Fresh tempeh at the market, Jakarta, Indonesia. okay. sometimes even a skinny vegetarian wants something 'meaty' to eat after a long day during a long week at work...and since i've been feeling a little tired of late, i wanted something substantial, but not heavy. as always, tempeh takes the cake [pun intended]. when cooked just right, tempeh can be the meatiest tasting veggie meal, but far more so than tofu, tempeh requires attention to preparation. i have learned the hard way: the more thought you put into the prep, the far more enjoyable it will be.
what's so rewarding about tempeh is it truly a wonder 'meat'...with nearly as much protein as chicken, but no cholesterol. tempeh also provides a greater amino acid profile due to its sprouting and fermentation. it is these same principles that make it such a joy to cook with, because unlike tofu, tempeh starts out firm and does not require freezing [as tofu does, to make it more solid]. and in spite of its denseness, tempeh is very low in calories. lastly, tempeh is unique among meat substitutes, because it has a fairly high amount of vitamin B-12 and iron.
and so, when you're feeling a little spent, something like a tempeh 'bacon' wrap for a summer meal is the way to go. the prep takes a small amount of time, but the smile on your face when you take the last bite is definitely worth it.
sweet and sour tempeh 'bacon' and avocado wraps
ingredients:
something to sink your teeth into:
1 - 8 or 10 oz. block of tempeh, cut into thin slices
[here's what i did.] turn the rectangle of tempeh long side down. slice the short side into thin strips, let's say approx. 1/8 of an inch.
set aside.
sauce ingredients:
2 tbs grapeseed oil, or olive oil
2 small cooking onions, or 1 large, sliced into thin rings
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 small finger of ginger, cut into 4 thin pieces
2 tbs tomato paste
1/4 cup thin soy sauce - [i used a combination of tamari and mushroom soy]
1/4 cup maple syrup - [the sweet part]
splash of red wine vinegar - for the technically minded, let's say 2 tbs.
1/2 -3/4 tsp chipotle pepper sauce [a must for smokiness]
2 tamarind pods, remove the outer shell, squeeze out the seeds and scrape the paste from the inside [if you can find tamarind, this adds an incomparable complexity, a perfect sour to the sweetness]
1 pinch of cayenne pepper, or cajun seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 pinch of clove powder
other goodies:
flat bread wraps, i prefer flatout lite lowfat bread because it has 9 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber - 90 calories, and it holds together very well!
mixed greens, or mesclun
avocado - i used a big, fat 'slimcado' or florida avocado [a good source of those important MUFA fats]
preparation - now, let's get cooking!!:
gather all of your ingredients.
in a larger sized sauce pan, heat the oil and soften the onion until it is translucent and begins to release its flavor [approximately 2-3 minutes]
when it has begun to cook, add the remaining sauce ingredients to boil over medium high heat, careful not to scorch the bottom of the pan.
when the sauce has begun to boil, add the tempeh, stir with a wooden spoon to coat, and reduce heat to a simmer.
cover the pan and allow the tempeh to simmer in the sauce approximately 15 minutes. as the sauce boils down, the tempeh will begin to fry and crisp in the pan.
now, we're on a roll:
when the tempeh is finished, place your wrap flat on the counter.
top with mesclun
layer with steamin' tempeh [ you won't need any other sauce, it's that good]
finish with avocado slices
and [badumdum - dorky drum roll] it's a wrap!
**serve with broccoli rabe and garlicky cannellini
rapini [broccoli rabe] and cannellini
so easy. so good.
ingredients:
1 head broccoli rabe [heads-up!: i will now heretofore use rabe and rapini interchangeably, simply because, i'm not sure which one i like the sound of better]
2-3 cloves garlic, or more if you wish
1 can cannellini beans
1-2 tbs olive oil
coarse sea salt
quick and dirty directions:
take a fresh, fresh head of broccoli rabe. rinse to drain any dirt or grit
or like my head had, clumps of roots.
with a larger chef's knife, trim the leaves and tips away from the woodier stalks
set the leaves and tips aside. discard [compost] the stalks
take each clove of garlic and cut into paper thin slices
heat the oil until it is sizzling
add the garlic and cook quickly, just until it starts to blush a golden tan
throw in the broccoli rabe and stir continuously until it begins to cook down and reduce in size.
