Savory, Crunchy, Crispy (Rice Paper) #Bacon Recipe [The Skeptical #Vegan]

For those of you so kind to have purchased The Skeptical Vegan: 1) thank you!; 2) there is an error in printing for one of the more popular/requested recipes: Rice Paper Bacon. The column with the ingredients for the marinade/sauce somehow got lost between the PDF and the printers but, no worries, you can download the full recipe on The Skeptical Vegan website or watch this short video!

Get fryin’!

In the meantime, please stop over to the official The Skeptical Vegan Facebook page and click the EVENTS link to see where I have scheduled book signings and speaking events! Hope to see you/meet you in person … soon!

#GoVegan

Instagram: @anotherskepticalvegan

BREAKING NEWS: Man Dies; Veganism Blamed

[BUFFALO CITY, OK] Harper County Police and the Harper County Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating the death of a Buffalo City man this morning.

A 92-year-old Buffalo City resident was found dead in his modest prairie home earlier this week. Local authorities believe his vegan lifestyle may have contributed to his unexpected death. David Nash, retired postal worker for Buffalo City, was discovered deceased in his reclining chair by a neighbor who felt “something was just not right.”

“I considered David a friend, in spite of the fact he only ever brought hummus and veggie burgers to our community cookouts,” said Daryl Leno, a neighbor of Nash’s. “Considering the bizarre diet he was on, I’m pretty sure that’s what killed him. I mean, come on, what is hummus anyway?”

The County medical examiner confirmed upon closer inspection of Nash’s home, they could only find whole foods, beans, rice, fruits, vegetables, and some form of “soy” milk in his refrigerator and pantry.

“There is no way a person can survive on this diet,” said Pablo Rodriguez, Chief Medical Examiner. “Where’s the steaks? The eggs? It’s no wonder he didn’t live to be 94 with this type of lifestyle. It’s just unhealthy.”

In related “unhealthy” news, a popular food blogger and Instagram sensation known previously as The Blonde Vegan, made national headlines when she admitted that trying to stay alive consuming only food that is good for you, foods found in a vegan diet, and avoiding meat, dairy, and eggs, nearly killed her.

Jordan, a yoga junkie, passionate writer, fitness freak, smoothie addict, dream chaser, cleanse creator, founder of TBV Apparel, wannabe food photographer & lover of all things health related has since converted back to an omnivore’s diet and already feels healthier and reports that her period, which had stalled during her 18-months vegan, has returned. This medical oddity also proves that vegans cannot reproduce and if the planet went 100% vegan, human life would cease to exist.

“If I could say just one thing to Mr. Nash in the great beyond, it would be ‘bacon’,” Rodriguez added, while biting into a double cheeseburger over Nash’s corpse during his planned autopsy. “If only someone had told this old man that humans require meat and meat protein and eggs and milk and bacon … to live, he’d still be with us today.”

Go vegan.

My Name is Eric and I’m a Omnivoraholic. Confessions of a Recovering Omnivore

“My Name is Eric and I’m a Omnivoraholic,” I lamented in front of a room full of total strangers.

“Hi, Eric.” The reply in unison was ominous but what did I expect from a group of vegans who now consider themselves “recovering omnivores.” We were all once meateaters, milk drinkers, and egg scramblers.

“It has been just over two years since I last ate meat.” Knowing me, it was probably chicken wings. Or possibly a pepperoni pizza. Or steak. Just thinking about it now makes me harken back to those “good old days” when I could eat whatever I wanted. Meat, cheese, eggs … sometimes all three of these appeared in one breakfast and later that day in my lunch. And dinner.

I knew I had a problem when I saw wing sauce drippings on my bed sheets and I had a half-eaten baloney sandwich in my back pocket dripping mayonnaise into my shoes.

I had hit rock bottom.

And that’s when I found Omnivores Anonymous (OA) and I learned about the 12-step program for quitting meat, dairy, and eggs for life. We learned we were powerless over meat, dairy, and eggs. But mostly cheese.

We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. His name is T. Colin Campbell.

We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to fruits and vegetables and embrace a plant-based diet.

We cleared our closets of wool, silk, and leather even though we loved our Limited Edition Tommy Bahamas Pool Ball shirt and meanwhile, we cleared our arteries of gunk and goo and fat and poo.

We all had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to other omnivores, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. We knew it was in us to grab a hold of our own destiny, to clear a path to better overall health.

But, most importantly, we knew it had to be done … for the animals.

We had all made a commitment and you, too, can make the commitment to …

Go vegan.

Bacon: And Other Words that Belong in the Vegan Vocabulary

It’s time for the vegan community to stand up and claim some words that omnivores currently think they own. Since going vegan, I’ve been inundated with comments from my meat-loving friends about using words that they, for some reason, think are exclusive to being flesh-eaters. It’s time we vegans got these words back.

