Pasta alla Puttanesca with Vegan Sausage - not your everyday red sauce

Rome is often called "The Eternal City."

Perhaps it's because it has survived being burnt to the ground, sacked and rebuilt again and again. Maybe it's because even Alaric, the Visigoth king that burnt most of the city to the ground and took a large percentage of the population prisoner, looked to Rome as a foundation of civilization and tried to negotiate peace rather than destroy her. The first time I walked down the gradual incline of Via Cavour and saw my first glimpse of the  Colosseum between two buildings. Just hiding in an alley like a pick pocket. I literally stopped and thought "Nothing lasts forever but Rome is damn close."*

A few months ago Dan and I spent a few days in Rome during a freak snow storm that shut down the city. Like most of the city we took advantage of the weather to eat and sample wines. See Rome can be a pretty vegan friendly place with Penne Arrabiata and Marinara Pizza on menu's all over the city. Of course, if you don't trust the servers when they tell you the pasta is eggless, there is always Il Margutta, Rome's most popular vegetarian hot spot. They have several vegan options. 

Before we left I picked up a ridiculously thick book of Pasta recipes to veganize and I've been playing around with some the easiest and most intriguing ones first. I could say it was a good excuse to work on my Italian but really I just love pasta. 


Pasta alla Puttanesca is actually called Pasta alla Sorrentina in my book - probably because Puttanesca means something like "whore style." Even with a name like that, this Neapolitan dish is pretty well known and popular in restaurants everywhere. Which is impressive because in Italy's long and well documented history, Pasta alla Puttanesca is pretty new on the scene and for generations was considered "poor people food." It wasn't even mentioned in books till around the 70s and its interpretation doesn't just seem to differ from region to region - but by city and sometimes even neighborhood. The kosher Puttanesca I had in Rome's Jewish Ghetto was actually accidentally vegan because it was their option for those with allergies or who wanted to lose weight. The ones on the menu near the Trevi fountain were not. The key elements seem to be a red sauce with garlic, onions, capers, oregano, olives, basil, parsley and anchovies (although that is sometimes replaced with seaweed or in our case kelp). We tossed Tofurky Italian sausage, red bell peppers, spinach and played around with the ingredients a bit to level it up. 

It's lovely and spicy in a unique way that makes it more than just another red sauce. I know I should dive into my arsenal of adjectives to describe this better but really - it's just more. 

Mangiamo!

The Betty Crocker Project : Louisiana Vegan Chicken Skillet Dinner

 I debated if I should post this recipe today because even though this is a very easy and delicious dinner - the photos just didn't really show that. I mean this dinner has it all. There's leafy kale, Vitamin C packed red peppers, cute little back-eyed peas, smokey vegan bacon and big Creole kick. It's great.
It's also one of those almost one pot wonders that Americans have come to know as "skillets."

Back in my wasted youth, my friends and I used to call each other "Home Skillet" when we were feeling what Emerson called "the comradery of peers."

So I guess it makes sense that an easy dinner than requires less clean up would earn this term of endearment. I mean we loved it. During all the soul crushing recording of receipts and organizing papers that was going on around ehre last week -- there was this recipe to look forward to. Not just as a dinner but for lunch the next day as leftovers. Yeah. This dinner is my "Home Skillet."

The Betty Crocker Project: Maple Glazed Holiday Roast

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

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

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

Vegan Chicken Amandine

Still working on a new computer & with a new camera.

The other day I was looking through our cabinet and decided it was time to use the almond slivers and wild rice I'd been hoarding like some stingy squirrel. I started looking around for a good recipe where these almonds would get a chance to show off a little. Enter the world of Amandine recipes.


See Amandine is a culinary term used to describe several different types of dishes that are garnished with almonds. These dishes range from green beans and rice pilaf side dishes to main course seafood recipes. Here's another crazy thing... there seems to several different takes on what a Chicken Amandine recipe should look and taste like. Some included a light gravy-like cream sauce and some has more of a lemon pepper marinade or rub. One thing they all had in common was that they relied on butter and the fat or grease from the chicken breast to add both flavor and for lack of a better word "juice".


