The Betty Crocker Project: Maple Glazed Holiday Roast

So I never grew up with a huge ham for Easter dinner. As many of you already know, around The Ol' Shannon Homestead we look forward to Passover every spring but that's not to say I don't appreciate many of Easter's fine qualities like Sweet & Sara's Vegan Easter Peepers & Skippers and big dinner or brunch parties. Since we became a "we", Dan and I have hosted some pretty outstanding secular Seders for Passover. I can tell you from experience that the best ones took awhile to plan. Which brings us to the other day when I realized we weren't gong to be able to host a huge Seder this year because we just don't have the room and I haven't had the time to rent a space. Last year we had to settle for a big dinner at a Thai restaurant because we were moving. So what's a grrl like me to do with literally years worth of pent up Seder planning? Well, she starts to explore Easter dinner.

She starts to look at the springtime vegetable dishes and desserts and wonder why she never really thought of Easter food as being more than candy, chocolate and of course those damn eggs. I decided to start with something pretty easy but also pretty crucial to any dinner party... the center piece dish!

Every dinner party has one whether they know it or not and from what I gather when it comes to Easter the traditional super stars are Ham, Lasagna and Manicotti. We used a Tofurky to replace the the less compassionate ham but still played around with the whole cloves and baked it with a smokey maple and brown sugar glaze to create a vegan dish that will feel right at home being the center of attention.

Pesach Same'ach! Let's Celebrate with Coffee & Wine Braised Beef-less Brisket with Vegetables & My Very Favorite Charoset Recipe

Using a new media editing program - so please excuse the crappy photography.

Passover starts tonight. I could write a whole book about why I love Passover. All my good memories and how it combines food and loved ones. I could try to describe the warm glow I get in my heart when I look out over a table of friends drinking Cherry Manischewitz mixed with Kosher Coke and how sad I am that we aren't going to be able to host our annual Secular Sedar this year. We have about 2 weeks left in Norfolk, VA - the city where I met my husband and found an unexpected home. It would have meant a lot to me to make it work but it just won't... BUT I can share with you some of my very favorite recipes and what I might have served if the world had spun a little differently.

Every year I make a 2 big pots of Matzah Ball Soup for our Sedar. You might have seen it on the Peta2 blog before. Even if you're not celebrating Moses freeing the slaves - you should make a pot because it's so good. I plan on making a big pot as soon as we move into our new place in Brooklyn just to make the place a bit more like home.

If you are one of the lucky ones sitting down to a sedar tonight, I hope you take a shot at that soup and if you need any suggestions for your compassionate sedar plate you can click here. Last year, I posted a Sweet Potato Kugel recipe that was an adaptation of a not so vegan Bubbie recipe that I personally love because let's face it - sweet potatoes are awesome. But this year, I'll also share 2 other recipes that are actually adaptions of recipes I found in Real Simple magazine. The charoset recipe below is one of those and is a bit more classy and special than just going with apple sauce. Plus if you have any leftover - it makes for a great breakfast.

You might remember awhile ago when I talked about how Italian gals are taught the importance of a good cutlet... I think if you're trying to find a Jewish equivalent it would be a brisket so tender it melts. Trying to make a vegan version of that can be a bit tricky because mock meat can melt pretty much on it's own. These beef-less brisket bites are very tender without getting spongy and end up having an extremely unique flavor that is not quite like a BBQ sauce or like a mole... but something different and really delicious.

Now I have to say that Gardien isn't Kosher or least certified so I can't tell you that this brisket meets all your Kosher for passover needs. In fact, as you probably have figured out from the fact my mom's Sicilian and I married a nice Irish boy... I'm not a stickler for keeping Kosher but I love my Jewish heritage nonetheless and have found a place for us.

On that note - Enjoy some beef-less brisket & Pesach out my friends! XO

The Betty Crocker Project : Pina Colada Cupcakes with a Special Guest Appearance of The Sweet & Sara Contest!

