Vegan Double Taco Burgers = A Cure for What Ails You

So last weekend, Dan got sick. I had to miss the prom and stayed home to watch Dr. Who. No, you didn't travel back in time. We're talking NYC's infamous Veggie Prom. I know I could have gone on my own, but it's just a part of our relationship. We treat each other the way we'd want to be treated, and I wouldn't have been thrilled if he had gone off to dance the night away while I was stuck home suffering. So I stayed home and we made Double Taco Burgers.

Now I'm not sure if this a recipe as much as combo trick. A few months ago, I was shopping with my friend Marta, who you might remember her from such adventures as The Danannie Wedding and Vegan Tuna Casserole. We were checking out a new grocery store in Norfolk and found a series of skillet sauces created by Frontera and Top Chef Masters winner Rick Bayless... and heaven to Betsy,* one of them is vegan.

Be sure and read your labels - There are 2 green packets. One is vegan - the other isn't. You can see the ingredients list in this post from The Kitchn.

This sauce even uses agave nectar instead of honey for sweetness. So I got one and tested it out. That night we used it to make some Gardein chicken tacos, but this weekend we took it one step further. During my grocery store scouting, I found these skillet sauces in NYC too, and picked some up for occasions just like this weekend... times when we needed something fast and friendly and absolutely fabulous.

We needed Double Taco Burgers! During a time when nothing seems to be going right Double Taco Burgers are here to make it all seem a little less something. I mean, setting up the cable/internet in a brownstone has turned out to be a challenge designed for the Macgyvers of the world. We had so many cables and cords running through our apartment it looked like Hoth. Then Blogger dies, taking blog posts and comments with it. SIGH. Yeah - we needed some thing to fill our bellies that wasn't going to lead to a lot of dishes and was super quick.

OK - I'm going to say it. I mean I have to right?

Help us Double Taco Burgers. You're our only hope...

An Informal Letter to A Vegan Stuffed Crust Mexican Pizza (recipe included)

Dear Vegan Stuffed Crust Mexican Pizza :

I want to thank you for combining two of our very favorite meals - tacos and pizzas in an enchanting,  seamless and ingenious way that also gave us an opportunity to eat avocados and who doesn't love that? I also want to thank you for being so easy that we could enjoy how delicious you were in less than an hour and not have a huge stack of dishes left to do afterwards. This increased our enjoyment of the night by a factor of at least 10*. Mostly I just want to thank you for taking our minds off the fact that the night we had you for dinner at 8:11 PM, the artificially intelligent Skynet global digital defense network was suppose to have become self-aware, trigger a worldwide nuclear holocaust and then deploys legions of robot killers to wage genocide on the surviving humans. Having a spicy vegan stuffed crust Mexican pizza completely distracted us from the evil robot apocalypse and when we partnered it with a Dr.Pepper**- it ended up being quite a lovely night.

XO- Annie

PS - I forgot to thank you for being vegan and therefore only making the world a better place.

Click Read More for the Recipe.

The Betty Crocker Project : The Vegan BBQ Casserole

It can be hard to make a casserole look cute.

It's almost April, and I think I speak for a lot of us when I say there's some serious "cabin fever" running rampant on the internet the past few days. I mean, do we really need to argue over every little thing and find fault in every comment and post? How does that make the world a better place?

So I went searching for a Betty recipe to save the day. One that would make the world a better place and give us a little glimpse of our impending summer. BBQ Beef Casserole seemed like a perfect place to start. Yes, I am pretty sure Betty intended this recipe to be a potluck dish, served to many people with sides of baked beans and fruit salad. We decided instead to keep it all to ourselves, and include a few BBQ-themed potluck favorites to make a complete party in a dish. I really channeled Betty for this one.

I admit I was little cautious about this at first... but it was awesome. Here's hoping it makes us all feel a little sunnier...

The Betty Crocker Project : Chicken Parmigiana

You may already know that Eggplant Parmigiana is a pretty old-school Sicilian dish, and super easy to make vegan. You probably already know the original dish is more heavy on the vegetables, and not baked over pasta. Though, you could also point out that there's an area in Italy called Parma, and that they often bread their cutlets with Parmesan cheese there - so Sicilians should stop acting like they invented eating. Even though they did. Just kidding. A little.

