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Vegan Smokey Bacon (a whole pack of bacon made from 1 carrot for only 1p per slice)

I saw a video pop-up on Facebook today of a lady with a carrot. She made vegan bacon from it. YES REALLY!

I’m always curious when people do strange things with vegetables so immediately went to see if I had any of the ingredients to make my own. I didn’t really so not to be defeated I used ingredients from my pantry that I thought would work and they did so I had to share!

FIRST, if you want to use the exact spices I used (smokey bacon powder and hickory smoke powder), you can get them via my 1940s Experiment recommended list on Amazon. CLICK HERE.

The ‘carrot bacon’ is really easy to make and one large carrot makes a whole pack of vegan bacon! I cooked mine in the oven at around 170C for 20-30 minutes turning once about 15 minutes in. The ends crisped up in the oven and at that stage I removed them, placed them on some kitchen paper on top of a wire rack and left them to cool for about 15 minutes and they crisped up some more. I think I was lucky to get it right the first time so it might involve some trial and error to get it how you want it. Although I cooked it in a conventional oven an air fryer would work I’m sure!

These strips of vegan smokey bacon would be wonderful in a bun with a homemade vegan burger, vegan mayo, salad, pickles and onion! Alas I didn’t have a burger BUT I did have some avocado and salad and lot’s of Hellman’s Vegan Mayo and the carrot bacon topped it off perfectly!

Afterwards I, of course, nibbled on all the rest until they were gone. I WILL be making these again!

Assuming you already have the ingredients in your pantry, the vegan bacon, not including the cost of electric, is about 1p per slice.

Stay calm, stay safe, stay home,

C xxxxx

PS: I’ve had a very busy week in the garden trying to dig beds before the ground gets too hard. I am now back working on the ‘Pandemic Pantry’ FREE community cookbook and I hope to have this online and ready to download this weekend. THANK YOU for all the e-mails and submissions. They are much appreciated.

 

Ingredients

 

  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 1 teaspoon smokey bacon powder
  • 1 teaspoon of hickory smoke powder (or smoked paprika or liquid smoke)
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder (or onion granules or onion salt)
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar (any)
  • 1 teaspoon of maple syrup or golden syrup, any type of mild sweet syrup.
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • Sprinkle of garlic powder or garlic salt.

 

Method

 

  • Peel the carrot
  • Using the julienne peeler press down firmly and slowly along the shaft of the carrot from thick to thin end to create a long bacon shaped slice
  • Place slices in a dish
  • Next mix all the other ingredients above to make a marinade (mix all ingredients adding water in last)
  • Pour over the carrot slices in the dish and mix so all slices are coated.
  • Heat oven to 170 C, leave carrot slices to marinade while oven heats up.
  • When oven has reached the correct temperature place the carrot slices onto baking paper on a large baking sheet.
  • Place in middle of oven for 20-30 minutes (turning over half-way through) until browning and the ends look crispy
  • Remove and place on kitchen roll on a wire rack. The vegan bacon should crisp up further after about 15 minutes.

 

 

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Bare Cupboard Cake – Recipe No. 152

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I haven’t baked or consumed much in the way of sweet puddings or cake for ages. Infact I’m just not using any of my sugar ration and hardly any of my margarine or butter either. I’ve therefore got plenty in my cupboard to do some baking and this is what I’ve done on this bank holiday weekend!

As I am preferring to poach my one shell egg a week, my baking normally has to be egg free. When I came across this wartime recipe online it was perfect! No eggs!

This particular recipe is suitable for vegans too if you use a dairy free margarine or oil.

Was VERY pleased with the taste and consistency of this simple cake and greedily enjoyed a couple of generous slices with hot tea, using my pink vintage china of course!

Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

200g caster sugar
2 tablespoons margarine or oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
175g raisins, currants or sultanas
350ml water
250g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method

Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Lightly grease one 7 or 8 inch cake tin.
In a saucepan over medium high heat combine: the sugar, margarine or oil, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, salt, raisins and water. Bring to the boil and continue to simmer on low for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together. Add the flour mixture to the cooled raisin mixture. Stir until just combined. Tip mixture into prepared tin.
Bake at 180 C / Gas 4 for 30-40 minutes until skewer comes away clean from middle.

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What can a vegan or vegetarian eat on wartime rations?

Up until now I have been consuming no meat, cheese or dairy and instead using almond milk and taking a small nut ration and extra haricot beans to replace the meat and cheese. I did e-mail THE VEGAN SOCIETY regarding what vegans were given instead of milk, cheese and meat but as yet they have not replied. The Vegan Society formed in 1944..

Vegetarians received an extra ration of cheese instead of meat.

The only problem I am having during the 1940s Experiment, as a vegan, is that I cannot recreate some of the recipes. I could when I attempted to live on wartime rations in 2006 and again when I started this blog in 2009 but in this latest attempt at living 100% on wartime rations,  I have become vegan.

Of course, we are now, in 2012,  lucky to have many meat and cheese alternatives available to use, so I have decided to alleviate my culinary frustration and use some of the alternatives as part of my rations, for the next few months.

I’d like to share with you some of the alternatives I am or will be using as part of my “wartime rationing” allowance to allow me more wartime culinary creativity in my humble, messy, kitchen..

Weekly Vegan Alternatives

Margarine/Butter 6 oz/ 150 g (less than half a tub)
Organic Earth Balance– Soy, GMO free, margarine

Cooking Fat 4 oz/ 100 g
Earth Balance– Soy, GMO free

Cheese 4 oz/ 100 g (cheese ration varied from between 2 oz and 8 oz)
Daiya (the ONLY cheese tasting vegan cheese in my humble opinion- delicious! )

Milk 3 pints/ 1800 ml (sometimes dropping to 2 pints)
Almond Milk– Organic

Meat to the value of 1shilling and sixpence (today that would be like buying 1/2 lb of minced beef)
Yves– vegan minced beef alternative

Bacon & Ham 4 oz/ 100 g
Yves- Vegan bacon rashers

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I am not a processed foods lover even though the ingredients in most of these products are very natural, it is unlikely I will stick with the meat alternatives for very long HOWEVER it will be good to be able to start to re-create some of the dishes that used bacon or beef. The cheese and dairy alternatives though are a completely different kettle of fish.. I can see nothing in their ingredients list that alarms me infact all are pretty much organic and GMO  free. The DAIYA CHEDDAR CHEESE is particularly VERY IMPRESSIVE. It is the only hard or shredded vegan cheese I have ever tasted that tastes good! AND it actually melts just like the real thing. So thank you to my friend TONY LANTZ for putting me onto this vegan alternative.

I can’t tell you how wonderful it was yesterday to have my first cheese sandwich in 6 months..

Oh cheese- how I have missed you

C xxxx