A few months ago we posted a recipe for a cupcake to help get folks in the wintery holiday mood. It was a lovely little cupcake that combined Silk Soy Nog and the spirit of the season. But this weekend while I read countless Facebook statuses talking about freak snow flurries and saw photos posted of the recent NY Vegfest... well, it seemed like it was time for a new cupcake*. A cupcake that would warm your house like a Spring day and remind you that frozen treats and beaches are coming soon. It became clear to me that the time had come for Pina Colada cupcakes**.

As always I looked through our copy of Betty's Big Red to find the recipes that I could piece together to create this masterpiece. Then I remembered an email I got a while back from the folks over at BC about Betty's online cupcake center, and quickly found these. When you compare the recipes, you'll notice I made quite a few changes, but the spirit is there. I was cautious because I didn't want them to taste like suntan lotion, so I tried to keep the flavors subtle and natural when possible. All in all, these little buddies turned out just as I had hoped, and we loved them. We went mini with ours... because that's how we roll around here.

We could be yours.

Which brings us to our second agenda item, something else you're going to love! The Sweet & Sara Vegan Marshmallow Contest! Wow - I can actually hear you all gasping with excitement. This blog is all about proving that being vegan doesn't include sacrifice. Nothing says that more than Sweet & Sara's Easter Peepers & Skippers! Who needs those smug little gelatin-based Easter treats now that we have these?

That's why we're partnering with Sweet & Sara to bring these little guys, and a variety pack of vegan marshmallows, into the life of one lucky Meet The Shannons reader! Want to win some awesome for your Easter basket, or to give away as an Afikomen Prize, or maybe just to just eat? Here's what you have to do:

• Start by "liking" this post on Facebook using the little button at the top.
• Post a comment below with a link to a cute picture of a bunny and/or a chick (ducklings, piglets, kittens, puppies and other cutie faces are also approved) and a "Thank You" to Sweet & Sara for putting peeps in their place.

Before you leave your comment - remember in order to win one of our contests, you need to be a "follower" of Meet The Shannons. If we can't email you, then we can't send you your prize! So before you leave your comment with the answers, make sure you use the "follow" button on the side of the blog. We'll randomly choose a follower from the correct answers posted below on Thursday April 7th and send you a MAJOR AWARD! (Please keep in mind that it will take a few days for processing and shipping).

So start your search engines, find those cute bunnies, and enjoy these cupcakes...

The Betty Crocker Project : Thanksgiving Parade #4 - Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

Double Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash! Oh my God! It's full on... What does this mean?!?!?!*

Probably the only good thing about being less than 100% is that you can catch up on your internets and form opinions that are pretty much blogging bread and Earth Balance. For example here's a great feature about  6 superhero origins Hollywood got right (and 6 that Hollywood messed up) that I almost agree with. See here's the thing - I recently watched Hellboy again and though they got he's origin correct - it wasn't as good as I remember. It was more B.P.R.D.(which is awesome but not the same) and Watchmen is actually a good movie and a great representation of the graphic novel (OH - I can hear the keyboards firing up now!). I do agree 100% that the intro is "justly praised" and I think most people found it "boring" because it's not really a "super hero" movie. Oh and I agree the creative carte blanche  taken with Catwoman in the movies is pretty much criminal and when I say "criminal" I mean insanely stupid.

Something that isn't insanely stupid is Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash. These good looking fellows aren't just eye candy - they're a sweet, tangy and buttery Thanksgiving side that is filling and if you are trying to work vegan items into a non-vegan holiday meal - you can slip these fellows in unnoticed. They're this weird combination of obviously and secretly awesome at the same time.

Let's make some!

By Popular Demand - Our Pinch of Chutzpah Matzo Ball Soup

Photo Credit : Sarah Posey

So the past 4 springs Dan and I have hosted some of the best Secular Passover Potluck Seders in the fine state of Virgina. We live in Peta-ville. . . also known as Norfolk - The Headquarters for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. . . where we're all mostly transplants from everywhere really. . .  and maybe that is why we all have grown so close. You find yourself within walking distance of 5 or 6 people who share a lot of your view of the world - your ethical compass and understand your dedication to helping those who can't help themselves. . . you find a family - a Mishpocha -  in this home away from home.