The chicken version of this classic Sunday dinner dish is more of an international take. In places like London, New York, and Sydney, Chicken Parmesan was transformed into a popular pub sandwich, or served over pasta in sit down restaurants. I think most of us have come to expect some form of that version when we have vegan Chicken Parmigiana/Parmesan for dinner. So this take is my hybrid of the classic vegetable dish I grew up with, and Betty's more American version.

I love how it turned out. We've made Vegan Chicken Parmigiana a few times in the past, and what I love about it is that no matter how many nights you have leftovers, it always holds up. We never feel an obligation to eat our leftover Vegan Chicken Parmigiana--we look forward to it. (Ed. note: I'm looking forward to it right now.) We're even a little sad when we finally polish it off. Which isn't something you can say about every dish.

I'm also looking forward to having one of these cutlets with some of the extra Marinara sauce on some of that organic bread I've fallen in love with. I mean, who doesn't love a good sandwich?

OK. Enough chatter. Let's do this.

The Betty Crocker Project : Bacon Cheeseburger Hash

I recently read an article written by a woman who had been married for five years and worked in the wedding-planning industry. She started with a brief summary of their courtship. Of course, it had the arc of any good love story. There was the lighting bolt "love at first sight", the standard "we broke up once", and the "happy ending" wedding. But that's when she pointed out that, well, obviously that's not the end. She listed off all the things she would never experience again: first kisses, the declaration of romantic interest (that doesn't make it sound very exciting), and all the little humorous anecdotal stuff that comes from getting to know each other. She mourned over the loss of adrenaline rushes and, well, plain-old stupid-ass drama. Can you tell where I'm going here?

(This is where I deleted a whole section about all the first kisses I've been excited about in my past, but now make me shudder... back to our story.)

Last night, I made vegan Bacon Cheeseburger Hash for my husband--and although we had the Hiroshima of epically passionate first kisses, there's another kinda of poetry that comes from our home, and the ongoing love affair that is our life together. One that doesn't make me cry, or stay up till 3 AM watching cartoons and thinking of all the things I did wrong or choices I could have made differently.

Somewhere in this skillet dish that combines two soul mates--bacon cheeseburgers and french fries--I'm finding something pretty special. More special than the "meat cake" Cheeseburger Lasagna, and the mythical Cheeseburger Pie? Hmmmm... hard to say. Everything is special in its own way. I do know that this dish only takes about 20 minutes and makes enough for 2 large portions (or 4 probably-healthier portions). I also know that it was a big hit around the Shannon house last night, and will live on long after The Betty Crocker Project has gone down in history.

The Betty Crocker Project : Meat Lover's PIzza

You know, there's really not much more to say than this: I am a Mock Meat Lover. I love it! I love savory vegan foods that are a vehicle for sauces - and I'm a loyal fan to a good sauce. I'm even a bigger fan of not eating animals. Is it weird that this love of vehicles for sauces was one of the first things Dan and I ever bonded over? Back in our "just friends" days, Dan used to cook for me when I came to visit, and we'd tip each other off to good restaurants to check out because we were both traveling campaigners. The pursuit of good vegan food was one of our first shared passions.

We've both been vegan a pretty long time now, and can remember when mock meat was a pasty, bland nightmare. I know a lot of vegans still hate mock meats today, just because the first generation back in the day was just so very, very bad. Seriously, I just got a shiver up my spine thinking about it.

The thing is, those days are gone. Technology has come so far, and today there's no excuse to eat animals with such a variety of delicious vegan products and substitutes available (even if only by mail order in some places). Mock meat is the definition of amazing now! If you were one of those folks who never thought you'd learn to love again after your favorite mock meat started using egg whites, or were burned by one of the mock meat dinosaurs, please give these new products a try! You can live a cruelty free life and still enjoy things like a vegan meat lovers pizza.

So please, make this for your friends, and challenge that myth that anybody has to suffer for a second for good food.

The Betty Crocker Project : Corn Bread Topped Sausage Pie

Sometimes you remind yourself so many times to do something that it gets filed away with the things you already did. You could have sworn you did it, because you did it in your head like a dozen times. For me this week, taking pictures of this delicious, fast, and easy Mexican-themed casserole became one of those things.

