Vegan BLT Salad

When it comes to salad, everyone has their favorite combos, and it seems like the perfect dish to express one's own unique flair.  If you're getting bored, why not change up the presentation a little?  This is a fun play on the great American classic- the B.L.T. sandwich.

Made with the quickest tempeh bacon I ever made, sliced tomatoes, onions, and drizzled with a spicy creamy mustard dressing.

Quick Tempeh Bacon:

Slice tempeh very thin.  Fry in a thin layer of oil on a non-stick skillet until deep golden and crisp on both sides.  As you are frying, sprinkle with salt.  Transfer to a single layer on a plate.  Brush on a thin layer of your favorite BBQ sauce while still hot.  Let cool a bit before adding to salad.

Mustard Dressing:

1 part mustard to 2 parts vegan mayo.  Add a little agave to sweeten to taste.  Thin with a little cold water if needed.  Maybe a little apple cider vinegar to increase tartness.

TIP:
If you don't want to serve this with a knife and fork, pile everything onto a single leaf, fold up, and eat with your hands!

Split Pea and Zucchini Soup, and a Winner

Velvety-smooth and fat free!  Served chilled or piping hot, with crispy tempeh bacon and vegan Texas toast.  20 minutes in the pressure cooker was all it took.

Ingredients:
1 C. dried split peas, rinsed
1 large zucchini (2-3 cups, cut into chunks)
1 medium onion (1 cup, cut into chunks)
1/3 C. nutritional yeast
water (enough to cover)
salt & pepper to taste

Spinz:
Put all ingredients except salt into the pressure cooker and cook for 20-30 minutes.  If you don't have a pressure cooker, just cook in a covered pot until split peas are tender.  Let cool for a bit, then taste and add salt as desired.  Then blend with a stick blender or transfer to blender to make smooth.  If it's too thick, add a little water.  This soup will thicken as it cools down.

Tempeh Bacon Marinade:

Ingredients:
1 3/4 C. water
1/4 C. soy sauce
3 T. nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
3 T. ketchup
2 T. agave nectar
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
pinch of black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste)

Spinz:
Slice your tempeh into thin strips.  Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl you'll be using for marinating.  Add the tempeh, making sure that they are well submerged.  Place in the refrigerator for about an hour before grilling on a flat pan with a little oil.  Brown on both sides and serve.  The longer you marinate, the more flavor- keep for about a week in the fridge- I like to make a big batch and use as needed throughout the week.

...Still finding ways to use our giant zucchini, but I'm sort of glad the season is winding down!

As for the WINNER of the Whip-It^tm Whipped Cream Dispenser from The Webstaurant Store (drums, please.)...

Congratulations to:  Tiffany of 
Bread Without Butter blog.  

Looking forward to your Thai-Style Lemongrass Foam!
(doesn't that sound good?)

Thank you everyone for participating!  I'll be doing another give-away soon.