Tempeh "Bacon" Reuben Sandwich - Vegan

Tempeh "Bacon" Reuben Sandwich 
(vegan, nut free)

ingredients:

• 1 package of tempeh, sliced into thin strips (i steamed my tempeh for 10 minutes before slicing, as steaming removes the slight bitter flavor of tempeh, and aids in digestion)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (reserve 1 tbsp for cooking "bacon")
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce - plus 1 or 2 drops for the russian style dressing(optional)
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke (or 1 tsp smoked paprika)
• 1 tsp tamari
• three slices of seeded rye bread, toasted
• 1 small tomato, sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced very thin
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1 dill pickle, sliced this fine for the russian style dressing)
• 1/4 cup sauerkraut, drained well
• 2 tbsp vegan mayo
• 1 tbsp ketchup 
• 1 or 2 slices of vegan provolone (optional) 

steps for the bacon:

1. in a flat square container (i used my rectangular pyrex storage container) add one tbsp of the olive oil, maple syrup, tamari, liquid smoke (or smoked paprika), and vegan worcestershire sauce and stir until blended

2. add the tempeh strips and let marinate, turning occasionally, for at least 1 hour - over night is best

3. once marinated, heat a skillet and add the other tbsp of olive oil to the hot pan, turn down the heat to medium - then  add as many strips that will fit without overcrowding

4. fry tempeh on both sides, until desired crispiness

steps for the sandwich:

how you build your sandwich is up to you, but here's what I did...

1. in a small ramekin, i mixed together the mayo, ketchup, a drop of the vegan worcestershire sauce  and one thin slice of the dill pickle (minced fine), to make a russian style dressing 

2. i spread a small amount of the russian dressing on the top of first slice of toast and then settled 3 strips of tempeh bacon on top of that,then added tomato slices, the sauerkraut, and half of the red onion slices  

3. i spread both sides of the middle slice of toast with a little of the russian style dressing and placed the avocado slices, pickle slices, the remaining red onion slices, then added the rest of the russian style dressing over the top.

tip:  if you are using the vegan provolone, melt it on the inside of the top slice of toast - and then add face down as the lid to your sandwich