January 08, 2014 January 08, 2014/ Morgan
I don’t even know what possessed me to make this yesterday. It just came to me and I went forward with it. It must have been my brain tapping into some magical knowledge center because this bacon is my FAVORITE!
I’ve made the tempeh bacon that everyone makes. It’s good. I LOVE tempeh. But it’s not at all like bacon. The texture of tempeh is totally wrong for it! And some recipes are sickeningly sweet. Or with lots of garlic – which.. is never in bacon. Whatever. Not necessary! And I’m all about taking out the unnecessary and doing stuff EASY STYLE lately!
Yum! Guilt free tofu bacon? Yeahhh!
Mmm and vegan BLTs will never be the same in my house. I cannot wait until summer tomatoes are in .. this is going to be just that much better!!! Not to mention it will be summer and that means warmer (and it means popsicles!)
My favorite thing about being a plant strong blogger is that I am forced to be creative. This makes me reach out and try things I wouldn’t have before. I’m so thankful that I tried this because I have just one more awesome thing to add to our menu rotation!
Now you may be thinking – can this fool an omni? Probably not. It’s not greasy. It doesn’t look like bacon. But the taste is sensational! Any open minded person would LOVE this sandwich (as long as they love sandwiches and tomatoes and stuff.) I don’t make food to fool people. I make food to nourish people and make them happy!
- 12 oz package extra firm tofu (the most firm you can find!!)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 drops liquid stevia (or 1-2 tablespoons sugar / maple syrup)
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 cup water
Drain and press your tofu for about an hour to firm it up even further (here’s how to press tofu if you’ve never done it before or you can use this super fancy EZ Tofu Press if you use a lot of tofu!)
Once the tofu is ready slice it as thin as you can. You should be able to get a LOT of slices out of one block.
Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a plastic bag. Add in the tofu, squeeze out any air and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight (it will be good for several days marinating.) OR if you just don’t want to wait you can instead simmer the tofu in the marinade for 15-20 minutes over medium low heat. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
When you’re ready to cook it preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat. Lay the tofu slices out in a single layer and put in the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Take the out and flip them. Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes on the other side. Make sure you keep a close eye on them in the last few minutes because if they are VERY thin they may burn.
Eat up! Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container. You can reheat them up in a pan later.
Amazing Vegan BLT
- Some tasty bread – toasted! Our favorite is Dave’s Killer Bread! (use gluten free bread if you need to!)
- Several slices of Easy Tofu Bacon (above)
- 2-3 slices ripe tomato
- a Tablespoon or so of Plant Strong Mayo per sandwich OR per suggestion – some Jalapeno Ranch!
- some lettuce – I personally feel that iceberg is the way to go for a BLT but use whatever makes YOU happy!
- salt and black pepper
Cook your bacon. Toast your bread. Slice your tomatoes. Sprinkle your tomatoes with some salt and pepper. Spread one piece of toast with some mayo. Layer your tomatoes, lettuce and bacon on the bread. Top with the other piece. You can also put this delicious topping on warm tortillas to make a delicious tacos. ENJOY!!!!