Yeah that's right. I've conquered it. Michael and I have been concocting this idea for years. We never expected it to be
this good. Warning: wear a napkin on your shirt - you might just drool.. ok that was cheesy..pun intended...I'm stopping now...
*Read how to make the bacon and the egg first. You'll want to do them kind of simultaneously. For example, while the bacon is marinating, start your "egg." Or prep both and cook at the same time.
Provides about 4 healthy servings.
Bacon (brought to you by
Vegan with a Vengeance..go buy it! It's a necessity!) *I doubled the marinade because it didn't cover the tempeh in the dish I put it in.
1 (8oz) package of Tempeh
3 Tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos, tamari (wheat free), or soy sauce
1⁄3 cup apple cider (the spiced kind)
1⁄4 tsp. liquid smoke (found by the meat marinades)
1 tsp. tomato paste
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
To make the marinade, combine the Braggs, cider, tomato paste, and liquid smoke in a shallow bowl (I used a small glass casserole dish) and mix with fork until the tomato paste is fully dissolved. Set aside.
Cut tempeh block in half and then into thin strips (less than 1⁄4 inch thick) lengthwise. Basically make it look like a mini piece of bacon. You should get about 12 strips. Rub the strips with the crushed garlic, then toss the garlic cloves into the marinade. Submerge the tempeh strips in the marinade and let sit, turning occasionally, for half an hour.
Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tempeh strips and cook for 4 minutes on one side: the bottom should be nicely browned. Flip the strips over and pour the remainder of the marinade over them; if there isn't enough marinade left (which if you double it, there should be plenty), add a splash of water. Cover and let cook for 3 more minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Uncover, and see if you want it browned more (I did). Don't brown too much as it will brown a little more in the broiler.
Egg
Brought to you by Michael and me! This part seems like it wouldn't taste good at all..but you gotta have faith!
*while you're cooking the "egg", lightly toast your bread of choice. 8 pieces if you want a sandwich, 4 if you want open-faced.
1⁄2ish block of really firm tofu (I love Trader Joe's)
Turmeric
Salt
Pepper
1 1⁄2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 Tbsp vegetable or peanut or olive oil
Daiya Cheese
Slice the tofu lengthwise into 4 squares that would fit on the bread. How thick you slice the tofu will depend on how thick you want your "egg." Ours were about 3/4 inch thick. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle a healthy amount of turmeric on each side of tofu and rub in until the tofu turns yellow. Then sprinkle a little more. Sprinkle a healthy amount of pepper. You can salt it, but the bacon is really salty, so I wouldn't. Cook tofu until slightly browned on both sides. Carefully remove tofu from pan (it's hot!) and set aside for a sec. Add about 3 Tbsp water and the nutritional yeast in the pan. Stir until the yeast is dissolved. Place the tofu back in the pan and smush (my own word) it around the pan on both sides to coat with the nutritional yeast. Let cook until the liquid is dissolved.
Assembly (fun part!)
Turn oven on to broil. Place the "egg" (tofu) square on the bread. Place 4 pieces of bacon (or more - don't be shy with it!) on top of the tofu. Sprinkle with Daiya cheese (this pictures show the Follow Your Heart rice cheese, but we've gone on to bigger and better..sorry Follow Your Heart..). Broil it until the cheese is melted. Keep an eye on it so you don't end up burning it as much as I did...oops!! Squirt some ketchup on it, top with another slice of bread if you're going sandwich style, and prepare to take a trip to heaven!
