Raspberry Lemonade Tart with a Rosewater & Coconut Crust

So I admit I've been a little MIA lately. There has been a lot going on and to be honest -- I've fallen behind on basically everything. I mean emails, laundry, cleaning out the fridge... pretty much everything but bills*. But there have been a few really exciting things that have happened lately. To paraphrase:

1. Our book Betty Goes Vegan is finally available for pre-sale! There are all these early bird special discounts available on the amazon page -- which is cool.

2. I was able to share some of my favorite vegan baking substitutions on the kitchn. I love this blog so it was a real honor for me. Plus it was great to be able to share with a not-all-vegan community how easy it is to bake vegan. I focused on substitutions you can find in any old grocery store and was really touched by the over 600 likes!

3. The Seed - Vegan Experience conference is this weekend. I won't be able to make it unfortunately but if you're around NYC -- you should really check it out. They have a pretty impressive speaker line-up. I'm also excited because it means my buddy Michelle Schwegmann from Herbivore Clothing Company will be in town. Love that girl.

Michelle & me at The NYC Vegetarian Food Festival - photo credit : The Village Voice

4. I finally posted our photos from Belgium. We spent a few days there around the end of May and you're going to hearing a lot about this trip. I mean this is a country famous for fries, beer, chocolate and comics. What's not to love? Today's recipe is actually inspired (in part) by a tart I saw in the window of a bakery in Brussels.

We didn't glaze ours and didn't add as many raspberries in the photo so you could see the filling. We also played around a lot with some more Mediterranean summer flavors by adding rosewater to the crust. Last summer we made Rosewater Lemonade Sorbet (shaved ice) and it just wouldn't be summer with out dabbling with the rosewater some more.

I'm curious -- what flavors say "Summer" for you?

Happy Holidays from The Shannons!

We didn't make this the internet gave it to us.

I know we've been MIA lately. I've been completely submerged in our book. Last night I literally passed out on the sofa with my laptop about a foot away. I was up till 3am with Fright Night on and a cold cup of coffee trying to think of new ways to say "blend" and "mix" while still making sense. Spoiler Alert! Our book will have a lot of blending and mixing in it.

I am yet again hopelessly behind on my emails, Facebook messages and as always my dishes. Seriously not even 'college me' would approve of the state of our kitchen at this moment. But I enough about me. I'm getting a lot of emails asking for suggestions for Christmas and Hanukkah dinners. So I went through and compiled this greatest hit list that I hope will help some of you out with inspiration or remind you of a recipe you liked but maybe you haven't made since last year... whatever.

• Vegan Risotto alla Milanese with Peas 
• Manicotti with a Kalamata Olive Pesto Tofu and Tofu Ricotta Filling 
• Soy Nog Cupcakes
• Gingerbread Cookies
• Pear & Cranberry Cobbler
• Vegan Venison (Gardein) with Cranberry & Red Wine Sauce 
• Vegan Baked Latkes
• Soy Nog Cheesecake 
• Our Pinch of Chutzpah Matzo Ball Soup 
• Coffee & Wine Braised Beef-less Brisket with Vegetables
• Candy Cane Cake 
• Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
• Ziti all'Amatriciana 
• Vegan Shrimp Scampi 
• Citrus & Garlic Basted Holiday Roast 
• Beef-less (Gardein) with Bordelaise Sauce & Roasted Rosemary Potatoes 
• Fettuccine with Wild Mushrooms & Artichoke Hearts 

Happy Holidays! XO - Annie (Dan too) 

PS - Please don't think I haven't missed you all because I have.

The Betty Crocker Project : Marinated Tempeh Ratatouille Heroes

 

Back when I was a little vegan, one of the very first dishes I ever made was Ratatouille. Now if you're not familiar with this traditional French Provençal dish that is usually already vegan -- well that's a shame. See this dish sounds fancy but it's actually very easy and great way to get not-yet-vegans to enjoy a meat-free dinner. Don't believe me that the French could have a dish without obscene amounts of butter and cream in it? Check out Julia Child's recipe. 