I thought I did it. Could have sworn I did it. I have a vivid imagination that remembers doing it. But until we make this again, please enjoy this nerdy senorita in place of a photo of golden corn bread, black beans, and spicy tomatoes.

Also check out these interviews on Vegan Police & Kiss Me, I'm Vegan: 2 of our favorite blogs. We love these guys!

Now let's make this whole-meal-in-a-pot dream come true! (Warning: when you click on this, you won't be able to control yourself. Expect dancing and good feelings. Don't click if you want to feel bad and remain still. I mean it. )

Corn Bread Topped Sausage Pie
Pie Stuffing :

• 1 Package of Soyrizo (We used Trader Joe's, but I've heard there are many varieties out there. If you can't find any, I recommend using Tempeh or Fake Burger Crumbles cooked in Taco Seasoning.)
• 1 Medium Red Onion (chopped)
• 1 Small Green Pepper (chopped; make sure this guy isn't too big, or he'll make your casserole kinda watery when he cooks)
• 1 Can Diced Tomatoes
• Dash of Hot Sauce
• 1 Clove Galric (minced)
• 1 15 oz can of Tomato Sauce
• 1 Cup of Frozen Corn (thawed)
• 1 Can of Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 2 Teaspoons Cumin
• 2 Tablespoons Braggs
• Dash of Beer
• Dash of Liquid Smoke
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil for Cooking

Corn Bread Topping:

• 2/3 Cup Cornmeal
• 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Soy Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 2 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Applesauce
• 1/4 Cup Daiya Cheddar Cheese (shredded; you'll want an extra handful or two to make a Cheezy layer between the Bread and Pie Stuffing)

Heat Oven to 400.

In your handy cast iron skillet, heat Olive Oil, Beer and Liquid Smoke at a Medium Heat. Once it begins to bubble, add Soyrizo (really squeeze out as much of the flavored oil as you can of the "casing"), Green Pepper, and Red Onion. Brown these on a Medium Heat till Soyrizo starts to get a crispy around the edges, and Onions begin to caramelize. Stir in Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Garlic, Corn, Hot Sauce, Black Beans, Cumin, and Braggs. Let cook until it begins to boil.

In a mixing bowl, mix all the Corn Bread Topping Ingredients except Daiya Cheese. Blend with a hand held mixer until smooth. Stir in Daiya Cheese with a large spoon.

Spoon your Pie Stuffing Mix into a ungreased 2 quart casserole dish. If you use a larger dish, your Corn Bread won't completely cover the top. Which isn't the end of the world; it just means you'll have a to center your Corn Bread topping to make sure it cooks evenly. Take a handful of Daiya Cheese or two and make a layer of Daiya Cheese over the Pie Stuffing Mix. Pour Corn Bread Topping over the Diaya Cheese layer. When you pour , make sure you get an even layer. It'll be hard to spread the topping out once it's on the Pie Stuffing Mix.

Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the Corn Bread is golden brown.

And if you happen to take a picture of this baby, please send it my way!

I have a theory that this casserole might be so good it has supernatural powers that defy photographic evidence.

The Betty Crocker Project : Pizza Burgers

I woke up this morning with a song about Spider-man and Pizza Burgers in my head.* See, many people know they like Spider-man, but they aren't really sure why. Of course, there are the obvious things:

A. The trademark Spider-man flying-through-the-skyscrapers artwork. Let's face facts: it's sweet. It makes you feel like the wind is hitting your face when Spider-man chases The Green Goblin.
B. Witty banter
C. He's one of the first teenage super heroes who acted like an actual teenager. He's cocky (when he's Spider-man), makes bad choices, and is a sucker for some long-legged blondes and redheads.
D. He was also one of the first teenage superheroes who wasn't just a sidekick.

But is that really why we like Spider-man?

I think we like Spider-man because we like Peter Parker. He's a good friend and son (or nephew or whatever). Peter Parker, like the our loyal little friend the veggie burger, can always be counted on.

I have no idea how many veggie burgers I've eaten over the years. We travel a lot, and we take comfort in knowing that more and more places have a friendly neighborhood veggie burger these days. They've become a trusted friend to vegans everywhere.

