The Betty Crocker Project : Louisiana Vegan Chicken Skillet Dinner

 I debated if I should post this recipe today because even though this is a very easy and delicious dinner - the photos just didn't really show that. I mean this dinner has it all. There's leafy kale, Vitamin C packed red peppers, cute little back-eyed peas, smokey vegan bacon and big Creole kick. It's great.
It's also one of those almost one pot wonders that Americans have come to know as "skillets."

Back in my wasted youth, my friends and I used to call each other "Home Skillet" when we were feeling what Emerson called "the comradery of peers."

So I guess it makes sense that an easy dinner than requires less clean up would earn this term of endearment. I mean we loved it. During all the soul crushing recording of receipts and organizing papers that was going on around ehre last week -- there was this recipe to look forward to. Not just as a dinner but for lunch the next day as leftovers. Yeah. This dinner is my "Home Skillet."

The Cruelty-Free Crawfish Boil

We've been buried in book-writing the past few weeks. We even postponed New Year's Eve till after the manuscript gets sent in. We bought a few extra weeks of caffeine and chocolate and sitting on the sofa before those New Year's Resolutions kick in. I wish we could enjoy them, but I guess it goes without saying that I've been too lost in the book to enjoy anything. If you haven't figured this out about me yet from reading this blog, I can get a little hyper-focused on a project--and I really like doing things right.

Which brings us to today's post! Honestly this isn't part of The Betty Crocker Project, and I'm really glad it's not. See, crawfish boils are a big thing in The South. If you've never of them, I'm just going to link to this and spare you the heartbreaking details. The thing is that with the rise in popularity of Cajun and Creole food, these events are becoming popular all over the US. Food bloggers from LA to NY hosted them in their backyards last summer and well, that's just sad. I also hope that doesn't mean next summer all those squirrels and opossums need to watch their backs too.

Our crawfish boil actually uses May Wah's Shrimp Balls and Vegan Prawns, but captures the spirit of this dish without any of the cruelty. It's also insanely easier and cleaner! You can make this year-round and enjoy a little faux summer in the middle of winter.

Bon Appetite!

Beer-Battered Green Beans

So, we've been a little MIA lately. We had computer issues that ended up being a bigger deal than I thought because we needed that computer for our photos. We also had a photo shoot for our "about the author" section with V.K.Rees Photography that was literally magical. She was able to take photos of me that I actually like. It's was like some kind of Harry Potter moment. I've been setting up 2 completely awesome contests for December. You're going to love these. And of course, there is the book...

The deadline for the manuscript for our book is about 2 weeks away and I admit I'm nervous and excited and busy. There's the recipe testing and writing and the typing out of recipes and then double checking there's no typos and just so much to do. I've been so terrified of mistakes and I've literally been micromanaging myself while being excited to finally have the best job in the world.

I had to stay in Brooklyn over Thanksgiving and missed out on The Shannons' Annual Vegan Feast. I can tell you I did make the best of it by getting a lot done - including a Peking Tofurky with drumsticks and Asian vegetable wild rice. But I missed going to Boston to see everyone and spending the holiday with family. This is the first time I have missed Thanksgiving since Dan and I became "us" and it was kind of sad.

But enough with the sad stories, today we're going to talk about Beer Battered Green Beans. You've seen Green Bean French Fried whatever on the menu of all those TGIF-ish places. I've always kind of joked that this trend was a dubious attempt at "healthy fries" after Super Size Me*. I mean after that movie, everybody seemed to be deep frying their green beans. Weird or wonderful? Maybe both.

Having said that - These fries are good! They are delicious. I mean I was really shocked at how fraking good these fries were. Green beans are one of my very favorite vegetables so it was fun to play around with a new way to make them but you have been warned just because these little guys are green doesn't mean they are "health food"... They are a fun, vegan, basket of food that will go great with a cold beer and some Hockey. We should love them for who they are.

Game on!

Tofurky Meets The Shannons Contest!

