Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: bacon

  • Vegan Garlic White Cheddar “Bacon” Mac and Cheese

    Vegan Garlic White Cheddar “Bacon” Mac and Cheese

    Two of the biggest excuses that people use for not going vegan, or eating plant based are…cheese, and bacon.  “But I could never go without my cheese!” that was me when I was vegetarian.  “But bacon is so good!” I hear everyone say when I tell them that I am vegan.  Well, guess what?  I would rather not be killing pigs just because it is good, or contributing to the torture of cows just because of cheese.  I didn’t even know how bad the dairy industry was back when I was vegetarian, but if I did, I would have gladly given up cheese.  Guess what?  You don’t have to go without cheese and bacon on a vegan diet, I soon learned after deciding to be vegan.  There is delicious vegan cheese out there, and I don’t even miss real dairy cheese.  And I have discovered coconut bacon.  It has all of the crunch, saltiness, smokiness and flavor of real bacon, and is the closest thing I have had to the real thing.  Trust me, growing up I loved bacon, because I didn’t put two and two together about where it came from.  But what I loved was the flavor and texture, so I can get all that from coconut bacon.  Not only that, it is pretty easy to make.  And, even though I am vegan I can enjoy delicious vegan bacon mac and cheese.

    Which is exactly what I decided to make last week, and I thought you might be craving something similar so I am sharing the recipe with you all. I had made a Vegan Garlic White Cheddar  recently, and decided to use half for mac and cheese.  The texture was creamy and rich, and I knew it would easily melt into a perfect cheese sauce. I had some organic pea pasta that I wanted to try out too and I was excited about.  I am loving all of these gluten free bean based pastas on the market now.  It is awesome that they have protein, so you don’t need to add extra to your pasta dishes.  Not only that, most of the ones I have tried taste just as good as traditional pasta if not better!  This one smelled a little like peas while it was cooking, but it didn’t end up tasting like peas at all.  It made the mac and cheese a lovely green color!

    This is super simple to make if you have the cheese and bacon already made.  I like to make a big batch of coconut bacon ahead of time, and keep it in a container in the refrigerator for topping salads and popcorn and whatnot.  As far as the cheese goes, I usually make a batch, then save half cut up in the freezer for when I need it for dishes like this.  All you have to do is whisk a bit of the hot pasta water into the cheese and you have a silky delicious sauce!  This turned out so good!  Once the crunchy coconut bacon and savory scallions were stirred in it was crave worthy!  Next time you are hard core craving comfort food, give this a try!

    Vegan Garlic White Cheddar “Bacon” Mac and Cheese

    serves 2-3

    Ingredients:

     

    Instructions:

    1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook for about 8 minutes or until the pasta is cooked to your liking.
    2. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the water.  Add the cheese and sea salt to the pot with 1/4 cup of the reserved water, and whisk until smooth, adding more water as needed until it is a sauce like consistency.  Add the pasta, 3/4 cup of the bacon and most of the scallions.  Stir to coat the pasta.
    3. Remove to a serving plate, sprinkle with the remaining coconut bacon and scallions, and serve!
  • Loaded Baked Potato Bites

    Loaded Baked Potato Bites

    I was watching a cooking show recently with a football game foods theme and they were making potato skins.  They looked delicious and it got me to thinking, I haven’t eaten potato skins since I was about 10 probably.  I mean, it isn’t something I really see often at the restaurants I go to and it isn’t like I ever made them at home.  But I love the idea of them.  They are usually loaded up with some pretty greasy stuff at most restaurants like bacon, cheese and sour cream so even if they were on a menu somewhere they are most likely not at all vegan or something I would eat.  But you know me, I like to veganize things and make them a bit healthier, so I decided to do just that.  Well, kind of.  Let me explain, what I made wasn’t exactly skins because I instead sliced the potatoes and made little loaded baked potato bites.  You know the concept of sweet potato toast?  Well I thought why not use it with regular potatoes.  I thought about making large ones and slicing the potato lengthwise, which you can totally do if you are having these for dinner or something and you want them more like actual potato skins without all of the work of scooping flesh (plus no wasting this way).  But, I thought since it is the Holiday season, why not make them little bites perfect for serving at parties?

