I'd pull one down for you
Shine it on my heart
So you could see the truth
That this love I have inside
Is everything it seems
But for now I find
It's only in my dreams
That I can
Change the world
I would be the sunlight in your universe
You would think my love was really something good
Baby if I could
Change the world
Change the World - Eric Clapton
written by Gordon Scott Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Tommy L Sims
So, I've been contemplating a new blog after the suggestion from many people that I talk more about vegan recipes. Okay, that's really just three people, one of whom is my husband. But, I already have this blog and then there's the old blog from my really super sad days - www.dayinthelifeofdina.blogspot.com. Do I really need another blog? This one actually says "heirloom recipes" in the tag line. So....no. Annie wants the vegan stuff too. After all, this blog is named after my adorable paternal grandmother, Annie Mae, who made the best vegetable soup this side of the Mason-Dixon Line. I think she'd approve. Before we dive into makin bacon (I've been dying to say that) let's address some basic truths.
Why vegan & who am I to have an opinion? I became a vegetarian in the late 80's. Back then, there were basically 4 forms of vegetarianism: Lacto Vegetarian (eats no meat but still consumes dairy from animals), Ovo Vegetarian (eats no meat but still consumes eggs), Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian (no meat but consumes animal dairy AND eggs), and Vegan. I was the Lacto-Ovo girl. I was on the right track, but my head was still so crowded with the government throat shovel of post WWII nutritional crap that we STILL suffer from as a society. I truly thought I needed that lacto-ovo crap to pop out healthy babies. And, I did...as a vegetarian for 7 years, including my uber crunchy childbirth at home, Birkenstock sandal years. Actually, one turned out to be not so healthy, but that had nothing to do with my eating habits. Let's plow on. Then, the preschool years hit me like a brick. If there were one thing I could get a mulligan on, it would be my kid's diets. I so wish I'd offered them a plant based diet, even though there were actual cases where CPS was called in to examine vegan parents! Can you imagine? Like, we're going to take your kids away. You're just too healthy (eye roll). But again, I caved to society's pressure and the ignorant ideology that kids need cow's milk and red meat and chicken nuggets...and it just became too much for me to do, the cooking of all their meals and then a separate one for me. So I lapsed back into carnivorism, though veggies were still my preference. Then, in 2008, 6 weeks after my teenage daughter passed away, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. While it had a happy ending, this cancer phase included lovely things like chemo and radiation and the realization that my post chemo body just cannot process animal protein. Not now, not ever. Enter veganism. But I miss cheese! But I miss steak! But I miss ice cream. I did, too. Something has changed recently. Really, really changed. I don't miss it. At all. One day I woke up and asked myself why I was vegan. Was it health related? Weight loss related? Love of animals related? State of the planet related? The answer was yes, to all of the above. I do want to be healthier. I don't want to force feed myself chemically laden animal products from often sickly & factory farmed animals. I do see a calf or a chicken the same way I see my poodle or the horse I so desperately want. I understand that the world is being decimated by agribusiness that could be the ruination of us all. So, I made difficult decisions. If you don't want my plant based food, that is fine. Truly, it is. Eat your animal protein. I'll still love you. But you cook it yourself. Actually, you go buy it and bring it home and cook it. I want no part of it. My life. My body. My rules. As for my role in all of this? I'm going to learn to make some damn delicious vegan food! You'll lust after my plant based diet. Just you watch. Gladly, I will share, because we're all in this together. And now, bout that bacon.
