Meatless Monday

Here is another recipe in my ongoing quest for restaurant-style Asian dishes that perfectly utilize vegetarian proteins. Today we talk tempeh. Tempeh is a soy product that is fermented so that it binds together in a cake form. It is a whole bean product so it maintains higher quantities of protein, fiber, and vitamins than does its better-known cousin, tofu. Tempeh has a unique texture that might require some getting used to, but it is extremely versatile. Once again, I found this recipe surfing the interwebs and full credit for it goes to Breast Cancer Maven. I prefer my tempeh a bit crunchier when fried, so I used more oil in the pan to achieve a more deep-fried texture and I added more maple syrup.

General Tso's Tempeh

Ingredients:

Tempeh
1 8 ounce packages of tempeh
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
1/4 cup olive oil

General Tso's Sauce
Olive Oil (drizzle for the pan)
2 tsp ginger, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup vegetable broth
2 TB Tamari Sauce (or soy sauce)
2 TB tomato paste
1 TB rice vinegar
1 TB vegan hoisin sauce
2 TB maple syrup

Directions:

Tempeh Prep:

1. Preheat a steaming pan.
2. Cut the tempeh package into half or thirds.
3. Steam the tempeh chunks for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cut the tempeh into bite size chunks. (You can stop here if you prefer not to fry your tempeh and skip to the sauce prep instructions).
4. Mix the cornstarch, garlic powder, and paprika and pour into a plastic bag.
5. Lightly coat each piece of tempeh with the cornstarch mixture, shaking off any excess.
6. Preheat a skillet on medium heat.
7. When hot, coat the bottom of the pan with oil.
8. Add the tempeh pieces.
9. Cook the tempeh until golden brown. When crispy, remove from pan.

Sauce Prep
1. Using the same pan, and add a drizzle more oil and toss in the fresh garlic and ginger.
2. After a few minutes, mix veggie broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, tomato paste, hoisin sauce, and maple syrup in the pan with the garlic and ginger.
3. Add the tempeh and stir to coat each piece with sauce.
4. Turn down the heat and saute for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Serve with brown rice or rice noodles.