But after years and years of roasted veggie platters being the only option at weddings and restaurants with table cloths -- vegans can find it hard to really appreciate even the best Ratatouille. That's why we were originally less than super excited when it came time to tackle Betty's Ratatouille Heroes. I felt I was obligated -- no -- it was my duty -- to make something special with this recipe. The world didn't need another vegan roasted veggie sandwich and we need to complete our mission of making our way through Betty's Big Red. I also couldn't help but notice that the building blocks of Ratatouille have so much potential for something more. 

We really hope you'll give this sandwich a chance... it might not be pretty but sometimes a sandwich comes into your life at just the right time and is full of all kinds of good things that might make you feel a little better about all those cookies you want to eat later. 

This could be that sandwich. Don't worry - cookies are coming up next.

2011's Thanksgiving Parade begins with #7! Roasted Tomato & Fennel Bisque

OK. I admit we might be pushing it a little bit by adding this to the Month of Baking but you do use your oven to melt the vegan cheese. I've also noticed a lot of Tweets and Facebook Statuses about runny noses and sore throats so I thought it might be a good time to post a recipe that takes your mom's tomato soup a step further.

Original bisques are French soups made with crustaceans that were too beat up to be sold in the market but over the years the term has also been used to also describe cream-based vegetable soups. Sometimes the term means both. So not the most compassionate soups on the block. We used fennel, sea kelp and some vegan sour cream in ours to make it a bit nicer to both sea spiders and our bovine friends. We decided to add the toasted crouton (that you can't see) and melt the Daiya vegan cheddar on top as a little shout out to tomato soup's BFF grilled cheese sandwiches.

I got the idea to serve the soup in espresso cups from Martha Stewart's Wedding page. When I was planning my wedding, I remember seeing it and thinking that it was a really adorable idea for serving soup to a large group of people and I wanted to share it in time for Thanksgiving. Soup isn't generally thought of as being part of Thanksgiving but if you're looking for something different, these little buddies might make a good opening course. We got a lot of emails last year from folks who served our Macaroni & Sheese Cups as starters at their family get together and loved them. So the individual serving soups in espresso cups that you can sip like you're pretend British and eat with those adorably dainty coffee spoons seemed like it could possibly make for the most adorable starter for any dinner party ever.

You can also enjoy it in a bowl. Yawn.

Happy Halloween - IOU One Cookie Recipe

Happy Halloween!

Some answers to frequently asked questions. Please expect a wonderful cookie recipe soon.

1. I've heard you're working on vegan souffle recipes. Can I get a progress report?

Actually it's going really well. Thanks for asking! We're still in that testing phase where we're trying to figure out the formula that's the prefect storm of flavor and texture. Here are some photos of our favorite ones thus far. These tester souffles were flavorful while still rising. We are still working on it though because we really want to get the impressive lava monster souffle puffs without sacrificing flavor. We're 98% sure we'll get this in time to include it in the book. One thing I can promise is that we will never surrender.

Vegan Cheese & Broccoli Souffle

Chocolate Souffle

2. I would like to talk to my boyfriend/parents/roommate about trying out Meatless Monday with me. Do you have any tips and can you suggest a few recipes that we can start off with?

We both love the Meatless Monday campaign. In a perfect world everybody would be vegan every day, but until then I consider getting people to eat three vegan meals a week a success. I think the animals not being eaten would appreciate it, too. If the ultimate goal is to decrease meat and dairy consumption and increase the availability of vegan options in restaurants and stores, then this is a big step in the right direction.

If you feel awkward about talking to people about Meatless Monday, there is a a really fantastic video HSUS just launched today that can do it for you!



These are some easy recipes that I think would be good for cruelty-free living novices :

Breakfast:

Shannon Smoothie I
Whole Wheat Banana & Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Pearberry Crumble Cups
Mexican Scramble
Garlic Cheezy Biscuits
Crepes


Lunch:

Antipasto Salad
Avocado & Smoked Sheese Salad with Toasted Walnut Dressing
French Dip Sandwich
Rustic Avocado Sandwich
Caribbean Black Beans
Asian Beef-less Noodle Bowl


Dinner:

Fettuccine with Cannellini Beans & Artichoke Heart Alfredo
Vegan Creole Spice Popcorn Chicken
Chili Pots
Margarita Pizza
Taco Burgers
Beef-less Stew



Hope this helps! We'll be back later with those cookies.