Did you know that the World Health Organization categorizes processed meats as a Class/Group 1 Carcinogen? I'm not talking about our government, I'm taking about the government OF THE FREAKING WORLD. Class 1 is THE SAME CATEGORY AS CIGARETTES! Processed meats include lunch meat, hot dogs, bacon, and many other items. If I were in a bibliography makin mood, I'd list a notation that backs this factoid up both on the American Cancer Society website, the WHO website, and the movie "What the Health." On top of the already carcinogenic properties of the processed meat, bacon is injected with a chemical called sodium nitrite. It aids in preservation of the meat, especially in meats that need that "smokey" flavor. Several reputable health organizations, including www.livestrong.com & the AMA, tell us that sodium nitrite can limit the ability of your red blood cells to get oxygen to all of your body. This could lead to respiratory problems. It's called Methemoglobinemia. Look it up. It can be fatal. If you don't stop eating processed meats, will you die? I'm not a doctor and I don't even play one on TV. In the event of a zombie apocalypse, I'm not going to Terminus, though. Cause cannibals, duh. What I'm saying is that I'm not willing to take that chance. Maybe you are. Meanwhile, I'm also not about to give up bacon. Now we're back where we need to be! This recipe uses tofu. Last soapbox, I promise. I HATE TOFU. It tastes like wet cardboard. Pei Wei can get it crispy so why can't I???? Waaaaaah. I can. Now. And, so can you. And tofu cooks beautifully. And tofu marinates beautifully. And tofu is filling and healthy and protein laden and has all 8 of those awesome amino acids and that good old iron...and, and and. So let's turn it into bacon, shall we?
What you'll need:
1 package of extra firm tofu (just firm won't cut it)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of soy sauce (light sodium is fine)
1/4 cup of organic Apple Cider Vinegar (look for the words "from the Mother")
Steak seasoning - like McCormick's Smokey Montreal Steak Seasoning
(alternatively, seasoned salt and cracked black pepper are just as suitable, as are sodium free seasonings)
Step 1: Press that tofu. Press it real good. See tofu has tons of water in it. If we want any hope of crispiness, we must eliminate as much of the water as we can. If you don't have a tofu press, wrap your tofu in paper towels (or a clean kitchen towel if you've gone paperless in the kitchen like we have) and stack a couple of heavy things on top of the tofu: a coffee table book on old Hollywood movies with a 4 pack of garbanzo bean cans on top of that, perhaps. Walk away for an hour. Also, you can put this whole system in a casserole dish and pop it in the fridge overnight, but an hour works just as well.
Step 2: After you've pressed your tofu, pop all the rest of the ingredients into a large Ziploc bag and mix well. Add your block of pressed tofu and put it in the fridge. The longer the better. An hour is fine - overnight is even better.
Step 3: Heat a few TBSP of your favorite oil (I'm currently obsessed with avocado oil) in a large non-stick skillet and preheat your oven broiler. Go ahead and line a cookie sheet with foil and spray it with non-stick spray or coat it with some oil. Slice your tofu in thin slices with a VERY sharp knife. The thinner the better.
(Now I'm going to post a picture of the finished product followed by a picture of the flabby uncooked tofu in the pan because I don't want the flabby tofu to be the picture on all my social media pages and I'm not smart enough to figure out how to not default to the first picture.....it's not easy being me.)
Pop them in the skillet and cook them on med to high heat. Remember your marinade? Spoon a teaspoon of that onto each strip. As the tofu cooks, the brown sugar will start to caramelize. You'll see the edges turn dark and you'll know you're on the right track. Your skillet will not be easy to clean, hence the non-stick request. Flip every few minutes until the edges are dark and the tofu resembles actual bacon. It will not be crispy yet. That's ok.
Step 4: Place your pan cooked tofu strips onto your cookie sheet and spoon another dollop of marinade onto each strip.
Broil them, checking every few minutes. I wish I could tell you how long, but my 1910 bungalow has a 30 year old tiny apartment range (the McOven) that sometimes broils and sometimes doesn't. Just don't leave your kitchen! You'll remove the tofu a couple at a time. Don't worry if you wind up taking your cookie sheet out and putting it back in several times. That is perfect! You want the edges crispy and the entire strip dark. If you don't get the edges super crispy, you're still going to love the taste! What you wind up with is very similar to a thick cut bacon strip with a peppery maple flavor. Disclaimer, PLEASE use the foil on the cookie sheet. Your oven will smoke and that marinade will bubble and burn on the foil. Perfectly normal. Do not be alarmed.
Wishing you love & light. Blessed be!
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