BLAT with Lemon-Basil Vegenaise
19 comments »
I feel like there are a few things we need to get straight.
For starters, you’re ridiculous and amazing. Because, holy bananas. You’re here. And you’ve made it through one of the rockiest summer blogs of my ever lovin’ life. Evacuation, chaos on the homefront, moving out of a home, moving into a home, pounds and mounds of work and traveling, a really bad dye job, and thirteen separate recipes I promised but have yet to deliver on. I mean, for reals. You have the patience of Job and heaven bless you for that.
For seconders, let’s talk Vegan for a minute, shall we? This old blog of mine has had an increasing focus on vegan eating, but I don’t feel like I ever really nailed down for you what that looks like in my own life. Because I never declared I was “going vegan” just focusing on plant-based eating (which is, you know, lots of vegany meals) and I need you to not panic if you see me ordering nuggets at Chick-fil-A.
My emphasis on vegan/plant-based eating is simply that…an emphasis. I’ve discovered for myself that I need to CLAIM the term in order to help me live the term. And saying lackadaisically, “ooooh, I’ll just add a few more veggies to my hunk of beef” wasn’t cutting it. Because time and again, I found myself still reaching for the naughty foods first, and letting all the proper foods sit on the backburner.
So, the focus for me has been 85-90% vegan since January, and girlfriend. It’s been so good to me. I’ve dropped nearly 12 pounds. I rarely if ever crave food anymore, especially Hot Tamales and Swedish Fish. And, I’ve discovered true joy in creating plant-based recipes. Not that you’ve seen many of those. My wild schedule has kept cooking time rawwwther limited these days, but there are a million more recipes to come and I do so hope that you’ll consider joining me on the path to 85% plantie. The grass really is greener over here.
It’s also…well….delicious. Take, for instance, dinner the other night. We made BLAT’s gone vegan, but you can use bacon if you feel there is no possible substitute for the stuff. As for me and my house? We’re split right in half on that topic, with two of my kids enjoying these sammy’s with the vegan bacon, and two refusing to touch the stuff with a ten-foot stick.
They stuffed their sandwiches with barbecue potato chips instead and called it a day. Not a bad way to end a summer day, methinks. Not a bad way at all.
BLAT with Lemon-Basil Mayonnaise
Yield: 4 sandwiches
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
For a simple summer meal, this incredible sandwich delivers! I was worried about swapping out regular bacon for vegan bacon, but thought it would be worth a try. Definitely a difference, but if you're like me and prefer to give up a bit of flavor for the added benefit of meat-free mealtiming it, then make the swap. Otherwise, go with real bacon or go home. I replaced the traditional "BLAT" lettuce with sprouts and didn't feel even a little bit bad, but if you'd rather stick with a crisp slice of lettuce, by all means, rock it!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Vegenaise (or mayonnaise)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 lemon, zested
Fresh ground pepper
4 slices good bread, toasted
1 super ripe tomato, sliced thin
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced thin
8 slices bacon (or vegan bacon), cooked until crisp
1/2 cup broccoli sproutsDirections:
In a small bowl, stir together the Vegenaise, basil, lemon, and pepper.
Pile tomatoes, avocado slices, bacon, and broccoli on top of each sandwich. Top with an absurd amount of the basil-spiked Vegenaise. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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ButterYum on July 24, 2012 at 7:23 am
Oh man, I could so go for one of these instead of my usual breakfast right now. Delish!
Cassie on July 24, 2012 at 7:59 am
I absolutely adore this post. For the sandwich, but also for the writing – It is all about declaring for me too. We strive for a mostly plan-based diet but definitely enjoy meat every now and then. The truth is, I don’t miss it when it’s not there. Especially in a sandwich like this one. Sounds amazing!
Bev @ Bev Cooks on July 24, 2012 at 8:40 am
I’m super all over and under this BLAT.
Oh, oh! Blats are a BLAST to eat…? No?
