Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Tempeh Stir Fry


I'm happy to say that this Tuesday morning started off a lot better than yesterday's dog fiasco.  The only thing wrong with today (so far) is that Andy happened to take my keys with him to work!  But I didn't have to work today, so it wasn't like I needed them for anything.  And it gives us an excuse to have lunch together so he can give me my keys back.  So win-win if you ask me =)

And boy is it a hot one!  Almost as hot as yesterday's heat index of 114 F!  Seriously?  114!  And as of right now, it's a heat index of 111 F.  Will. NOT. Be. Running. Outside. Today.  As much as I hate running on the treadmill, my butt is not going to be found passed out on the sidewalk (which I know it will be if I attempt to run outside!).

Anyway, we've been trying to eat a little bit healthier around these parts, but still wanting to get our protein in.  Tofu really isn't an option right now for us, I'm still quite unsure about it - I know, I know - it takes on the flavor you put it in and all that jazz, and eventually I'll get over this hump, but right now, we're both on the fence about tofu. 

I've been hearing a lot of good things about tempeh - which can best be described as a soybean cake, so I figured we could safely give that a try!  Whole Foods had a couple different varieties, so we opted for 2 packs of Vegetable Blend Tempeh.  Andy was still a little leary about it, but I told him to trust me on this one!

Ingredients:


Adapted from Post Punk Kitchen's recipe

1 cup chopped collard greens
1 cup chopped kale
2 8 oz. packages Vegetable Medley Tempeh
2 tablespoons soy sauce
juice from 1 lemon
1 cup water
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 shallot, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
small handful of cilantro, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
3 Thai chiles, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
2 golden beets, peeled and cubed
2 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
Barbecue Sauce, optional

Preheat oven to 400F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread beets and potatoes on sheet in a single layer.  Season beets and potatoes with salt and pepper.  Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bake for about 25 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add collard greens and kale.  Simmer for about 8-10 minutes.  Drain greens and set aside.

Crumble up the tempeh into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a large skillet under medium high heat.  Add 1 cup of water, soy sauce, and lemon juice.  Cover and bring mixture to a boil.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is gone.

Lower the heat and push tempeh to one side of the skillet.  Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil on the bare side of the skillet and add shallots, chiles, and garlic.  Sauce for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Mix garlic and shallots in with the tempeh and saute for about 4-5 minutes.

Stir in cilantro, fennel seed, and greens.  Cook for 10 more minutes before mixing in beets and potatoes.  Cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes and serve!  Top with your favorite barbecue sauce, if desired.

This meal exceeded every expectation in my book.  The only thing Andy thought was somewhat off about it was the beets, but he's not as big of a fan of beets as I am, so that's completely understandable.  But he actually liked the tempeh!  So that's a win in my book.


This definitely won't be the last time I ever try tempeh, it's my vegetarian protein of choice as of right now =)

Have you guys tried tempeh?  What's your favorite way to have it?


See you guys tomorrow!

24 comments:

  1. I've never tried baking with tempeh before, thank you for suggesting it as a delicious ingredient to cook with. Hope the temperatures cool a little for you.

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  2. Woww.. I have not tried tempeh before. I have to, after seeing your awesome recipe :D

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  3. I was just debating whether to do stirfried tempeh or tofu with my CSA collards tonight. I think it's going to be tempeh. Thanks for the suggestion!

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  4. Mm, I love tempeh! My favorite way to eat it is chopped in big triangles, slathered in BBQ sauce and served with some sauteed greens on the side. Yum! And too hot to run outside here too, makes me sad--I'm no treadmill fan either.

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  5. Yea...so I don't really like tofu either. So I tried tempeh. I didn't like it either! waaah! I usually stick to beans for my protien. I think I might try making this stir fry with seitan though. I've been wanting to try that as well.

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  6. Wow! That sounds delicious! I've never tried Tempeh, either....but the whole thing looks amazing! Stay cool and hydrated!

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  7. The combination of ingredients sound divine.
    Must try this recipe..Thx a bunch for stopping by kothiyavunu and for ur lovely comments..
    Hope to see ur updates with many more yummy treats.. Cheers!

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  8. This stir fry looks awesome, nice side for a meal.

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  9. Funny: I'm eating tempeh as I read your post! Tonight I cooked up some tempeh, vegetables and basmati rice in a Thai-style curry sauce.

    Tempeh is one of my favorite lean-protein sources: It marinates really well, grills up nicely, and has a great texture that can be used in anything. (Try it as a meat replacement in tacos or pasta sauce; just brown it a little first with some garlic and onions. It's delicious.)

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  10. Wow. This looks really colorful and delicious!

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  11. Oh my gosh, 114F?! It was 60F here... and I'm wearing a light sweater right now. America is huge... I feel like we are in completely different country or continent. Another delicious kale dish! Looks very healthy and yummy!

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  12. I didn't know that tempeh is available where you are. Its so popular at Malaysia and just simply deep fry it, thats so heaven. Lovely healthy recipe.

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  13. I have never heard of tempeh, but will be kddping my eye out for it; looks like a great combination. That heat sounds way to much for me.
    Rita

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  14. It was already hot when I went running this morning at 6am. If I had a treadmill (and AC...not that commmon over here) I would definitely run on that.

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  15. Believe it or not I have never even attempted tempeh. This recipe looks great though I may have to add it to the list of recipes I am trying!

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  16. I've always wanted to try to cook w/tempeh. Your dish looks really good! If you like this, you would like tofu too. Some people just don't like the soft texture.

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  17. I have never tried to cook tempeh myself, but I've eaten it when I get Indonesian take out and it's good!

    Me and the hubby love the plain tofu, which is I think softer then tempeh. We simply fry it in some oil and dip it in some maggi sauce. Sometimes this is all we eat for dinner!

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  18. looks yummy lots of lovely flavours

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  19. I'd like to try tempeh as I am dubious about tofu too. This looks so colourful and tasty.

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  20. What a healthy and delicious stir fry. It's a smorgasbord of flavours. Overcast, gloomy and cool 18° C (64.4° F to you) here. So jealous of sunny photos.

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  21. I've never had tempeh. I'll have to taste a bite some time because I am like you - not quite over the tofu bridge yet. Tried... more than once, but I am not sold yet. This stir fry looks great though!

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  22. 114? Damn!!

    And this dish looks so fancy. Almost too pretty to eat :)

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  23. Thanks for your visit...this looks so good to me, in fact we had something a bit like this for dinner tonight! Good luck with your future plans. :D

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