Cauliflower Colcannon

Calcannon* is not just an odd word to say, it's a dreamy Irish dish that's usually made with potatoes, scallions and kale. Once upon a time it was a common meal in Ireland and in it's heyday was pretty much their mac and cheez. And why shouldn't it be? It's easy. It's good for you and it's actually a pretty great side dish but we decided to level it up anyways.

We replaced our beloved potatoes with cauliflower. For years, the low-carb disciples have been replacing mashed potatoes with this other white vegetable and as much as so many things that crowd does makes me shudder - this I can support. Cauliflower is a great source of potassium and has a considerable amount of vitamin C. In this recipe, it's combined with leafy green kale, nutritional yeast and leeks to become a vehicle for numminess.

If you're looking for something to enjoy with your vegan corned-beef and cabbage this St.Patrick's Day - well - here it is!

So let's get our calcannon on!

Vegan Irish Coffee Cheesecake with a Shortbread Crust

Almost 3 years ago, I became newly Irish-ed. See I wasn't born a Shannon. I married one. But somewhere deep down, maybe I always knew in my Mediterranean blood that I was meant to be Irish. Not to brag but I can do wonders with a potato. I adore green, plaid, cute fuzzy haired sheep and castles combined with overcast days.  Boil me a cabbage and I'll smile like you've just made me ice cream. But sadly I am still only faux Irish. So heading into St.Patrick's day, I thought it would make sense to start with a faux Irish treat. 


Traditional Irish Coffee is actually a cocktail of sorts made with hot coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar and cream. We took those key ingredients and flavors and transformed them into pretty much the ultimate adult dessert. This vegan cheesecake also has a "buttery" shortbread crust that does more than just hold the cheesecake together. It completes it. It is also probably one of the easiest - yet extremely impressive - vegan treats you could make to impressive even the meatiest eater. Sadly though like its dairy ridden cousin, this cheesecake takes awhile to set. So we should get started. 


Bain taitneamh as do bhéil!

Vegan Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Ranch Dressing & A Gardein Contest! Damn.

The word "Epic" and "Legendary" are used a little too liberally these days. To paraphrase Louis CK  - if you use words like "Amazing" to describe a basket of fried food - you're setting yourself up for a pretty mediocre life. This is a bad habit I'm guilty of. I mean I'm like a shameless serial offender of painting the world "Amazing". So one of my New Years Resolutions is stop being lazy with my language. I think this might be harder than reducing salt, sugar and caffeine in life. Days like today  make it borderline impossible. See - Today is officially Good News Monday!* 

Here's a bit of good news that happened this weekend : A blogger in China helped rescue over 1,000 dogs who were on a truck in route to a slaughterhouse. In the animal rights movement we don't get to hear happy stories everyday. It can make you feel helpless and overwhelmed a lot of the time. So this is a story I'm going to file away for bad days. There is always hope and our actions matter.

Here's some good news that's happening right now! We're partnering with Gardein this week for an epic contest! We're going to be giving away 2 coupons for a Free Gardein Product of Your Choice! To win just leave a comment below telling us which 2 Gardein products you're going to get and what you're going to make with them. Then we'll randomly choose ONE Comment from a Member and send that Member your coupons! 

We're choosing randomly so you can be yourself. In other words, we won't judge if you're stocking up on their burgers and plan to eat them all in one sitting. In fact, that actually sounds kinda impressive. Sorry folks you have to live in the United States to win. You also have to be a member so we can contact you later to send you your feast! If you're not already a member, you can find the button to join in the right hand column. We'll be choosing the winner on Friday January 27th. 


In prime Betty Crocker fashion we're including in this post the recipe for one of our favorite Gardein Products : Buffalo Wings! These little sliders are more than just tasty and easy. They're the right amount of spicy and give you a great excuse to make a huge batch of vegan Ranch dressing. These little sliders are perfect for Super Bowl Sunday or can make a snowy Thursday night a little less chilly.

