Enter Vegan Bacon. Yes, fake bacon. You know I do not like anything artificial, but this stuff is made from real coconut and real maple syrup. Put good stuff into a dish and get good stuff out of a dish.

Considerably better for you than actual bacon, this stuff is teeming with the good type of fats, vitamins, minerals, even antioxidants. Even liquid smoke is natural; it is just the condensation produced when wood chips are smoked. Coconut Bacon might win you endorsements from PETA, gurus worldwide, your family doctor and, most importantly, Mom. As a bonus, this stuff actually tastes so damn stuff-your-face good, it will send you running down the street, smackin’ your lips, slapping yourself happy. Ok, maybe nothing so dramatic, but doing the right thing and eating the right foods feels good, doesn’t it? Even the texture is on target. The coconut releases its natural oils in the hot pan and becomes crispy the same way real bacon does when fried. Sweet, salty, smoky, crunchy and unspeakably tasty, just like real bacon, but not.

Maple-Glazed Vegan Coconut Bacon

Ingredients
3 cups sliced, unsweetened coconut
2 Tb soy sauce
1 Tb freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tb liquid smoke
1 Tb maple syrup
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

Line a cookie sheet with paper towels. Set aside.
Place a large nonstick pan onto medium-high heat.
Toss everything into the pan and stir occasionally.
Continue frying until the coconut becomes golden, maybe 5 mins.
Remove from heat and transfer onto paper towels.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.