It has been approximately 14 years since I’ve had a piece of bacon (unless you count the time I accidentally ate some on a veggie burger while living in Boston… not my fault!)  I have, however, had countless versions of veggie bacon from Morningstar Farms, Lightlife and my personal favorite, Vinnie’s Pizza here in Greenpoint.  I’ve even made my own from tempeh.
Yesterday I opted to use up the rest of my firm tofu by making tofu bacon… and what better way to eat it than in a BLT?  I classed up the traditional sandwich by making a oven-roasted balsamic tomato mash.

Oven-Roasted Balsamic Tomato Mash1/2 cup grape tomatoes (or whatever kind you have)1 tbls olive oil1 tbls balsamic vinegarpinch of kosher saltPreheat oven to 350 degrees.  Toss tomatoes with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt.  Roast in oven until tomatoes become soft.  Toss a few times and return to oven.  Remove from oven and mash with a fork.

Tofu Bacon1/4 cube firm tofu, sliced thinHickory flavored liquid smokeSoy sauceGarlic powderBrown sugarMix hickory smoke, soy sauce, garlic powder and brown sugar in a flat pan.  Add tofu and marinate for at least an hour, flipping ever 20 minutes.In a frying pan, heat up a little oil (I used cooking spray to cut down on greasiness.) Brown tofu on each side, pushing down with a spatula to remove excess moisture. 

TBLT (Tofu Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato)2 slices of good bread (I picked up a loaf simply called “Health Bread” from my local polish deli.  I love Greenpoint.)Oven-Roasted Balsamic Tomato MashBacon TofuLettuce (I used arugula)Avocado, sliced (optional.  I intended to use this, but forgot.)Toast bread and assemble sandwich.
Emma and I are leaving for Philly on Friday and have been mulling over where to eat Friday night.  So far Horizons and Audrey Claire are the front runners.  If you have any favorite brunch destinations, l’d love to hear them.  Or vintage stores.  Or karaoke bars.