Ours is not only nicer to birds but nicer to you. We replaced the butter and chicken fat with olive oil and used smoked paprika and lemon to flavor our Amandine. Then we included green beans and served it over wild rice to sort of combine all the best Amandines into one remarkable dinner that never had a chance to become leftovers because we had so many helpings that night. 


I assume this recipe would serve 4 normal people but I know it will feed 2 vegans eating to win! 

The Betty Crocker Project : Marinated Tempeh Ratatouille Heroes

 

Back when I was a little vegan, one of the very first dishes I ever made was Ratatouille. Now if you're not familiar with this traditional French Provençal dish that is usually already vegan -- well that's a shame. See this dish sounds fancy but it's actually very easy and great way to get not-yet-vegans to enjoy a meat-free dinner. Don't believe me that the French could have a dish without obscene amounts of butter and cream in it? Check out Julia Child's recipe. 

But after years and years of roasted veggie platters being the only option at weddings and restaurants with table cloths -- vegans can find it hard to really appreciate even the best Ratatouille. That's why we were originally less than super excited when it came time to tackle Betty's Ratatouille Heroes. I felt I was obligated -- no -- it was my duty -- to make something special with this recipe. The world didn't need another vegan roasted veggie sandwich and we need to complete our mission of making our way through Betty's Big Red. I also couldn't help but notice that the building blocks of Ratatouille have so much potential for something more. 

We really hope you'll give this sandwich a chance... it might not be pretty but sometimes a sandwich comes into your life at just the right time and is full of all kinds of good things that might make you feel a little better about all those cookies you want to eat later. 

This could be that sandwich. Don't worry - cookies are coming up next.

The Betty Crocker Project: Thanksgiving Day Parade #8 - Roasted Rosemary & Dark Beer Tofurky

So this is one of those blog posts where I feel like complete honesty in easy to follow bullet points is called for:

• This recipe is an amazing way to level up your Tofurky. It has a dark and rich unique flavor that is intended to recreate what you get when you brine a turkey. Our process isn't really anything like the long one used to brine turkeys but the result of this recipe seems very similar. 
• This recipe makes a thin but flavorful crust on the outside of your Tofurky that doesn't recreate a "skin" completely but it's wonderful. So you can really appreciate it.
• We cooked Brussels sprouts in the dark beer marinade like Betty suggested but it was not my favorite thing to ever happen. The marinade reduces over the vegetables to makes something too strong for me but I do suggest instead steaming or roasting your Brussels sprouts and then using the leftover marinade to make a gravy by adding 1 cup of vegetable broth.
• You can skip the flavor injector step if you want but it's kinda cool.  You really should give it a try if you can.

I think this photo shows you the delicious crust.

 And don't forget to enter to win a coupon for a Free Tofurky Feast!

You ready to show this Tofurky who's boss!

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.

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.

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!

Vegan Rock-toberfest & The Betty Crocker Project!

I'm not German but I love love love Oktoberfests! I mean what's not to love? Polka dancing, pretzels, cheap random imported beers, sauerkraut, beer brats (vegan of course) and all kinds of other awesome-ness. When we were in Budapest we hid out from a biblical thunderstorm in a German-fest tent (not an Oktoberfest but it had the same vibe) and watched some pretty amazing accordion* accompanied karaoke. Of course in Budapest around May Day festivals aren't hard to find but it was one of the best nights we had there during one of the best weeks ever. This month we're going to be Deutsching it up with a handful of vegan recipes to help you rock-toberfest!

In America, we're used to our potato salad chilled and with more mayo than potato but in Germany there is a very popular dish called Kartoffelsalat that is actually a potato salad served warm and with bacon.We made our own tweaks of course on Betty's Recipe to make it our own vegan noms and so you can add this side to your party with some Roasted Vegan Black Pepper Beer Brats (recipe also included)! I know! two recipes in one day! It's OK to say "Hölle ja!" right now.

You would think in Germany they would call this "Das Gutes" but they don't. Silly Germans.

I know I promised news to explain my bad blogging habits lately so here ya go : I recently resigned from my job to focus on this blog and our upcoming book full-time. This is going to be my last week balancing working a full-time (plus) job and busting through The Betty Crocker Project! It's been a bit of a challenge wrapping up a job I've had for 6 years but it's time. I'm sure you don't want to hear about that though... you want to hear about the contests and guest posts we have lined up this month for Vegan MoFo but this isn't a time for spoilers... Now is when you need to open a bottle of your favorite Bier, put on some Hasselhoff and get on your Pleiderhosen**!

