Okay, this stuff is my new obsession!! Don’t know what tempeh is? Let me help you out…
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Tempeh
Tempeh is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form, similar to a very firm vegetarian burger patty.
Sounds weird, right? Well, it’s not. It’s a great source of protein, and it happens to be super good for you, and it’s packed with nutrients. Don’t believe me? Google, my friends. 
Google.
I’ve made it 3 ways and have consumed ALL of them and love them equally. It all depends on what you’re in the mood for. But, I’m telling you if you fed this to your children or a friend that’s anti-vegetarian, you would change some minds. It just depends on what you’re craving, but I have one maple glazed, and two Asian inspired tempeh dishes. Seriously, this stuff is TDF. (To Die For.) I made that up. You’re welcome. Let’s start at the top….
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Maple Glazed Tempeh with Baked Asparagus
The key to this one is in marinating the tempeh AND the “gravy” on top. Simply delish!! This would be a fabulous marinade/glaze for chicken as well. I found this recipe on Meghan Telpner’s blog, but I made a few changes, but this was SO SO SO good!!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 package tempeh, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbs maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 tsp gluten free flour
- In a bowl, mix together the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup,, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper
- Add the tempeh to the bowl, stir and cover.
- Let sit in the fridge for 2-24 hours, mixing occasionally.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Place marinated tempeh on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or so stirring occasionally
- 5 minutes into baking, throw in your asparagus covered in olive oil and salt and pepper (I actually cooked it on the same sheet just beside the tempeh)
- Depending on how done you want it – you might cook for longer, but mine was ready in about 20-30.
- Remove from oven and set aside.
- Place remaining sauce in a pan over medium heat.
- Add flour and stir constantly to thicken. Keep adding over head until desired consistency. I added a little more maple syrup as well
- Plate tempeh and scoop marinade/gravy over top as a sauce, or serve on greens or whole grain of choice.
Stir Fried Broccoli and Tempeh
I was SO surprised at the flavor of this dish!! It was super authentic and had such rich flavors to be so simple. I found the original recipe on Saladmaster and just made a few adjustments. I cooked everything together because of time (and because I don’t have a dishwasher!), but you might google for the original recipe to check out the original.
- 2 TBS water
- 1/4 cup of coconut aminos
- 1 TBS rice vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
- 8 oz tempeh
- 1-1/2 red pepper seeded and diced
- 1 bunch of broccoli
- salt and pepper to taste
- sesame seeds (toasted) for garnish
- Place all marinade ingredients in a skillet over medium heat until water sprinkled on skillet skitters and dissipates, approximately 5 minutes. Cube the tempeh and throw it in!
- Rinse red pepper, broccoli; chop and put int he skillet. Salt and pepper to taste and place cover on top, slightly ajar. Cook vegetables for approximately 8-10 minutes, shaking skillet occasionally to evenly brown vegetables. Use turner to turn vegetables to ensure even browning.
- Cook tempeh in with the veggies turning occasionally so it is evenly browned on all sides.
- Top roasted vegetables and tempeh with sesame seeds and serve.
Asian Inspired Tempeh Over Pea Shoots and Quinoa
I kind of just made this one up! A super simple sauté with some Asian flavors and BOOM – a super easy, light, tasty, beautiful, healthy dish! Could I use more adjectives? Probably, but I’ll spare you. 🙂
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 tempeh patty
- handful of pea shoots
- quinoa cooked
- coconut aminos
- coconut oil
- honey
- salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Cook your quinoa and set aside
- Heat a pan over medium heat with coconut oil.
- Saute the tempeh on both sides in the pan 3-5 minutes both sides and cover with salt and pepper.
- When your tempeh is browned, place over a bed of pea shoots and quinoa. Douse with coconut aminos and drizzle with honey.
inspire eat run 