Cajun Deep Fried Tofurky with Okra Giblet Gravy

It's no secret that we love Tofurky! We love the deli slices for lunch in sandwiches and salads. We love the roasts with Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes. We love the leftovers cut up into chunks in pot pies. I mean what's not to love about this vegan classic that has become a Thanksgiving tradition all over the world? Not only is it a compassionate alternative to eating sweet birds like Beatrice at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and Skip and Victoria at Farm Sanctuary but Tofurkys are prefect for whatever creative cooking ideas you want to experiment with during the holiday season. 

We've deep fried them Cajun style after injecting them with a spicy marinade all Paula Deen Style and served them with okra giblet gravy. We've roasted them over an over flame and a can of beer. Yes, we are talking about the infamous beer can Tofurky. We've wrapped it in vegan bacon and brushed it with sea salt and black pepper. We're glazed it with orange and miso and partnered it with Asian vegetable stuffing. Tomorrow we're posting a recipe for a Tofurky roasted in Dark Beer and Rosemary. Today we're launching our Tofurky Contest!

I won't make you wait any longer. Here's the contest! Leave a comment below telling us what Vegan Thanksgiving tradition or dish you're the most looking forward to and we'll randomly choose ONE Comment from a Member to win a coupon for ONE FREE TOFURKY FEAST! That includes:

• One Tofurky® Roast (made with organic non-genetically engineered soybeans) - now 20% larger
• Savory Giblet Gravy
• Wild Rice, Whole Wheat Bread Crumb Stuffing
• Tofurky® Jurky Wishstix
• Organic Chocolate Cake from Amy's Kitchen
• Happy Tofurky Day card & coupons

We're choosing randomly so you can be as honest as you want. In other words, we won't judge if your favorite Thanksgiving tradition is football with pizza veggie dogs or surfing and smores. Sorry folks you have to live in the United States to win. You also have to be a member so we can contact you later to send you your feast! If you're not already a member, you can find the button to join in the right hand column. We'll be choosing the winner on Friday November 11th.

So who wants to win a FREE Tofurky Feast?!?!?

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.

Moving Week! Vegan Creole Spice Popcorn Chicken

So it's our last week in Norfolk before we head off for our new life in the big city. I go back and forth between thinking we've made a lot of progress and are going to totally make it out of here in time in an organized way and thinking we are living in utter chaos and pretty much screwed. It's not really an ideal situation for making culinary masterpieces. I mean last night I searched forever for a cork screw that I am now remembering was packed in the box with baking gear the day before. I mean we have stacks of clothes and magazines I haven't touched in months in easy to access piles around the apartment right now but I can't open a bottle of red wine to make a simple summer sauce for dinner. SIGH.

Last night was also a big night for anyone who has ever loved The Celtics* or loves anyone who fits that description. They swept the New York Knicks in the playoffs and made all those New Englanders proud yet again. I could bore you with rants about my job, the move, boxes, learning to drive a stick or even chatter about getting to see my friends' baby this weekend. I won't do that. Last year we celebrated the Celtics kick ass in the playoffs with Big Baby Vegan Hot Wings... This year we're going to veganize a different sports bar favorite : Popcorn Chicken - Creole Spice Popcorn Chicken actually.

Super easy and fast and perfect for a kitchen in flux that has limited access to gadgets. So what are we waiting for? Let's do this...

Special Edition : Fat Tuesday Fried Pickles & The Homemade Vegan Mardi Gras

Please consider this an instant Shannons Classic.

Some people don't think of Virginia as being part of "The South". I think most of those people have either never been here, or if they have, haven't been too far outside of DC. I lived in Georgia for something like 3 years, and when I moved to Norfolk I thought I'd have to give up good Southern vegan food. I mean when I lived in Atlanta, Soul Veg was on my way home from work, and was a common haunt. But one of my first weekends in Virginia, I went to lunch with a few of the PETA campaigners and had my very first basket of fried pickles and some pretty sweet VA fried chickette (which was vegan at the time). This was a big food moment in my life.

