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Peanut Butter Banana Bacon Sandwiches
Oh yes, we did. if you’re in a pinch and prefer using panfried and ready-to-go tempeh bacon instead of the “fiberful” chickpea goodness here, it will work well, too.
Yield: 4 sandwiches
For chickpea bacon:
—1 can (15 ounces, or 425 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
—1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure maple syrup
—1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
—Heaping 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
—1/2 teaspoon smoked sea salt, to taste
—1/2 teaspoon onion powder
—1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
—2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon (10 to 15 ml)
—Liquid smoke, to taste
—1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
For sandwiches:
—1/2 cup (128 g) crunchy, unsweetened natural peanut butter
—4 soft bread rolls, cut in half, or 8 slices any bread
—2 small, just-ripe bananas, sliced
—Nonstick cooking spray or nondairy butter
To make the chickpea bacon:
Preheat the broiler. Combine all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl and then spread in a shallow, 8-inch (20-cm) baking dish. Make sure the chickpeas are in a single layer so they cook evenly. Broil for 8 minutes, stir, and broil for 6 to 8 minutes longer, checking every 2 minutes to make sure the chickpeas don’t burn. They are ready when the liquid has been absorbed and the chickpeas are crispy and dark golden brown.
To assemble the sandwiches:
Spread 1 tablespoon (16 g) peanut butter (or enough to cover the whole surface of the bread) on each slice of bread. Gently press down a generous 1/3 cup (90 g) chickpea bacon (or as much as will fit) into the peanut butter on 4 of the slices. Place as many slices of banana as will fit on top. Put the second peanut-buttered slice on top.
Lightly coat a large skillet with spray, or melt some butter in the skillet. Cook the sandwiches in batches on medium-low heat until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes on each side.
These are also great prepared in a closed panini press, for about 6 minutes in all. This will meld the ingredients together a little more than just grilling the sandwich does.
Serving suggestions and variations:
You might want to consider making a double or triple batch of chickpea bacon to eat as is, because it makes for a delicious snack that will fly out of the bowl faster than you can swat at the hands attempting to steal your beans. if you do make a larger batch, be sure to use a larger baking tray so the chickpeas can be spread in an even layer, not sitting on top of each other, so they all get a chance to brown up.