The People Have Spoken! Brussels Sprouts in Sriracha Lime Sauce

Today is my last day at a job I've had for 6 years. Don't worry - I'm not going to get all emotional about leaving my job like some drunk 17 year old committing Promicide. I won't freak out and invite you into my anxiety attacks*. And if you're one of those folks hoping I'm going to write a tell-all post about what happens behind the scenes in the animal rights movement, I hope you'll find a way to forgive me. Maybe I'll polish off that bottle of sherry I've been hoarding since we made vegan Chicken Tetrazzini and who knows... I'll get all crazy pants on you. Who knows? History is full of sherry drenched confessions**. But please don't hold your breath.

Last night, I was trying to figure out what to post today. I was inspired by what is happening on Wall Street right now, and went to the social networking streets and asked the folks on Facebook and Twitter to vote. I wanted to know what you wanted. It was no surprise that people love Sriracha sauce. I mean, I love Sriracha, but some of you guys are pretty serious about your Thai hot sauce! It was also kinda touching to hear how many of you have brussels sprouts in your fridge right now. I've always loved these bitty cabbages. Every Fall, it's so exciting to see them show up in the produce section. This time of year they're at their best, and I can't stress enough that if you've only ever had brussels sprouts during any other time of the year... you need to fix that. I'm not a therapist or anything - but that's a problem.

This recipe combines all kinds of delicious stuff like garlic and lemon and kick-ass awesomely-easy. Enjoy!

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 : Spicy Thai Wings

Are they messy to eat? Yeah, a little bit. Are they hard to make? Not at all. Are they super spicy? Yeah, they have a kick to them. Are they amazing? Oh yes!

Some of you might remember a few weeks ago when I shamelessly gushed over Pad Thai. I mean, if I could have left a red lipstick kiss on that blog post, I would have. It's going to be hard for me not to write another love letter to this recipe. Not just because Thai food is a favorite in The Shannon Household, but because this was a really good dinner and really added a few fireworks to regular old Tuesday. Yes, there were a lot of substitutions and changes made to veganize this one but I have to thank Betty for the inspiration. I know I'll be re-using this recipe for years, and to be fair, I have The Betty Crocker Project to thank for expanding our recipe oeuvre if you will.

But that's ultimately the point of Betty Crocker, isn't it? I mean, she wasn't a real person. She was a icon developed to market products to housewives and aspiring housewives. Because let's be honest; even in those glamorized Leave to Beaver 1950s, many women worked outside the home, still faced the same societal expectations, and were expected to come home and do the work of their "stay at home" peers. This was even more true in the late 1930s, when Betty was invented. OK, my Women's Studies major is showing a bit, but back to my point: Betty Crocker, not unlike Julia Child, brought tips, easy-to-follow recipes, and a little affordable flare to American kitchens. She made it easier for Tuesday night to be more than the same old pot roast and mashed potatoes. Betty is that big sister who slips you her famous cake chocolate cake recipe right before the potluck, or walks you through how to make Thanksgiving dinner from scratch. Yeah, she's pretend, but to me that's what makes her great... sorta like Santa Claus.

So Merry Food Christmas to us all! Here's some kick-ass vegan Thai chicken wings for your stocking!

The Betty Crocker Project : Fondue, Green Beans with Shiitake Mushrooms & Asparagus with Dijon-Maple Sauce

So yesterday, we talked a bit about Trekkies and my fascination with them. When I am totally honest it isn't so much a fascination as it is a sincere admiration. I love it when people own their "freak flag" per say and aren't afraid to be themselves.

Here's one of my many many freak flags : Sometimes I like to be "French". I love French music. I like French movies. I wear black a lot - maybe too much. I like bike rides and wearing hats all year round. I've even been known to wear a scarf with a t-shirt or sundress. I LOVE vegan French Food! I know this sounds obnoxious. I guess if we are being honest, I am a Frenchie ( I am also the most mixed up non-delinquent on the block).

So really it only makes sense I would get so excited about Betty's Fondue. It seemed like with all the bounty from our Farmer's Market Crusades*,  it was only right that we should include a good sized pot of fake cheese to dip stuff in. ALSO - These 2 vegetable recipes were already vegan and are good on their own so don't dip them in the Fondue pot unless you feel compelled. These Betty vegetable recipes needed very little tweaking.

Bon Appetit!

The Betty Crocker Project : Chicken Tetrazzini and Greek Salad

I know what you are thinking - Isn't Chicken Tetrazzini suppose to be white?

And I have to admit - You're right.

But classic Chicken Tetrazzini is made with egg based pasta and processed flour. . . Our's is made with whole wheat flour and spaghetti. We used Braggs instead of salt and topped it with a pretty healthy load of nutritional yeast. . . and it WAS AMAZING! I know that word gets thrown around a lot - but seriously this dish was NO JOKE! I'm still thinking about it like 14 hours after eating it. . . a bit of a food day dream really. . . I think when we make it again - I'll add more veggies.

• 1 Package Whole Wheat Pasta
• 1/4 Cup Margarine 
• A Little Less than 1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour ( Remove about 1 Tablespoon ) 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Braggs
• 1/4 Teaspoon Lemon Pepper
• 1 Cup Vegetable Broth 
• 1/2 Cup Soy Plain Coffee Creamer ( make sure you only use the PLAIN - Original  ) 
• 2 Tablespoon Dry Sherry 
• 2 Bags of Morningstar Chickn Strips 
• 6 Sliced White Mushrooms
• 1 Cup Broccoli Florets
• 1/2 Cup Nutritional Yeast
• Olive Oil for Cooking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cook and Drain Spaghetti - per instructions on the package.
In a cast iron skillet - heat at medium temp a few splashes of Olive Oil - till you get an even coating. Once hot, fry up the MS Chikn Strips and Mushrooms. Once they are almost ready - toss in the Broccoli. Keep stirring to keep the Broccoli from burning and make sure they get an even coating of the oil.
In a saucepan - melt the margarine over low heat. Stir in Flour, Braggs and Lemon Pepper. Keep stirring till the mix is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in Broth and Soy Creamer. Then heat till boiling - about 1 minute.
Stir in Spaghetti, Sherry, Chickn Strips, Broccoli and Mushrooms into the sauce. Pour the mix into an ungreased 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with Nutritional Yeast.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly in the center.

So we started with my personal favorite salad to go with it - Greek. I mean let's face it - Is there anything better than a good Lemony Olive Oily dressing? We skipped the Feta cheese and replaced it instead with some nutritional yeast and French Fried Onions. . . we also added some Bacos because everyone loves those little guys. . . but we kept the peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and Kalamata olives. Really though - when it comes to a salad - it is the dressing that is the STAR. Here is our version of Betty's Greek Dressing - this is a real gem : 

• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil 
• 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 Teaspoon Braggs
• 1/4 Teaspoon Lemon Pepper

In a tightly covered container, shake all dressing ingredients.  Pour over your salad and when you eat say "HMHMHMMMMM" with every bite.