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...

Postcard from Boston! They may call it Beantown - but Vegans have way more options...

So you've probably guessed we've been away for Thanksgiving... well in Boston to be exact... Going to Celtic's games, visiting the Museum of Fine Arts and of course enjoying The Shannon Family vegan Thanksgiving! But when it comes to Boston they have a lot to offer as far as good vegan food besides what you find in the Shannon  kitchen...

The night before The Celtics beat The Raptors 110 to 101 in The Garden, we literally feasted at My Thai Vegan Cafe. We may have been a little too excited when we ordered because we got an appetizer, bowls of soups, 2 entrees and a beloved pot of green tea (that night was freezing) - which may sound like a normal meal but the serving sizes are so generous we had didn't have any room left for the gorgeous carrot cake they had in their bakery cases. Oh well - Guess we have to go back!

We started with Golden Triangles - which are medium sized fried won tons filled with a spiced fake chicken that came with a peanut sauce to dip them in. Dan was smart and got the Sweet & Sour Soup. This was some of the best Sweet & Sour Soups I've had since I moved from the Puget Sound area. It made me regret my Coconut Tofu Soup - which was also good but not a rock star like the Sweet & Sour. We both got entrees to share but really I'm not a great sharer when it comes to food. Dan's lucky I love him so much.

I got the Lemongrass Vegan Chicken and loved that I could actually taste the lemongrass. I adore the flavor and am often disappointed when it is over powered by salt or ginger. This was perfect. Dan took a chance and got the Tamarind Vegan Duck. I was worried it would be too sweet - a lot of times folks use jellies rather than fruit for the glazes and the sugar just kind of takes over. But the glaze was just the right amount of sweetness and savory and the vegan duck was firm and flavorful. The dish came on a huge plate surrounded by vegetables and was a meal on it's own. Man - I'm a getting a bit nostalgic just thinking about it.

But that's just one spot you should check out if you find yourself looking for vegan food in Boston...

The Betty Crocker Project : Chicken Fingers & Oven-Baked Potato Wedges

I'm not sure if you knew this... but yesterday was vegan Christmas!

Yes, there was a huge box of Match Vegan Meats left on my doorstep yesterday. Poor little buddies, just looking for a kitchen to call home... until they're cooked and eaten, that is. MUAHAHAHAH.

We started with the "chicken," because we had tried the Betty chicken fingers recipe recently with our May Wah surplus and had been less than thrilled with the results (pictured below). I mean, they tasted pretty good, but the corn flake coating kept falling off and they were really messy to eat. The Match chicken comes in a uncooked sort of paste form, so you can make it into fingers and bread it without ending up with a lap full of baked crunchy bits.

Don't get me wrong... it hurts me say it. I mean, there hasn't been a competition this fierce since Kirk had to fight Spock. But I have to say that the Match Vegan Meat chicken fingers were freaking amazing! They made the May Wah ones look greasy and sad. If you can make these tonight - just do it.

And then do this.

The Betty Crocker Project : Pizza Dip

It was an exciting night in Shannon household, full of heartbreak and drama.

Yes, as you can probably tell from the photo, our delicious pizza dip caught fire in the broiler. Not a big fire, really. It was more like a birthday cake. I put the rack in too high, and when I went to pull it out, I just had to blow on it to save our lives and property.

Don't worry, we didn't throw this little guy away. We don't waste food around here. The Celtics played the Lakers last night, and we had to eat something to take our minds off the whipping the guys in green got. It was a heartbreak of a game, with injuries and missed baskets here, there and everywhere. I hate it when they look so sad. But I have to say that if there's one thing I've learned sharing my life with Dan, and from all the sports media in our lives, it's that nothing makes the fans go crazy more than a redemption story. So let's all get really excited for that.

It is really too bad that the photo doesn't do this dip justice. This had all the potential of being a really great photo, with the diced peppers and olives and everything. What this photo doesn't really show is that even burnt, this dip was pretty good. Our dearest Chris Overton (pictured below), or The Ol' Rev Dino Arms as he came to be known at our wedding, said it had that "Pizza Hut burnt crust taste" - which actually had it's own charm. Although it would have been nice to really taste the fresh basil that was lost in the damage.

