facon & tofu sandwich

I suppose no other food means as much to me as a sandwich. A sandwich has everything that I love in it - bread, sauce, or spread and fillings of choice. There are endless possibilities for what a sandwich can look and taste like and it never gets boring to explore them.

Back when I was a child who thought most foods available to me were gross an open-faced sandwich that consisted of a slice of fresh white bread, butter and a slice of cheese was my most cherished type of sustenance. If no cheese was at hand then a thin layer of Mivina, an instant noodle brand, seasoning would do the trick. In the 90s in Ukraine, Mivina noodles and seasoning were a big hit among kids and adults alike. Whereas I think adults would cook the noodles as intended, we kids would munch on them in their dry state, either with or without the seasoning that was included in the package.

Time passed and my palette developed, I started accepting more tastes and textures into my everyday cooking and I discovered that there is so much more a sandwich can be.

I think such an eye-opening moment was when I first tried a BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato) sandwich. In fact, despite me having some very strong negative feelings towards pork, I used to like an occasional crispy fried bacon, especially in a sandwich.

Thankfully after going vegan I have discovered endless possibilities for creating all kinds of culinary experiences. And creating a "bacon" sandwich is one of them.

The recipe in this post is basically a typical American breakfast between two slices of bread. Scrumptious, fluffy tofu "eggs" meet crispy, aromatic, "meaty" "bacon". Spread a sauce of your choice on the bread, or go with the classics, ketchup and mayo, add some arugula for an extra kick and healthy appeal. Don't forget to share the recipe with friends or surprise a loved one with a lovely snack.

Tips and notes:

Use the aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) for the best texture of the tofu. This way the "eggs" will be soft and fluffy.
Stack two strips of rice paper on top of each other for the facon. Make sure to use no more than two or otherwise the facon will be too chewy.
Preheat the oven before putting the facon in to have as much control over its baking time as possible. Do not overbake. You will need about five minutes only.
To prevent the facon from turning chewy in the middle bake the rice paper strips in the middle of the oven for even heat distribution.

Vegan Facon & Tofu Sandwich

Ingredients

For the facon:

4 sheets of small rice paper (16 centimeters in diameter)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon miso paste

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (neutral in taste and aroma, such as sunflower oil)

2 tablespoons agave syrup

1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder

For the tofu:

200 grams firm tofu

aquafaba from 1 can of chickpeas

2 teaspoons turmeric powder

vegetable oil for frying

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kala namak salt (Indian black salt)

Additionally:

about 30 grams arugula

3-4 tablespoons ketchup

3-4 tablespoons vegan mayo

8 slices of bread of your choice (such as sourdough bread)

baking paper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.

2. Make the facon marinade by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Using scissors, cut each sheet of rice paper into 4 strips and place the strips into the bowl with marinade. Spread the sauce evenly along the strips and let the rice paper soak up the marinade.

3. Pour the vegetable oil into a small frying pan. Set the pan on high heat and wait for the oil to begin to smoke slightly.

2. In the meantime crumble the tofu as small as possible. Use a fork to help you in case the tofu is too cold from the fridge. Once the frying pan is hot add the tofu, stir, and reduce the heat to medium.

3. Add all the tofu spices and the aquafaba to the pan. Stir well and let the tofu cook while stirring occasionally.

4. Once your oven is hot, stack 2 strips of rice paper on top of each other and place them on a sheet of baking paper.

5. Bake the facon for about 5 minutes in the middle level of the oven until it looks crispy and the edges are slightly burnt.

6. Slice the bread to make a total of 8 slices. Spread the slices evenly on a baking sheet and place them in the oven. Bake for about 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Once the tofu has been cooking on low to medium heat for about 10-15 minutes it is done. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

7. Once the facon is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool a bit to let it firm up.

8. Once the tofu, the facon, and the bread is done assemble the sandwich. Spread vegan mayo onto 4 slices of bread, and top the mayo with a few spoonfuls of tofu. Place facon strips on top of the tofu followed by arugula. Lastly, spread ketchup onto the remaining slices of bread and close the sandwiches.

9. Serve immediately.