Eggplant Bacon

I first heard about Eggplant Bacon from the fabulous Sheri at Green and Crunchy. The recipe is in Matthew Kenney's book, everyday raw. She raved about it, which caught my attention. I thought, "Bummer; I wish I had the recipe." Then it dawned on me...I HAVE that cookbook. I'm a little slow at times.

Anyway, this whole dehydrating thing is a lot of work. I think maybe you just have to get used to it and get into a pattern. I also have to get used to the roar of the machine and waiting so long for my efforts to pay off. I'm always sneaking bites or cutting it off hours before it's recommended.

This recipe basically calls for slicing eggplant, marinading it with different ingredients, and dehydrating. I didn't use the chipotle chili that it called for because I was afraid it would make it too spicy for my kids. I also only let it marinade for 1 hour, rather than 2-3 hours, because I wanted to get it in the dehydrator before I went to bed.

I loved it so much, I'll definitely make it again soon. I'll play around with the spices more next time, too, and maybe buy the chipotle next time to go in it.

This got 8 thumbs up from my family. (Once again, my middle child didn't like it. I was really surprised because I thought he would be the one to eat it up. He generally likes crunchy foods.) My 10 year old snacked on it like crazy.

The best way to eat Eggplant Bacon is by itself so that it retains its crispiness. I put it on a sandwich, and it became rehydrated. It was still yummy, just not crispy. Next time I make it, I'll try it in a salad.

My sandwich: Food for Life brand Gluten-free English muffin, melted Daiya, hemp seeds, artichoke/onion mixture leftover from my Artichoke Pie preparation, mustard, and sliced tomatoes.

My review of these English muffins? The first time I bought them, I let them go bad before we finished the pack. They seemed hard and dry, and I was not impressed. However, I've bought them 2 or 3 times since; I guess they grew on me. Call me crazy; I just like dry, tough bread. Really soft bread loaded with additives and preservatives honestly seems so peculiar to me now. :) I'm the same way with tortilla shells. I always choose the Food for Life gluten-free tortilla shells for myself, as well, and they are also pretty dry.

served with split peas and broccoli

Kristen from Kristen's Raw is having a giveaway for a complete set of her ebooks!

I have one of her ebooks, which I love, so this is a great prize!!!