Creole Spiced Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup with Vegan Parmesan Croutons

This. Is. Creole Spiced Butternut Squash Soup!*
HAU HAU HAU! 

Let's make some.

Pasta con Fiori di Zucca Ripieni Vegetariani (Italian Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Pasta)

I grew up eating these bright yellow blossoms* Italian-style - filled like a ravioli and deep fried with a healthy (as in huge) helping of pasta. Ours is vegan, of course, so we replaced the traditional ricotta with a Lemon & Garlic Pesto-ish Tofu filling. I really think the bright, savory flavors really compliment the fresh blossoms, but you can also use the Kalamata Olive Pesto recipe, or the Vegan Ricotta recipe we used in our Manicotti recipe last December. We ate ours with Whole Wheat Spaghetti tossed in a Summer Sauce, some red wine, and a helping of True Blood - Season 4. (Was that a gasp I heard around the internet from all you True Blood DVD watchers?)

Yeah, my anniversary present this year was HBO & Showtime. Dan knows the way to my heart is paved with vampires, mobsters, vigilante serial killers, the sordid back story behind one of the more corrupt Italian legacies in history, and of course fantasy clan wars. Isn't it kind of marvelous when you meet that person that just gets you?

And what could be more romantic than feeding the one you love this classic Italian delicacy? Besides Vampires - obviously.

The Betty Crocker Project : Lemon Pesto Crescent Rolls

This one could have been rolled better, but you can't see the filling in the prettier ones.

So I keep writing and rewriting this post. I have so much to share! In one I vented about my soul-crushing disappointment in the Democrats; and when I say vent, I mean lost my freaking mind. There was another one about my frustration with my job and about how freaking hot it's been lately. I considered instead taking a more positive route and typing your face off* about how I was flattered by our nomination for a VegNews Veggie Award this year that I got kinda choked up. Especially considering the fact we're up against some really awesome blogs that have been around forever and have huge followings... well, it's pretty amazing! Like a vegan food blog miracle! Thank you Baby Pizza! If you haven't voted for us - please do!

We've also been tweaking things on here a bit here and there. I finally found a reliable email subscription service. So you can get Meet The Shannons sent right to your inbox now! The subscription box is in the right hand column. It's OK to get really excited about that.

But really, that's not why you're here. Let's talk Pesto Crescent Rolls instead. The buttery, flaky, garlicy crescent rolls that I had for breakfast with a cup of coffee and some Nyan Cat to wake me up. Yeah, I know Nyan Cat is so April 2011 but I have to ask... Aren't we all just a little April 2011?**

I will share that I plan to eat these all day with my salad or soup for lunch. I personally love a good lemony pesto. I mean, do you remember when we made those vegan Red Lobster Garlic Cheezy Biscuits? These rolls aren't as easy as those little buddies, but they're just as good. And in the end, that's what really matters. I included one of Betty's "Cheats" in case you want a short cut.

Let's roll!

Végétalien Tarte aux Fruits Frais (The Vegan French Fresh Fruit Tart)

I've always noticed these bright, cheerful little tarts outshining all the creamy eclairs and frosty rose petaled cakes in bakeries, but have never actually had one. There were always eggs and cream to avoid, or a lack of events to justify making one. But that doesn't mean I never thought about it. If you've ever been to Paris, theses tarts are in every coffee shop and Patisserie widow, flirting with you like only a Parisian can. Those tarts are so polished and flawless, they could grace the cover of a magazine. Even the humblest cafe serves supermodel-caliber tarts.

I might have been a little overly eager with this tart, and maxed it out with as much fruit as I could get on there. In the end it turned out a little less perfect than I would have hoped, but maybe just a little more delicious. These beautiful baked goods combine fresh colorful fruit and a buttery shortbread-ish crust into the perfect storm of desserts that will melt in your mouth in a combination of sweet vanilla cream, tangy fruit and a slightly savory crust.

A storm that you can now make in your very own home!

The Betty Crocker Project : Vegan Quiche Lorriane & A Revisit with Julie & Julia - 1 Year Later Episode 1

Julia Child learned how to make quiche at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France around 1949 and has been credited as creating the best Quiche Lorriane several times over since. When it came time to watch Julie & Julia again to mark the one year anniversary of The Betty Crocker Project creation... well it only seemed to make sense we would also celebrate with one of Julia Child's favorite dishes. Especially since we absentmindedly already made Cobb Salad a few months ago during a salad kick.

