Thai Lemongrass Tofu Tacos with a Lime-Sriracha Aioli & Basil-Cucumber Salsa

These are not the most photogenic tacos in the world but they are damn amazing.

These tacos came into our lives about a week ago when our darling friend and cookbook author Marta Holmberg posted this photo of Vegan Vietnamese Tacos made by The Mandoline Grill in Los Angeles. They had a strange combination of delicious things and being a bit ugly on the eyes. We're friends here. So we can be honest -- pink food can be hard to photograph.

But I really hope that you'll give these messy,spicy, savory and smokey tacos a try because they're more than worth the short amount of time it takes to make them (if you don't count marinading) and that rosy sauce is amazing on veggie burgers *, steamed artichokes, and with carrots sticks and really anything. Yes -- even corn on the cob. It's really a beautiful thing - even if it's pink**.

Now you might be wondering what makes these Thai tacos rather than Vietnamese like the originals.Well I am neither Thai or Vietnamese so my take on these cuisines comes mostly from restaurants and research. Both cuisines do share a lot of the same key ingredients like lemongrass, coconut milk, rice and noodles. Although Sriracha sauce is Vietnamese, my experience is that Vietnamese food is not as spicy as Thai and these tacos are actually really fiery. I mean they're hot.

I also added Thai basil, cucumbers and lime to the salsa recipe to add a freshness and a citrusy bite to keep the Lime-Sriracha Aioli from over powering everything with it's awesomeness. But really does that make it more Thai than Vietnamese? Hard to say.

So I guess -- long story short -- They might be dressed in pink but they kick ass. 

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!

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!

Baked Buffalo Tofu Steaks with Ranch Dressing Dip

Can you think of anything more kick-ass American than ranch dressing? I mean, maybe pick up trucks or eagles... but you shouldn't eat those.

A while back we veganized Betty's Buffalo Wings and Ranch dressing. This was back in the beginning when The Betty Crocker Project was still new. We were still considered "newlyweds" then, and doing the best we could in our little submarine kitchen with a junky stove. Even though both those recipes turned out pretty awesome, I always kinda wanted to do something else with them. I've been playing around with today's recipes for a while in my head. They're super easy. The tofu is hot in all the ways people use the word "hot" in a non-ironic way, and the ranch dip has completely won me over to The Cult of Ranch.
 
I know you're all dying to see the photos of delicious food and sharp-dressed vegans at Vegucated's NYC premiere, and all the sexy superhero costumes from Comi-Con... but I haven't gotten around to going through them and posting things. I know this is a huge blogger faux pas, but sometimes faux pas just happen and you just have to roll with it. I mean what would the world be like if every little faux pas stopped us from enjoying awesome things like Buffalo Tofu Steaks? Bad -- and not in the Bad means Good way -- that's what. So please accept these easy and delicious all-American recipes as my apology for being a bad blogger and for actually leaving my apartment for a few hours.

This weekend I also worked a bit on a gluten-free seitan recipe that will be coming soon... so if this isn't enough to win back your hearts... hopefully I can bribe you with that.

Ready to buffalo some tofu?

Curry Vegan Chicken & Potato Salad Inspired by Kittens!

At this point in the summer, you probably have a few BBQs and potlucks under your belt. You've fired up your grills and eaten a few meals outside in the sun. I have no doubt you've also enjoyed a few pasta and potato salads... the vegan's loyal summertime friends.

If this salad were in the Olympics, it would be the triple axel triple toe loop that would have brought the 80s Eastern European judge to tears. We combined two summertime favorites, Chicken Salad and Potato Salad, and added a warm seasoning twist to this classic and often overlooked chilled dish. We're taking this "side" out of the shadow of those showy pies and veggie burger headliners; just like how Star Trek: The Next Generation began as a spin off of a wildly popular cult classic, but with some tweaks here and there came into its own, and some would argue is superior to the original*. You know what I mean... don't act like you're too cool for Star Trek.

You know what else is cool? Kittens with blogs! Many of you already know Aggie from her many appearances on Facebook and Twitter, but now she has her own tumblr! Yes, my loyal lurkers and dearest friends, that tumblr I started months and months ago has finally found a purpose**... to bring more cat wisdom and adorable cat photos to the internet masses. You can find this much-needed resource in our right hand column: just click on the cat. We're just getting started, so that wisdom is still kinda bare, but give it time and be sure to check back to see what crazy cat adventures Aggie has. I feel pretty confident in guaranteeing they will be ridiculous***.

OK. Let's do this. To the veganaise!

The Betty Crocker Project : Egg-less Egg Salad

Most of the year I enjoy soup for lunch. I actually look forward to it all morning. A nice bowl of soup with a slice of whatever whole wheat multi-seed bread I've stumbled across that weekend on the side is pretty much the highlight of my day. But it's too hot for soup. So today we're having a vegan classic : The Egg-less Egg Salad Sandwich!