    So, I sliced a few potatoes thinly into cute little rounds, and roasted them with some olive oil to create delicious little potato disks.  Now, I thought about making a vegan sour cream to top them off with but I instead decided on using guacamole.  After all, it is creamy, delicious, AND healthy.  Already winning over those traditional potato skins.  I wanted to top them with bacon too.  No greasy animal products here though.  I made a crispy coconut bacon to top them off.  Trust me, if you have never tried coconut bacon it is something you have to try.  It is the most delicious vegan bacon substitute I have had and perfect for crumbing over things like salads or popcorn or these little bites.  Don’t do it until the last minute before serving though because you want them to stay nice and crispy not absorb moisture (this is not an appetizer that should be assembled more than an hour before serving).   Lastly, I sprinkled scallions and red pepper flakes over them.

    They looked adorable, but not only that, they were super delicious.  If I were at a party, I would be the one that kept coming back and eating all of them.  You know what I mean.  I was kind of like that as a kid with anything involving cheese.  No cheese here though, just vegan deliciousness.  These are not only vegan, but they happen to be completely gluten free and nut free too, so they are perfect if you are serving guests with allergies to those things.  Happy Holiday season!

     

    Loaded Baked Potato Bites
    Serves 12

    Ingredients:

    Potatoes:

    • 4  yukon gold potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
    • olive oil
    • sea salt to taste

    Coconut Bacon:

    • 1 1/2 cups large flake coconut
    • 2 Tbsp tamari
    • 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup

    For topping:

    • 1  cup guacamole
    • 2 scallions, sliced
    • red pepper flakes

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees, and oil a sheet pan.
    2. Toss the potatoes with just enough olive oil to coat, and sea salt.  Spread the potatoes out on the sheet pan, place in the oven and roast until golden brown, about 25 minutes depending on your oven.  Remove from the oven and let cool until just warm or at room temperature.
    3. To make the coconut bacon, preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    4. Toss the large flake coconut with the tamari, liquid smoke and maple syrup and spread out on the pan.  Place in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes (depending on your oven), keeping a close eye at the end and checking it in the final minutes because it burns fast.  Remove from oven and let cool.
    5. Spoon some of the guacamole onto each potato slice.  Place a little coconut bacon and scallions on each toast and sprinkle them with a little red pepper flakes.  Arrange on a plate and serve!

     

     

  • Vegan Cheddar Bacon Popcorn

    Vegan Cheddar Bacon Popcorn

    Do you ever go to clean out your cupboards, and end up dumping something on yourself that was pushed way into the back in the highest one?  Something like lentils or say, popcorn kernels that end up spilling and bouncing off of the counter and yourself with little pings like rain drops and landing in every nook and cranny?  Well, that was me the other night.  It never fails, it has happened multiple times.  But this time it was popcorn and it was a mess.  But on the bright side, it gave me the idea to make some.  Because I had forgotten that I had it!  But what kind to make?!  I didn’t want to be boring and just make plain with sea salt.  Although that is needed sometimes, and it is healthy…but I wanted something more.  I cruised Pinterest for ideas, and finally ruled out the sweet because I was in a savory sort of mood.  I ended up deciding on cheddar bacon popcorn inspired by a parmesan bacon popcorn.  But vegan of course, because eating animal flesh or taking milk from cow babies is sad and unnecessary. This was going to be good.