Now, I've lived in NYC, and grew up knowing what a good pickle is. I love pickles. All kinds of pickles are my friends, but fried pickles are something special. The shared love of fried pickles is one of those first memories Dan and I ever had. So making these was more than just fun for us... it was like a tiny little second honeymoon in our kitchen. We went to New Orleans for our Honeymoon, and we're two Northern kids who love Southern food. I could bore you all day telling you how special this was for us, but we're working with a deadline here. Tomorrow is the infamous Fat Tuesday. People all over the world will be doing this and this. We're super married, so we're going to have our own little Homemade Vegan Mardi Gras, and start it all off with these babies. The other day we posted Vegan Shrimp Gumbo and listed some of our favorite Cajun and Creole recipes so you can have your own too. But in case you missed 'em - here they are:

• Beighnets
• Po'Boys (Vegan Bourbon Chick'n and Shrimp)
• Hush Puppies
• Hoppin' John
• Red Beans and Rice
• Jambalaya
• Deep Fried Cajun Tofurky
• Strawberry Margaritas

OK - Enough of this chatter... let's git 'er done*&**. If this is your first time having fried pickles, you're in for a real treat... I hope you're ready to make a new favorite food memory!

The Betty Crocker Project : Easy Vegan Shrimp Gumbo

I have always loved Creole and Cajun food. I have spent huge portions of my life dreaming up ways to veganize old school Louisiana favorites like Beighnets, Po'Boys, Hush Puppies, Hoppin' John, Red Beans and Rice and Jambalaya. Hell - we even deep fried a Tofurky. So I guess I don't need to rave about how excited I was to make Betty's Shrimp Gumbo. Here's the thing...

Have you ever been making something and you get to a step in the recipe that makes you pause. Everything in you says - This recipe is perfect the way it is. If I do this - will it really be better? That moment when your heart says it's time to stop but you can't help but continue. There were 2 moments in this recipe where I wish I had the ability to turn back time :

• I wish I had used May Wah's ridiculously yet awesomely named Shrimp Balls instead of their Large Vegan Prawns. The Shrimp Balls are just firmer and have more flavor. ( Is anyone else laughing right now?)
• I wish I had added 1/2 Cup of vegetable broth or tomato sauce or even some diced tomatoes rather than the tomato paste. Yes Gumbo can be tomato-y and more people apparently like it tomato-y than spicy and roux-y. It lost a lot of kick when I added the tomato paste and became more of a sweeter tomato sauce than the spicy chowder with rice dish I personally love. But if you're not sure what you like or maybe are not the kind of person who orders the 5 pepper dishes at Thai restaurants - a medium salsa type - I suggest adding the tomato paste a little at a time till you like the flavor and thickness. 

Enough chatter - Let's start making this dish that is still so good it will make you smack your mama*... I mean Betty always brings it.

The Betty Crocker Project : Macaroni Salad with Peppered Baked Tofu

Peta2's Christina Freeman Approving.

This recipe is potluck tested and approved!

Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day and so peta2 decided to celebrate in style... friendly neighborhood potluck style that is. As always there was a pretty impressive spread ranging from spring rolls to chocolate cake from peta2's Vegan College Cookbook. Now Betty's Macaroni Salad is made with Tuna and some different seasoning but we went with baked tofu because it's kinda the new trend around The Shannon Homestead these days. A trend that I hope will make the world a better place for potlucks and BBQs everywhere. Kind of a Act Locally - Think Globally thing.

There are lots of photos to go with this one - Are your vegan-senses tingling yet?*

The Betty Crocker Project : 16 Bean, Leek & Tofurky Kielbasa Soup

This batch was made with Tofurky Kielbasa but I think Field Roast's Apple & Sage Sausages would be perfect!

Someone needs to say it. SyFy Channel's Vampire & Werewolf movie marathon this weekend was a little too heavy on the werewolves and had a significant lack of vampires. That's not to say it wasn't still completely wonderful! I mean, who doesn't love a good monster movie? But sometimes a gal needs more dialogue during the big bad death scene than most werewolf movies allow...  and less icky spine and muzzle faces.

So what do us Shannons make for dinner when there's this level of distraction? Pretty much what you would expect. We pull out the slow cooker and return to debating which movie has better werewolves; taking into account origin stories, transformation scenes, and CGI cheating, of course. But if werewolves aren't your thing, you might find yourself instead wondering: can I even name 16 different types of beans? And where would I even find them?

