Raw and Vegan Maple Bacon Ice Cream

I recently saw an old advertisement for a maple bacon ice cream from a fast food place. That seems like the perfect example of what not to eat, for all kinds of different reasons. But, being a big fan of the sweet and savory combo, I thought I’d try to see if I could make it vegan … and raw. It’s basically just a maple zucchini bacon over vanilla banana ice cream. Super easy.

ingredients

• 1 zucchini, sliced 1/4″ thick ($.70)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup ($.40)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar ($.10)
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Slice the zucchini into strips about 1/4″ thick. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Toss with the zucchini until well coated, then dehydrate for several hours or overnight, until just a little bit crunchy but pliable.

Tear the zucchini bacon into pieces and serve over vanilla banana ice cream with maple syrup.  To make the ice cream, slice and freeze four bananas. When ready to use, grind them in a food processor with one teaspoon vanilla and a splash of almond milk. Process until smooth, which may take a few minutes and some scraping down on the sides. This will cost about $.30 per serving.