This is Not a Diet

Tempeh is a relatively new food in my kitchen.  I had simply never tried it before a few months ago.  I love it!  It’s really easy to cook, and I have a feeling people who turn their noses up at tofu (which I also love) might be more willing to eat it.  But it is not meat, and you should not expect it to taste like meat.

The tempeh I have been experimenting with, since it is the only one my grocery store carries, is West Soy Five Grain.  Here’s my most successful meal using it to date.

First step is to marinate the tempeh.  This doesn’t take very long since it is quite absorbent.  I gave it about 10 minutes.  The marinade is very simple: soy sauce, unrefined peanut oil, juice from 1 lemon, and chili powder.  (skip chili powder if you don’t like the heat)

marinating tempeh

Once it has soaked up some of the juices, saute over med-high heat with chopped onion and minced habanero (skip if you don’t like the heat).  Reserve remaining marinade.

saute tempeh with onions and habanero

Saute, turning infrequently until golden brown.  This is a lot like cooking chicken- you’ll get a better golden edge if you let it sit longer on one side than if you are constantly flipping it.  This takes about 10 min.

until golden brown and onions are soft

Set aside.  In the same pan, saute veggies.  This would work with pretty much any veggies you have around.  I had mushrooms, bok choy, scallions, garlic, and broccoli (I steamed the broccoli and added it at the end)

saute veggies

When the veggies are getting close to done, add the remaining marinade and additional soy sauce if necessary.  Season lightly with ground coriander (optional).

and more veggies

And that’s it!  Add the tempeh onion mix back into the pan and stir around a bit to make sure everything is hot.  Served here over brown rice:

Veggie stir-fry with tempeh served over brown rice