You ready to Rock-toberfest?

Pasta in Fresh Basil Green Sauce

Avocado "cream" sauce is not a new concept to vegan cuisine. I bet somewhere hidden in a deep cave waiting out the millenniums are paintings of vegan stick men eating avocado cream sauce. I've seen Green Sauce used to substitute Alfredo sauce or in potato salad but I kinda like to think of Green Sauce as being it's own thing. It's an cruelty-free living institution... at least in my mind. Sharing this recipe with you all is kinda a big deal for me to be honest. It would be like The Colonel (or whatever robot they have at YUM! brands now) posting the secret list of 11 herbs and spices they have squirreled away in Louisville. But yesterday I had a friend tell me he's been vegan for 20 years because of my help and if sharing these things helps people go or stay vegan - I can do that. I love animals.

I can't remember the first time I had what I call Green Sauce but I do remember in like the 90s* having it at a restaurant once where it was called 'Faux Moray 'and thinking "Green Sauce is freaking amazing stuff. What can't Green Sauce do?" I mean in a world where everything just seems to be harder than it should be, here is this totally vegan sauce that is super easy to make and is so delicious it'll make you do this when you eat it.



This video was such a hit at Ol' Fort Shannon. We make this noise sometimes while we eat and then giggle like kids. Kittens are cute.

We tossed some Torfurky Italian sausage in the oil to give it a bit more flavor and because it's delicious.

Lemon Pepper Farro with Vegetables

People ask us all the time what we eat when we're not enjoying Tuscan Lemon Cakes and Betty's Bacon Cheeseburger Hash... well, we go back to our roots. After you post something like S'more Pocket Pies, it only seems right that the next post should feature one of those healthy one pot wonders we all love. Just an easy, fast, guilt-free and delicious dish that you can have warm or chilled for lunch or dinner. These are the classic dishes that vegans have been eating since the days before tofu could be found at your local grocery store and maybe that's why we take them for granted. This dish in particular has one of my favorite grains in it : Farro.

Now in Italy, the term Farro is used to describe a few different grains like spelt and emmer and has been around forever or at least since the first food writer started talking about what they had for dinner last night. So it's a little hard to say really if what we are eating today is the same "farro" that was feed to The Roman Legion and talked up in The Bible but it is undeniable this grain is probably one of the most nutritious things you can eat.  Supposedly farro has twice the fiber and protein than more common wheat and is a great source of iron and antioxidants.

Yeah, it's pretty much the elusive rock star of grains and here's a recipe that will give you an excuse to eat lots and lots of it.

The Betty Crocker Project : Mini Tempeh Potstickers with Tamari & Sesame Dipping Sauce

The original Betty potstickers used pork and had a different filling; our version is kinder to the little oinkers. Cute little intelligent pigs who want nothing more than to just chill out in some grass or mud if it's hot out--or maybe swim around in The Bahamas. I mean I don't actually speak for pigs or anything - they unfortunately don't have elected representation at the moment - but I'm pretty confident when I say I'm sure they would rather be doing pretty much anything than being potstickers.

You might also start looking through this recipe and think "Wow, that's a lot of steps. What can I skip over to make this go faster?" Sorry to have to be the one to break this to you, but you have to follow all the steps. There are no shortcuts to Mordor, or potstickers. I'm not trying to be mean, but all the steps are pretty key. It should make you feel better to know they actually go very quickly. But that thought might lead you to another : "Hmmm. It is a lot of steps... is this worth it?" To that question I only have one thing to say to that lazy negative voice that would deny you tempeh postickers. "Hell yes! Now go boil some water."

I should warn you though, this recipe makes a lot. It would be perfect for a party or potluck - especially since you serve them at room temperature or chilled and aren't terribly expensive for how cool they are. So basically this recipe makes a ton (not literally) of cheap but delicious vegan food. Yeah. It's that good.

Are you ready to wok?

The Betty Crocker Project : Margarita Vegan Shrimp Cocktail Cups

Not your grannie's shrimp cocktail.

