The Betty Crocker Project : Baby Olive Oil Garlic Knots

I hate these photos. 

So last night there was a perfect storm in Brooklyn. There was the coming together of a mild autumn night breeze that made it pleasant enough to have the windows open but not so warm the idea of baking wasn't lovely. I had just sent in the final proofs for our book - which required a long journey and in the end was an exhausting adventure. So I was sleepy and excited. The first debate for the 2012 US Presidential Election took place and my loving but dedicated husband had to work so I was left all alone to harass loved ones via Facebook with my observations and Tweet frustrations in short confused sentences. Though I would like to think that it was more like commiseration*. But don't all crazy people think that**?

Before you get scared that I'm going to drag you into this... I won't. I will encourage you to check out all the news coverage today on the misleading statements made by certain Schmitt Schmoney but I'll leave it at that. Promise! Because yesterday while I was adventuring through Brooklyn I was inspired.

See October is official Pizza Month and that encouraged me to veganize a classic New York favorite using olive oil instead of the usual butter and animal-based shortenings used throughout this borough I call home.

There's a stereotype in many people's minds that every corner in Brooklyn has a pizza parlor... which is debatable. There is quite a bit and some neighborhoods are more pizza-ed than others. Of course, most of those spots don't offer much as far as vegan options but they all do offer is a simple treat I grew up adoring when I was a not yet vegan - Garlic Knots.

These simple little buddies are pretty easy and a great vehicle for your favorite marinara sauce. This recipe will make either a dozen regular sized knots or 2 dozen baby knots and is so simple I feel almost guilty calling it a recipe.

For those of you who are wondering where's the promised latest Vegan Rock-toberfest feast - well the photos just didn't turn out very good. I recently moved my photo spot and the lighting just isn't right. Isn't that half the battle of food blogging? You can't just make something delicious - you have have to take alluring photos. But I will say - it was delicious so I won't mind remaking it! 

OK - On to the knots! 

The 5 Minute Lentil Soup

I wish I could tell you I've been busy with exciting adventures. Something hedonistic and scandalous would be fun too but sadly - no. I've been editing our book. You know the painful and slow process of replacing commas and shortening paragraphs. I took a stab at doing my taxes but moving to another state, changing jobs, paying off debts, a book advance and a mountain of receipts that need sorting have put our taxes in a whole other league. You know that one where you can't rely on google to handle the tough questions. Then there is the constant battle with the new website. This dreamy oasis of easy to access recipes and a working "As Seen On" page has continued to allude me. Sigh.

And then of course there was the TV sizzle (promo reel) we shot last week. Yes. We were asked to make a promo reel to be shopped around on The Food Network and Cooking Channel. Who knows maybe you'll be able to visit with us in the comfort of your home once a week. I'm trying really hard to not get my hopes up. I'm just flattered we were asked.

I'm also kinda freaking out because our Facebook page Vegan Foods = Joy has almost 10,000 fans! I know several of you have had a hard time finding us on Facebook because the page isn't called Meet The Shannons. But see the before there was ever a blog, there was a Facebook page and Facebook won't let us change the name. 

When you're busy with nonsense it's easy to just put on some Doctor Who and G.I.Joe cartoons and get down to work. I'm a pretty focused person and I can let other things drop off if not careful. And well I'll also be honest when I say that the internet has been seriously upsetting and disappointing me lately.  This isn't where I vent so I'll save it for the next time I have too much wine but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who wishes that the world was kinder and that cruel people kept their opinions to themselves. 

Needless to say that even when I'm feeling a bit frustrated with the rudeness and ignorance of others and busy with the painful day to day of being a adult, I still eat. I'll admit that we ate a lot of lentils when we were in Greece and Turkey and you'd think I'd have enough of them but really I think that trip really just got me hooked. I've perfected a 5 Minute Lentil Soup that is so simple - well I feel weird calling it a recipe. It's just awesome.

So enough chatter... To the lentils!

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

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

Let's make some.

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

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

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

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

The Betty Crocker Project : 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 : The Vegan Meat Lover's Pizza Casserole

We made ours into personal mini-casseroles.

