Super Fast & Easy Soyrizo Pasta Dinner

So I admit it. I burnt myself out. if you know me in person -- you know that me admitting this is a huge deal.

After years of working 40+ hours a week in the animal rights movement and writing this blog and then writing our book and now starting our second book... I'm exhausted. There was also a slight shift in this blog that was unintentional but after taking a little break from posting regularly I can see pretty clearly. See in the beginning this blog was about our mission to make anything and everything vegan but as this blog became more popular and more and more people who I didn't know and who have never eaten any of my food began to read this thing -- well there was this pressure for lack of a better word -- to not have typos and never admit that that I burnt a cookie or that a recipe was anything less than a cruelty-free dream come true.

I neurotically tested and tested recipes for the book and I tried to keep up with all the emails we get and failed. Somewhere in all this I started to feel like a little rock was sitting on my chest. I started to stay up late worrying that people won't like our book and worry that people wouldn't read it and understand that Betty Goes Vegan is full of great weekday standbys, old family favorites and guilt-less pleasures. It's also about helping people use all these great vegan products out there to their full potential. I mean yes a lot of us are DIY types but most people in our society choose their food based on convenience, cost and flavor. I've been doing vegan outreach for over 20 years now and I keep hearing the same reasons why people were reluctant to go vegan : giving up their favorite dishes, weird food and inconvenient. The reasons I keep hearing why people stopped being vegan : giving up their favorite dishes, weird food and inconvenient. That's why Betty Goes Vegan is carefully designed to not just help people go vegan but stay vegan by turning old meaty and cheesy favorites into vegan classics.

Yeah. I've lost a lot of sleep lately over it. It can be scary to put yourself out there and care about things. But there was a few things that have happened lately.

The Tacos  Photo Credit : Hannah Banana Baker

1. I read this post by Bonsai Aphrodite. See after 3 years (just like us) she also was dealing with a serious case of burn out. I related more than I liked to almost every line of this post and after reading it had this moment when I asked myself why something I love as much as this blog wasn't making myself deliriously happy. So I remembered why I fell in love with this blog and vegan outreach to begin with.
2. A vegan bakery named The Hannah Banana Bakery in the UK posted photos of our Thai Lemongrass Tofu Tacos and I started to cry a little. I have no idea why I get so excited when you guys send me pictures but it made me think over my morning tea and inspired me to write this long post and to get back to sharing that joy with all of you!

So here I am sharing with you a dinner we had the other night that is super simple and fast. So you know less time in your hot kitchen. It also features Tofurky's new vegan Chorizo style grounds but you can also use your favorite vegan soyrizo product if you can't find the Tofurky grounds in your area yet. I do recommend enjoying this with a salad. I try to get greens in every meal and this recipe lacks greens. Besides that... It's a pretty much a perfect weekday dinner.

I'm also promising that I'm giving up my little rock of doubt and fear... insecurity and getting back to posting on a regular basis. I'm trading in that rock for hope and not taking myself so seriously... and soyrizo pasta dinners.

OK enough gabbing. Let's eat!

It takes a village to make Mexican Tater Tot Personal Pizzas...

You maybe be asking yourself why this isn't part of The Betty Crocker Project. It's a fair question since tater tot pizza seems like something right up that red spoon alley. But in truth the inspiration for this over the top awesome dinner came from a Twitter exchange I stumbled into with vegan deity Sarah Kramer and John McDevitt - you know might know him as The Laziest Vegan, cruelty-free cover-girl Melisser Elliot and Julia - The SnarkyVegan*... somewhere towards the end I think The Discerning Brute  Joshua Katcher popped in. It was a tater tot love-fest/brain storm. Which inspired Sarah to create this lovely Poutine Pizza and for us to enjoy these Mexican Tater Tot Personal Pizzas a few days later. 

Now we went Mexican with our tater tot pizzas because we had the avocados, jalapenos and salsas and because it seemed like a good way to work a few vegetables in there but really I hope this concept catches on and that we come to see more of these crispy little buddies on all kinds of pizzas in the future. You owe it the 1st grader inside you to make a tater tot pizza at least once in your life... you never let them color anymore.

 To the tots!

Green Tequila Enchiladas

So yesterday I made a huge dent in my emails. Funny thing about emails though -- not unlike that mythical beast The Hydra -- once you slay one email, two more pop up in its place. If you're waiting for an email from me, I want today to be your day. Fingers crossed.