This year's Seder was particularly momentous for us because it was going to be the last one we would host in our first apartment in the city where we met and fell in love and of course - our first as a married couple. Next year - we will be living in Los Angeles and have new friends to invite to our home and we won't all be walking distance from each other anymore and some people won't be making the move and well things will change. . . it's hard to not be nostalgic. . . while also being excited for the step.

This year we've had several people write in asking for the Matzo Ball Soup Recipe. . . we get requests every year. . . but maybe it was the number of emails or maybe it was because I know next year - we won't all be together anymore. . . But this seems to be the right time to go public with this little jewel from my box of tricks.

• 1 Cup of Matzo Meal 
• 1/2 Cup of Nutritional Yeast 
• 3/4 Teaspoon Braggs
• 3/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper ( The big chunks are key for texture )
• 1 Package of Firm Silken Tofu 
• 1 Half of a Large Red Onion 
• 9 Cups of  Better Than Bouillon - Organic Vegetable Broth (you can also use Faux Chicken Broth - this is just less salty - follow directions on the label on amount of water)  
• 2 Tablespoons White Wine
• 1/2 Cup of Olive Oil 
• 3 Carrots  ( sliced like coins )
• 1/4 Teaspoon Celery Seed 
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley ( chopped )
• 1 Teaspoon Fresh Dill ( chopped )
• 2 Pinches of Onion Powder

Blend the Tofu, 1 Tablespoon of Veg Broth and Oil  in a food processor. In a bowl mix Matzo Meal, Nutritional Yeast, Braggs and Pepper.

Then combine the two mixes in the bowl - till everything is moist. Cover the bowl and put in the fridge over night. You can visit your baby matzo throughout the night and give it a good mix with a spoon a few times. . . but always put it back in the fridge.

It will take about an hour to cook the Matzo Balls. . . So about an hour and half to two hours before you want to serve your soup - fill your pot with the rest of the Veg Broth, White Wine, Carrots, Red Onions, Celery Seed, Parsley, Dill and Onion powder and bring to a boil.

Put some parchment paper in a casserole dish. Remove the Matzo Mix from the fridge. Form VERY tightly packed balls - about the size of a melon ball - and place them on the parchment paper so they don't touch. Then drop in the boiling soup one at a time. Give yourself time - so you don't need to rush. After they are all in there - put the lid on and leave it on for around a half hour. Don't lift the lid. . . I know you will want to. . . but it's OK. . . give them time. . . sometimes you just have to let things do their thing. . . have trust.

After that half hour - lift the lid and watch your Matzo Balls rise to the top.

Now you're ready to Nosh All Night! 

The Betty Crocker Project : Mandarin Chicken Salad

So I have to admit we didn't make it to 8 glasses of wine at Passover this weekend - BUT we sure tried.

So the next morning - around 7 a.m. when Percy started scratching on our bedroom door - banging really - I mean he had to really put his little shoulder in it - my day died a little. The little guy had been accidentally locked out all night and had reached his breaking point. I woke up in a terrible mood with a black cloud of hazy Kosher wine abuse following me around and then 2 hungry attention starved cats joined the parade. I walked out into our blessed home which had been the scene of an unrivaled Seder. One of the best we've ever hosted. I found my pink slippers ( actual photo of what I look like when I wake up in the morning ) and ate a leftover vegan hamantaschen. . . and made a real effort to do more than just survive.

Dan handles these things so much better than I do. He can poison himself and just keep on ticking. He didn't flinch at the tower of dishes, scattered haystacks of dirty linens and sticky little splatters everywhere. It really was an exceptional night. 3 tables of loved ones, wine and vegan food. Elijah stood us up again  - but that happens. The afterglow was helping a bit but after hours of cleaning the kitchen - we didn't really want to mess it up again with a casserole or something saucy. It was - literally - not in a Cleopatra way - a Salad Day.

