjoyed it. 

 One last note: I think it tasted better today (one day later).  Hooray leftovers!