So I was feeling a little fancy this weekend and just a tad bit experimental.

Ever feel like that? Like you want to mix it up but not too much. Sometimes it's the little things that can add a little color to your day. No, I'm not talking about blue nail polish or red shoes. Well, I kinda am but in relation to food right now. See, I love faux shrimp. It's a weird food but I really like it. If you've been reading this blog, you've probably noticed that. We've veganized shrimp dishes ranging from Gumbo to Scampi. Hell, we've even made Coquilles Saint Jacques.

You may have also noticed we have a preference for May Wah's Shrimp Balls. It's OK to snicker. It's a terrible name but you can't deny the texture and flavor of this product are really nice and versatile. But if you're one of those folks who prefers to have that signature half moon shape, you can always use these :

Vegan Shrimp from Vegetarian Plus

Now, I have had vegan shrimp cocktail before and it was OK. I don't know how or why but it never really became a favorite. Maybe because I've never eaten the version made with real sea spiders. It's hard to say. I mean who knows where love comes from. But this recipe has a few twists that are just enough to turn something pretty standard into something new and kinda awesome. Something spicy and cool at the same time - like a bunch of little Fonzis*. Not to mention, it's also kinda schmancy.

So, if you're looking for a date night appetizer or maybe just something to go with a chilled glass of white wine that will make that Monday night just a little more like a Friday, I vote Shrimp Balls! (tee hee) Seriously though, try this recipe. It was lovely.

The Betty Crocker Project : Beef-less Pepper Steak Kebobs & Lemon Millet Pilaf

This is one of those recipes that will easily become a favorite--not just because it's crazy delicious, but also because it's super easy. It's one of those recipes that will remind any long-term vegan how far we've come, and how no one in the world loves food like a vegan. There are flavors here that are so subtle and beautiful, they're like a Greta Garbo. I'm a lover of savory and citrus foods, so this meal is like my soul mate. If I had to change anything, I would make the pilaf a little more moist (I know, gross word, but accurate). Betty's recipe was pretty much already vegan, but a tad dry (maybe because we used organic millet that wasn't as processed as what they suggested). We tried to compensate, but we thought we should warn you.

There are oven and grilling instructions provided today, so you can make this year round. We also included a recipe tweak to make Pepper Steak Tofu instead of the kebobs. Now if you're like me, you might be confused, because you may have thought Pepper Steak was going to be like Lemon Pepper and that black pepper was going to play a starring role. The truth is the pepper we're referring to today is green bell pepper--a vegetable as lovely and loyal as any leading lady, so I hope you won't be disappointed. I could keep gushing about how good this is, but I can't recommend it enough. I could try but I think you'd rather get cooking... and, well, eating.

So grab your aprons and best gal and let's get cooking!

Lentils... A Vegan's BFF

What is it about lentils that makes us love them so? Is it that they're a great source of protein and amino acids? Maybe it's their folate, iron, vitamin B and fiber. Perhaps it's that they're a cheap and delicious little buddy that you can use in shepherd's pie or chili... hard to say. But I can say with confidence that this post is dedicated to the vegan's best friend: The Loyal Little Lentil.

I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not, and try to wax intellectual about the nutritional requirements of being vegan and how we need to make sure we get enough B vitamins, iron and amino acids - three things lentils are eager to share. But I will tell you this recipe also has kale in it, which if you haven't heard, is like a wonder vegetable! I mean it has beta carotene, vitamin C, and calcium. Throw in the root vegetables and you've got a whole big bowl of buddies watching your back all week and making you feel a little better about indulging in some Vegan Cheesecake or Caramel Sticky Rolls.


This isn't normally the kind of recipe we post, because vegan food blogs are full of these kinda all-purpose/all-delicious lentil and vegetable recipes*. We like giving you recipes you might not find somewhere else, but people have said they want more lentils than just a few soup recipes. I actually love lentils. We eat lentils all the time! So here's a recipe for a big pot of delicious lentils that you can cook up Sunday night and enjoy for your lunch all week over rice or alone. I suggest eating it with some whole wheat toast, a glass of iced tea and a loved one because if you really loved them - you feed them lentils.

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. 