But until then, here are two answers to the two most frequently asked questions we've been getting:

1. Now that the book is done, is The Betty Crocker Project over? After some soul searching and thought: no way. I love it too much. Our friend Anjali gave us a big box of Betty Crocker recipe cards (circa 1970), and we got a calendar full of recipes from Betty Crocker in the mail. So there is a lot more BCP left. We will go on!
2. Was it frustrating/fun writing your book? Well, it was a lot of both. I mean there was the night I freaked out because the spinach we just bought was all slimy when I open the package. I may or may not have slightly sobbed on the kitchen floor and yelled "Fuck you baby spinach and all your cute baby friends like corn and kale!" But then there were really great times like the Banana Split Bundt Cake and making heaps of donuts...

Photo Credit : Natalie Dee (nataliedee.com)

After all that baking, I'm going to listen to the carrot: we're eating more vegetables! Enter these big enchiladas with a ton of leafy greens, potatoes, black beans, and tons of spicy, tangy, and bright flavors. I love them and they were very popular around here. They're one of those dinners that makes a great lunch the next day.

In other only slightly related news, we updated our Nerdery. So please check that out too! 

OK -- back to these dreamboat enchiladas and emails...

The Betty Crocker Project : Texas Tater Tot Casserole

Little-known fact about me: I didn't know until 9th grade that you could buy tater tots at the grocery store.

I mean, I had eaten them before. I'm not a Martian. But whenever I had seen these modern-day potato wonders, it was always next to corn dogs on a school lunch tray. I assumed they were like those little chocolate milk cartons and tiny ketchup packets. When you're a little eater, you don't always know what's going on. I had no idea what a huge weirdo I apparently was until I was sleeping over at a friend's house and saw their mom pull a bag of these little buddies out of the freezer. For many of us, going vegan meant caring what went into your body, caring about what our food did for the environment, and cutting back on cute vegetable-based foods with sweet little names like 'tater tots'. That's why the second I saw this recipe, I knew that folks were going to love it. It'll give you a chance to make something so incredibly American and campy-fun-awesome-sauce, without being completely and ridiculously bad for you, because we took out the cheese sauce and ground beef.

This recipe is basically a Shepherd's Pie, with a light Tex-Mex Chili and a Tater-Tot top... oh, and there's a layer of Daiya Pepperjack Cheese in there too. When it gets served up, you get a whole bunch of spicy beans and vegetables with a few cheesy crispy tots. So you can enjoy your tater tots again, but in moderation. So ya know, no guilt... especially if you use these organic tots.

Let's get tatered!

The Betty Crocker Project : Siesta Taco Soup

Oh. Steam on the lens. You are my nemesis today.

Some of you have been wondering where the frak we've been, and it's justified. I mean, seriously, it's been a week and we've been completely and unforgivably MIA. It really is a fair question to ask of bloggers who cook and post every day but who, without warning, disappear like magic. It's kind of nice to know that what you put out into the world would be missed.

Well, nothing scandalous happened. We weren't abducted by aliens or trapped under something heavy. We just went to a wedding. A charming and sublime DIY wedding at a breathtaking ranch in San Luis Obispo, CA. A wedding that I will gush about in another post, because last week I posted this photo of our Taco Soup in progress and there were so many messages and emails... well, I feel like you'd rather welcome September with a yummy soup recipe you can make in your slow cooker so you don't have to worry about heating up your home while fall is still more of an idea than an actual weather situation. I mean, I'd rather be eating this soup right now than pretty much doing anything else. So I get it.

If you take a look at Betty's Taco Soup, you'll see we took a lot of liberties... and since we made ours in the slow cooker it only seemed right to throw the 'Siesta' in there - sleepy little soup that it is*. If you're following along in your own copy of Betty's Big Red, you'll notice a few 'Feistas' thrown about from time to time on the Mexican-themed recipes. Which I actually kinda like. Those 'Feistas' are just the prefect level of campy. They remind me of something Mad Men's Betty Draper would serve to her kids during a break in her chain smoking. I'm not sure why that appeals to me, but in a weird way it totally does.