It's St.Valentine's Day! A day when we're all suppose to show a little love. Everywhere you look - there is chocolate, candy and sugary invaders. Not that that's a bad thing but my Dan isn't really that into "sweets" so really any super powered chocolate heaven explosion would be more for me than for him and I think we've all dated that person. You know the one. The one who (perhaps innocently) enjoys your giving nature in a relationship a little too much and somewhere along the way the relationship becomes a one man or woman show. I think we should all agree this year that we shouldn't be those people or date them. Like a Valentine's Day Resolution. I mean Dan already took a week off work making me food and keeping you all updated with our culinary adventures. He took care of me when I was sick and even watched a lot of Star Trek. I mean a lot. Even after all that... there are still rumors of a present. GASP! I'm not sure what I did to deserve him. Maybe it is Karma from all those years of being vegan. Who knows? Let's not question it too much.

After Dan's crazy week in the kitchen I think he deserves a vegan vamped up version of Betty's Cheesy Pizza Casserole. Don't you? A clever combination of baked rigatoni, pizza flavors and mock meat... I know what my man likes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Betty Crocker Project : Pizza Soup

Since we started our little project we've seen quite a few impressive pizzas - An Extraordinary League of Pizzas if you will. Some were pretty old school like the Margherita Pizza, some were a little schamncy like the White Pizza and others were just about as American as a pizza gets like the Meat Lovers and Stuffed Crust Pizzas. But recipes like Pizza Dip are just pure Betty gold.

When I first saw Pizza Soup - I admit we wrote it off as one of the recipes we were dreading. We were biased and unfair. We never even read the recipe and there we were making jokes about how bowls of melted cheese shouldn't really be called "soup"... that being said I would eat bowls of our vegan Mac & Cheez sauce if I could - so I shouldn't talk.

Also - this soup isn't anything like what we thought. The truth is this soup is actually a really flavorful and unique vegetable soup with some melted Daiya and toast on top. It's delicious. It's really pretty and colorful with the bell peppers, mushrooms and basil. I mean let's face it - it's kinda impressive looking. I'd bet this silly named soup would get some "ohs and ahs" at any dinner party.  I just might test this theory.

We knew going into this - we'd love Pizza Burgers but it's good to know Betty's streak is still strong. We loved Pizza Soup and I don't care who knows!

The Betty Crocker Project : Vegan Risotto alla Milanese with Peas

I think we all get a little rose-colored glassy around this time of year. We tend to recall our favorite childhood memories of early Christmas morning surprises or piles of colorful cookies with a warm heart and hopes that this year will be just as memorable. For me this dish really took me back.

Back in the day when I was a little eater (so small I needed to be carried), my family used to go to out to an Italian restaurant that I can't recall the name of but can picture in my head perfectly... I think about that place a lot this time of year and about when Little Italy was actually full of Italians. I can remember my dad carrying me over snow drifts, I can remember white table cloths and wooden chairs hanging on the brick walls to be pulled down to turn a 4 top into a 5. I can recall drawing pictures on the small paned drafty - frosty windows as we waited to eat. I remember the inside being decorated with tacky red, orange and green Christmas lights, paper Santa decorations and tables packed in so tight that you couldn't put your coat on the back of your chair. You had to give it to the hostess. Sounds fancy but really it was just small but authentic. My parents always ordered me a bowl of Risotto alla Milanese and a ginger ale. I was pretty much the happiest kid ever.

Now the real Risotto alla Milanese has saffron, Parmesan cheese and veal marrow ( I know - so pointless and cruel) in it and if you ever watched Top Chef or any other cooking show - you know this dish is a basic dish that they are always saying every chef should know how to make. They are constantly calling folks out for making their Risotto wrong and I've seen many a talented chef hang their head in shame when called out for crunchy Risotto. We're hoping that this dish will provide you with easy to follow instructions on how to make Risotto correctly but also show that you can make a really great tasting compassionate replica of this classic Italian dish - that is so easy you can whip up a batch on a snowy afternoon or to serve as a side for a Holiday dinner with some thing like our Vegan Venison or the Citrus & Garlic Basted Holiday Roast.

Whatever your plans - I hope this dish is as memorable for you as it is too me! Buon Natale!

The Betty Crocker Project : Manicotti with a Kalamata Olive Pesto Tofu and Tofu Ricotta Filling

In my house at Christmas, manicotti might be as popular as Santa Claus. It's a fancy centerpiece dish that is that rare combination of being impressive and pretty simple. I know you may look at this recipe and think - that's a lot of stuff BUT it's the holidays - why not make something super fly? To me - that means OLIVES!

People who know me know I am a slave to olives. I love them all and try to work them in every meal. I like olives in my tofu scramble just as much as I love them in a salad, tossed with pasta or in a taco. Really is there anything an olive can't do? Maybe geometry. Olives seem bad at math.