And We're Back... & this time we made Vegan Garlic Chicken Ramen featuring the Vegan Hard Boiled Egg

Not your dorm room's ramen...

So you may have noticed that we've been M.I.A. lately. For those of you who aren't my buddy on Facebook or Twitter, this might be some big news: we moved to Brooklyn. Not just Brooklyn, but into a brownstone on a tree-lined street in old-school Bed-Stuy. So the past week and then some has been full of the usual moving dramas. You know - the packing, cleaning, and moving of various beloved objects. The unexpected melt-down at the thought of leaving the first home you ever shared with your partner. You know, the one that has all those lovely ups and horrible downs that come with a new and important relationship*. Of course, there is also the realization that you might never again visit this town that at one point you thought was going to be your forever home. This is of course followed by the calm realization that your real forever home is with your old man, and so you pack up your car with kittens and head out into the night... with a few tears.

OK. Now add to that driving a stick shift car from Virginia to New York with only a few weeks of practice under your belt, a few trips to IKEA, and a new apartment that while very charming is notably smaller than your previous place**... and that should pretty much bring you up to date on what we've been doing.

So we thought we'd come back with something easy: Ramen. I've been thinking about making this for months. Like many of you, I too have lived off ramen during periods of my life, and with my life various experiences and earned wisdom have come to develop a respect for real Asian cuisine. I certainly mean no disrespect to their instant counterparts, but the more traditional Asian noodle dishes are pretty much heaven. I mean, noodles to begin with are pretty much divine... so really is it hard to imagine a Pho/Ramen/Lo Mein Heaven? Um - No. I also hope this isn't too braggy, but I'm pretty happy how this little champ turned out. I mean she might not be the prettiest bowl of ramen to ever grace the internet, but she sure was delicious and gave me an excuse to make vegan hard boiled eggs again. Which is always a treat for me.

So to celebrate our first day back to the internet - Let's make some noodles!

Fresh Lemon Asparagus Soup will make you happy... worked for me.

When professional chefs make soup, there are several steps. Fancy soup is judged by how uniformly cut all the vegetables are, and is expected to be strained through a china cap. So I feel like I'm showing my amateur status by posting this as a soup*. See, I could have strained this soup into a fine light broth, but then it would lose a lot of the actual asparagus... and isn't that really the star of asparagus soup? I thought about calling it a chowder, but that didn't sing to me. Also, this soup has shallots, which are my new favorite member of the onion family. Gotta love those shallots.

So soup it is. And what a soup! Good news - there's still a lot of great asparagus available at the stores these days to make this soup, and who can say they really enjoyed spring without enjoying this soup? Not you - because here it is!

The Betty Crocker Project : Corned Beef-less Tips & Cabbage

Ugly? Fair enough.

I recently decided to never watch the movie Short Circuit ever again. I'll give you all a moment to recover.

Now before you all assume that I was afraid of the sentient robot who was originally built to be the ultimate weapon... that's not it. It's because I love this movie and I'm afraid it might not live up to my very kind memories. Also I have come to terms with the fact that Ally Sheedy might not actually be a very good actress and she already ruined WarGames for me last summer.

Now you're probably wondering what this has to do with this pretty traditional Irish American meal that is also known as The New England Dinner in Betty's cookbook. Well, back when I was a little meaty eater, I loved this dinner. This was a Betty recipe I both looked forward to and dreaded because I had such fond memories of this meal - I worried it would be impossible to veganize this recipe in any meaningful way. I mean we're making corned beef - that's salt cured beef if you're not familiar. This could have gone very wrong but it didn't. In fact it was a nice reminder of a dish I haven't had in like 20 years. Does it taste just like the meaty version? I would say 70% - which is enough to capture the spirit of this dish and make it a great dinner this St. Patrick's day. I mean this really made me happy and I'm kinda tough on myself - so that's saying something. I figure I got lucky with this one, why test my luck with a beloved robot movie. I mean didn't Short Circuit 2 do enough damage?*

Before we start marinading some Gardein, I want to make sure you remember to enter the latest Meet The Shannons Contest and check out The Official Shannon Family Desert Island Food List on one of my very favorite blogs : The Laziest Vegans in the World. We put a lot of thought into it and feel pretty good about our choices.What's on your list?