I have to admit from the beginning - I was giving Betty a hard time with her ALREADY VEGAN Mandarin Salad Recipe. I'm not sure why really - I blame the black cloud. The very first step - Sugaring the Almonds - seemed unnecessary. Just extra flavor and calories . . . for people who drink too much soda to enjoy a good raw almond. But I was wrong. It took very little time and it really did make a nice extra detail to the salad. Though I think next time I would leave out the sugar and just roast the almond slices. . . PLUS it made our kitchen smell really good.

• 1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds
• 1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon Sugar

In a saucepan, cook  Almonds and Sugar over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until Sugar is melted and Almonds are cool and a little roasty looking.

We also didn't love the Sweet & Sour Dressing. . . but I am willing to admit we may have been playing favorites. I mean we just made the Caesar dressing - which is an ambrosia and this just isn't ambrosia - not everything can be ambrosia. . . but it was the right choice for this salad. . . we tweaked it a little ( maybe a lot ) but this was pretty much the recipe :

• 1/4 Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons copped Fresh Parsley
• 3/4 Teaspoon Braggs
• 1/4 Teaspoon Texas Pete Hot Sauce
• Dash of ground Black Pepper

Put it all together in a tight container and shake - refrigerate till serving. 

Now Betty had a little side recipe for Crunchy Chicken Mandarin Salad - really you just add Chow Mein Noodles and some grilled Chicken Breasts. We were going for a meal so we upgraded.

Old School Vegan Sweet Potato Kugel

( I mean REALLY OLD SCHOOL )

• 6 small sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
• 3 apples, peeled and grated
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup matzo meal
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1 cup water

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Use a food processor to grate the sweet potatoes and apples. Combine all ingredients together.
Gently press into a baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until lightly crisp on top.

A Robotic History of Passover

Many are not aware there is a unique relationship that robots share with the Jewish high holiday Passover. . . It seems problematic . . . since most of the more stricter Jews don't use electricity during the holidays. . . BUT maybe because robots would also survive the 10 plagues they feel a need to share a night of wine and food . . . drinking toasts to the end of oppression in the world and hopes that someday their home appliance and construction brothers and sisters will know freedom.

( Please excuse the obnoxious Israeli pop music - that I can only imagine was added to make this video "hipper" - yet sorta reminds me of the soundtrack to those "This is How Your Food is Made" videos they showed on Sesame Street )

What will not be attending Dan & Annie's 4th Annual Secular Passover Seder Potluck :

1. Traditional Hebrew Readings and Prayers

2. Mass Bread Burnings

3. Jewverine can't make it.

4. Neither can The Hebrew Hammer

5. I guess these guys won't be able to make it till 2080 :

OX

Matzah Wars

Re-posted from : Frost Street

PS - Don't forget to read labels to make sure your Matzah is Vegan & Kosher for Passover

Matzah may be the least palatable food ever devised by man. But for a week, we must eat it, or tempt the wrath of God. So I've taken it upon myself to find the least offensive matzah on the market today. I've collected all the varieties of matzah I could find in various supermarkets (21 total) and conducted a taste test to identify the tastiest matzah of them all. (That's Frost Street: Eating all the crap so you don't have to). Before getting into the tasting notes, I should explain the categories of matzah listed below. If you lack patience for all this detail, you can skip right to my recommendations.

Traditional Matzah: This is your garden-variety bread of haste, made from special Passover wheat flour and water (more on what makes the flour special in a second). Sometimes egg is added for flavor and body. The point is that these matzahs are perfectly suitable for the Passover table, and are mass produced so as to be widely available.

Shmura Matzah: This is the pascal equivalent of artisinal bread. The word "shmura" means "watched", a reference to the requirement that a rabbi watch every stage of production, from the harvesting of the wheat, through its threshing and milling, on to mixing and baking, to ensure that no water is introduced before its proper time. Shmura matzah is made in small batches, often of whole grain flour, and typically in hand-formed round wafers (distinguishable from the square shape of mass-produced varieties). Most shmura matzah is made in areas with large Jewish populations, and sold to the local community (the most notable exception being shmura matza made in Israel for sale in the United States). I have included in my tasting only one example of shmura matzah, found in a grocery store.