the rapini will give up some water, but not much...when it has begun to release its liquid it will be an even brighter green
at this point, take the cannellini and drain and rinse thoroughly [or else it will add too much liquid to the pot]
throw in the beans and cook, stirring for about 3 more minutes
finish with a coarse sea salt for flavor
***sit down for a super-satisfying dinner, and if you find yourself in my shoes, you will have enough to pack a cooler lunch for your next day of tooling about town on the bookmobile [mobile library] to seaside senior homes and summer camps, and still more left over to walk a lunch offering of gratitude across the street to Christine's house as a thankyou for internet horking and some tender care for her equally hard week.***
what's so rewarding about tempeh is it truly a wonder 'meat'...with nearly as much protein as chicken, but no cholesterol. tempeh also provides a greater amino acid profile due to its sprouting and fermentation. it is these same principles that make it such a joy to cook with, because unlike tofu, tempeh starts out firm and does not require freezing [as tofu does, to make it more solid]. and in spite of its denseness, tempeh is very low in calories. lastly, tempeh is unique among meat substitutes, because it has a fairly high amount of vitamin B-12 and iron.
and so, when you're feeling a little spent, something like a tempeh 'bacon' wrap for a summer meal is the way to go. the prep takes a small amount of time, but the smile on your face when you take the last bite is definitely worth it.
sweet and sour tempeh 'bacon' and avocado wraps
ingredients:
something to sink your teeth into:
1 - 8 or 10 oz. block of tempeh, cut into thin slices
[here's what i did.] turn the rectangle of tempeh long side down. slice the short side into thin strips, let's say approx. 1/8 of an inch.
set aside.
sauce ingredients:
2 tbs grapeseed oil, or olive oil
2 small cooking onions, or 1 large, sliced into thin rings
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 small finger of ginger, cut into 4 thin pieces
2 tbs tomato paste
1/4 cup thin soy sauce - [i used a combination of tamari and mushroom soy]
1/4 cup maple syrup - [the sweet part]
splash of red wine vinegar - for the technically minded, let's say 2 tbs.
1/2 -3/4 tsp chipotle pepper sauce [a must for smokiness]
2 tamarind pods, remove the outer shell, squeeze out the seeds and scrape the paste from the inside [if you can find tamarind, this adds an incomparable complexity, a perfect sour to the sweetness]
1 pinch of cayenne pepper, or cajun seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 pinch of clove powder
other goodies:
flat bread wraps, i prefer flatout lite lowfat bread because it has 9 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber - 90 calories, and it holds together very well!
mixed greens, or mesclun
avocado - i used a big, fat 'slimcado' or florida avocado [a good source of those important MUFA fats]
preparation - now, let's get cooking!!:
gather all of your ingredients.
in a larger sized sauce pan, heat the oil and soften the onion until it is translucent and begins to release its flavor [approximately 2-3 minutes]
when it has begun to cook, add the remaining sauce ingredients to boil over medium high heat, careful not to scorch the bottom of the pan.
when the sauce has begun to boil, add the tempeh, stir with a wooden spoon to coat, and reduce heat to a simmer.
cover the pan and allow the tempeh to simmer in the sauce approximately 15 minutes. as the sauce boils down, the tempeh will begin to fry and crisp in the pan.
now, we're on a roll:
when the tempeh is finished, place your wrap flat on the counter.
top with mesclun
layer with steamin' tempeh [ you won't need any other sauce, it's that good]
finish with avocado slices
and [badumdum - dorky drum roll] it's a wrap!
**serve with broccoli rabe and garlicky cannellini
rapini [broccoli rabe] and cannellini
so easy. so good.
ingredients:
1 head broccoli rabe [heads-up!: i will now heretofore use rabe and rapini interchangeably, simply because, i'm not sure which one i like the sound of better]
2-3 cloves garlic, or more if you wish
1 can cannellini beans
1-2 tbs olive oil
coarse sea salt
quick and dirty directions:
take a fresh, fresh head of broccoli rabe. rinse to drain any dirt or grit
or like my head had, clumps of roots.
with a larger chef's knife, trim the leaves and tips away from the woodier stalks
set the leaves and tips aside. discard [compost] the stalks
take each clove of garlic and cut into paper thin slices
heat the oil until it is sizzling
add the garlic and cook quickly, just until it starts to blush a golden tan
throw in the broccoli rabe and stir continuously until it begins to cook down and reduce in size.
the rapini will give up some water, but not much...when it has begun to release its liquid it will be an even brighter green
at this point, take the cannellini and drain and rinse thoroughly [or else it will add too much liquid to the pot]
throw in the beans and cook, stirring for about 3 more minutes
finish with a coarse sea salt for flavor
***sit down for a super-satisfying dinner, and if you find yourself in my shoes, you will have enough to pack a cooler lunch for your next day of tooling about town on the bookmobile [mobile library] to seaside senior homes and summer camps, and still more left over to walk a lunch offering of gratitude across the street to Christine's house as a thankyou for internet horking and some tender care for her equally hard week.***
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