We've had a lot of different Egg-less Egg Sandwiches over the years, some much better than others. It's an easy thing to mess up. But I think this salad has the right amount of kick from the creole seasoning and good flavor from the nutritional yeast and tahini. It makes a nice sandwich when you pair it with some whole wheat bread... they're like BFFS. Like I'm sure if they weren't food, they'd buy each other little broken heart lockets and talk about boys over soy mochas.

Here's a little song from Whole Wheat Bread to this Egg-less Egg Salad to enjoy while you make lunch!




Let's eat!

Come & Get It! Our Top 15 Favorite Vegan Recipes for Picnic & BBQ Season!

Howdy Partner! (Just kidding; I won't write this whole thing cowboy-style.)

Let's get serious here, because we're about to talk about something I take very seriously... POTLUCKS! See, planning a really amazing group dining event combines art with mathematics, originating in imagination but ultimately rooted in procedure*. There are relationships between the invitees and seating to take into account, and let's not forget making sure you have enough silverware and cups and all those basic resources. And of course, there's the menu. We've collected a few of our favorite Summery BBQ, Picnic, and Potluck favorites in time for this long weekend and compiled them here to make your menu planning easier. OK - maybe more than a few.

These vegan recipes are BBQ and Potluck Tested and Approved.

The Betty Crocker Project : Macaroni Salad with Peppered Baked Tofu

Peta2's Christina Freeman Approving.

This recipe is potluck tested and approved!

Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day and so peta2 decided to celebrate in style... friendly neighborhood potluck style that is. As always there was a pretty impressive spread ranging from spring rolls to chocolate cake from peta2's Vegan College Cookbook. Now Betty's Macaroni Salad is made with Tuna and some different seasoning but we went with baked tofu because it's kinda the new trend around The Shannon Homestead these days. A trend that I hope will make the world a better place for potlucks and BBQs everywhere. Kind of a Act Locally - Think Globally thing.

There are lots of photos to go with this one - Are your vegan-senses tingling yet?*

The Betty Crocker Project : Burger & Veggie Packet

Man - I hate this picture but I love this recipe. So simple - like barely any dishes and super good.

Some might think we are drifting away from BBQ season but they forget we are skipping into tailgate party season*. One of the things I love about this recipe is that even if it is too cold to BBQ outside -  you can make this in the oven and have a little tailgate party in your living room.

So don't write this off because the picture was taken at sunset and is all rosy and well - not my best work - because this is a handy little recipe that makes a whole meal for 4 with little clean up required.

The Betty Crocker Project : Artichoke & Spinach Dip

Yeah - Yellow but DAMN good.

Is there anything cuter in the vegetable world then a little green onion? Hmmmmm. Nope.

Lately Dan and I have been focusing quite a bit on cute. We've had a lot of cute things in our lives these days, and I'm about to gush about one of them: a little XBox Live Arcade game featuring the artwork of Dan Paladin (Ed. note: no relation.) called Castle Crashers.

We spent a good part of Saturday night beating this game, and I was almost sad to see it end. From the second the adorable little castle band starts to play, I was totally hooked. Even the ghouls and zombie polar bears are freaking precious but you don't have to take my word for it. You can just watch this (you have to hit 'read more' at the end to see the player):

Another charming item making a special appearance this week: The Artichoke. Man, I love artichokes! They're delicious, spiky flowers that I would eat everyday if I could. Expect some artichokes this week; we have another recipe coming up that I think is going to rock.

Until then, bake yourself up a dish of this incredibly delicious dip that is the perfect bribe to get your friends over to play Castle Crashers. Castle Crashers and this dip are designed to share with loved ones. I'll be honest: it's kinda rich. Here's a photo of the not so vegan at all version - ours isn't nearly as rich as that. Actually, it isn't even close to being as rich as the "lighter" version suggested in the cookbook. But put this on a thin cracker or pita... this dip is pretty much divine.

Yeah, I said it. Divine. Thank you Betty. This dip completes me.

The Betty Crocker Project - Season Finale : Potato Salad and other BBQ & Potluck Ideas

Summer is wrapping up, and this weekend maybe the last time we light up the grill or pull out the picnic table until next spring. Of course, in Virginia we're suppose to be on the lookout for Hurricane Earl, so we'll see how these summer swan song BBQ plans turn out.

I feel like all the best Season Finales feature all-star cameos. So, just in time for Labor Day Weekend, here are our some of our favorite summertime recipes:

• Beer Can Chicken (Tofurky)
• Caesar Salad Burger
• Chicken Salad
• Chicken Thyme Penne Salad
• Coleslaw
• Crab Cakes
• Girlfriend's Mock Chicken Salad
• Key West Fruit Salad
• Lemonade
• Limeade
• Smokey Collared Greens with Bacon
• Spare Ribs with 3 Different Types of Glazes
• Three Beans Salads

Don't worry - we're throwing Potato Salad in too!

