Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

Happy Meatless Monday.

One of my favorite meatless meals is soup and a sandwich. I love it for lunch and I especially love if for dinner. It feels as special or scandalous as having breakfast at dinner time. A steaming bowl of soup and a sammy feels comforting and familiar to me.

An excellent companion to any style soup is a vegan BLT sandwich. It is savory and fresh, chilly and warm. PETA recently released their list of top 10 vegan BLT’s in the country and I was thrilled, flabbergasted and as proud as a vegan mama to see Seva, one of my favorite restaurants in Michigan on their list. Sometimes the lists of cool vegan hot spots bum me out because they can make me feel like unless you live in California or Oregon, there are no craveable vegan eats out there and that just isn’t true. You can find delicious vegan food everywhere, at all types of restaurants.

So how about a vegan BLT’ and a biggie bowl of soup for dinner tonight? An easy way to enjoy a meatless meal, starting your week off plant strong. Here is Sandy’s recipe for tempeh bacon (for a TLT) and a recipe for Kale Butter (pictured in the sandwich photo). They are the perfect companions for an excellent TLT.

Tempeh Bacon

by S. Boulton

Ingredients

8 oz pkg tempeh

3 Tbsp liquid aminos  (1 Tbsp at a time)

2 Tbsp liquid smoke  (1 Tbsp at a time)

Make it Happen

Remove tempeh from package and cut into 4 pieces.  I cut the tempeh (bar) in half and then in half again.   Boil tempeh in water for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain and run under cold water long enough to be able to handle the cooked tempeh.  Cut into slices, about 1/4 inch thick.  Lay the slices flat and lightly begin to drizzle the liquid aminos over each piece.   Then, do the same with the liquid smoke.

Lightly coat a saute pan with spray oil and warm pan to medium heat.  Place the tempeh strips in the pan and simmer until it begins to brown on one side.  Flip gently and let brown on second side.  Taste one of the strips to see if you need to add any more liquid aminos or liquid smoke.  Drizzle any additional amounts sparingly, both condiments add a lot of flavor, so it can quickly change from not quite enough to too much.  Serve warm in “TLT” sandwich, as a side to scrambled tofu or for any occasion you would use bacon strips.

Kale Butter

From the Engine 2 Diet

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale rinsed and chopped ( I used Dinosaur kale and took out the spine of each leaf and used only the leaves)

1/2 C of walnuts

1/2 C of water (The water left over from steaming the kale)

Salt to taste (I did not add salt)

(I added 2 Tsp of Nutritional Yeast and a generous amount of white pepper)

Make It Happen

Steam the kale for 5 minutes, until tender. Blend the cooked kale with the walnuts and 1/2 c of the green water from steaming. Add salt to taste if desired. (and/or add the Nutritional yeast and pepper).  Process in a blender until smooth.

You are going to love the versatility of this spread. It makes quite a bit so you can enjoy it on celery, crackers, for lunch or a snack. A great thing to keep in the fridge for a busy week.

Have a delicious day.

Tags: exploits of a vegan wannabe, kale butter, kale butter recipe, Meatless Monday, Meatless Monday recipe, tempeh bacon, Tempeh bacon recipe, vegan bacon, vegan bacon recipe, vegan BLT, vegan wannabe