    I have been putting nooch (nutritional yeast) on my popcorn forever as a sort of a vegan cheese like popcorn and it is always so good.  It reminds me of the cheese flavored popcorn that I had as a kid.  I loved that stuff.  I could sit and eat a large bag and I would be happy.  You know the kind, that stains your hands orange like Cheetos. Really not good for you, and I am sure it is not even real cheese.  But I was happy to discover nutritional yeast to replace it for a healthier version, I have been doing this since even before I went vegan. So that is what I used for the cheesy flavor in this popcorn.  I used some avocado oil to adhere the cheese to the popcorn, since it has sort of a neutral buttery flavor and it worked perfect!  I also added in some garlic powder, chipotle powder and sea salt and it was so good! Just good like that, but I didn’t stop there.

    No, I had to go and add coconut bacon as well to make it even more crave worthy!  On a side note, if you have not tried coconut bacon, you simply must. It is amazing game changing stuff.  It is the closest thing I have had to actual bacon crumbles because the texture is nice and crisp and the flavor is smoky, salty and slightly sweet.  I love the stuff.  Crumbled over salads, or even desserts, and of course this popcorn.  Bet you can’t have just a few handfuls.  I had a hard time tearing myself away because this is some crave worthy stuff.  If you are in the mood for an amazing salty crunchy snack, you need to try this popcorn!

    Vegan Cheddar Bacon Popcorn
    Makes 8 cups

    Ingredients:

    Coconut Bacon:

    • 1 1/2 cups large flake coconut
    • 2 Tbsp tamari
    • 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup

     

    Popcorn:

    • 1/4 cup avocado oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
    • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
    • 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
    • 8 cups plain organic popped corn

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the coconut bacon, preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    2. Toss the large flake coconut with the tamari, liquid smoke and maple syrup and spread out on the pan.  Place in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes (depending on your oven), keeping a close eye at the end and checking it in the final minutes because it burns fast.  Remove from oven and let cool.
    3. Drizzle the oil over the popcorn in a large bowl and mix well with your hands.
    4. Add the salt, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and chipotle powder and mix until coated.
    5. Add the coconut bacon and mix with hands until evenly distributed.
  • Vegan Broccoli “Bacon” Salad

    Vegan Broccoli “Bacon” Salad

    There is a broccoli bacon salad that is very popular among Minnesotans at church potlucks or summer picnics.  It has a creamy dressing, raisins, sunflower seeds, onions and sometimes cheese depending on who makes it.  I used to like it when I was little because it was sweet and had bacon, but when I got older it was too sweet for me, as it is usually loaded up with sugar and mayonnaise two things I am not a fan of not to mention the bacon which I haven’t eaten since I went vegetarian in 2003 (I have been vegan 5 years).  One of my friends jokingly used to call it “broccoli barf”  because she was a vegetarian too and thought it was too sugary and mayo filled as well.  We actually make a version of this in the deli I work at and it is pretty popular.  Which got me to thinking, why couldn’t I make a vegan version of it that I could actually eat, and tailor it to my tastes so I would enjoy it as well?

    I admit I don’t usually reach for the broccoli first, but I really wanted to make a good vegan version of this!  I mean, yes, I could have made it really simple and bought vegan bacon and vegan mayonnaise, but were is the fun in that?  And, I don’t usually like store bought mayonnaise even if it is vegan.  So, I made my own creamy sweet dressing that ended up tasting even better than the mayo one.  It had a coconut milk cashew base made a little tangy with cider vinegar and sweet with maple syrup.  It was delicious once poured over the salad.

    For the bacon, I made coconut bacon.  It is now my favorite vegan bacon for when I want to sprinkle it on top of something or just snack on it.  It is honestly the closest thing texture and flavor wise I have found to real bacon.  It was super delicious in the salad and added a nice crunch.  I kept it classic with onions and sunflower seeds, but I swapped out the raisins for dried cherries because I am not a huge raisin fan and that was what I happened to have on hand.  I shared some of this salad with my Mom, who has tried the original version probably way more times than me and is usually not a fan, but she loved the vegan version I made.  If you are looking for a dish to bring to a Summer picnic or potluck, give this a try!