Saying that, if veggie burgers are Peter Parker, the Pizza Burger is Spider-man. This burger kicks butts in a boldfaced, saucy style. It's a show-off; but who cares? It's AMAZING!

Pizza Burgers

• 4 Vegan Veggie Burgers (we went with Boca Vegans, but there are a lot of different types to choose from)
• 1/2 Red Onion (sliced)
• 1/2 Small Green Pepper (chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons of Pizza Sauce per Burger
• 2 Teaspoons Black Olives per Burger (sliced)
• 4-5 slices of Vegan Pepperoni per Burger
• 4 Whole Wheat Sandwich Buns
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Daiya Mozzarella Cheese per Burger (shredded)
• Oregano and Red Pepper Flakes to sprinkle over the top
• Serve with some Pepperoncinis for a little something extra
• Olive Oil and a Dash of Liquid Smoke for cooking

Preheat oven to 400.

In your cherished little cast iron skillet, heat Olive Oil and a dash of Liquid Smoke at a medium heat. Add the Veggie Burgers. Once they start to brown, add Red Onions. Flip the Burgers a few times until they're brown on both sides. If the Onions are done cooking before the Burgers are done, you can always pile them on top of the Burgers to flavor the Burgers a bit.

While the Burgers and Onions are cooking, put your Sandwich Buns on your trusted pizza stone, open and face-down and in the oven. Remove when they're slightly toasted.

Take the top half of the Buns off the pizza stone and set aside. Flip the bottom half of the Bun over and put the Burger on there. Now, stack the Pizza Toppings on the Burger in this order: Pizza Sauce, Fake Pepperoni, little bit of Daiya Cheese, cooked Red Onion, Green Peppers, Some Daiya Cheese, Black Olives, and some more Daiya Cheese. Put the Pizza Burgers back in the oven to bake.

It should take around 10-20 minutes for the Daiya Cheese to melt. It depends how much you put on. Keep an eye on it, and remove from the oven once the Daiya Cheese is melted.

Sprinkle some Oregano and Red Pepper Flake over the Daiya Cheese and put the top half of the bun on.

Don't forget: with the great power comes great responsibility. So don't take the Pizza Burger for granted. It may seem simple, but that doesn't mean it won't rock your face.

*Pizza Burger... Pizza Burger... Does whatever a Pizza does. Wealth and fame... he's ignored... being amazing is his reward. Look out! There's a Pizza Burger.

The Betty Crocker Project : Spaghetti Pie & Garlic Bread

I love Betty. I mean POWER BALLAD love Betty. This project has really become a huge positive part of our lives and I am really grateful to Betty. I love her so much that I feel a little guilty about this blog post. If this recipe wasn't printed in a book that was sold to millions, I would feel like I had betrayed her trust by telling you this.

This is Betty's Original Spaghetti Pie : Spaghetti with tomato paste pushed into a pie pan into like a crust and then you put in layers of ground beef, mozzarella cheese and a secret ingredient layer in the center : Cottage Cheese. I know. I know. Please don't tear her apart too much in the comments. We all do weird shit.

As many of you know, my mom is Sicilian and I grew up eating lots of baked pasta dishes. So my version of Spaghetti Pie is a little off the Betty map BUT really it is quite delicious, not too unhealthy and not the Crayola colored vision that the Betty recipe is.  I admit that this version of Spaghetti Pie kinda came kind of naturally to me - like that little part of you that knows the lyrics to songs you awkwardly slow danced to with someone you don't remember like a lifetime ago. I hope if you were expecting the other pie - you can find a place in your heart for this version which will rock your face* - in a good way. Just try it.

The Betty Crocker Project : Easy Bacon Cheeseburger Lasagna

A few years back, I was looking at this absolutely just astounding website for MEAT CAKES with my friend Sarah (some of you may know her as the poster grrl from our facebook fan page Vegan Foods = Joy). Gross as it was - and believe me some of them were just sick - We were having a pretty good time coming up with some vegan versions of our own "Meat Cakes". My favorite was little tacos shaped like cupcakes with guacamole frosting sprinkled with green onions and black olives. I was actually inspired that day to create the infamous Fake Bacon Onion Ring Cheeseburger "cake" but then one of us had a realization : Most of these so called "Meat Cakes" were just weirdo versions of lasagna with some candles and spray cheese flowers.