Here's to your dip having a better trip in the broiler - and to the Lakers tanking on Thursday!

The Betty Crocker Project : Beef & Artichoke Pasta

So this morning, I had this whole rant about how the NBA terrible tattoo situation was out of control and how in life sometimes there are no second chances. (Yes - That was a tattoo of a dragon flying towards a basketball being held like a crystal ball and that other guy has Abe Lincoln on his neck)

That blog made sense because this was a recipe that has 2 versions - one fast and one exceptional! It was a blog entry about how the kitchen forgives and you can always come back and try again. Then I saw this and  I just had to share :

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Craziest F#?ing Thing I've Ever Heard - Gored Bullfighter
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News

I wasn't one of those folks who celebrated when bullfighter Julio Aparicio was gored. Though I have to admit my first thought was - "Karma's a Bitch."

I mean I would slap that guy something awful given the chance but I don't wish torture and death on anyone - even a freaking jerk face like him. Just because I am pro-animal doesn't mean I'm anti-human and I wouldn't be much of an advocate for animals if I didn't think there was a way to change people's hearts and minds towards animals - even a freaking jerk face like him. I mean isn't that really - at the most basic level - what the animal rights movement is about? Aren't we just asking people to not be a jerk to the those who depend on our compassion?

Having said that - I couldn't agree more with the intro to this piece from The Colbert Report and I sincerely hope that Senior Aparicio thinks a little bit more about his life choices and the barbaric butchery he is responsible for. He had a choice to get in that ring - the bull didn't.

OK - Soapbox put away let's make some fake Beef & Artichoke Pasta!

The Betty Crocker Project : Special Leftovers Edition

We get a lot of questions about what to do with leftovers. So we thought we'd share some of our favorites thus far.

The Betty Crocker Project : Asian Tuna with Wasabi Aioli and Sesame Buttered Broccoli

You know those nights. . . the ones where everything just kinda works out? The nights when you're a little worried The Cleveland Cavilers may live up to their reputation and beat The Celtics but instead Kevin Garnett goes Berserker on them with his metal face and all.* The nights when you're a little unsure what dinner is going to turn out like and you were kinda grumpy all day so you're worried you may unknowingly stumble into a fight with your significant other but you don't and dinner turns out actually kinda amazing. You eat a dinner at home that you would pay to eat at a restaurant except this dinner is even better because you get to eat it in your slippers and a comfortable chair trying to keep kittens off the table. I really like those nights. Sigh. Thank you Betty for your role in this lovely evening.

OK enough gushing . . . more eating. . .

Doc Rivers, Head Coach Of The Boston Celtics, Consults With My Wife During A Timeout

ANNIE: Doc, I feel crowded in this kitchen because there isn’t enough counter space.

DOC: You’ve just gotta stay focused. Maintain your intensity in the kitchen. You’re a cook—this is what you do. If you stay focused, the tiny kitchen can’t beat you.

ANNIE: But our fridge is small too, so there’s no room for leftovers.

DOC: Look, we all want to cook this recipe. But we’ve got to do it together. OK? We’re trying to do it ourselves. We’ve got to do it together.

ANNIE: I’m all out of Supernatural since the new season isn’t on DVD yet. What am I supposed to do while I cook?

DOC: Just stay aggressive. I love your tempo right now. That’s who you are. That’s how you’re gonna win. Cook at your pace. Don’t cook at someone else's pace. Cook at your pace.

ANNIE: So we have this Aerogarden to grow herbs, but the basil has taken over and it’s choking out all the other herbs.

DOC: It’s a 45-minute recipe. OK? That’s all. Just cook the recipe for 45 minutes. That’s all you gotta do. 45 minutes. That’s all. Leave all the other stuff at home.

ANNIE: Percy keeps biting my ankles while I cook because he thinks it’s funny when I squeal. I’m worried I’m going to drop something on him.

DOC: Just stick to the game plan. Cook the recipe the way it’s drawn up. Percy’s going to try to draw you out of your recipe, out of your comfort zone. OK? Don’t let him. It’s your recipe. Just commit to it. You can make this vegan.

ANNIE: But there’s still not enough counter space.

DOC: Just maintain your intensity out there. Just stay focused. OK, bring it in. Energy, on three. Ready? One, two…