I hope you love these little buddies as much as we do and good luck with the contest! May the odds be ever in your favor!

The Return of Very Special VegNews Contest & Soy Nog Cheesecake with Buttery Rum Sauce

Almost a year ago from this very day, we posted a recipe for Soy Nog Cupcakes and a contest. A contest that was so epic -- people got so excited that for the year following this little contest -- we were still getting emails asking when we were going to have this contest again... Well. Here it is! 

The return of The Very Special VegNews Contest* and this year's awesome Soy Nog recipe! As we mentioned last year -- this is a magical season! We have excuses to buy and make presents for each other. Which I love. People host parties centered around cookies.Which is as awesome as it sounds. People donate and volunteer more during these winter holiday months than any of time of the year. Which is incredibly important and I wish happened more. There is random mistletoe everywhere to kiss your husband under. Which is one of my favorite holiday traditions**. And the retour au sommet... Silk Soy Nog hits the shelves.

I was trying to find a way to top last year's cupcakes and then it hit me... everyone loves vegan cheesecake. I mean everyone. Bring this clandestine vegan treat to any party and watch it disappear plate by plate and you are guaranteed at least one "Hmmm. This is vegan?"

This is a recipe that I think might become a new tradition for us - like partnering up with one of our favorite magazines, VegNews--the premier magazine focusing on a vegetarian lifestyle since 2000--to bring you this contest!

All you have to do to win is leave a comment below answering these 3 questions:

• What has been your favorite Meet The Shannons Recipe thus far? This will help us plan out our posts for next year.
• What recipe have you always wanted to see veganized? This will help us make sure the book we're writing covers everything you ever wanted.
• What is your favorite feature on VegNews.com - Book Club, Cafe VegNews, Savvy Vegan...?

Before you leave your comment - Remember in order to win one of our contests, you need to be a "Member" 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 "Join" button in the right hand column of this blog.

We'll randomly choose a Member from the correct answers posted below on Jan. 1st and send you a MAJOR AWARD! (Please keep in mind that it will take a few days for processing and shipping). What is this major award all the kids are talking about? Well, a gift pack from VegNews, of course! This includes a one-year subscription, the current issue of VegNews, an over-sized tote bag, and six vegan cookies, a gift pack totaling $50!


I know. That is a Major Award! That goes great with vegan cheesecake... let's make some.

The Betty Crocker Project: BLT Crostinis

Keep an open mind - This is actually a pretty remarkable appetizer.

I've heard that a 'fear of commitment' is one of the most popular self-diagnosed phobias in our society. I understand it but it's not really a phobia I have. I mean I'm not perfect. Needles can send me into a panic attack and sandwiches with wet pasty bread give me the chills. I also might have a mild case of social anxiety issues that I should Google more about. Though I'm pretty sure it's just run-of-the-mill shyness. Don't worry I'm getting to my point.

See recently something pretty awesome happened. I was featured in vegan chef superstar Kathy Patalsky's 2011 Veggie Girl Power series over on Healthy.Happy.Life. I'm beyond flattered to be part of this interview series that includes Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, Leanne Mai-ly Hilgar, Stephanie Morgan, Anya, Kathy Freston, and Portia de Rossi. This is an amazing group of women doing extraordinary things in the world by promoting healthy living and helping animals. My excitement combined with the fact that we are currently writing our book created this perfect storm of chattiness that made my interview a bit long but completely sincere. I hope you'll take a minute today to check it out if you haven't already.

In there I talk about all the different crostinis we've been making lately for the party section of our book and briefly walk through how to make Mexican crotinis. This lead to a few emails last night asking us what crostini recipe so far is the most random/unusual/delicious. See many of the folks who have been following The Betty Crocker Project know that sometimes Betty comes up with some dishes that might seem kinda random but that's how our little project fills it's danger and adventure quota. Going into this project we had to commit to going into each recipe with an open mind. Today's post is one of those recipes where that pays off.

