3 large slices wheat bread, cut into 1-inch squares
6 pieces vegan bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups California-blend vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots - I use flash frozen)
1/4 cup canola oil
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Add to bread and bacon to a medium bowl. Add all spices (black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sea salt, and thyme) and toss ingredients enough to spread spices evenly.
3. Sprinkle vinegar evenly so that all bread is thoroughly saturated. Coat evenly with olive oil, tossing as you add it in.
4. In a separate 8x8 baking dish, coat the vegetables with the canola oil, tossing lightly.
5. In the baking dish, combine all ingredients, mixing by hand until all are evenly spread. Cover with tin foil, then bake for 35-45 min., depending on how done you prefer it to be. Make sure to remove the tin foil for the last 10 min. to brown the "croutons."
Source of recipe: I was scrambling for something fairly quick to make for dinner one evening, and voila! A star is born.