Lightlife Fakin' Bacon in Tempeh, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches

Lightlife products are a household name in most vegan households. So imagine my surprise when they contacted me to see if I'd like to try some of their products. Sure, no problem!  Lightlife was founded in 1979 when Michael Cohen sensed an opportunity to introduce an Indonesian staple to America -- tempeh, a delicious fermented soy product rich in protein, fiber, and vitamins. Since then, they've grown considerably by developing many healthy vegan soy-based products. 

My favorite product of theirs is the Organic Smoky Tempeh Strips aka "Fakin' Bacon."   This product is made of organic soy tempeh seasoned with all-organic seasonings of soy sauce, wheat, vinegar, evaporated cane juice, beet powder, onion powder, salt, natural hickory flavor, yeast extract, and lactic acid and is meant to take the place of bacon in dishes, hence the name "Fakin' Bacon." While it doesn't taste exactly like bacon (thank goodness!), it has a great smoky taste and pleasant texture that works well for that effect.

My favorite way of using it is in your traditional BLT sandwich, but now you can call it a TLT. ;) 

Tempeh, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwiches (TLT)
Makes 6 sandwiches
Ingredients

• 2 packages of Lightlife Fakin' Bacon (18 slices)
• Rosemary boule (or your favorite bread), sliced
• Arugula
• 3 tomatoes on the vine, sliced
• Vegenaise (or any other vegan mayonnaise)
• Olive oil cooking spray

Instructions
Heat a couple frying pans or a griddle on medium heat and spray some olive oil cooking spray onto the cooking surface. Place the Lightlife Fakin' Bacon and rosemary boule or other bread onto the griddle or in separate pans and cook them until browned on each side.

To assemble, just put Vegenaise onto the bread and layer with 3 pieces of tempeh (or more, if desired), arugula, and tomato slices.

So easy, yet so flavorful! The peppery arugula and fresh tomatoes on the vine paired with rosemary bread all help to bring out the smoky flavor of the tempeh. These sandwiches will surprise you with how delicious they are.

I've tried making my own tempeh bacon, but it never turns out as good at the Lightlife brand so I just buy theirs now.  This product usually sells for $4 to $5 per package and can be found at most natural grocery stores across the U.S.  If you haven't already tried this product, I highly recommend giving it a go. It is truly delicious!