I had intended to save this recipe for the book but there is a little smudge on the plate that ruined the pictures and so many of you seemed really into having crotinis at your holiday dinners and potlucks - I had to share. If you're following along in your own Big Red you probably noticed there are lot of changes but really I think these changes only make these little buddies better. I actually love these crostinis in a way that I've never really loved BLT sandwiches. I hope you'll give them a chance and add some kitschy Betty-Style novelty to your next party.

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.

The Betty Crocker Project : Mini Pumpkin Pleasecakes (Cheesecake)

 I haven't been sleeping all the great lately. It's not really anything to be concerned about. There is no real mystery as to why. I've been sabotaging myself by doing all kinds of things I shouldn't. I mean what do I expect if I watch American Horror Story right before I go to bed?

The other night I woke up in the middle of the night because the cats were bickering in the kitchen and my first thought in my slightly unconscious mind was "They must have cornered that troll* from the 1985 feature film adaptation of Stephen King's Cat's Eye." I mean obviously. Because that's what happens to your brain when you overdose on monster movies. AMC's Fearfest has had me in it's clutches for weeks now. I skip anything with any real gore and focus more on the classics like Teenage Zombies.

Between the leaves changing color and the black and white movies, it just felt like it was time to add a vegan classic to our little blog. Vegan pumpkin cheesecake is actually one of the first recipes I ever tried out on non-vegans back in my Olympia days when I worked at a domestic violence shelter as a sexual assault counselor. This recipe has evolved a lot since that first Thanksgiving cheesecake I brought for the families and residents in the shelter. That while I have fond memories of it, I am willing to admit was a pale shadow of this recipe. It's a much firmer and creamier pie. I've learned how to have a more logical head around pumpkin. I mean it's a fall tradition I respect but over the years my maturity has brought an understanding that sometimes you don't have to use the whole can**. I also have to admit the New Yorky style of this version's sweet almost cookie-ish crust makes it my favorite but you can also put this filling in a regular old pie crust and not sweat the spring-form pan. Either way, pumpkin cheesecake is awesome.

Leftovers Edition Episode II - Vegan Ranch Mashed Potatoes

 It's starting to feel like autumn in Brooklyn. The trees on our street are starting to lose their leaves and I'm trading in my afternoon iced tea fix for a mug of Earl Grey. Hot. The other day Dan and I left our apartment to walk around the city and drink coffee by the fountain in Bryant Park. I'm even thinking of starting my triennial* Buffy & Angel marathon to celebrate the season change but have been distracted with the second season of the British Being Human while I bake and bake and bake. I know you're all judging the choice but sometimes it's nice to mix up your vampire television consumption.


Because our oven is full of baked goods and our stove top is crowded with pots of caramel and berry fillings... it's been hard to find the time and space to make a proper dinner. That's where all those leftovers come in handy and lord knows we have enough. We get a lot of questions about what we do to make those leftovers special and for tips on how to reinvent a dish. In particular, how to make the Ranch Mashed Potatoes I mentioned like a year ago. So here they are! Ta-Da! One of my very favorite ways to enjoy potatoes! Sorry for the delay.

I think if you're looking for an easy recipe to make your dinner a little more special, you've found it. The vegan sour cream does make them a bit creamier and I recommend getting some vegan bacon bits like Bac-Os to toss over the top because the smokiness and ranch really work. And if you're one of those folks who doesn't just live off potatoes... I recommend grabbing some Match Vegan Meats and making these "chicken fingers" and making a pot of smokey collared greens too. And if you're an over acheiver who really loves food and your friends, you'll toss all that on a piece of toasted baguette and pour a little gravy over the too. You'll have an open-faced sandwich that will win over the heart of even the meatiest of your loved one. I mean that sandwich is like the Kenny Rodgers of sandwiches**, little bit country - little bit rock & roll and a whole lotta awesome.


SIGH. Now I'm hungry. To the electric hand mixer!