The Betty Crocker Project : Ranch Dressing with A SPECIAL BONUS!

I was never a big Ranch dressing lover before I went vegan. I didn't grow up dipping my pizza or hot wings in it. There were no Ranch dressing fountains at parties I went to. To be fair, there are probably a few Ranch dressing enthusiasts who have never enjoyed one of those, though.

Then one day I discovered Naysoya Vegan Dressings. Creamy Dill, Garden Herb Ranch and Wasabi Ranch were some of my favorites from my days of experimenting. I made dips, sandwiches, and fancy mashed potatoes. There were a few months there when I may have gone a little "Ranch Crazy". I was the most popular gal in town at potlucks and parties. People I knew (vegan or not) with always trying to scam a few bites of my lunches and hinting at ranch dressing dips they wanted me to bring on road trips. Those days are over though; Nasoya doesn't make those babies anymore. Yes, there are other Vegan Ranch dressings on the market, but they never really spoke to me like those Nasoya dressings did around 2002.

When I was flipping through Betty's Salad Dressings, I was drawn to her Ranch dressing. Seemed easy enough to veganize and kind of a novelty; like ordering a drink with a baby umbrella. Something new and different than our usual herby olive oil & balsamic vinaigrettes. I even bought a bag of baby carrots just for the occasion.

It's a little thinner than the store-bought stuff, but it doesn't have the buttermilk and milk fat that solidifies when it gets cold. I don't mind it being a bit thinner, though. This is a pretty good salad dressing- actually pretty great with those carrots. I may even try to make another batch of Ranch mashed potatoes with it this weekend. Who knows... I might even make another batch of Hot Wings...

Special Edition : The New Orleans Stay-cation Part 2 : Vegan Po'Boys & Hush Puppies

Morning on Bourbon Street

Even in a magical place like New Orleans, they don't eat Beignets all day.

When we were there about a year ago, one of our most memorable meals was vegan Po' Boys at Cafe Bamboo. So it only seemed right that we should make a few for our stay-cation. We had brought home a few postcards from NOLA with recipes for Creole & Cajun dishes that I wanted to veganize, and some day I'll share my version of artichoke soup that will make you do this*. This weekend we did an overhaul on the Hush Puppies postcard recipe to go with our Po' Boys.

Traditional Po' Boys are usually made with deep fried seafood of some kind; like shrimp, crawdads, or catfish. There are as many versions of Po' Boys--ranging from seafood to roast beef --as there are urban legends about where the name comes from. My favorite story is that the name comes from the free sandwiches a New Orleans restaurant owner gave to the street car conductors during their strike in 1929, so they wouldn't have to cave to feed their families. Back then, seafood wasn't as expensive as it is these days, and catfish and shrimp would have made up a cheaper sandwich then one with pork or beef. Hence these were sandwiches for "Poor Boys". As someone who grew up in a Union house, I kinda love that story.

Whatever the origin, Po' Boys are tasty. We made vegan Dressed Creole Shrimp and Bourbon Street Chicken Po' Boy Shorties with Creole Veganaise and vegan Hush Puppies. The recipes and photos for all 4 are below--and the fancy veganaise is so worth it.

The Betty Crocker Project : Beer Batter-Fried Fish (Marinated Tofu) & Tartar Sauce

Sometimes you just get what you need.

The other morning I woke up and thought: "I'd love to watch a detective story that has something to do with submarines while I drink my coffee today."

And you know what? I stumbled across a random episode of a CSI-type of show with Mark Harmon as a Navy FBI/police-type-person (?) that... guess what? Solved The Mystery of the Sailor Swap on a submarine!

This morning I woke up and thought: "I think I need more Richard Dreyfuss movies in my life."

And Jaws was on! Yes, I know, it's like an X-file.

Last night, I needed to come up with a new plan for dinner because my Match Vegan Chicken wasn't defrosted... and there she was. A little, forgotten package of extra-firm tofu. She waved and said "Remember me? You were going to make me into vegan fish sticks!"

I smiled and thought, "I can do better than, that my little friend*."

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 : Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce

Until I lived in Virginia, I was really not aware of what can only be called The Chesapeake Bay Crab Cake Phenomenon. It's impossible to ignore all the crab themed items littering every store along this coastline. Aprons, cereal bowls, utensils of any kind, beanie babies, lollipops, mechanical claws for picking up things less than 2 feet away - whatever the kitschy knick knack - you can find one with a smiling cartoon crab it - eager to be eaten. Disturbing doesn't even begin to describe it. It's like those BBQ places with the happy pig on the sign - In what bizarre mind does that make sense? I think Kermit said it best.