    Vegan Broccoli “Bacon” Salad
    Serves 2-4

    Ingredients:

    Coconut Bacon:

    • 1 1/2 cups large flake coconut
    • 2 Tbsp tamari
    • 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup

     

    Dressing:

    • 1/3 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk (mostly the thick part from the top of the can)
    • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/3 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

     

    Salad:

    • 2 medium heads organic broccoli
    • 1/4 cup diced onion
    • 1/2 cup dried cherries
    • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the coconut bacon, preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    2. Toss the large flake coconut with the tamari, liquid smoke and maple syrup and spread out on the pan.  Place in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes (depending on your oven), keeping a close eye at the end and checking it in the final minutes because it burns fast.  Remove from oven and let cool.
    3. To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
    4. Combine broccoli, onions, cherries, sunflower seeds, and coconut bacon in a bowl, and toss together with the dressing.
    5. Enjoy!

     

    *Note: If you are not serving this right away, do not add the coconut bacon until you are just about to serve it so that it stays crisp.

     

  • Vegan Maple Glazed Bacon Doughnuts

    Vegan Maple Glazed Bacon Doughnuts

    I feel like so many people are obsessed with bacon.  Well, guess what?  I used to be too before I became vegan.  Well vegetarian first so the bacon was long gone by the time I went vegan because it has been a total of about 14 years since I have eaten meat.  I have tried many bacon substitutes, and I have to be honest, I have not cared for most and they were not like bacon.  But the closest thing to bacon I have made is coconut bacon which I recently discovered (finally).  OMG it is sooo good.  Salty, crunchy and smokey just like bacon.  I used it in a caramel corn recipe and it was yummalicious, so I thought to myself, why not add it to maple doughnuts like I see other people doing with regular bacon?  Coconut bacon is after all so much more appealing on a dessert (at least to me).

    So, I baked up some maple cake doughnuts.  I have this lovely doughnut pan I picked up a few years back and I love it!  The batter for these is actually sweetened with dates, so they have sort of a caramel maple flavor that is sooo yummy!  They smelled amazing while baking too.  Sort of like pancakes with the whole maple thing going on.  I love the aroma of maple.  My coworker was baking maple scones the other day and the scent always makes me happy. It reminds me of when my Mom used to make pancakes when I was little. I had to top these off with something delicious so that the bacon would stick to them, so I topped them off with a sweet maple glaze.

    It has a coconut butter base actually and was super simple to make, but tasted so good on the doughnuts, especially once the bacon was added.  These were simply heavenly!  Thank goodness for maple bacon!  If you have never tried it, you simply must!  These would be perfect for baking on a lazy weekend morning!

    Vegan Maple Glazed Bacon Doughnuts
    Makes 6

    One 6 hole doughnut pan

    Doughnuts:

    • 3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free baking flour
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3/4 cups packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and 3/4 cup of the water reserved
    • 2 Tbsp raw pecan butter (or raw almond butter)
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple flavor
    • 1/2 cup filtered water
    • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

     

    Coconut Bacon:

    • 1 1/2 cups large flake coconut
    • 2 Tbsp tamari
    • 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup

     

    Glaze:

    • 1/3 cup coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 1 ½ Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 ½ Tbsp filtered water or as needed
    • Pinch sea salt
    • ½ tsp maple extract (optional)

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position rack in center of oven. Oil a 6 hole doughnut pan.
    2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt in a large bowl to blend well. Place dates, reserved water, pecan butter, water, maple, and vanilla extract into a blender, and blend until smooth, then whisk this blended mixture into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in the cider vinegar until bubbles form.
    3. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean with a few moist crumbs attached.  You don’t want to over-bake.
    4. To make the coconut bacon, preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    5. Toss the large flake coconut with the tamari, liquid smoke and maple syrup and spread out on the pan.  Place in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes (depending on your oven), keeping a close eye at the end and checking it in the final minutes because it burns fast.  Remove from oven and let cool.
    6. To make the glaze, whisk together all ingredients until smooth (adding more water if too thick, you want it to be pour-able but not too thin).  Spoon over the doughnuts, allowing it to drip down the sides.  Sprinkle with the coconut bacon. Let set until dry (which happens faster if you put them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes).  Enjoy!