Fettuccine with Cannellini Beans & Artichoke Heart Alfredo

When I was a little eater who had no idea what a calorie was and where cheese came from, I loved cream sauces. In 4th grade I even wrote a poem that I was very proud of about my favorite food: Fettuccine Alfredo. I wish I still had a copy of this literary masterpiece, or at least remember the good parts. I have a feeling it would be comedy gold now. What I do remember is my teacher making a joke to my mom that I should enjoy it while I could, because lord knows Italian women shouldn't be eating cream sauce after they turn 18 unless they've completely given up on themselves.

To be fair to this teacher who was suppose to be a female role model in my life, it was the 80s, when women all over the US were unfortunately starving themselves to be able to wear white spandex. But let's be honest - those kind of jokes are still around today. Which in my opinion is ridiculous. I mean, I'm vegan now, and I enjoy vegan alfredo sauce all the time completely guilt-free. Is it the healthiest sauce you can pour over some pasta and clean up with some garlic toast? Not really. But as far as 'guilty pleasures' go, it's pretty harmless - especially for those cows.

I didn't add any vegetables to this batch for the photo, but I recommend adding some zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, or carrots to make it more of a Pasta Primavera because vegetables are our delicious friends. Also, this recipe is unbelievably fast and easy. I mean if you can make a smoothie, you can make this sauce.

So I'll break it down like this: this recipe is awesome! Let's make some!

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 : Blackberry & Walnut Coffeecake

I've spent a number of years being a best friend/amateur therapist to several young men and one woman who were addicted to "complicated" women. Some would call them "crazy", but I prefer to use a word that's just as judgmental when you say it in quotes and in a certain tone. When I'd look back at the countless hours I spent over the years listening to detailed accounts of crazy, I admit I used to shake my head in bewilderment. This delicious amazing coffeecake changed all that.

I feel like I should tell you - this is a bittersweet love story. See, I think I may have met my "complicated" woman.

Now you'll look through this recipe and wonder what I mean, because really it's a pretty simple, pretty awesome cake. But in less than 24 hours, this cake has come to make me realize that something beautiful can also be a real pain in the ass. You could even say this cake and I were doomed from the beginning. The fact that I forgot to defrost my berries over night so that I could bake the coffeecake for breakfast may lead you to say that the timing was just wrong. But really it was more than that. Things were going so well while I was blending the ingredients and filling our angel food cake spring pan. The Blackberry & Walnut filling was so good it was hard to not just sit down with a bowl of those berries and skip the cake altogether. While I sat typing away, waiting for this cake to get ready (bake), the warm vanilla fragrance that filled our home held the promise of true love. Then as I pulled this wonderful cake from the oven, I bumped my elbow on our kitchen island and dropped the pan. It flipped in midair like a freaking circus performer, and using reflexes that I can only describe as 'spidey*', I caught half of the cake in my skirt and the pan with the other half of the cake still in there with my other hand.

The cake that tried to get away.

The other half that was saved was less than pretty, but still absolutely freaking great. I debated just making this again, trying to undo what was done, but that's not how relationships work, is it? You can't just try again and pretend like nothing happened. The other thing is that this a real blog about real people really cooking their way through The Betty Crocker Cookbook, and this really happened. It's dumb, wasteful and sketchy to rebake another cake just so I can pretend everything I do is perfect and like I've never dropped a cake on my dress. I mean do I have to have a pretty picture when I can tell you this recipe works and is wonderful using the real photos from this really great cake. Don't believe me? You still need photographic proof?

A peak at the Blackberry & Walnut Filling.

Also yesterday was Geek Pride Day! Yes. Yesterday in 1977, Star Wars IV - A New Hope was released and no one was ever the same again...

Let's bake some cake.

