Eggplant bacon

Okay, here is that yummy recipe I promised last week and it is 100% vegetarian and 100% nitrate free! I decided to include photos for you so you would know if your on the right track or not. I personally prefer to know what something is "suppose" to look like when I am done! LOL



Start with a good size, firm eggplant. No green and no soft spots. I know you think it is silly for me to include a photo of what one looks like, but I can't tell you how many times I have been at the checkout and the cashier has no idea what she is holding and has to ask me what it is! LOL

Wash the skin and then peel it off, discard or save for compost pile. Then I continue to use my peeler to get thin "bacon" type slices off the plant. I do this until I reach the seeds in the middle. Discard middle section or save for compost.

Here is the slices in the marinade. Put a lid on it and save up to two days in fridge. Also shown are the slices placed on the dehydrator pan. The one shown here is an old Nesco from Wal-mart. Mine broke and I won't buy one from there again as the new ones have no temp control, cooks at a flat 135. You can however go to Nesco website and order their "deluxe" model that has a temp control, it is about $30 more than the regular version. I think I am going to keep checking my local Craigslist and see if I can pick up a nice one there.

Here is the eggplant on a sprayed cookie sheet ready for the oven. Since my dehydrator broke I developed this oven method. It is no longer considered a
"raw" food, but is still meat and nitrate free.

Here is the end product, and is it ever yummy! It comes out crunchy and slightly sweet, just don't over cook. I like to make this part of my breakfast about once every other week or so. Hope you enjoy it too.

Eggplant Bacon

In a bowl, marinate:
1 large eggplant, thinly sliced length wise
1/2 cup extra virgin cold first pressed olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unheated honey
4 tablespoons Plum vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Marinate for 2 hours or up to 2 days, place on teflex (roll-up) sheets and dehydrate for 12 hours. Turn "bacon" over and dehydrate for another 12 hours without the teflex sheets. Bacon should be crispy.

OVEN METHOD: After marinating, place "bacon"stripes on sprayed cookie sheet and bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes. Don't over cook! Bacon will get crisper as it cools down. Repeat with remaining eggplant "bacon" stripes.

Great with eggs and toast for breakfast or for a "BLT" !


Last week-end our church had a car wash/bake sale/garage sale to raise money for the youth trip this week-end. My son who LOVES to bake was thrilled to go over to my friend Amy's house and cook with the girls, he was the only guy! To see a couple pictures of Z and his harem check out Amy's blog at www.thisthatandlifesjoys.blogspot.com .


Blessings, Beth Ann