Now I could have adapted Julia's famous recipe but that's not what we are doing here. This project is really all about Betty and I didn't want to steal her thunder. But a funny thing happened, I compared the two recipes and they were similar enough that I feel like Julia, the pretend Ghost of Quiches Past Julia anyways, would approve and here is why : See Julia Child's apparently never warmed to the Julie & Julia blog. Julia's friend and editor Judith Jones was quoted as saying "She didn’t suffer fools, if you know what I mean." Julie being the said "fool". Julia also never cared much for vegans. In fact she was quoted as saying:

"Personally, I don’t think pure vegetarianism is a healthy lifestyle. It’s more fear of food—that whole thing that red meat is bad for you. And then there are people who don’t eat meat because it’s against their morals. Well, there’s nothing you can do with people like that. I’ve often wondered to myself: Does a vegetarian look forward to dinner, ever?"  

But the part of me that wants to see the best in people wants to believe she felt that way because her first exposure to vegetarianism was in the 60s when a cruelty-free lifestyle was labeled a "health food fad" and a weight loss diet. Two things she had little patience for. She also never had our Quiche Lorriane with smoked tempeh and Daiya. The world Julia lived in was much different than ours. In just the past 10 years, technology has come far enough that really anything can be made vegan with little to no sacrifice in taste or texture at all. She has been remembered as being a very kind and compassionate person and so I would like to think that although she would probably never go vegan (I mean the woman basically bathed in butter) I would hope she would be intrigued by today's vegans and at least recognize our shared passion for food like so many other of today's top chefs have*. She was a sincere believer in her mantra : "Life itself is the proper binge.” and like I've said before... no one loves food like a vegan.


The day I made this, I was full of a thrill and humming Doris Day songs for hours. I won't lie - this is not my first dance around the floor with quiche. I make them a lot and Dan loves them even more than I make them. In fact this quiche was almost completely eaten by my love in a 24 hour period. But this one was special because it combined all the good things about Julia and Betty and maybe some of me too. 


So enough yakkity yaking - Let's make some freaking quiche already...

The Betty Crocker Project : Fettuccine with Wild Mushrooms & Artichoke Hearts

To me those Artichoke Hearts look like rose buds - I love this dish that much.

There are a few things that happen around here when Dan travels for work:

1. I watch a lot of TV. After last weekend, I can now add enjoying the first and second seasons of the BBC's Being Human to my life's accomplishments.
2. There's a sad moment around 8 pm when the cats realize that Dan won't be coming home that night, and they begin to follow me around the apartment. They won't take their eyes off me. At the end of the night I end up with both of them asleep on me. It's really sweet. I mean it's melt your heart sweet. But in the summer, completely unbearable.
3. I try to make something with mushrooms because I'm a pretty compassionate person and I know my dearest hates them. So although I love them... I save them for nights I am eating solo.

I had my eye on this dish for a long time. Whenever I flipped through Betty's Big Red, we'd give each other a little conspiratorial nod. That's why I was pretty heartbroken when the only fresh "wild mushroom" mix at our local grocery stores was basically some sliced Portabellas and White Buttons with just a few Cremini and Oyster mushrooms mixed in. But I got over it pretty quickly when I looked in our pantry and saw a can of artichoke hearts and garbanzo beans*. I admit I meddled again, but it was so worth it. Some of you might remember The Great Mushroom Showdown of 2010. This dish incorporates a lot of the same flavor I found in Betty's mushroom sauteing technique, and reminds me how much I love cooking with white wine.

I love this recipe - not as much as Dan - but I'll always think about my date with this recipe and smile.

The Betty Crocker Project : Vegan Venison (Gardein) with Cranberry & Red Wine Sauce

When many people think of Venison, they think of deer meat; but the truth is the title "venison" is given to almost all "wild game on four legs". Venison can be caribou, or elk, or even moose, but is most commonly deer. Adorable, sweet, never-hurt-a-fly-unless-you-count-eating-the-flowers-out-of-your-yard deer. 