The Betty Crocker Project : Vegan Smokey Garlic Alfredo with Chicken & Some Springtime Vegetables

So I got Dan's fever plague. It came and went pretty quickly but it was still a pretty annoying thing to have happen when you're so close to putting the putting the final touches on something... like your new home after a move. We're so close to calling this place home now. It's all at that cruel stage where it becomes more like cleaning than decorating. I've also been distracted collecting a kinda odd selection of groceries recently.

See an important part of moving for me is finding out where I can get supplies. I've been scouting out grocery stores and pagodas and keeping notes in my phone*. I've also been buying vegan necessities and oddities as I went from shop to shop. I wish I could compare myself to an adorable squirrel or those sweet little old ladies filling their cupboards and pantries in case there's another depression or emergency bake sale. I mean what kind of little old lady wouldn't have all the ingredients for carrot cake at hand at all times? But in reality, this scenario is more like one of those creepy survivalists in Idaho - stockpiling Daiya, Tofutti, Lightlife and Gardein in case I never leave my home again and venture into civilization.

It's not that I'm anti-social. I'm just really shy... and kinda weird. 

So long story short, we needed a vehicle for garlic to defeat our plague and had some fancy organic spinach linguine... Smokey Garlic Alfredo it was! If you're following along in your copy of Betty's Big Red you'll only find Betty's Classic Alfredo. We used that as the inspiration for the base sauce of this dish and tinkered. I mean isn't that the beauty of Betty? She gives us what we need - even if it's just inspiration.

So let's make a lovely light springtime Alfredo that's is way more "low fat" but just as creamy as any of it's dairy ridden peers. We added artichoke hearts and peas to ours this time but this sauce would be wonderful with any vegetables. I already have plans to toss in broccoli next time or maybe some zucchini. Yeah I like to dream big. 

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 : Cheesy Potato Skins

Apparently the original owner of the Washington Redskins was a huge racist. I know SHOCKING.

Betty’s recipe for potato skins, which I’ll tell you how to make in a hot minute, is pretty much the perfect accompaniment to a football game [Ed. note: or Puppy Bowl]. And, lo! There just so happens to be a game this weekend. A big one, in fact. What fortuitous timing. But before we get to the food, allow me to digress onto one of my favorite rant topics, also pertaining to skins and football.

Here where Annie and I live in Virginia, the local team of note is the Washington Redskins. Yep, you read that right. That’s actually the name of the team. Can you honestly believe, in this day and age, that they still call the team “Washington” even though they actually play their home games in Landover, MARYLAND!?!? The mind reels! It’s also super racist.

Seriously, universe: there is a professional sports team named after a racial slur used against Native Americans as part of an ugly historical relationship that also includes, you know, genocide… and no one really seems to notice? Or care? What the hell is going on here? How is this OK? I swear, every time I hear an announcer say “…and the Redskins take the field against the Eagles today” my brain just goes “OMG YOU GUYS DID YOU HEAR WHAT HE JUST SAID? THAT’S SO RACIST!” But the rest of the world just seems to be like “boy, the Skins sure do suck this year.” Which, I mean, they do. But you what else sucks? Racial slurs.

There is not a single viable argument in defense of the team’s name. None. There isn’t even like a bullshit defense that everyone sorta knows doesn’t hold water, but agrees to just go with anyway because it’s easier than facing the truth (what I like to call the “Carnivore Defense”). Pretty much every Redskins fan I know will admit that yeah, the team’s name is racist. The closest thing to a “defense” I’ve encountered is “Yeah, I know, but what else are they gonna call them?” Excellent question. How about this: ANYTHING ELSE. In fact, to help out, I’m going to make a list of 15 other things that the Washington Redskins could be called other than the Washington Redskins, without stopping to think or brainstorm. I’m just going to type 15 things in a row. Go.