• Meat. Or, meaty. This word conjures up images of flesh on a grill or a slab of animal at the butcher, however, the word “meat” also refers to the meat of a mushroom. Or the meatiness of an eggplant. “Meat” does not belong to meat eaters and the Meaty Vegan wants this word back.
• Milk. Milk comes from a coconut and can be made using nuts (and other seeds). Something non-dairy can be milky just as much as something can be creamy.
• Cream. And creamy. While these words connotate an image of dairy cream, pretty much anything with a creamy texture can be considered cream. Therefore, we can put cream in our coffee without being called out.
• Cheese. Same as cream. Can be made with any number of ingredients and we vegans don’t have to explain ourselves (or prove ourselves) if we’re serving macaroni and cheese. Or a cheesy Alfredo. It’s vegan.
• Butter. If we offer butter on something or list it as an ingredient in a vegan meal, it’s vegan. Contains no dairy. Which comes from cows. Did you know that butter comes from cows?
• Bacon. This is now a flavor and no longer a cut of pig. If something can be bacon-flavored and not contain actual pig, it can still be called bacon. I make my bacon with mushrooms. And it tastes like bacon. Kevin Bacon contains no pig.

One word/flavor that we cannot truly claim is “chicken.” For some reason, chicken is both the flavor and the animal. We do have un-chicken or chicken-free products that let us know what to expect when eating them but the word “chicken” will always be both the flavor and the animal. Which brings to mind another question entirely.

Would meat eaters ever go to a steakhouse and order cow? Or, two fried eggs with a side of pig? Words like “steak” and “tenderloin” and “pork” help omnivores further detach themselves from the actual beast from which these foods are derived. Would a BLT be as popular if it were a PLT?

Go vegan.

How Not to Starve to Death as a Vegan (and Get More Protein in the Process)

If you scroll back through all my blog posts since launching MeatyVegan.com, you’ll find a pattern evolving. I have gone from the Reluctant Vegan (of which I still own a very handsome t-shirt Jen bought me with that blazoned across the front) to full-fledged compassionate, ethical, out-of-the-cupboard vegan. A man who constantly complained about there being nothing to eat, is now eating more than ever before. I can still recall the early days of veganism and going on and on about there being no selection of foods for vegans … at gas stations (while on the road) and vending machines (trying to get a quick snack). I now fully realize how ridiculous that was.

Imagine that. I can no longer enjoy a greasy breakfast sandwich that has been in a warmer for eight hours nor can I consume an 800-calorie chocolate bar.

Back then, I didn’t see the ignorance in this.

Today, I am not only thriving with amazing food every day, I am cooking up a storm all week long (and mostly on the weekends), trying out new recipes and creating foods that rival any omnivores best day. Not only are these meals tasty and filling, they are packed with vitamins, minerals, and protein … yes, protein. In fact, most of the meals I make are loaded with more protein than any person would need for a year.

Since making this life-changing, lane-changing, game-changing shift in thinking, some of my more popular dishes include:

• Pizza. Gluten-free and vegan and every bit as good as a meat and dairy cheese pizza (the one here is pictured with soy chorizo).
• Soy chorizo. I originally discovered the one at Trader Joe’s but have since made my own homemade version (using TVP) and it’s pretty amazing. Spicy and delicious!
• Macaroni and cheese. Some soy milk and dairy-free cheese. A little nutritional yeast. Melted and poured over gluten-free elbows. You can broil it at the end to get that crispy top.
• Chocolate chunk cookies. Jen’s recipe. These are so bad to have around the house because they are so good. Recipe on my recipe link.
• Burritos and tacos. Pretty much all variations of Mexican cuisine translates beautifully to vegan.
• Kimchi. I make a spicy vegan version of this Korean side dish that is so good for you that you can eat an entire jar in one sitting (it’s known to happen).
• Lasagna. Red or white, this layered pasta dish is the perfect addition to any potluck and it’ll go fast.
• Gluten free vegan bread. Took me 9 tries to get my recipe right but I got it right. Straight from the oven, this is one tasty, steamy loaf!
• Broccoli quiche. Perfect for any brunch. Completely egg and dairy free.
• Fettuccine Alfredo. There is so much you can do with cashews and this Alfredo sauce rivals any out there. Cashews also make wonderful cream/s.
• Sweet Potato Fries. Toss in sesame oil, garlic powder, and paprika. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes (flip once midway) and serve with chipotle Veganaisse dipping sauce. Shut the front door.
• Pão de Queijo. Simple and gluten-free Brazilian cheese bread, or Pão de Queijo, made with tapioca flour and dairy-free cheese. Seriously, kids will kill each other for this. Brings new meaning to “Hunger Games.”
• Bacon. That’s right. Bacon is no longer a cut of meat, it’s now designated a flavor. So, with that, making bacon out of shiitake mushrooms is allowed and are great on baked potatoes with sour cream.
• Chicken wings. With a product like Beyond Meat available, this dish is a no-brainer. Serve with your favorite wing sauce and celery and you can enjoy this while your pet chicken watches.
• Salads. Yes I eat salads, too. Probably not as many as I should but I also cut myself some slack here … since eating all these other foods is so much fun!

So, for those of you who wonder what vegans eat or think that we only eat salads? Think again. And think about going vegan … and …

Go vegan.