Best food processor recipes/cookbook

[smithhemb]

Ok, so veggie daughter moved off campus and will now have to fend for herself food-wise.  I gave her my old Cuisinart DLC-14 (with the post-recall replacement blade) as well as 20 years of associated blades/gadgets.  Showed her how to make hummus and gazpacho, and chop garlic and ginger.  Pointed her to YouTube for additional recipes/instruction.  Bought myself a new 3 bowl Magimix (with the big feed tube), arriving today.

So, I’m looking for two kinds of recipes/books/inspiration.  One is for a novice cook, who doesn’t have good knife skills, and who (somewhat surprisingly) has more/better space for a Cuisinart than for cutting boards.  I’d like her to incorporate the food processor into her cooking from (near) the beginning.  She’s a vegetarian who has a great cheap produce store nearby (and they generally let you customize quantities, even of things like fresh herbs), and is short on money and time.  Lives in Chicago/packs her lunch/doesn't demand variety, loves soups, so that may become a go-to for her in the fall/winter.

Then there’s me.  Empty nester.  Cooks and bakes, has a (now largely empty) dishwasher (so cleanup is less of an issue), and has room for food processor on the counter everyday.  I loved my Cuisinart for specific things that I probably wouldn’t have made without it — e.g. gapacho, hummus, tabouli, chocolate steamed pudding, pie crust, large quantities of fresh OJ — but have never defaulted to it for cooking generally.  Have instinctively or habitually used knives, graters, presses, food mill, mixer, immersion blender, etc. instead.  So what I’m looking for is things that become much simpler or faster with a food processor — which could either mean things I rarely make now (potato gratin, yeasted breads) or new approaches to everyday tasks.

Any recommendations for either of us re books/recipes that make you love your food processor?

[ktmoomau]

I rarely use my cuisinart, I used my mini chop all the time, but the bigger one just is more of a pain to use/clean versus the above gadgets you list.  But you are right some things are just essential- hummus, etc.  You could create a pinterest board you share with her with cuisinart recipes she might like too?

What about baba ganoush, baigan bharta (sorry eggplant on my mind as I have one at home I need to use) or other eggplant dips, or roasted fennel white bean dip/spread, pie and other doughs for like hand pies or pizza, calzones, etc- you can always freeze them if you make, bake and have too many, red sauce for pasta, tomatillo sauce for veggie enchiladas or etc, pesto, energy bars (oh that college metabolism), papaya salad, cauliflower rice.  When I pulled up insta and typed in cuisinart food processor recipes some great looking broccoli tots came up.  You can mash potatoes or etc. Falafel. Shred veggies to make jap chae?  Lots of types of slaw salads- brussel sprouts, etc.  Most importantly- food processor chocolate chip cookies??

[smithhemb]

Pinterest board is a great idea.  We shared one for dorm decor, and I’ve made my own for recipes but didn’t think about sharing recipes with her there.  I’ve been texting her links (which she loses) and she keeps pushing Google docs (which I hate).

She’d probably love the energy bar idea.  And white bean/fennel spread appeals to me as does jap chae.  I’ve never made cookies with the food processor, but I did have a permanent cookie readiness policy senior year of college when my two person suite came with its own kitchen.  Made a different type of dough every day or two and only made a few cookies at a time, so there was always something in the fridge or freezer that could be baked at a moment’s notice. On second thought, maybe not a policy I should encourage her to adopt!

[curls]

Not a food processor cookbook but an author of vegetarian cookbooks -- I would suggest that your daughter have at least one cookbook by Deborah Madison. 

[smithhemb]

Thanks! Though I haven’t sold my daughter on cookbooks per se*, she grew up on Deborah Madison recipes!  Even made a pilgrimage to Greens.   But this is a good reminder to me to flip through the half dozen or so DM books I own and pull out stuff that would work well for a college kid.  Sounds like a job for Vegetarian Suppers....

*I’m still a cookbook buyer/reader/user, but the kid just wants recipes and, ideally, ones that she knows should work.  I don’t think I’ll ever turn her into a cook or a baker.  But she cares about eating healthfully and cheaply, and she’s used to eating well, so the challenge is to find low overhead ways she can do that on her own. 

[Pat]

In terms of vegetarian cookbooks, I'm fond of Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons. The book is probably about the same age as your daughter.  There is a broccoli and rigatoni recipe that is one of my favorites (link here), but I know I've made quite a few recipes from it over the years. My copy is packed away, but looking at the Eat Your Books site and also searching in the book on Amazon. there are a fair number of recipes that can utilize a food processor

[smithhemb]

That’s one I bought but never really cooked from (and, having just pulled it off the shelf, I can verify that both it and my daughter came out in the same year, LOL!).  I was *so* wrong re DM’s Vegetarian Suppers that it’s a relief to see that Vegetarian Planet is much more my kid’s speed.

Re the broccoli and rigatoni recipe.  Any advice on what you’d substitute for the Gorgonzola if the cook wouldn’t eat any kind of blue cheese?  I’m guessing a tangy goat cheese.  

 

[Pat]

If even gorgonzola dolce is too strong, I guess probably a creamy, melty goat cheese. Specialty cheeses might be out of her budget, but if she'll be anywhere near a Trader Joe's, they have a good selection at low prices. I know I see goat brie there, which would probably work for this.