Fakin' Bacon

Long overdue, this recipe is for everyone who never met a piece of bacon they didn't like. Guiltless, meatless bacon.  My favorite kind.  To ward off any confusion, let's just refer to these delectable taste treats as coconut bacon from this point forward.  Or, #crackcoconutbacon, thank you Molly of www.cleanfooddirtygirl.com. WARNING: Once made, you won't be able to stop nibbling.  I made my first recipe, ate most of it in a couple of days and then made it again.  And again.  I had to put myself on the 'coconut bacon wagon.'    Everything tastes better with bacon, right?  This recipe is perfectly crispy with just the right amount of sweet and smoke.

Super simple to make, let's get started.  Here's what you'll need:  Begin by preheating oven to 350 degrees.

3 cups coconut flakes

2 Tablespoons soy sauce (I used Tamari, reduced sodium)

2 Tablespoons liquid smoke

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Measure coconut flakes into medium bowl. Whisk together soy sauce, liquid smoke, and maple syrup in a small bowl and then pour over coconut and gently massage until most of the liquid is absorbed into coconut.

Spread coconut on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 6 minutes.  Remove pan from oven, flip bacon as best you can (a little like herding cats) and bake for additional 6-7 minutes.  Do not TURN your back on these while the pan is in the oven. They will get over crisp if you cook any longer than the recommended time.  Remove from oven and your coconut bacon bits are ready to use in any number of ways.  

Store in an airtight container.  I dare you to have some left by the end of the week.  

Check out some of the ways I like my #crackcoconutbacon!

Could be my favorite way to use these bacon bits....with peanut butter on Honey Crisp apple slices. 

Sprinkled on Pumpkin oatmeal.

No-brainer salad topping!

BLT with avocado sandwich (pictured here with Molly's Paprika Garlic Burger Sauce)

Just the right finishing touch on this Brussels Sprouts and Rice dish.

Check out How to Make "An Apple-A-Day Taste Treat" Anytime of Day! by Kimberly Ylitalo on Snapguide.

Not your mother's baked apples

I recently created this scrumptious new breakfast while trying to find other tasty ways to enjoy oatmeal and fruit.   Turns out this could also stand in as a dessert, it's that delicious.  Here's what I came up with and it's fast becoming a staple in my kitchen.

Here's what you'll need:

1 apple, with skin, cored and chopped (my current favorite is honey crisp)

1 zucchini, peeled and chopped (you can keep the peel on if you like the taste and if you buy organic)
1-2 T. raisins

1/2-1 t. cinnamon
1 T. dry sweetener (I use 1/2 Stevia and 1/2 coconut sugar)
2 T. water
a couple- three squeezes of fresh lime or lemon

Topping:  1/4 rolled oats, 1 T. chopped walnuts, 1 T. ground flax seed (**Lightly toast in a fry pan on the stove top while your apple/zucchini is cooking in the microwave.)

Toss first 7 ingredients together in a microwavable dish and cover loosely.

Set your microwave on power level 7 or 8 and cook for 5 minutes, depending on your microwave's output. You may want to give it another minute, but check it before you do.  Just make sure you have enough moisture so the contents doesn't dry out or burn.  Five minutes on power level 8 works perfect for me.

**While apple and zucchini are cooking, in a fry pan over medium heat, gently toast the oats, nuts and flax seeds for a few minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn.  The flax seed will go from "perfect to burned in 5 seconds."  Remove from heat and set aside.

Sprinkle your oats over baked apple & zucchini and eat!  I like to stir my oats into the fruit and mix with the syrup at the bottom of the baked yummy stuff....and let the oats swell a bit.  Eat and Enjoy!

Ohsoyummersgoodforus!  Breakfast or Dessert!  You choose.  Hmmm, maybe I'll have for breakfast and dessert!

I've also made this on the stove top...just takes a bit more time, more attention, more stirring.  Do whatever floats your zucchini!