Taco Soup might not sound that good at first, but much like its friend Pizza Soup, it's surprisingly delicious and awesome. You might have to look over the ingredients to be won over. Here's just a hint of how good this soup is - if you slice your onions thin enough, they'll melt in the broth, making an onion soup flavor and texture that I actually described as "gorgeous" like a tween with a crush. Yeah - that really happened.

 So - Here's your rain check for an 'update' blog post about LA, Fashion Week in NYC, and a bunch of other random thoughts, rants and obsessions. Let's get this Soup Party started.

The Betty Crocker Project : Nacho Knots (AKA Rolls)

OK. Back to the food!

These little buddies are pretty much an example of why Betty Crocker is famous. These are some old school appetizers that will make you get all dreamy eyed like when Captain Kirk met Joan Collins.

Let's make some!

The Betty Crocker Project : Margarita Vegan Shrimp Cocktail Cups

Not your grannie's shrimp cocktail.

So I was feeling a little fancy this weekend and just a tad bit experimental.

Ever feel like that? Like you want to mix it up but not too much. Sometimes it's the little things that can add a little color to your day. No, I'm not talking about blue nail polish or red shoes. Well, I kinda am but in relation to food right now. See, I love faux shrimp. It's a weird food but I really like it. If you've been reading this blog, you've probably noticed that. We've veganized shrimp dishes ranging from Gumbo to Scampi. Hell, we've even made Coquilles Saint Jacques.

You may have also noticed we have a preference for May Wah's Shrimp Balls. It's OK to snicker. It's a terrible name but you can't deny the texture and flavor of this product are really nice and versatile. But if you're one of those folks who prefers to have that signature half moon shape, you can always use these :

Vegan Shrimp from Vegetarian Plus

Now, I have had vegan shrimp cocktail before and it was OK. I don't know how or why but it never really became a favorite. Maybe because I've never eaten the version made with real sea spiders. It's hard to say. I mean who knows where love comes from. But this recipe has a few twists that are just enough to turn something pretty standard into something new and kinda awesome. Something spicy and cool at the same time - like a bunch of little Fonzis*. Not to mention, it's also kinda schmancy.

So, if you're looking for a date night appetizer or maybe just something to go with a chilled glass of white wine that will make that Monday night just a little more like a Friday, I vote Shrimp Balls! (tee hee) Seriously though, try this recipe. It was lovely.

The Betty Crocker Project : Tequila Fajita Vegan Chicken Wings

There has been a kind of overload of awesome happening lately.

Exhibit A: You might know Brea Grant from Heroes or maybe Friday Night Lights, but you will definitely know her from her upcoming role in Dexter. What you might not know is that she writes comic books and reads Meet The Shannons! She also made some bewitching 24 Hour Pickles! How kick ass is that? Answer : River Tam kick ass*.

Exhibit B: I found this marvelous tumbler full of ridiculously adorable and well-educated cats by Sarah Sobole and fell madly in love. It all began when I was sent this:

I've never really seen myself captured so completely in art before**. It's weird... it's like Sarah is spying on me right now. Or perhaps is my doppelganger.

Exhibit C: We made Tequila Fajita Vegan Chicken Wings. I know I've said this before, but if you get a chance to try out these Vegan Drumsticks from May Wah, you really need to. They're one of the best mock meat products on the market, and are great with pretty much any glaze or sauce we've ever tested them out with. They can be grilled, baked, or fried--pretty much making them a perfect replacement for those wings and drumsticks actual chickens need more than we do.

If you can't get your compassionate little hands on these wings, you can always use this Tequila Fajita baste on your favorite vegan chicken on a skewer, and then toss them in an actual fajita wrap. Whatever you do, make sure and make a batch of Salsa Verde. Honestly, it's an amazing combination of hot, tart, and savory that I can't praise enough. If it sounds like I'm gushing right now it's because I totally am.

All and all this week has ended on a high note, free of sudden and inevitable dinosaur betrayals and full of pretty dresses... Yes, I did finally get that bunny dress I've been tweeting about. Expect to see it in action soon, because I'll be wearing it this weekend when we film our first podcast!

Are you ready to be a big damn hero and make some kick ass vegan chicken wings? Grab your tequila and let's go!