I came up with this Kalamata Olive Pesto a few years ago to mix in with linguine and some broccoli but after trying it out in manicotti a few years after that - I can't imagine ever going back to the standard vegan tofu ricotta style ever again. I'd miss those olives but I know not everyone likes things as fancy pants as me so I included a standard no pesto tofu ricotta recipe too... because it's the season of giving and I love showing all the things you can do with Tofu!

The Betty Crocker Project : The Incredible Green Monsta Casserole

OK - So there is no Green Monsta in the Betty Crocker Cookbook but there is a Spinach-Bacon-Chicken casserole that I was veganizing and just kept going. I couldn't help myself. The casserole was very good on it's own but sometimes I see opportunities to work a little more kale or broccoli in my life and I just can't stop. Call it poor impulse control. Call it leveling up. Whatever. This dish is the prefect example of Shannons Gone Wild.

You'll be eating this for dinner for a week. Which also makes it perfect for this time year - when your nights are full of wrapping presents, writing out Holiday cards, baking cookies and drinking huge mugs of vegan chai or cocoa. We've been reheating bowls of this for days and it's been a nice break.

Oh and if you're wondering why I called it the Green Monsta since it kinda has nothing to do with Boston or The Red Sox... Well... Much like the mild mannered yet highly intelligent Bruce Banner this casserole may not look like much but stick it in the microwave and shoot a little radiation at it and it is unstoppable and kinda ugly.

The Betty Crocker Project : Vegan Margherita Pizza

 

This morning I woke up to a man outside my window saying "C'mon Annie! Let's make a little progress girl... Make me proud!" 

Now this man was talking to his beagle mix who apparently was taking her own sweet time doing her business but the words spoke to me none the less. I have a lot things that need doing right now and should really being focusing on this so called "progress" I keep hearing about. Until then... Let's talk pizza. I do hope this pizza makes my random neighbor proud. I know we loved making and eating this little pizza like Jacques Cousteau loved the open ocean* and Thomas Edison loved jerking Nikola Tesla around. I guess I only have one more thing to say today : 

That'll do Pizza - That'll do. 

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!

The Betty Crocker Project : Linguine with Clams (Marinated Mushrooms) in White Sauce & Rosemary Garlic Bread

OK: before everyone gets all ruthless about how this looks, please remember we're veganizing this. I didn't use the photo with the sauce mixed in because it just didn't really show the sauce--and that's the best part!

Yes, using Oyster Mushrooms for clams is a very old trick. I can remember making vegan fried clams (Oyster Mushrooms) with my roommate in college and thinking we were so clever, until I went to a vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco and saw them on the menu. Oh. Que sera sera.

Just because vegans are some clever and creative folks doesn't make this recipe any less freaking delicious and amazing. Even if you don't like mushrooms; you can always replace them with vegan chicken or tofu and still have a dish that will bring the shock and awe.

I made this with Betty's Rosemary Garlic Bread. I think I'm going to make that again; I wish I had left the bread in the oven longer, so it would be more toasted, and had crushed my rosemary more. I grew up eating some pretty authentic Sicilian garlic bread and have had several different versions; you know every Tia (Auntie) had their own. I've had it with fresh parmesan mixed with oregano, and with melted mozzarella over butter and basil. Really, garlic bread is one of those dishes where Italian cooks can (almost unknowingly) leave their signatures. This version is pretty good, and went perfectly with the dish.

I have to admit I'm glad I'm only half Italian (I mean not like Frank & Dean are), but I'm Italian enough to tell you this dish is deliziosissimo (which is a real word - not a made up Olive Garden word).

The Betty Crocker Project : Italian White Beans with Chicken

It has been brought to our attention that people prefer blog entries that are "more personal." This is a pretty personal entry for me.

When I was little, around kindergarden, I had a deep clandestine love for My Little Ponies and was running an extortion scam to get them. See, I didn't get the school thing at first. There's a family anecdote about my father sitting me down to talk about my first report card and my my teacher's remarks. My response, was "Who is that lady? Why do I care what she thinks?" As you can see, I've changed a lot.

So, my mother started bribing me with Little Ponies, Charmkins and GI Joes. Good report cards and spelling tests got me points towards my next pony. My very favorite was an orange gal with freckles and yellow hair named Applejack. She slept in my bed and traveled in my backpack. But for reasons I still don't really get, I would hide all my ponies. I would brush their hair and feed them sequins every night. Then I'd line them up under my bed skirt, where no one could see them. Eventually my family moved, and my parents started purging. There was this moment when they asked me if I ever played with the ponies - and I failed them. They were boxed up for Goodwill; even Applejack*. Is it weird that still makes me sad?