Fear not! They sell bags of 15 bean soup in the dry bean or soup aisles in most grocery stores, and that last bean is green beans. So relax. Pull out your largest stew pot or slow cooker, and let's make some soup!

The Betty Crocker Project : Spicy Split Pea Soup and a Side of Chatter

So we're taking a little detour from our chocolate suicide to enjoy soup season and talk about some updates we've made around here. We're also going to man up and answer some of the questions we're getting since I boasted yesterday that we might not need New Years Resolutions this year. Now, if you haven't checked out some of the changes we made to this site over the past few weeks, you really should. We've put in a Pantry page to help you locate recipes by ingredients, and we updated our Frequently Asked Questions, As Seen On and Nerdery pages. We're still working on The Family Tree, but keep checking back--I think you'll like what we're going to do.

Also, if you look on the right hand side of the page, you'll see a button to check out our Finding Vegan Page, as well as a link to Ecolissa. Meet The Shannons readers can get 20% on Ecolissa - eco friendly and vegan clothing by entering Vegan20 at checkout. If living a greener life is one of your New Years Resolutions, you should really check Ecolissa out.

We've had a few people ask me a wide range of questions about reusable shopping bags & totes*. I hope these tips answer your questions.

• Keep your shopping bags in your car, and if you're really forgetful, put a sticky note on your dash reminding you to bring them inside. I think you'll be surprised how fast you make this a good habit.
• Recently someone who loves large, uncompromising landfills went around the internet telling people that reusing shopping bags will lead to a pandemic of food born illnesses. Let's be honest here--like anything in life, if you are worried about getting sick... be cleaner. Wash your hands. Wash your bags regularly, and your food before you eat it. Soap don't hurt.
• If you feel like some weirdo using a tote in places outside the grocery stores and farmers market, get yourself one of these cute little ones that fit in your purse. There are a few that are more manly too for pockets.

Time for soup!

The Betty Crocker Project : Hoppin' John

Around here is just wouldn't be New Years without some Black Eyed Peas.

It's kinda hard to say where the tradition started but everyone knows that eating these little cuties on New Years Day is thought to bring good luck and prosperity. The Talmud talks about eating bowls of black eyed peas on Rosh Hashana but in case you aren't friends with any Jews - that's in the fall. During the Civil War, these sweeties were cooked up with ham bones and collard greens, given a heavy dose of hot sauce and served with cornbread. Legend has it when Sherman marched through the South leaving a trail of ruined farms and burnt cities, he left these humble little peas alone thinking they weren't worth the trouble. Survivors left behind came to think of these legumes as being "lucky" - either because they survived the burning or because they helped folks survive the aftermath - maybe both. Some folks in the South take it so far they make sure to eat 365 peas on New Years so they never have a bad day.

This tradition is probably why Hoppin John has become of one of the most popular adapted West African/Soul Food dishes served in the South. I couldn't really figure out a good explanation for where the name came from but interesting Nerd Fact : There is a recipe for Hopping John in The Carolina Housewife by Sarah Rutledge, which was published in 1847. I love food history.

Our Hoppin Johns skipped the ham bones - but still has a lot of flavor. We just think that makes it luckier - for those sweet little pigs that is.

The Betty Crocker Project : Thanksgiving Parade #1 - Cajun Deep Fried Tofurky with Okra Giblet Gravy

Every year people all over the country burn down their homes, patios, sport themed gazebos trying to deep fry turkeys for Thanksgiving. Something so dangerous and reckless seemed like a great way to start our Thanksgiving Parade of Food! I wanted to call it an invasion but it just didn't seem "holiday-ish".

For the next few weeks we are going to be eating vegan versions of Classic Betty Crocker Thanksgiving Rock Stars and when I say we I mean us Shannons and you guys! So let's launch this mutha with one Southern Thanksgiving tradition that has been called more dangerous than a fist full of illegal firecrackers and more tasty than a house actually made of pie!