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 : 5 Bean Chili & Spicy Southern Style Cheddar Corn Bread (all vegan of course)

Now if you're flipping through Betty, you won't find 5 Bean Chili and Spicy Southern Style Cheddar Corn Bread. What you will find is recipes titled : Family Favorite Chili and Cheesy Mexican Corn Bread made Southern Style. Why'd we change it?

Well, because this is the recipe for our family favorite chili and this corn bread (like many Betty recipes) is kinda more Mexican themed American food. I love Mexican themed things but I know that some of you are reading this actually in Mexico. So I figured I wouldn't confuse you with a claim that wasn't really spot on. See what we call Mexican corn bread in the US was actually invented in Texas by soldiers in the 1800s as a way to doll up a fairly cheap food. Corn bread was really popular during the Civil War in the South because it was so cheap to make, filling and didn't get stale as quickly as white or wheat breads. Since then it has earned a distinguished spot in Southern cuisine and reinvented numerous times into fritters, hushpuppies and what have you*.

Now the technique of baking your corn bread in a cast iron skillet is a Southern tradition and according to my copy of Betty's Big Red has not been through The Betty Crocker Test Kitchens. Also - we loved it. The crust it creates is actually my favorite part and the presentation is pretty cool too.

Question : Am I the only one out there that dreams of being invited to The Betty Crocker Test Kitchen - all Willy Wonka style? Like one day I'll open a box of Bisquick and find a red ticket! Dan will jump out of bed in his old timey nightshirt and dance around the room**. Then we'll head out to  Minneapolis, MN where Betty Gnomes are hard at work creating the American dishes that inspire our little project using 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple. 

SIGH. Well, a grrl can dream can't she? Until my ticket comes in, let's eat some chili! 

Apple Churros to the Rescue!

Is there anything in the world as lovely as celebrating St.Patrick's Day with a treat of traditional Spanish-style fried dough?

According to Wikipedia (which as we know from watching Eddie Izzard stand-up, is extremely reliable):

Churros are often sold by street vendors, who will often fry them freshly on the street stand and sell them hot. In Spain, Mexico, and Argentina, they are available in cafes for breakfast, although they may be eaten throughout the day as a snack as evident in Nicaragua. Specialized churrerías can be found in the form of a shop or a trailer during the holiday period. In Colombia they can be found in the streets but they are thin and shaped like a ring.

But our buddies over at "The Free Encyclopedia that Anyone Can Edit" (no, seriously, that's their tagline - check it out) forgot to mention that the origins of churros is one of mystery and controversy. There are some who feel adamantly that they were developed by Spanish shepherds, and that recipes were developed and handed down from generation to generation. Others claim to have proof that this delicious treat was first made by monks in the 13th century, and then shared with the people in an act of great charity. We may never know the truth without the plot to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure coming true. What we can do is make a batch of these historically enjoyable little guys to enjoy over the weekend.

So let's fry some dough!

The Betty Crocker Project : Southwestern Sausages with Spicy Corn

I really just don’t like real-time strategy games; they’re way too hectic for me. “Oh no! His axemen are attacking my fort! Better go click on these archers and send them over. Oh wait crap, those are the cavalry. Are cavalry strong against axemen? I forget. Oh crap they’re not, they’re getting slaughtered. Better send them into the fort to heal. Ack, I had the archers selected; now they’re not firing on the axemen anymore. What happened to those cavalry? Oh great, they’re dead.” No thanks.

The thing is, I THINK that I like RTS games. Or maybe I just want to like them. I don’t know. But despite years of playing these games and not really enjoying any of them (Command & Conquer, Warcraft, Starcraft, Age of Empires, etc etc etc) every time some flashy new one comes out I think “Ooh, that game looks good!”

This weekend, there was a King Arthur game on sale for like 75% off on Steam. I LOVE King Arthur. Had this old bound illustrated storybook when I was a kid and everything. “I’ll have to try this game out,” I thought to myself. “Oh, look though, it’s an RTS. But it’s such a good deal… I’ll just try it.” Two hours later, I had a pile of dead cavalry and was thoroughly annoyed with myself for yet again falling into the trap of forgetting my own personal preferences.

I do the opposite of this with fresh salsa. Annie always gets it at Trader Joes, and I always think to myself “Hmm, I don’t know, I don’t really like fresh salsa.” And then we get home at eat it, and I’m always like “Oh damn, this is really good! Note to self for next time: you like fresh salsa.” And then the next time we’re at Trader Joes, and Annie puts it in the cart, I go “Hmm, I don’t know…” And the circle is complete.