1. The Washington Drainage Authority
2. The Washington Bobcats
3. The Washington Polecats
4. The Washington Anythingcats
5. The Washington Washingtonians
6. The Washington Senators
7. The Washington Grays
8. The Washington Not The Redskins (I guess that doesn’t work)
9. The Washington Football Team
10. The Landover, Maryland Football Team
11. Annie Shannon
12. The Washington Hogs
13. The Washington Gridlock
14. The Washington Corruption
15. I Hate the Redskins (also doesn’t work)

See? At least one or two of those are totally usable. Ergo, there is no excuse. So help me out here. Annie and I are activists—that’s what we do. When we don’t like something, we do something. So let’s all do something together today. Please go this site and send a message to the Redskins management, asking them to change the team’s name to something less racist. Normally I would say “send a polite message,” but honestly, I’m not sure you really need to be polite to racists.

Oh right, potato skins. These tasty treats are a delicious snack that’ll satisfy any Super Bowl appetite, and go great with a goddammit I hate the fucking Redskins. Sorry, Annie, I tried.

Click Read More to get this great recipe... 

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 Betty Crocker Project : Vegan Baked Latkes

If anyone had told me there would be so many Latke recipes hitting the internet the first day of Hanukkah - Well let's just say I wouldn't have believed it. I had been looking forward to posting this recipe since I found it hidden in the Vegetable section of Betty's Big Red under the title Potato Pancakes. But in a world of Latke recipes here's what makes this one special :

• Vegan 
• Baked not Fried 
• Super Tasty 
• Um - Like Extra Super Tasty! 

We've been enjoying these this Hanukkah with some Vegan Sour Cream while we watch basketball (How sad was it that Lebron didn't get his butt kicked last night? I'm not even from Cleveland but I don't like selfish people. That Gibson kid played his heart out though) and The Wire ( Can you believe Dan has never seen it? Really one of the best TV shows ever) ... We've also been playing a new game. We still love our Zombies but ya know it's cold and we wanted something we could play while I remain warm snuggled under 3 blankets on the sofa. Enter into our lives : Munchkins.

Yes - This game is as adorable as it sounds and you how I love those adorable things. It is full of inside old school D&D and RPG jokes (Oh yeah - We're going there). It  makes sense since it is put out by Steve Jackson Games - the Milton Bradley of RPGs. Though Munchkins isn't a RPG - just a card game that requires you to be super competitive and turn on those you love the most with curses like Chicken on Your Head and Duck of Doom. So obviously it has become a pretty popular way to spend a quiet night at home for us Shannons.

But enough nerdery for today - here's a song to grate potatoes too.You have to at least enjoy the LARPing by this Jewish Boy Band  if not the tune.  Thank you goes to Rachel S. who sent this song after seeing our Matzo Ball Soup featured on Peta2's blog. Happy 15th Birthday Rachel!

OK that's a lot of chatter. Let's make some Latkes! OH and for you folks who are feeling left out - We're making gingerbread cookies and some other Christmas stuff this weekend!

The Betty Crocker Project : Soft Molasses Cookies

When preparing for the holidays I find many people forget a few key things. An example of this would be drinking enough water New Years Eve so you don't start the new year a complete worthless mess begging to put out your misery and wishing you had remembered the most important rule in celebratory drinking : Never Mix Champagne and Tequila. (True story for another time)

Another example of poor holiday planning would be the lack of cookies. See most people remember to bake cookies for parties and the office but one glaring omission that is really too common is the lack of cookies baked for the various voyages home. I know personally I have found myself wandering through random gas station and mini-marts reading labels in pretzels and no name cereal bars pitifully looking for vegan snacks more times than I can really remember... all the time hopeful I will find that accidentally vegan holy grail and wishing I had taken an hour the night before to bake some cookies for our journey. But this year I turned it around.

Molasses cookies are one of my favorite fall treats. I'm not sure what makes them seasonal in my head except that they just are. I made a few different versions of this cookie to find the "right" one and actually had 2 versions that I loved equally... but I'm sharing the one closest to Betty's because that's how we roll here!

