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.

Meatless Monday-Totally Tempeh

Hello Meatless Monday adherents. Today's recipe features one of the most hotly debated foods in the vegetarian world, tempeh. Nothing seems to inspire a "love it/hate it" argument as easily or as readily as tempeh. Made of fermented soybeans and pressed into a patty-like cake, tempeh is definitely not for everybody's palate. Many people find the texture and earthy flavour of the whole-bean product off-putting, but it really is very versatile to cook with and it's nutritional value, which far exceeds that of tofu in terms of protein, vitamin content, and dietary fibre, makes it a favourite of vegetarian and vegan menus.

The Husband and I are always on the look out for entree items that can both satisfy and make us feel as though we aren't always eating grass. This version of Buffalo wings certainly meets both criteria.

**I found this recipe on the internet years ago, but the original source has long since disappeared. I apologize for that oversight and if you recognize this as yours, please contact me so that I can give you proper credit.**

Buffalo Tempeh "Wings"

1 (8 oz) pkg tempeh
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs

Wing Sauce

1/2 cup  Louisiana-style hot sauce (because we put that s*** on everything!)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chili sauce (ketchup works fine, but I like the tanginess of the chili sauce)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bring 4 cups of water to boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, remove tempeh from package. Slice into 8 strips. (If you are a first time tempeh eater and have texture issues, I recommend slicing into 10-12 strips) Once water is boiling, lower heat to medium high, add tempeh, and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water.

Set out 3 bowls. In one, pour in milk. In the second, combine flour and seasonings. In third bowl, add panko crumbs.
Place each strip in milk. Coat in flour mixture, then briefly re-dip into milk. Toss with panko crumbs, coating well. Set on slightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tempeh strips. Once all are coated and on baking sheet, lightly spray all "wings" with cooking spray. Place into oven and bake for 10 minutes. Flip "wings" over and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

While they are baking, place wing sauce ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Cover with Saran wrap and heat in microwave on medium high setting for a minute and a half. Remove from heat and whisk ingredients together.


When wings are finished baking, toss with sauce. Serve immediately.