  • Vegan Maple Bacon Caramel Corn with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

    Vegan Maple Bacon Caramel Corn with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

    Back in the day, way before I went vegan I was a huge bacon eater.  Saturday mornings at Grandma’s house always involved bacon, the aroma filling the whole house as it cooked.  I especially liked it when she made Denver sandwiches with it.  And, when I went out to eat at a local pancake restaurant with my Mom I would always order bacon alongside my short stack. As if the pancakes weren’t enough.  I had to have that  crunchy salty crispy smoky goodness on the side.  I wasn’t a stranger to bacon cheeseburgers either.  A Wendy’s jr. bacon cheeseburger was at the top of my list when I was 16.  That all changed though when I went vegetarian in 2003 (I went full vegan in 2012), no more bacon.  It makes me really sad to think about the lives that pigs who are raised for food live, and my rule is if I wouldn’t want something done to me or my family I don’t do it to others.  Including animals.  Even if it is indirect, like the farm is killing the bacon and people just consume it.  You are still creating a demand for this product.  People can totally live without real bacon.  I have done so for 14 years, and I have not really missed it.  Eating animal flesh grosses me out. If there was something I missed about it, it was definitely not the fact that it was animal.  It was the flavor, texture and aroma.  All of which can be recreated in vegan form. I have made tempeh bacon, and attempted eggplant bacon.  But surprisingly not coconut bacon which I had always wanted to try.

    Well, I was browsing Pinterest and I saw some maple bacon caramel corn.  It was made with real bacon, and I said to myself.  That would be really good if it were vegan. I thought coconut bacon might be perfect for using in a vegan version too, so I finally threw some together.  I looked up a few recipes, then winged it with amounts of the ingredients I thought would work, and it turned out amazing!  The secret to making it taste like bacon is salty tamari, and smokey liquid smoke.  My house smelled like bacon as it was cooking.  Only 15 minutes and you can be enjoying vegan bacon deliciousness!  I made a vegan maple caramel corn with my classic caramel corn recipe and the bacon was a perfect addition.  This caramel corn doesn’t really require any cooking to make the caramel, it is sort of a faux quick caramel you just have to whisk together and it is super delicious.

    It wasn’t enough to just leave it like that though, as good as it already was.  I decided to drizzle it with dark chocolate too to make it even more heavenly.  I think any vegan or non-vegan would agree that this is some pure delicious goodness!  I will just say that about 1/4 of the tray was gone before I even got to taking photos.  If you are vegan and craving the flavors of bacon, I encourage you to try this.  I think this popcorn would cure most cravings.  It has it all.  Crunchy, salty, sweet, and chocolate all in one.

    Vegan Maple Bacon Caramel Corn with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
    Makes 8 cups

    Coconut Bacon:

    • 1 1/2 cups large flake coconut
    • 2 Tbsp tamari
    • 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup

     

    Popcorn:

    • 1/3 cup maple syrup
    • 1/3 cup coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 1/3 cup pecan butter (or almond butter)
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple flavor (optional)
    • 8 cups plain organic popped corn
    • 3/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the coconut bacon, preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    2. Toss the large flake coconut with the tamari, liquid smoke and maple syrup and spread out on the pan.  Place in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes (depending on your oven), keeping a close eye at the end and checking it in the final minutes because it burns fast.  Remove from oven and let cool.
    3. When the bacon has cooled, to make the popcorn, in a glass measuring cup (or bowl) whisk together the maple syrup, coconut butter, pecan butter, sea salt and maple, vanilla until well blended. Pour over the popcorn in a large bowl, along with coconut bacon and mix well. Spread out onto a lined sheet pan, and place in the freezer until it is hard.
    4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler.  Once melted, drizzle over the popcorn.  Place back in the freezer until the chocolate has hardened.  Enjoy!