Now I know you're waiting for me to mention her name--and I did consider railing on her--but let's be honest. If there's one thing Sarah Palin's new TV show showed us, it's that she's a phony, not a "real" hunter. She's showing the needless torture and slaughter of animals as a fun way to bond with your kids and spend a weekend. I myself don't think that raising children who are indifferent to the suffering of others and lack any sense of mercy or compassion is good parenting. I mean, does the world need more sociopaths?

I also think that this recipe proves that you can make a proper, old-school, American Christmas classic like Venison with Cranberry Sauce without ever loading a gun, and that real Mama Bears go berry picking in the woods and leave the other critters be. Those are the family values I'd want to raise my kids with.

The Betty Crocker Project : Coquilles Saint Jacques

 

Welcome to the 3rd day of Vegan Mofo Meets The Shannons!

So Paris Vegan Day is just around the corner and I could kick myself for not having our cookbook done and prepping to get on a plane to France in a few weeks. Could these past few weeks have any more heartaches? I guess I shouldn't test that theory. Let's stay focused on the food.

I know what you're thinking... this isn't Vegan Shrimp Gumbo. I thought we were getting more Creole and/or Cajun food from you today. I'm sure there are other random curse words in there too... especially if you are thinking about last night's election results. But the lovely Leinana over at Vegan Good Things just posted a Louisiana Shrimp recipe, so I decided to mix it up! This brings us back to France.

Most folks think chicken fried steaks, green bean casseroles and impossible rainbow sprinkle layer cakes when they think Betty Crocker but this just isn't the case. This book has a serious diversity of recipes to it. Frankly that's one of the reasons we chose it. Much to my pleasant surprise there are quite a few pretty fancy French dishes in there and of course we all know how much I love being fancy and pretend French. Yes - I know how pretentious it sounds... The heart wants what it wants.

Coquilles Saint Jacques is one those pretty fancy French dishes. It was also one of Julia Child's favorite dishes - probably because it was French and included loads of heavy cream and a whole stick of butter. Ours is still a bit rich for vegan food but I'm sure it doesn't even come close to the real deal that besides the cream also includes Swiss cheese*. As you can also see if you clicked on the links above it is usually served on the half shell but that's not how we roll. Ours has artichoke hearts, white wine, a light sheesy savory sauce and of course hearts of palm "scallops" and our favorite Vegan Shrimp Balls. (snicker)

So let's enjoy our more compassionate yet infinitely lighter while remaining super fancy French dinner. Bon Appetit!

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 : Crepes

So Dan and I had a great weekend! We were like kids again; we stayed up till 4 am so I could beat my video game, and even though we're way too old for that shit and we suffered a little bit for it the next day, it was totally the best... or was it? Although I have to admit I loved seeing those game credits scroll up the screen, I liked making a fancy brunch Sunday morning even more (Xbox hangover and all). We're super married*.

Some of you may remember that I have this long standing love affair with France. It's a strictly a platonic thing that encourages me to take long flights across the Atlantic from time to time, and when I can't, take my own little French Stay-cations in our apartment. It makes me watch movies I have to read, and wear hats.

To us Americans, crepes are a fancy breakfast item you pay an extra dollar for at IHOP (well, not to us vegans; those bros have eggs in them). But if you go to Paris, one thing you can't miss is the adorable crepe carts set up through out the city. You can spot their striped umbrellas and long lines a block away (or huge weather-warped signs if you happen to be walking through a less affluent area). I would love to tell you these crepes are just like those, but those crepes have eggs and lard in them, so I've had to pass. These crepes are vegan, and although I can't tell you they're good for you , they are healthier than their egg-ridden comrades, ridiculously easy, and délicieux!

SO - Faisons des crêpes!

The Betty Crocker Project : Beef (Gardein) with Bordelaise Sauce & Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Hurricane Earl is at Norfolk's doorstep. Trees are waving in the wind, and the birds and squirrels who are usually up at dawn are being being all crazy, hiding away in the courtyard of our apartment building waiting for it to pass. Right now as I type this, I have a huge Siamese cat on my lap looking for comfort and another, much smaller cat under my chair. But the funny thing is that while there are folks out there filling their freezers with 15 loaves of bread and OBX is being evacuated, there's another group out and about without even an umbrella.