What does this have to do with beans? When I was growing up, my mother made this dish, but she called it "fagioli": a term she used pretty loosely for any dish with beans. I grew up eating this on nights when no one really wanted to cook. I loved it - especially with a big piece of garlic toast.

When I found Betty's recipe, my guilt reminded me of poor Applejack and her friends (this is Moonstone - my 2nd favorite). Then the most amazing thing happened; I found these ponies. I nearly fainted. And like any recovering addict, my head began swimming through memories of little purple lashed eyes and ridiculously long manes and that powdery fragrance of the plastic. I want them all. I want to let them boldly run free on my desk and book cases. I know my public declaration has come too late for poor Applejack, but I hope someday I'll be able to give these nerd ponies the forever home they deserve. Until then, I'll enjoy this "fagioli."

PS - This recipe takes about 10 minutes and tastes like home.

The Betty Crocker Project : Caesar Salad Burger

A while back, I kinda freaked out about the vegan version of Betty's Caesar Salad Dressing. I mean, I talked about it for days. When people came over for Passover, I talked their faces off about how much I loved this salad dressing. Seriously - no faces! I publicly broke up with Paul Newman because of this salad dressing. This salad dressing is that good.

So, I was sitting there looking at this package of Match Vegan Ground Burger and my heart began to skipping around my chest. Caesar Salad Burgers? I'm in!

Was it all I dreamed it would be? Yeah - I think it was.

Does this recipe make a lot of food, so much so that Dan and I will eating leftover burgers today? Yes. Yes, we will be eating burgers for the next few days. Not that I'm complaining. I just ran out of quesadillas.

I think this burger could doll up a BBQ and bring something new to the traditional veggie burger. This week, IDA featured a bunch of Meet The Shannons 4th of July BBQ ideas. If you haven't seen it yet, take a minute to read it. I contribute to the newsletter and blog a lot, so be sure and check them out!

OK. Enough chatter. Let's eat!

The Betty Crocker Project : Chicken Cacciatore

So, last night Dan walked in on something that was kinda awkward... one of those things that you eventually end up sharing with the one you love. And of course the 10,000 people who read this blog. (No joke. I checked the numbers; over 10,000 people read this blog last month.)

Back to my story. We had a very honest moment in our marriage last night. Dan walked in while I was watching New Moon. Yes. The second Twilight movie.

What? I like vampires and werewolves and movie monsters. Correction: I LOVE movie monsters! If you've ever watched the real classics--The Blob (seriously Steve McQueen can't do wrong), Dr.Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (the one from 1931 that won 2 much deserved Academy Awards), Godzilla vs. Mothra (the best of the series in my opinion)--you have to agree that monsters and melodrama go hand in hand. Yes, the relationship stuff was exhaustively annoying, but the Twilight movies have a really high production value and I like the soundtracks. Yes, they cost an obscene amount of money to make, and maybe I'm just waxing a little nostalgic because they're filmed in the Pacific Northwest and I get homesick for Seattle and Olympia pretty much once a week... But whatever. I admit, I like these movies. I don't love them. The books are another subject, and make me sad, because trees died to make them.

What's my point?

A very long time ago, one of my beautiful and wise Italian aunts gave me some advice: "One of the most important things a woman can know is how to make a good cutlet."

Now at the time I was thinking "Really? More important than say... how to use a computer... fix a flat tire... do your taxes?"

But last night, as Dan walked into the living room and half-smirked when he realized what was on the TV, I had to laugh, because all he said "How's the Twilight?" and then "Dinner was great!"
Whatever the magic of the good cutlet is apparently extends to vegan cutlets as well, and saved me from a good-natured teasing.

Thank you, vegan cutlet magic!

The Betty Crocker Project : Chicken Thyme Penne Salad

This is a really nice recipe. There's no scorching spiciness, no rich and creamy fake cheese, no hot kitchen afterwords - nothing to put a dent in a perfect summer afternoon. This recipe just makes you feel good about spending your Saturday watching The World Cup with loved ones and gets along with everyone: Triscuits, Iced Tea, whatever.

I have to admit: I'm a sucker for "nice".

Exhibit A: This weekend, Dan found a $50 bill in our parking lot, and spent almost an hour trying to think of ways to return it to the unfortunate butterfingers who dropped it. How nice is that? He's good people.