Okay.
<3
Skye on July 24, 2012 at 9:09 am
Mmm, I love sprouts and avocados in my sandwiches. This looks super yummy! I’ve found that I don’t like the ultra-processed, frozen vegetarian bacon, but the tempeh bacon from the refrigerated section is decent- better taste and texture.
Hooray for your realistic and successful entry into plant-based eating! :)
STH on July 24, 2012 at 10:48 am
Yep, it’s hard to make that transition from, “here’s my hunk of meat for dinner, what do I have with it?,” to “here are my veggies, what do I make with them?” I’ve been transitioning to a veg-based diet for years, but my partner got diagnosed with diabetes a couple of months ago and now he’s having to make the change, too. We’re not going to give up meat–I find I just can’t stay full as long when I eat vegetarian sources of protein–but we limit it and fill up on the veg. I think my honey’s been surprised at how tasty the food has been and his doctor was shocked when he saw how much his cholesterol and triglycerides had improved in 6 weeks!
Congratulations–you’ve made such big changes and it looks like your family has as well!
Mary on July 24, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Wonderful! Haven’t a clue what to make for a quick supper tonight and here’s the answer – thanks!!! and best of luck with all the chaos :))
Mary x
Katrina on July 24, 2012 at 3:04 pm
I love watching all the fun vegan foods you come up with! It’s super inspiring!! Plus, everything looks so tasty!
Wendy on July 24, 2012 at 3:07 pm
Oh…YUM!!! You had me at avocado + sprouts. I also am always looking for an excuse to use Veganise, so I can’t wait to give this a try. I actually really like making vegan bacon with tempeh but love the use of pre-packaged for those times when I just can’t get it done. Keep up the great work.
Lynna on July 25, 2012 at 7:17 pm
Hey, life can just get really really chaotic! Hopefully it`s slowly down?
Anyways, these sandwiches look crazyy good. I`m not picky–a good sandwich will bring me happiness~!
Arminda on July 27, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Brooke – these look phenomenal. I love the idea of swapping the lettuce for sprouts! Home-run for me. I can’t wait to try these and ping you back :-)
becky on July 27, 2012 at 5:08 pm
i have a question… how long did it take for you to be rid of withdrawal symptoms after going mostly vegan? it’s something i’ve been thinking about, but i feel like cooking only vegetables is so difficult and time-consuming! thanks!
Jess on July 31, 2012 at 10:09 am
Do you have a favorite Vegan bacon? One better than the other?
Pingback: YumVeg - BLAT w/Lemon-Basil Spread
Jessica on August 15, 2012 at 4:54 pm
This looks soooooo good.
Craig on January 5, 2013 at 5:06 pm
I love me a BLAT sandwich, and yours looks delish! Just to chime in on the veggie bacon, my absolute favorite veggie bacon is made from Shiitake mushrooms. Cook up a handful of these and add a layer to the BLAT. So good! My recipe -
http://www.inspiredeats.com/pan-fried-shiitake-mushroom-bacon/
Pingback: Sandwiches « Bessie's Veggie Food
Spices of India on March 19, 2013 at 4:51 am
good receipe for my breakfast.which i cann made it easily.
Christy Cummins on May 24, 2013 at 8:41 am
This looks so good. I’m not at all vegan so I’m all about the bacon. I actually have a question though. I love alfalfa sprouts but I can no longer find them in my local stores due to a salmonella outbreak in the area several years ago. Nobody carries them. I noticed that your recipe uses broccoli sprouts. I have never tried them. Do they have a similar taste and texture to alfalfa sprouts?
Robin Wilson on May 24, 2013 at 9:38 pm
What a refreshing sandwich that would be on a hot summer evening! I am no vegan, but am not big on many meats with the exception of chicken. When there are fresh veggies and fruits I prefer none, so this would be wonderful to eat! Thank you so much for the detailed recipe!