Today we’re going to hopefully hammer this message into my feeble little brain once and for all, by making our own fresh salsa. It’ll be the perfect condiment for our sausages, prepared with Betty’s delicious Southwestern Rub. Future self, if you’re reading this post, please listen to me: you really like fresh salsa. And you don’t like real-time strategy games. Really.

The Family Album : Herbivore's Michelle Schwegmann makes 'Eating Taco Salad Like You Give A Damn' cooler than ever... SPOILER : There are Fairies involved.

This is what it is all about. Amen.

Many of you already know Michelle Schwegmann as the poster grrl for The Herbivore Clothing Company but did you know that she's more than just a pretty face? She's a pretty bad ass vegan chef who recently launched one of my favorite blogs Eat Like You Give A Damn, is working on a cookbook, raising an adorable vegan kid, has a sweet dog, runs one of the coolest vegan clothing clothing companies and is a pretty face. Yeah - She's pretty much a super hero - saving animals, making vegans cool not crusty and feeding faces with a single bound! Or maybe a few all combined into a one or something... Michelle Rocks is the point and one of those folks that makes Portland, Oregon the Vegan Utopia we all dreamed of when we were little vegans! We are so excited that she's our Guest Blogger today and to add her to our Shannon Family Album... You folks are going to love this Michelle's take our Taco Salad and not just because of all the pretty pictures.

Without further ado -- Here's Michelle!

"You sweet talker, Betty Crocker!" Remember that jingle?

When I first heard about The Betty Crocker Project, I had that immediate feeling "Why didn't I think of that first!" I was jealous and relieved at the same time. Somebody would do this important work, and it wasn't me -- but dang if it isn't a great idea!

So obviously I jumped at the challenge to do a guest post for the blog. Confession: I was slightly disappointed that we were to do the Taco Salad recipe! It's true, though I did not tell Annie. I thought Taco Salad was too easy! I mean, I wasn't going to have to drive across town to sixteen ethnic markets to find the exact ingredients....I wasn't going to need to make 5 items from scratch before I could even begin the taco salad recipe....but wait... what is that? DEEP FRYING? Now I was scared. Talk about foreign and exotic! I'm in over my head and I am deeply afraid. There is nothing like deep burning hot oil to put the fear into me. I am not a deep-fried vegan - I'm more of a saute or steam vegan. Turns out taco salad was going to be exciting after all. I was going to consume something, fried deeply, that was made in my own home. Pigs flew, I tell you.

I enlisted the help of my doting husband and some other deeply traditional friends on Christmas Eve to complete the mission.

The Super Chocolate Vegan Hootenanny! Episode II : Vegan Chicken in Mole Sauce

So we debated having a Best of 2010 Meet The Shannons post over the weekend, but they can always be found listed in the right hand side... and if we did that now, what would we do to celebrate our 1 year anniversary? Then, we debated publicly listing our resolutions so that you would all know our bad habits... but instead, we spent our nerdtastic New Years playing Heroes V in our living room, drinking fancy beer from Sri Lanka, and eating chocolate... and actually feeling pretty good about keeping most of the resolutions we made last year: buying organic, fair trade and locally grown whenever possible, being better about bringing reusable shopping bags, and being awesome.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. Chicken in chocolate sauce sounds about as enjoyable as a real egg omelet full of skittles and tootsie rolls. But Mole is a traditional Mexican sauce that can differ greatly from region to region, and it does have dark chocolate powder in it--but the flavor is more like coffee than the sweet Easter-basket stuff. Really, in this version the cumin is the real star--especially once you squeeze the lime over the top.

Vamos a comer!

The Perfect Friday Night Always Involves Guacamole - Recipe Music Video Included

This has been a pretty outstanding and exhausting week. One of those weeks where even the small things kinda feel like a kick in the stomach. I never finished typing up the post today because I only slept 3 hours last night. I just never got my feet under me today.

All I want to do tonight is get some Mexican take-out with lots of Guacamole and play a game of some kind with my old man. A friend posted this on my Facebook today, and it just seemed like something that needed to be shared...



PS - This video is not culturally sensitive, but the recipe is good and the song is catchy.