Here are some tips to remember when deep frying your Tofurky or other vegan holiday roasts:

• You need to make sure your Roast is completely defrosted. This is key because it's the melting water from the frozen turkeys that make the oil freak out and jump out of the pot like that. Because as we all know - you never use water on a grease fire.
• Tofurkys are small enough to fry in your kitchen but make sure you have the proper utensils - BBQ Tongs and Fork to pull your Holiday Roast out, a pot large enough the Oil won't spill over when the roast is dropped in, Baking Soda to put out any fires and really good oven mitts and long sleeves to protect yourself.
• If you are using a vegan Roast that is not pre-formed you should bake the Roast first for 20 to 30 minutes at 300 to makes sure you get a nice skin on your roast so it won't fall apart in the pot. 
• Don't ever leave anything frying unattended especially if it s a holiday roast. 
• Please Please Please be careful. I have to add that although we'd feel terrible if anyone was hurt while attempting to deep fry their Tofurky this Thanksgiving - we aren't responsible for any damages or injuries that happen. We can't stress enough - be careful, make sure your roast is defrosted and your pot doesn't overflow. 

Now, that we got that drama out of the way... Today is Dan's Birthday! We try to really do birthdays right around here but sadly this year I am under the weather a bit and so his birthday has been a lot of video games and some vegan beignets. Poor Dan. At least he also got a Cajun Deep Fried Tofurky... Without further ado - I do declare! Let's eat some Fakesgiving!

The Betty Crocker Project : Beef (less) Stew

Dear Soup Season, You are always welcome at our house! OX - Annie

What can I say about this stew? Well, in no particular order :

• This stew is the perfect Fall dinner, and makes a lot, so you can have leftovers for a few days.
• It's hearty and has warm flavors without getting too spicy. It has a nice rustic charm to it that made me wish the leaves outside were a little more red and orange.
• Like regular old "meaty" stew, this stew is even better the next day. The onion and "beefy" flavors really come out after the stew gets to sit for a bit, so I really suggest not eating it all in one meal. The next day you'll see what I mean. I was genuinely sad to see the bottom of my bowl the first night, but the next day it was like saying good-bye to a friend. OK I'm being dramatic today - but man it was good.
• You can get the same flavor from this stew in an hour that you would find in a pot of "beefy" stew that takes 4 hours to make, and no one was hurt in the making of this stew.
• Don't forget your bread! Soup just isn't soup without some good bread. Our Sunflower Seed Herb Whole Wheat Bread is just about perfect.

That should pretty much cover it... I mean, do you need to hear more? Go make some stew! Chop - chop! (That's soup making humor)

The Betty Crocker Project : Beer Can Tofurky

Beer Can Chicken is an American tradition. I mean, I never made one, or even ate one, before going vegan - but apparently people all over the country have. The second we saw this recipe, we began plotting our strategy for this impressive and somewhat ambitious grilling project. We discussed the challenges, such as stabilizing the Tofurky, and the differences between mock meat and, well, meat. We also brainstormed the awesome-ness that would become our "Beer Can Rub", and which brand of beer to use. A Shannon Offensive, if you will.

There's a bit to do, and we,ve included several photos to help walk you through your own Beer Can Tofurky - so let's do this... or how they say in Virginia... Git 'er done.

The Betty Crocker Project : Beer & Cheese Soup with a Popcorn Garnish and a side of Smokey Collard Greens & Bacon

Last night, a small group of weary wooden travelers arrived on our dining room table. They had just completed a long journey to start a new, octagon-shaped life on a little island named Cataan. In the end, there could be only only one to settle this island rich in ore, brick, sheep, wood and wheat; and last night Dan had the dice on his side. That's right Shannon; I'm calling you lucky. Love you.

You may remember our buddy Chris from his previous roles in Pizza Dip and Dan & Annie - The Wedding. Well, last night he took a night off from stacking bills and breaking hearts to come play a board game with us and be the test subject for Beer & Cheese Soup.

Beer & Cheese Soup may sound a bit odd to some, but in reality it's pretty tasty stuff. We were comparing it to French Onion Soup; the rich "beefy"* and savory flavors, the cheese mixed in and bread for dipping. This soup was amazing! It would be a really great fall dish, so we may have jumped the gun a bit, but I'm ready for the leaves to change and to start baking again.