The Shannons fall into the watching-the-G.I.Joe*-movie and playing-Xbox category. Obviously that means we should make a fancy French dinner to go along with our evening of high culture. I mean, what goes better with a movie that literally shows the Eiffel tower being eaten than some Vegan Bordelaise?

I get asked a lot why we aren't veganizing Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, since this project was inspired by the movie Julie and Julia. Especially since I freaking love French everything. The answer is simple.

Dan and I asked ourselves what we wanted to do with this project - what were our goals and what would help the animals the most. It was pretty clear. We wanted to prove that you can make anything vegan. We wanted to show people how to use vegan products and share little tricks we have learned to maximize the potential of these products. The choice was pretty clear after that: Betty Crocker.

We get to still make the fancy French stuff that made Julia swoon, but we also get to experiment with more American cuisine, like Cheeseburger pie. Betty is the undisputed champ at teaching America how to be creative with products and foods that you may never have thought were capable of such levels of awesome-ness. We just want to show vegans that they can do that too, and dispel the myth that we're stuck with veggie burgers or quinoa pilafs... not that those aren't pretty amazing sometimes too. We're just trying to show that going vegan doesn't mean sacrificing some of your favorite dishes... like, for example, a schmancy Bordelaise sauce.

This dinner was so easy and so good, I've fallen in love with it. When we make this again (and we will) we're planning on a side of steamed asparagus or green beans to go with it... maybe some vegan fondue too. Both vegetables would be very good with the Bordelaise. That's not to say the Rosemary Potatoes didn't compliment this dish perfectly. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a sucker for a good rosemary dish.

This may not seem like an obvious recipe to post for Labor Day Weekend, but with Earl making his way up the East Coast, many of us are going to be trapped inside playing Zombie games. This is a great Date Night dinner that you many already have the ingredients for already. Plus, what warms up a rainy night faster than a deep glass of red wine?

Bon Appetit...

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 : Chicken Nicoise & Garden Patch Saute

Why hellooo, little Garden Patch Saute & Vegan Chicken Nicose. What's a fancy French dinner like you doing in a blog about Betty Crocker?

One of the things I love the most about Betty is that mixed in with the Cheeseburger Pies and Patty Melts are some pretty schamncy dishes that you'd expect to find at one of the upscale vegan/vegan-friendly restaurants in LA or NYC.

Chicken Nicoise is one of those. Betty suggested pairing it with salad and serving it over rice, but I looked into it a bit, and I guess the French actually eat it with roasted potatoes or a baguette to soak up the garlicy white wine "au jus", and pair it with a side of sauteed seasonal vegetables. So tapping into my inner pretend French person, I followed suit. For the sake of authenticity, of course--not because I fell in love with the organic Artisan bread I used for the Avocado sandwich and want any excuse to eat more. That would just be selfish.

I had a lovely pretend French evening; I watched Love Me if You Dare and Paris, and ate this with several glasses of chilled mineral water. I admit I abuse mineral water on a regular basis. Polishing off bottles left and right, sometimes 2 in a day... we all have vices.

It was a stay-cation to France that I would highly recommend. Maybe spray your sofa with some lavender and play this song to add a little extra something.

The Betty Crocker Project : Oven Pancake

Ever have a weekend so great you find yourself doing this?

Just kidding. I don't have that hat.

But I did have a great weekend. Many of you already know that I'm the Manager of Online Communications for the animal advocacy group In Defense of Animals. This weekend, we launched our first Virtual Demo for the International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos, and it was a huge success. I mean, I'm still amazed. People all over the world participated, changing their profile photos, posting comments, and tweeting at zoos - letting the zoos, their fans, followers, friends, and the whole online world know that wild animals don't belong behind bars. Over the weekend, more than 7,000 online actions were taken, 500 new people were introduced to our organization, and almost 200 people changed their profile photos to the day of action "sign". As someone who spends all day, every day online advocating for animals, this is the best day I've had in long time! I'm already looking forward to our next one.

But it didn't end there. Just when I thought the weekend couldn't get any better - Sunday morning we had these quick, easy and delicious "pancakes" for breakfast and I got to play a video game with my best friend.

Sigh. Good times...

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!