The Betty Crocker Project : Mexican Scramble

So I know what you're thinking... Haven't I seen that this recipe before? Except in a sandwich?

Yes. Yes you have. Except then it was called Viva la Sunday Morning Breakfast Sandy, but it was just as good for Brinner the other night. When I was flipping through Big Red, I spotted this, and got a bit nostalgic for one of our most popular standbys.

You need to make sure you have toast to eat it on and someone to share it, with because this recipe makes a lot. This recipe is has been potluck tested and brunch approved.

Another Postcard from LaLa-Land & The Coffee Table

Where we're going we don't need roads.
We don't even need forks but it helps because sometimes burritos get messy. It's not their fault really. I mean we need to have realistic expectations for tortillas and should they really to be blame if we try to fit too much deliciousness in there?

Right down the street from the current Peta office in LA is a pretty sweet restaurant named The Coffee Table. There are veggie burgers, tofu scramble and a few kinds of vegan burritos to choose from and this huge patio in the back. I got the Tofu and Soyrizo Burrito with Pico De Gallo... yep that's kale and avocado slices you spot in there. Yep - it was that good and even at noon there was somewhere to sit.

Oh and did I mention that it wasn't that expensive and they have fancy cream sodas? Because they are and they do.

I had a really nice brunch there with Steph and Lisa when I was in LA. Dan couldn't come. He had to work getting ready for Peta's Anniversary Gala. If you haven't seen the video from the Gala yet - you can spot him doing the red carpet interviews. Well his glasses anyways and his hand holding the mic. I'm pretty proud of him and the great work he does making the world a more compassionate place if you can't tell. All my life I've hated bullies and I'm so lucky to share my life with someone who feels the same way and is dedicated to helping those who need our help the most.

LA Meets The Shannons - Postcard #1

We've been in Los Angeles for Peta's 30th Anniversary Gala so there hasn't been a lot of Betty Crockery going on this weekend BUT just wait more is coming soon. Hope you had a lovely weekend and aren't as hot as we are right now.

I do have this to share though. In city full of great vegan food you have to drive to, we lucked out and found a little locally owned spot right down the street from our friends Rob and Anjali's home that has vegan cinnamon rolls, soy milk & almond milk for fancy coffees and vegan hand tied tamales and everything they serve is organic! It's called Cafecito Organico and besides their extremely weak iced tea - it was a real find.

I'm sharing some photos to help you imagine...

Located in Silver Lake a few blocks from the little independent shops and boutiques on Sunset, it is nice place to stop at for breakfast before walking the strip and maybe heading over to The Secret Headquaters to pick up more Fables if you are so inclined.

Or you can get some Tamales to bring home if that's more what you planned for the day... or both. I won't tell you what to do but you know it's a good idea that I am happy to share.

 

I got the kale and black-eyed peas tamale and Anjali got the the one with red pepper paste and butternut squash - so don't worry if you are a mock meat hater - there is more going on in that corn husk. Though if you hate mock meat - I'm not sure why you are on this blog. 

If you've been or go - please leave a comment telling me what you think. I'd love to hear from you guys!

OXOX

The Betty Crocker Project : White Chili

When I first read White Chili, I had images in my head of a potato soup with white beans and loads of garlic. I guess that's something I'll have to make another time, because Betty's White Chili is a one of the best tasting soups I've ever had, with tons of white beans and garlic, but no potatoes. We weren't disappointed though. It's got a nice subtle heat a brightness from the hot sauce and lime juice. I admit I'm partial to lime juice, so that might be why I've fallen in love with this soup, but it's also possible this soup takes beans and broth to a new place.

You may also notice a bunch of other new additions on our blog here. We updated our Nerdery Page with a new glimpse at our nightstand readings, and we added a new page: The Pantry.

One thing we hate about most cookbooks is that they list their recipes by recipe title, not by ingredients. I mean, how often have we found ourselves wondering what to make for dinner using what ingredients we have in our kitchen. Well, that's why we created this page. If you find yourself wondering what you'll do with the remaining ingredients from one dish, you can use this page to see other dishes that have similar ingredients. The page is still a work in progress, so please keep checking back. Think of it as a renewable resource!

We used up the last of our Better Than Bouillon to make this Chili, but it was worth it. We have enough for lunch all week and maybe a dinner.

Thank God. It's soup season again!