We paired this with Smokey Collard Greens (a version of Betty's Spicy Collard Greens) and some fresh Limeade. Mostly because now that I have this dreamy Limeade recipe, I want to drink it every night.

The whole dinner was Ore-mazing! Yes, that's a Settlers of Cataan joke, but still totally true.

Special Edition : The New Orleans Stay-cation Part 2 : Vegan Po'Boys & Hush Puppies

Morning on Bourbon Street

Even in a magical place like New Orleans, they don't eat Beignets all day.

When we were there about a year ago, one of our most memorable meals was vegan Po' Boys at Cafe Bamboo. So it only seemed right that we should make a few for our stay-cation. We had brought home a few postcards from NOLA with recipes for Creole & Cajun dishes that I wanted to veganize, and some day I'll share my version of artichoke soup that will make you do this*. This weekend we did an overhaul on the Hush Puppies postcard recipe to go with our Po' Boys.

Traditional Po' Boys are usually made with deep fried seafood of some kind; like shrimp, crawdads, or catfish. There are as many versions of Po' Boys--ranging from seafood to roast beef --as there are urban legends about where the name comes from. My favorite story is that the name comes from the free sandwiches a New Orleans restaurant owner gave to the street car conductors during their strike in 1929, so they wouldn't have to cave to feed their families. Back then, seafood wasn't as expensive as it is these days, and catfish and shrimp would have made up a cheaper sandwich then one with pork or beef. Hence these were sandwiches for "Poor Boys". As someone who grew up in a Union house, I kinda love that story.

Whatever the origin, Po' Boys are tasty. We made vegan Dressed Creole Shrimp and Bourbon Street Chicken Po' Boy Shorties with Creole Veganaise and vegan Hush Puppies. The recipes and photos for all 4 are below--and the fancy veganaise is so worth it.

Special Edition : The New Orleans Stay-cation Part 1 : Vegan Beignets

Dan is home! He was in San Francisco last week doing some pretty awesome stuff for the animals; including attending a Ringling Brothers demonstration that had over 250 protesters show up. Yeah, that's my man on the megaphone.

He deserved something special to come home to... like a stay-cation to New Orleans.

Now, we have never eaten the famous Cafe Du Monde Beignets. They aren't vegan, but they do look tasty, and it really is a shame they don't offer an animal friendly version of this old-school New Orleans favorite. Honestly Dan and I would have eaten a dozen every morning with barrels of café au (soy) lait while reading our books and people-watching for hours.

But a trip to NOLA wasn't going to happen this weekend. And even if we could make it down, we'd still have to make our own vegan beignets. Bright side: we caught up on Top Chef and True Blood--because we're married and that's what married people do--and enjoyed these beauties in our boxers with mugs of good freshly ground coffee.

New Orleans is a pretty liberal place, but they don't usually let you hang out in their cafes barefoot in your pajamas.

The Betty Crocker Project : Cornmeal Chicken with Fresh Peach Salsa

You knew it was coming when you read "Georgia" and "Farmer's Markets"... the Fresh Peach Recipe!

I debated making a crisp or pie or some kind of other yummy baked treat. But the thing is, you can use frozen peaches for those, or you need to add sugar or agave nectar, and these beauties are just perfect on their own. This recipe can only be made with fresh peaches, and really brings out their flavor, rather than mimicking it.

We used Match Vegan Meats Chicken, which I've decided is my favorite fake chicken to make with a coating. You can make the chicken "breasts" any size you want, and you don't need to add oil, cooking sprays or soymilk or anything like that to coat them. We order a lot of our fake meat and cheeses in bulk from Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe and May Wah to save money and get the products we want. If you order enough you get free shipping, and can fill your freezer.

Now, Betty's peach salsa was already vegan, but I added a little bit to it to give it a little extra something. I liked how the little extra really gave it more heat, and a savory flavor that made the peaches seem a bit sweeter. I had this mango salsa once at The Candle Cafe in NYC that had something similar going on with minced onions. I still remember it fondly. I was really happy with how this turned out and I think we did justice to the epic reputation of The Georgia Peach. No not that one, silly... this one!

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.