The Betty Crocker Project: Vegan Beer & Cheddar Bombs

Right now you might be furiously flipping through your Betty Crocker cookbook looking for this recipe. You'll stop at Beer-Cheese Triangles and wonder if this is what we veganed. You might read through the list of ingredients and notice that we tinkered a bit. You might even find it in your heart to forgive me introducing these addictive bitty noms into your life because not only are these little awesome bombs super easy but they turned out even better than I thought they would. I think sometimes this is why I try to keep my hopes and dreams to myself. I mean things don't always turn out the way you hoped they would and who wants anyone ever saying to them things like:

"I was watching The Olympics the other day and noticed you weren't there. What's up with that?"

or

"I couldn't help but notice you never married Christian Slater." *

Who also wants to admit they actually wasted a daily "wish" and some "hope" on Vegan Beer & Cheese Bombs? I really should be saving those things for more noble pursuits but I'm off topic. Now that I know these little savory buddies are actually incredibly easy and completely delicious - I have to share. It's my job.

Ready to get bombed?

Embarrassingly Super Simple Hazelnut & Flaxseed Waffles

The book is done and sent into our enthusiastically supportive publisher. I mean there will be a series of edits and reedits and proofing and all that but that first step -- delivering -- is done. The manuscript has landed. Now, today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and I feel like I should be out volunteering or at least reminding you that today would be a great day to donate to somewhere you wish you could be volunteering today*.

Instead I will be putting our kitchen and home back together after 3 months of intensive Vegan Betty Monstering, trying to catch up on the sea of emails and maybe tonight I'll try to make the streets of LA a little safer. It's going to be a busy day so I needed easy waffles. And they were lovely so I thought I'd share.

The Betty Crocker Project : Baked Vegan Chicken & Waffles

My only compliant about this recipe is that I didn't add enough Maple syrup in the pictures.

When I lived in Atlanta, there seemed to be signs everywhere for Chicken and Waffles "Shacks". I mean even Motown Legend Gladys Knight had a chain that seemed to be in every strip mall*. Which at first I assumed meant they served waffles in the morning and fried chicken at night. Imagine my Northern girl surprise, when I learned about this heart attack inducing dish was a staple in Soul Food cuisine. I mean I had lived in St.Louis and spent time in Kentucky and Louisiana and never heard of such a thing. But any cuisine can vary from region to region. Take the French dish Ratatouille: It originated in Nice and was simply seasoned with thyme and black pepper but then those show-offs down the coast in Provence started adding all these green herbs and a bit of lavender and the flavor turned into something completely different. Well, Soul Food is no different**. You can go to a completely legit Soul Food restaurant in Texas and have a pretty different experience than you would in Florida or Tennessee. From what I gather, the epicenter of Chicken and Waffles is Georgia. At first it seemed strange to me but then when I thought about it. Is it really that much weirder than having a side of fried bacon or sausage? I mean it's savory and oily meat with sweet waffles.

So when I was putting together a menu for a vegan Soul Food dinner party, I started thinking of ways to veganize this classic unique dish while also making it a bit more healthy but didn't have a proper waffle iron to pull it off. $40 later and here we are enjoying Baked Vegan Chicken and Waffles. I have to admit I've fallen in love with this unusual but awesome combo.

Speaking of awesome combos... Tonight we're going to a Hen Party with free cupcakes! No, not a British bachelorette porn and baked goods extravaganza. There is a party for our dear friend Jasmin Singer over at Our Hen House. If you find yourself anywhere near Manhattan tonight you should stop by and say "Hi". Just Click Here for the details if you didn't already click on the other link.

Even if you can't make it tonight - You can still enjoy this Georgian country classic! If for not other reason than to add it to the list of things you've done in your life.

The Betty Crocker Project : Vegan Cheese & Spinach Biscuit Bites

So once upon a time there was a man named Nick Cage*. He loved Superman. I mean he loved Superman in an Action Comics No.1 kinda way. He loved Superman so much that in 2005 he named his son Kal-el... Superman's birth name before he was adopted by The Kents in case you're actually cool enough not to know that. Yeah. You could say Nick Cage is a Superman Enthusiast.

Now these little buddies are really freaking good. I mean crazy-inspire-you-to-hum-Edith-Pilaf-love-songs good. Not because they're French, or romantic even, but because sometimes when I'm happy and eating wonderful baked goods it's hard for me to not be a little pretend French... I can only assume from what I have read that this is how Nick Cage feels about Superman. 

