I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve been living on Coconut Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwiches. Well, breakfast and lunch. I’ve never eaten three in a day, but I have indulged at 6am! Really, I think this is my favorite meal, for as soon as the vine-ripened tomatoes are over, I will immediately start dreaming of next year’s “B”LT’s. There’s a Pullman loaf at the Sunday farmer’s market I’ve been haunting this year ( Devoor’s in Flemington, NJ) that is perfect for toasting. A cool summer has provided fairly bitter-less greens, although the hottest weeks I’ve substituted pea shoots (sweet luxury). Sunflower shoots were a little too grassy, cow cud tasting for me. I prefer a subtle m And then there’s Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise, my guilty pleasures (well, one of them but the others will remain secret). “B”LT’s are a throw-it-together, I-don’t-want-to-cook-, sublime summer recipe. Let’s not mess this up by considering making homemade mayo, although don’t let me stop you if that’s your thing.
Liquid Smoke sounds very scary but Wright brand is just natural shagbark hickory smoke collected by some magical method by condensing it with water. Some brands add food coloring, so check the ingredients.
I’ve tried the few fake bacon brands out there, which require cooking, and have found them disappointing. This recipe gets thrown into a quart-size jar and stored in the fridge, ready for immediate use. “How easy is that?” (Ina)
Although coconut bacon has the taste and somewhat-texture of bacon, unfortunately it does not handle any addition of liquid, turning into a gooey, chewy mess. Don’t try to add it to your cooked recipes, rather reserve it for sandwiches and salad toppings.
- 7 ounces dried coconut flakes, about 3½ cups
- 5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 6 teaspoons liquid smoke
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Place all of the ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl and gently stir to coat the coconut flakes.
- Spread the coconut mixture evenly over the parchment and place in the oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the coconut flakes, pulling the outer edges to the center, and spread evenly. Bake another 5 minutes and repeat the stirring. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until the coconut flakes are browned (but not burnt).
- Cool and place in a quart-size jar and seal.
- Refrigerate for up to 2 months
So good.
Sheila
