For the Love of Bacon
I love the smell of bacon in the morning. It smells like…..breakfast!
Isn’t the smell of bacon cooking one of the most heavenly smells on earth? Okay, maybe not so much if you’re a staunch vegetarian…or Jewish. But for most people, it induces drooling when that smokey, salty vapour wafts under your nose as you’re lying in bed while Mom is sizzling it up in the kitchen. Nothing gets you out of bed faster when you’re a kid.
Bacon Without The Bacon
However, I gave up bacon and all red meat nearly 20 years ago. But I shamefully admit that I am still wooed by its heavenly scent. I thought this delicacy was lost forever for me so imagine my delight when I discovered the most incredible vegetarian substitute for my once favourite breakfast food!
One day while shopping in my favourite health food store, I happened upon a package of Soya Nova Organic, Non-GMO Smoked Firm Tofu. I marveled at this package and thought, “Could this be true? Have I just found the Holy Grail of the vegetarian world?” Low and behold I was soon to discover that I was in fact holding a little brick of gold that would transform my breakfast experience forever.
Tofu is truly a wonder food. It can masquerade as pretty much anything. This particular little master of disguise is in fact the perfect bacon substitute. The best way to prepare it so that it resembles its pork counterpart is to slice it thinly and grill it on an indoor sandwich grill like a George Foreman-type grill. I find this works far better than just pan frying it, which also works fine but the grill makes it perfectly crispy. In fact I have just made some this morning and am enjoying it right now! My boyfriend Paul, a meat-loving man and once bacon aficionado is also enjoying some along with me, although insists on informing me that it’s not as good as the real thing to him. His actual words were “This is great honey, it tastes just like bacon-flavoured cardboard!”. I know he’s lying because he keeps going back to the grill to take another piece.
Non-Bacon Bacon Facts
To make these little strips of heaven taste even better, try drizzling a little maple syrup on them. I have now just started salivating and must go try this…
I think I hear angels singing.
The Side-By-Side
Not only does smoked tofu taste remarkably like bacon, it is quite nutritious as well. Now let’s compare it to the real thing shall we?
In a 100 gram serving you get:
Calories:
TOFU – 170 calories
BACON – 533 calories
Protein:
TOFU – 25 g protein
BACON – 38 g protein
Fat:
TOFU – 4 g fat (0.5 g saturated)
BACON – 40 g fat (13 g saturated)
Sodium:
TOFU – 580 mg sodium
BACON – 2428 mg sodium
Cholesterol:
TOFU – 0 mg cholesterol
BACON – 113 mg cholesterol
Carbohydrate:
TOFU – 8 g carbohydrate
BACON – 1 g carbohydrate
Fibre:
TOFU – 5 g fibre
BACON – 0 g fibre
Sugar:
TOFU – 1 g sugar
BACON – 0 g sugar
Whether you think smoked tofu tastes like cardboard or not, when you consider the artery-clogging facts of eating bacon, it’s simply a no-brainer choice.
Non-Bacon Bacon Recipes
The meaty consistency of firm, smoked tofu makes it very versatile in the kitchen. Some other great uses for smoked tofu in your recipe repertoire include: shredding it into an omelette, cutting it into cubes to add to your veggie kebabs on the bbq, adding the grilled slices to a toasted lettuce and tomato sandwich or slicing it uncooked to stand in for cheese on top of your favourite crackers.
Any way you slice it, smoked tofu rocks the vegetarian – and meat-loving world. You just need to give it a try!
Bacon Comedy
And now for all you bacon lovers out there, a little bacon humour from one of my favourite Comedians – Jim Gaffigan.
Ha, I had to laugh at this! Because I have been vegetarian for many years and still LOVE the smell of bacon. For years I wouldn’t admit it…..haha…..but it’s time to face my past and be honest……I DO love the smell of bacon! That video was HILARIOUS!!!!