These little buddies are easy to make, delicious, and marvelous! They're also very similar to Betty's Garlic Cheesy Biscuits. Remarkably so, but just different enough to post and encourage you to try. The Garlic Cheesy Biscuits recipe we posted before might be a great vegan version of the infamous Red Lobster biscuits, but these "bites" are just as tasty with a bowl of soup or some tea. May I also suggest trying these with some outrageous pretend French accents? I mean why not? French accents are awesome and add a little class to anything "cheesy".

Now, let's start making some biscuit bite thingys or I'll talk about Nick Cage a second time! 

The Betty Crocker Project : The Impossibly Easy Vegan Macaroni & Cheese Pie

*Read the comment section for updates concerning this recipe*

Not that long ago there was this flood of Mac & Cheese recipes that hit the internet. There was impressive pizzas, ambitious deep fried nuggety things and I seem to remember one that was on a stick. I'm willing to admit that last one might have been a dream I had once. It was marvelous because it seemed like around the world there were all these amateur food scientists working away in kitchen laboratories with boiling posts of pasta and vats of faux cheese*. All striving to recreate the ultimate American classic. Muahahahaa.

Ironically Betty has a bunch of recipes from circa 1970 that did that in a remarkable way. I mean of course she did. What doesn't that lady do? Now you might remember like a year and some change ago we took a stab** at  veganizing Betty's Cheeseburger Pie. It was one of the very first recipes where we really closed our eyes and just fell into Betty's arms like some fraking co-workers on a team building retreat. This recipe is a take on that little gem that is actually pretty amazing. I'm pretty sure that for some of you loyal lurkers, public followers and vegan Betty-heads, this was the kind of recipe you were looking forward to when we decided to take on the challenge of veganizing Betty's Big Red. So I hope you guys give this a recipe a chance. I think next time we make this I might add some Bac-os*** and broccoli florets because this recipe is really good but I think with a little extra is could be super awesomepants. I'm not sure if awesomepants are better than awesomesauce. Sometimes I just type things and make myself laugh.

Are you ready to be awesomepants? (ones you can dance in and make romance in - again sometimes I just type)

The Betty Crocker Project : Thanksgiving Parade #2 - Easy Pumpkin Pie?

Is this pie have that warm slightly spicy flavor that can only be described as "Pumpkin Pie"? Yes. Does it have that smooth & creamy texture with just the right amount of crispy baked edges? Yes. Is this a pie? Eh. Not really... Is it an amazing baked pumpkin custard type of thing? HELL YES!

Yeah I know kinda a disappointment if you're one of those folks who needs the "pie" label and had hopes that you really could make a pie in like 5 minutes (not counting baking) but you want to hear an even greater disappointment? Soyatoo Vegan Whipped Cream. Yeah, I know I'm saying it. Soyatoo - You owe me 5 cans of Vegan Whipped Cream because EVERY TIME I get you - you barely work and then fraking die with a full can of vegan whipped cream that I have no way to access. I always convince myself - I got a bad can or maybe it's I'm too dumb to work this thing... but you know what? I'm not. It's not me - it's you. Soyatoo - we're breaking up.

Here's hoping I learn to love again and that you all find a spot in your heart and holiday meal for this wonderful baked pumpkin custard type of thing.

The Betty Crocker Project : Beef-Less Burgundy Stew with Herb Dumplings

As we head into the junk food-chocoholic-sweet tooth paradise known as Halloween - we thought it might be good to post a fall dish that has lots of flavor & vegetables to help with those candy and cupcake hangovers we're all going to have.

I have to admit my favorite part of this recipe is the Herb Dumplings because they are a lot like The Betty Crocker Project's Garlic Cheesy Biscuits (that are pretty much one of my very favorite recipes ever). Another thing I love is that this recipe only takes about an hour to make as compared to the 10 - no joke 10 hours the meaty version takes and has none of the fat you would find in the 2 pounds of beef the original recipes calls for. This is actually a pretty light stew and we tried to keep it as traditional as possible while staying in the spirit of Betty's original recipe. I know I'm bragging now - but I think we rocked this one.

Don't forget that Peta has a $1 off Gardein coupon on their Facebook Fan page right now! Just "like" and print! Easiest buck I ever saved - plus their Facebook page is a rockstar too.

The Betty Crocker Project : Beer Batter-Fried Fish (Marinated Tofu) & Tartar Sauce

Sometimes you just get what you need.

The other morning I woke up and thought: "I'd love to watch a detective story that has something to do with submarines while I drink my coffee today."