I can't really remember ever eating a meaty crab cake before I went vegan but now I feel like I see them on every menu and sandwich board on every corner. People really love their crab cakes around here - poor little sea spiders.

Betty has quite a few seafood recipes in her book. I have to admit I was looking forward to veganizing her crab cakes to see what all the fuss was about. So, we had prepared ourselves for experimenting with the wide variety of faux seafood out there - when the most amazing thing began to happen. We started getting emails from readers telling us to try this new mock meat called MATCH. Hmmmm  - Curious.

We ordered the faux crab and waited impatiently. All I can say is  TOTALLY WORTH THE WAIT! Vegan Crab Cakes are pretty much awesome and expect to see more MATCH Mock Meat .

The Betty Crocker Project : Asian Tuna with Wasabi Aioli and Sesame Buttered Broccoli

You know those nights. . . the ones where everything just kinda works out? The nights when you're a little worried The Cleveland Cavilers may live up to their reputation and beat The Celtics but instead Kevin Garnett goes Berserker on them with his metal face and all.* The nights when you're a little unsure what dinner is going to turn out like and you were kinda grumpy all day so you're worried you may unknowingly stumble into a fight with your significant other but you don't and dinner turns out actually kinda amazing. You eat a dinner at home that you would pay to eat at a restaurant except this dinner is even better because you get to eat it in your slippers and a comfortable chair trying to keep kittens off the table. I really like those nights. Sigh. Thank you Betty for your role in this lovely evening.

OK enough gushing . . . more eating. . .

The Betty Crocker Project : Reuben Sandwich with Coleslaw

I'm a simple woman. I love my husband and my cats. I love Patsy Cline and nice tall glasses of iced tea. I love walking through Manhattan in the rain and red shoes. I love Reuben sandwiches. I mean it is a sandwich that includes sauerkraut and rye bread. . . brilliant. But even the happiest cowboy sings a sad song. When it comes to Reuben sandwiches for me it is the 1,000 island dressing. Even when I wasn't vegan that stuff skeeved me out. So needless to say when I made my own using an adapted version of Betty's recipe I was pleasantly surprised when I kinda loved it! I don't think I'll be dumping it on any salads anytime soon but I do promise from this moment on all my Reuben's will include this tasty condiment.

The Betty Crocker Project : Chicken Salad

It is REALLY hard to take a photo of white food and make it look like something you’d want to eat. But, trust me—you want to eat this.

This weekend Dan and I had a big yard sale to kick start the Los Angeles Exodus. It was the first really warm and sunny weekend of the year, and I guess everyone went to the beach instead of coming by to buy our extra TV—the one Dan deemed "too small" when we moved in together, but before then was the largest TV I ever owned. We purged most of the awkward things we've outgrown. . . Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino movies on VHS tapes, ironic hoodies, and the teapot I've had since college. I have to admit there are still a few objects kicking around here that belong in a dorm. . . but some things you can't rush. I need time to let go.

Growing up can be hard. To ease the pain, we ate Faux Chicken Salad on toasted whole wheat everything bagels. Normally I'd use our family recipe but these days, it's all about Betty. I'm even debating a Betty-inspired tattoo for the big 3-5 birthday coming up. I have to admit, she’s been an inspiration—breaking my rut of lasagnas and baked zitis, in addition to my rut of hoarding obsolete media.  Betty's Chicken Salad was a great base, but I added a few extras because that's what I do. . . 

• 2 Cups Cooked Fake Chicken (fried up in a cast iron skillet the night before in olive oil and some liquid smoke , chopped and then stored in the fridge wrapped in paper towels over night to soak up extra oil.We used this product from May Wah, which doesn't look great in the photo, but is very strongly suggested; but Morningstar Strips and Gardein are always good too, and available in most grocery stores.)
• Olive Oil for cooking 
• Liquid Smoke for cooking
• 1/2 Cup Veganaise
• 1/4 Teaspoon Lemon Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
• Pinch of Celery Seed
• Pinch of Dried Parsley
• 2 Medium Stalks of Celery (chopped) 
• 1/2 Large Red Onion (chopped) 

Mix it all in a bowl - Add salt and pepper to taste.
Eat on bread, try not to get too sentimental about outdated technology, and reminisce about how funny this is.

Girlfriend's Mock Chickn Salad

( or sandwiches ) 

• 2 packages Morningstar Chickn Strips (fried up with a few dashes of Liquid Smoke)
• Half a jar Grapeseed Vegenaise
• 2 stalks of chopped Celery
• 1/4 of a large Red Onion - chopped
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
• 1/2 cup chopped Parsley
• 2 pinches of Celery Seed

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a bowl mix all the ingredients and serve on a bagel with something green like Lettuce, Sprouts or Spinach - Tomatoes - Pickles - Mustard - Whatever Sandwich goodies you like.