The Elvis Sandwich

Now, I was never really an Elvis fan. I like a lot of classic rock and you'd think I'd have all of his songs on my iPod, but no. And I kind of hate that I can't really appreciate how revolutionary he was in the music business considering it's so vulgar now. (And I am by no means a prude, but oh my goodness.)

But I guess I can appreciate his culinary taste, because this sandwich is amazing. I've never had it until today. I stayed home from work because I've been feeling a bit under the weather, so naturally the solution is to make something like comfort food, right? (I'll admit that my stomach already regrets eating this while being sick. But at the same time I have no regrets because it was delicious.)

Look who I've had staying with me for the last few days though.

"Mommy, mommy! I'm using the internet!"

(I'm still sleeping on the couch, my bedroom ceiling still hasn't been fixed. Ugh. But at least Catsby has been stickin' around with me.)

So let's get to this block of deliciousness. But don't worry, it won't clog your heart as much as a non-vegan one would, so there's that! Sugar aside, this is actually a pretty powerful protein meal!

Now there are a few different variations of this sandwich. There's a whole Wikipedia page on the subject, in fact, but I went with one that I personally thought sounded the most appealing.

ingredients:

• two slices of your favourite bread (I used a nice potato bread)
• two slices of Lightlife Smart "Bacon"
• your favourite peanut butter (measurements are based on your personal preference)
• half of a banana, sliced
• some Earth Balance (about a Tablespoon's worth)
• optional: a splash of agave nectar

The mise en place!

instructions:

1. In a separate small pan, cook the bacon. Cook on each side for about two minutes, and once it's done put it on a piece of paper towel to drain any "grease".
2. Once the bacon is done, butter the bread. 
3. Put a little bit of butter in the pan and let it warm and bubble a tiny bit.
4. Put one of the slices on the pan and gently put peanut butter on it. (Any amount you want; if you're a peanut butter fan, go nuts! I know I did.)
5. Gently stack the slices of banana on top of the peanut butter.
6. After the banana, stack on the bacon.
7. Finally, add the splash of agave nectar.
8. Let the sandwich brown on each side and flip occasionally. Some people might like theirs darker or lighter than others. I did mine on each side for about five minutes on a medium heat.
9. Serve and enjoy!

In my pre-vegan days, I was never a fan of bacon. I never ate any pork products as I was heavily influenced by the movie 'Babe' and the book/movie 'Charlotte's Web'. After I saw those in my childhood, I decided to never eat anything that came from a pig. (To this day they're one of my favourite animals and I still hope to have one someday.) 

Despite not being a bacon fan back in the day, I actually tend to really like this stuff. The smell of pork bacon makes me desperately ill (as my boyfriend and his mother can vouch for; I need to leave the first floor and wait until the entire floor is Febreeze-d before I can come back downstairs) but this is nice and not nearly as greasy. 

Some people, when they grill sandwiches, only butter the bread. And some only butter the pan. I do both. Mmmm, double butter.

Look at that peanut butter. Mmmmmm. It ended up getting really watery at the end, but that might've been because I used a frozen banana and not a fresh one.

I know I said the agave nectar was optional, but really I think you're missing out if you don't add it on. Honestly I wish I had added more. It adds a nice hit of sweetness that compliments the bacon.

Flipping this was a little nervewracking. Only because there's SO MUCH on it and because the peanut butter gets a little "slippery". I used two spatulas to flip it but honestly if you're a brave soul you could probably get away with one.

Heaven on a plate.

That BACON though.

I hope you all enjoyed this! It's definitely not as unhealthy as it would be if you made it with actual bacon. In fact, I thought this was still going to be a lot greasier than it was. It's still a bit messy from the peanut butter though, so be prepared with an army of napkins!

Hope you're all doing well! If you have any food requests, feel free to send me an email! I'll do what I can!

xo, Kate