And you know what? I stumbled across a random episode of a CSI-type of show with Mark Harmon as a Navy FBI/police-type-person (?) that... guess what? Solved The Mystery of the Sailor Swap on a submarine!

This morning I woke up and thought: "I think I need more Richard Dreyfuss movies in my life."

And Jaws was on! Yes, I know, it's like an X-file.

Last night, I needed to come up with a new plan for dinner because my Match Vegan Chicken wasn't defrosted... and there she was. A little, forgotten package of extra-firm tofu. She waved and said "Remember me? You were going to make me into vegan fish sticks!"

I smiled and thought, "I can do better than, that my little friend*."

The Betty Crocker Project : Pizza Pie

We've already seen Pizza Burgers and Pizza Dip. We all enjoyed the Stuffed Crust Pizza and the Ranchero Pizza. I still think about that White Pizza some nights when I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. But the other day, I found another recipe for The League of Extraordinary Pizzas that we're developing here.

If you're following along in your own Betty Crocker Cookbook, you can find this under Easy Mushroom Pizza Pie. It was an inspiring recipe with a good concept that wasn't that different than the infamous Cheeseburger Pie. But just looking at it, I knew we could do more.

I saw the promise for a dish with the works. A dish that could be more than a vehicle for soy cheese (not that we're opposed to that). So we maxed it out. In retrospect, I would have held back a bit--maybe fewer peppers or broccoli--but this version is pretty fantastic. It was fast and made a lot and went well with the second season of True Blood.

So ay-oh: let's make some Pizza Pie*!

The Betty Crocker Project : The Breakfast Bake (Our Denver Omelet Version)

There is a very long list of things I love. It's a pretty random and varied list, full of wonderful little gems. Things like a good true red lipstick, or dogs that prance rather than walk. I love Muppet Yoda so much more than CGI Yoda. I love a new take on a classic tattoo, and a chilled bottle of San Pellegrino. I really love a gleeful guffaw. Of course, Dan makes the list, and so does a nice brunch with friends. I love The World Cup. I love just the idea of the World Cup, and the stories behind the different players and coaches. I love the fans! I love the dances they do, the face-painting, the flags and just how happy everyone is.

I don't mind getting up early, and I like watching the players shake hands and chat while they wait to take the field. I got a little teary when they talked about how a player on the Serbian team sought out a player on the Ghana team because he'd heard they were both war orphans, and he wanted to shake his hand because they'd both overcome so much to make it there. I might actually be getting a little choked up right now.

The US is out now, but we still had a pretty nice World Cup brunch last weekend with vegan McGriddles, French Toast, and various beverages including Red and Blue Margaritas: Red for Germany and Blue for Argentina. I feel like this recipe was a like a complete breakfast in a lasagna or cakey-pie form. I was a little sad there weren't any leftovers, but it did feed 8 people and there's nothing sad about that. In fact, I may just love it.

The Betty Crocker Project : Garlic Cheesy Biscuits

These are the biscuits that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. They can outrun Imperial starships. Not the local bulk cruisers mind you, I'm talking about the big Corellian ships now. They're fast enough for you, old man.

Seriously though, they might even take less than 12 minutes.

I made these Saturday morning, thinking we could eat them all weekend... but they never saw another sunrise. Yes, we ate the whole batch in one day, and not because we didn't have any other food. Since we started this project, our pantry and fridge have never looked so healthy and big boned. We ate them because Betty's claim that these biscuits are so good they’re served in restaurants is not an exaggeration.

• 2 Cups Original Bisquick Mix
• 2/3 Cup Soy Milk 
• 2 Tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast 
• 1/2 Cup of Daiya Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
• 1/4 Cup of Olive Oil 
• 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic (minced)
• 1/4 Teaspoon Dill
• 1/4 Teaspoon Thyme
• 1/4 Teaspoon Rosemary (dried and crushed)

Heat oven to 450.

In a bowl, mix Bisquick Mix, Soy Milk and Nutritional Yeast with a hand held mixer until completely mixed. Stir in Daiya Cheese with a spoon. 

On an ungreased cookie sheet, drop spoon-sized clumps. They won't be pretty, but it’s important that they don't get too thick or they won't bake all the way through.

Bake for around 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them. They bake FAST. Pull out once they’re golden. 

In a bowl, mix Olive Oil, Garlic Powder, Minced Garlic, Dill, Rosemary and Thyme. Once you pull out the biscuits, brush with the herbed Olive Oil. 

Once they’ve cooled, eat them.