TBLT w/ Jaime's Basil-Mayo

This is one of Chad's and My favorite sandwiches! We don't make it often enough but it beats the "real" BLT any day of the week! Just ask Chad who is a bacon LOVER. ;) It's basically a BLT, but add a T to the beginning and it becomes a vegetarian's dream! Ever heard of tempeh? Say what? I said, Tempeh (pronounced "tim-pay")! It is a patty made of fermented soybeans and is high in protein, easy to digest, and is extremely versatile. LightLife is a popular company that makes tempeh and their famous tempeh-bacon - it's the best - and is available in most health food stores (otherwise known as Organic Smokey Tempeh Strips or "Faken' Bacon").

My sister-in-law and comfort food mentor, Jaime, makes this really yummy basil mayonnaise. A couple summers back she had basil growing abundantly in her back yard and decided to chop some up and add it to mayonnaise for sandwiches. She couldn't stop talking about how good it was and ended up making us a batch to try. We loved it!

Chad suggested we use Jaime's basil-mayo on our TBLT's instead of plain mayo (we like to use a vegan version called Vegenaise). It turned out to be the perfect addition like he imagined!! Ya know, for a guy who really enjoys eating 'real' bacon it is pretty impressive how much Chad loves these sandwiches!  Here we have a sliced sourdough loaf; lightly toasted and spread with Jaime's basil-mayo, topped with browned tempeh bacon, lettuce, tomato and ... sliced red onion. I am already planning to make these for a lovely summer picnic!! Yum, down to the crumb! ;-)

"You do not like them. 

So you say. 

Try them! Try them! 

And you may. 

Try them and you may, I say." 

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

TBLT (Tempeh-Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato)

serves 2

6-8 smokey tempeh strips

1 tomato, sliced

2 lettuce leaves

Prepared basil-mayo

4 slices of sourdough bread, lightly toasted

1. Lightly brown both sides of the tempeh strips in a skillet in a small amount of warmed oil. 

2. Spread basil-mayo over all 4 slices of toasted bread.

3. Layer the rest of the ingredients to your own taste.

Jaime's Basil Mayo

1/4 cup of Vegenaise (or another type of mayonnaise)

1/2 teaspoon of dried basil (or 1 tablespoon fresh basil)

Mix ingredients and store in an airtight container, in the fridge until ready to use.