Plant Bacon

From Wicked Healthy by Chad and Derek Sarno

Choose one or several of the plants below, this is a beautiful addition to a stirfry, a one bowl meal or simply to enjoy on its own!

Plant Options:

• 4 Portobello mushroom caps 

• 2 cups large shiitake mushroom caps

• 1 large eggplant

• 4 large carrots

• 1 package tempeh

• 8 oz extra firm tofu

Marinade for any plant option:

• 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

• 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of sriracha sauce

• 1 tsp of liquid smoke (preferably mesquite) optional

• 1/2 Tablespoon granulated onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon smoke paprika powder

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 Tablespoons of avocado oil for frying or a bit less for baking 

• Pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper

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Directions (Mashed Potatoes):

1. To prepare your plant: for mushrooms, remove the stems(also remove the dark gills from portobello mushroom caps) then slice the mushrooms into one quarter inch wide strips. For eggplant, slice length wise into one quarter inch thick slabs, then cut each slab lengthwise into strips about 1 inch. For carrots, peel, then slice lengthwise into 1/8 inch thick slabs, since carrots are very firm, steam the carrot slabs in a steam basket over simmering water for three minutes to soften them, then let cool. For Tempeh, steam hole for 3 to 5 minutes and let cool, then slice into one quarter inch wide strips. For tofu, cut into slabs no thicker than 1/4 inch and about 1 inch wide.

2. To make the marinade: in a bowl or jar, whisk, or shake together the tamari, maple syrup, Sriracha, liquid smoke using, granulated, onion, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper.

3. Put your plant strips on a baking dish and pour the marinade over them, tossing gently to coat all over. Cover and marinade the strips overnight in a refrigerator. For faster, marinating, use a vacuum sealer to seal the coded strips in a plastic bag, then let’s stand at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours.

4. To bake your plant bacon: preheat the oven to 275, coat a rimmed baking sheet with a thin layer of oil. Place the plants strips in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake until crisp, turning the strips halfway through cooking. Timing varies: mushrooms and carrots. Will take about an hour, eggplant about an 1 hour 15 minutes, in Tempe and tofu about 1 ½ hours.

5. To pan fry your plant bacon: heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat. When hot, add the oil, then the plant strips in a single layer, work in batches if necessary. Fry, turning once, until browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes total. Remove two paper towels to drain.

6. To dehydrate your plant bacon: place the strips in  single layers on screens in a dehydrator and set to 110 to 115 Fahrenheit and dehydrate until crisp, 4 to 6 hours. Dehydrating makes plant bacon dryer and a little bit more like jerky.