The Betty Crocker Project : Borscht for Vegans who Don't Like Beets

Despite what one of the most popular TV characters/villains of our generation would have you believe... not everyone loves beets. I, in fact, kinda hate them. I hate their unusual texture, their weird indescribable flavor, and how they turn your teeth pink. Whenever I think about this, I have bad flashbacks of a friend from college who used to eat them straight for the jar. It still gives me a little shiver.

So when I saw this recipe in The Big Red, I made this face. But then I realized that most people hate beets. In fact, according to Men's Fitness, beets are one of the most hated foods. If you follow that link though, you may notice that Avocados are also listed,so I'm a bit suspicious about how accurate this list actually is.

But if you're looking for scientific proof, volunteer at any food bank or homeless shelter. People donate beets more than almost any other canned food, besides maybe yams. Also note how long those beets sit on the shelf and in cardboard boxes.

Then I looked at the recipe and realized that I could totally make something that tasted like all the good things about Borscht without making your teeth pink or being heavy on actual beets. There are still beets in there, and you can still taste them a little, but just the right amount to make you say "Whoa - I might not hate beets". In fact, speaking as a Reformed Semi-Pro Beet Hater and Grump-a-Saurus: this soup is just a truly great Fall Classic that I would eat everyday.

The Betty Crocker Project : New York Cheesecake - Pleasecake

I grew up with New York Cheesecake. Big, thick, virtually crust-less slices of dreamy creamy cheesecake. I could never finish a slice alone, and suspect they were always secretly intended to share. I've always had these romantic ideas of this dream date: two people splitting a huge slice of NY Cheesecake in a place like Carnegie's at like 3 am, after seeing a show or a night of wandering the city. I've never done that, but I have walked through NYC at 3 am and seen this scene a dozen times. By the time I was wandering the city with the love of my life, I was vegan. This isn't Carnegie Cheesecake, but to be honest, it's been so long since I've had it that I don't think even Carnegie's is really what I remember it to be.

But this "cheesecake" is better. It's vegan, and I can share with the love of my life anywhere I want. I didn't even realize how much I missed this cheesecake till I took these pictures. Funny... I'm 35, married to the most amazing man, and can finally have my childhood dream date.

The Betty Crocker Project : Bean & Cheese Enchiladas with Strawberry Margaritas

Oh, Friday night. Would you still be my favorite night of the week if there were no Mexican food or video games? Would I still think of you as fondly at 2pm on Tuesday, when the work week has no end in sight, if there weren't the promise of spicy salsa and freshly-squeezed limes in distance? Who's to say? I hope we never find out.

Dan and I have had a strange weekend. I'm dying to talk about how many questions have been answered and all the happily-ever-afters we've found. But if there's anything I've learned from watching Lost, it's that you have to draw things out to the point where everyone is pretty much dying to know the answers and will stay up till 3AM to see the season finale and still be on the edge of their seat a year later when the next season comes out on DVD. Not that I would do that. I have self control and can stop whenever I want. (Yes, that last sentence is to be read as sarcastic, and in the voice of a dead-end addict with little hope of ever overcoming her addiction to JJ Abrams projects,* no matter how bad they end up getting.**)

So, I have to admit my blog posts this week won't be as exciting as a smoke monster or time travel. I mean, let's be fair. But I can tell you this... Betty has a pretty interesting take on margaritas. They are super-sweet and only slightly alcoholic. Probably perfect for a bridal shower, when you want to be giggly-but-not-drunk in front of your future in-laws and the chick who works in the cubical next to yours. They would be great for a 4th of July picnic, when you really shouldn't be too drunk while handling small, colorfully-decorated tubes of gunpowder. Yeah, once you find the right time and place for these margaritas, they really are quite lovely, and helped give us a big sugar rush to complement how totally filling and delicious these enchiladas are. It's almost a shame that these enchiladas are so filling, because they're damn good, and I wanted to eat way more than I could.

In an odd way, this meal works perfectly for an indulgent night of video games and hanging out with your true love. Funny how everything comes together in the end.