The second I saw this recipe - I knew. I was making a vegan "Meat Cake".

If you are following along in your own Betty Crocker Cookbook, you'll see that there aren't really any vegetables in this recipe. I mean does canned tomato sauce really count as a vegetable? I had pulled some fresh tomatoes out of the fridge to add - I mean - cheeseburgers have slices of tomatoes - right? But here's the thing with a "Meat Cake" : Not unlike regular cakes, "Meat Cakes"  aren't solid until you bake them. If there is too much moisture - they don't get solid. SO! I didn't do it. I may try to tinker with it in the future but because I did have to tinker with this one quite a bit to add flavor and of course replacing the ricotta and taking out the eggs - WELL - this recipe is without a doubt, no compromise, assuredly, beyond question, clearly, a super undeniable "Meat Cake". 

ENJOY! Please eat with a salad. *

A Moment of Silence for the Loyal Little Vegan Bacon Avocado Cheeseburger

We miss you already dear friend.

The Betty Crocker Project : Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

I can remember being a little eater and reading recipes on the side of products and cans of vegetables for pretty random things like Cornflake-Covered Pork Chops and Cheezy Corn Wiener Roast made from those mysterious "Cheese Food" substances that never made their way to our kitchen. I never grew up in a home where my mother would allow us to eat food that she said "wasn't really food". So I would read these recipes as if they were a sneak peak into what was on dinner tables all over America being served by Non-Italian mothers that didn't think Ragu tasted like catsup. . . which it does. . . but that's a tangent for another day.

So one of the more exciting parts of this project ( for me anyways - I suspect Dan is being a really good sport ) was making some of the more random, creative and oh so very American - Brand Suggesting - Cross Promotional Concoctions. . . such as this true classic : THE IMPOSSIBLY EASY CHEESEBURGER PIE!

Now - Anyone who has ever been to our house to eat or watch a movie  - whatever - knows I like to research things. I like going into really anything with a little bit of a heads up of what to expect. Surprises are for people who aren't prepared. So I looked into this so called "Cheeseburger Pie". . . and guess what? This is a REAL THING. I found little old ladies sharing their recipes via websites I'm pretty sure their grandkids made and several recipes designed for bachelors and Southern Food Enthusiast with raving reviews from folks filled with cherished childhood memories of making this dish from a recipe on a Bisquick or Velveeta box. AH-HA! I KNEW IT!

It was surprisingly easy to Veganize this recipe and I have to admit it was also pretty good. I would wholeheartedly suggest giving it a try. It would be a great thing to bring to a potluck or BBQ - especially one with meatier guests.

• 4 Vegan Boca Patties 
• 1 Large Red Onion ( chopped )
• 1/2 Teaspoon Braggs
• 6 Slices of Tofutti American Cheese Slices
• 1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
• 1/2 Cup Original Bisquick
• 1 Cup Soy Milk 
• 2 Eggs worth of Ener-G Egg Replacer
• Olive Oil for cooking
• A Few Dashes of Liquid Smoke
• Margarine for greasing the glass pie plate

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
Grease a  9 inch glass pie plate with Margarine - You can also use a cooking spray.

Heat the Olive Oil and Liquid Smoke in a cast iron skillet - add Boca Burgers and Red Onions. Brown the Burgers and Onions. Once the Burgers start to get a to soft - chop them up into bite size clumps with your metal spatula. Stir in Braggs. Cook until the Onion is translucent and Burger clumps have crispy edges ( be sure and scrap up any Burger that is sticking to the skillet - those are the best parts ).

Spread in pie plate. Slice up 4 Tofutti Cheese Slices and sprinkle on Boca Burger pieces.

In a small bowl, stir in the remaining ingredients with a wire whisk until blended.Sprinkle the Nutritional yeast over the Burger pieces and Cheese and then pour the Bisquick mix into pie plate - over Burger pieces and Cheese.

Slice up the remaining 2 Tofutti Cheese Slices and Sprinkle of the top.

Bake about 25 minutes or until you can poke the center with a toothpick and have it come out clean. 

I ate mine with a side of dill pickles. Dan ate his with mustard and catsup. It is a Cheeseburger after all and I have to admit  - it was everything I always knew it would be!