Designer Matzah: Much of the matzah on the market today is not kosher for Passover. Nine of the 21 matzahs I found fell into this category (six of them carrying the Manischewitz name). These matzahs usually contain added flavors -- some of them are even flavored with malt, a definite Passover no-no due to the fermentation taboo. No observant Jew may eat these products during Passover, and no rational creature would eat them if not compelled by religion or starvation to do so. Their raison d'être escapes me, but my guess is that there are many Jews who like to obey religious imperatives in spirit rather than in letter, so I have evaluated them all the same.

Traditional Matzah

Streit's This is the grand old matzah of the Lower East Side, manufactured here by five generations of the Streit family for almost a century. Light and neutral in flavor, not too brittle nor too grainy in texture, this is the benchmark against which I'll judge all the other traditional matzahs.

Manischewitz Sodium Free Manischewitz (pronounced man-uh-SHEV-its) is the Wonder Bread of matzah. You can find it just about anywhere matzah is sold. I was unable to find a kosher-for-Passover Manischewitz matzah that had any sodium; presumably this is the standard product. It is a bit darker than Streit's, with a more burnt, carbony flavor. Some may find this to be a welcome alternative to the utter blandness of other matzahs; I do not. There is also a faint musty aftertaste to the Manischewitz; this may be a result of improper storage, but improper storage may be an inevitable consequence of Manischewitz's massive volume. This comes in a bigger box (16 oz. instead of 10 oz. for most other matzahs).

The Vegan Passover Sedar! The Remix.

We all know the classic movie with Charlton Heston and the lyrics to Swing Low Sweet Chariot - But you may not know that those things have anything to do with Passover. See Passover is the Jewish celebration of when God spared the Jews from the curse of the first born and freed them from slavery in Egypt. The traditions behind this 7 day celebration of unleavened bread and freedom have gone on for literally thousands of years and are there to remind Jews that God doesn't approve of oppression and exploitation. So it's about time we celebrated new school style!

So let's break it down . . .

Can you really celebrate the end of slavery with eggs and meat on your plate?

The traditional Sedar plate includes an egg (Beitzah) - some say this represents a sacrifice others say it represents a new beginning.No matter why you have on it on there - there is no disputing that that egg laying hens suffer unthinkable cruelty - including intense confinement, debeaking and a short life lived in ammonia filled sheds. I like to replace the Beitzah with an avocado. Not only does it replace the egg aesthetically - the seed inside reflects the sentiment behind this place on the plate without contributing to an industry that is completely indifferent to the suffering they profit from.

Of course there is also the roasted shank bone ( Z'roa ) - to represent the lamb that was sacrificed and eaten at the Temple of Jerusalem and also the blood that was used to mark the doors of the Israelites . . . but just like Jews have come to embrace technology like airplanes and running water . . . embracing advancements like more compassionate alternatives to meat truly reflects the spirit behind Passover. I used a piece of TVP for my plate. . . but I've heard of people using a beet ( which gets a big thumbs up from the Talmud ). Whatever you use - the facts are that today's factory farms are hell on Earth for animals and even certified Kosher slaughterhouses have been exposed as being careless and wantonly inhumane and their by-products are about as far as you can get from a celebration of freedom.

With so many recipe sites that offer vegan alternatives to traditional Passover favorites - it is easier than ever to have a Sedar that reflects the true spirit behind this celebration and what makes this one of my favorite Holidays!

I hope you'll consider making your Sedar vegan this year and to help - Here's just a few of my favorite recipe sites to help :

Passover Recipes
Post Punk Kitchen Forum
heebnvegan
Veg Source Passover Menu

Shalom!

Challah at your Goys!

SO - Admittedly we have sucked at keeping up with this thing. . . BUT NOW WE'RE BACK!

With Passover right around the corner we using this page as a resource for recipes, Sedar tips and of course the annual "Will Not Be Attending" List. . . All coming soon!

Until then - Here's an educational film where 50 cent and a Robot help a hip Rabbi tell us a little but about plagues and the reason for the season. . .

Next year in Jerusalem - Mutta F#@*as!