Exhibit B: My favorite part of the Word Cup is watching the players and fans from all over the world being so happy to be there. After each game, they're hugging and shaking hands and at least appearing to be sincerely "nice" to each other. We watched the England vs. USA game in a bar full of drunk British Naval officers in town on their way to the Gulf of Mexico - we were outnumbered 5 to one. The whole game, we were out-cheered, heckled and out-sung (they had nice little soccer ditties that we could only respond to with chants of "1776" and the chorus from "Born In The USA"). After the game, we bought each other shots of American Jack Daniels and Scottish Johnnie Walker (closest they had to a good English drink). They shook our hands and said "good game". They called us mates and there were hugs all around. Such a far cry from the fist fights outside the Yankee/Sox games.

Exhibit C: I'm vegan. What could be nicer than living a lifestyle that is nice to your body, the environment, and of course, animals.

Nice is just not appreciated enough. Nice is what we call the people we are too young and dumb to realize we should be dating. Nice is what dudes say when something isn't quite "sweet". But I'll be honest - I love nice. Nice, you are my very favorite, and so far this is my very favorite of the Betty Chicken Salads.

The Betty Crocker Project : Osso Bucco

I've eaten a lot of Italian food in my life. Probably more than most people not actually living in Italy. I can still remember one of the first times I realized the world was not Italian. I was at a friend's house and saw their dad cut his spaghetti with a knife and fork and eat the tiny pieces like rice. ( Insert Shudder Here )

But there was one Italian dish we never had at my house is Osso Bucco and not just because it is a Milanese dish and that's like a world a way from Palermo. The reason : VEAL.

See - No matter how Italian my mom is and how not down with the whole animal rights/vegan thing she might be. . .  she would never eat, serve or allow her children to eat baby cows. There are just some things that just aren't right. What happens to baby cows to make veal is one of them. Ironically, this systematic form of cruelty was my introduction to how awful the world can be to animals and much to the frustration and disapproval of my mother - started me on this life-long mission to make the world a more compassionate place for animals and to the love of my life.

Let's get back to food that isn't made by jerks because THIS DISH FREAKING ROCKS!

• 1 Package of Gardein Homestyle Beef-less Tips
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper ( freshly ground )
• 1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons of Apple Juice
• 1/3 Cup of  Dry White Wine
• 1 Clove of Garlic (minced)
• 2 Pinches of Onion Powder
• 1 Cup of Better Than Bouillon Broth ( vegetable flavor - made into a broth per directions on the label )
• 3/4 Teaspoon Braggs (if you don't love salty food - you may want to make this 1/2 of a teaspoon)
• 2 Bay Leaves (dried)
• 2 Tablespoons Parsley (fresh and chopped)
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Peel (grated)
• Vegan Parmesan Cheese (topping)
• 6 Cups of Mashed Potatoes (see below)

Ingredients for Mashed Potatoes:

• 6 Medium red Potatoes (chopped - not peeled - we like the skin in there)
• 1/2 Cup Soy Milk
• 1/4 Cup Margarine (softened)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt (if you don't like salty food - skip this ingredient - there is plenty salt in the sauce)
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

Boil the Potatoes in a 2 quart saucepan - make sure you have enough water to cover the Potatoes. Once the Potatoes are tender when stab them with a fork, drain the Potatoes through a colander.

Pour the cooked Potatoes back into the saucepan and blend with a Pastry Blender. Add Soy Milk, Margarine, Salt and Pepper. Blend with an electric hand mixer till it is perfection. It takes less than 5 minutes. . . be sure and get all the lumps out.

In a shallow bowl or deep dish, mix Flour and Pepper. Coat the Gardein with the flour mix.

In a 4-quart Dutch oven, heat Olive Oil over medium heat. Cook Gardein in the oil till the outside gets a crispy coasting - you need to keep the extra coating from sticking to the bottom - so scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula while cooking a few times.

When the Gardein is brown on all sides, stir in Apple Juice, White Wine, Garlic and Onion Powder. Reduce heat and stir. The sauce will start to thicken in less than a minute. Once it starts to thicken, add the Better Than Bouillon Broth, Braggs and Bay Leaves. Let simmer uncovered. If you cover it - the Gardein will get mushy.

Once it comes to a boil, remove from heat. . . You're ready to serve!
Place one or two scoops of Mashed Potatoes on a plate and then ladle the Gardein and "Gravy" on top. Sprinkle with Vegan Parmesan, grated Lemon Peel and chopped fresh Parsley. Be sure and get a lot of the Gravy/Broth. . .it is really the best part. (I was kinda -sorta licking my plate after I finished dinner to get it all)