Last night I whipped
up dinner from a new recipe I found on Pinterest. I wrote before that one thing I love about
being vegan is replacing/adding/removing ingredients from a recipe and how easy
it is to do. What I plan on doing is
sharing the recipe I started with and make notes of how I changed it up, so if
you want to try the original you can or if you want to try my version you can
do that as well!
The first
time I used Tempeh way back when I sucked it all up. My daughter and I couldn’t stand it. Then I learned how to use it right and
recipes that made it POP and taste amazing, but for those of you who have never
used Tempeh here is some basic info on it:
What is Tempeh?
Tempeh
is a soyfood made by controlled fermentation of cooked soybeans with a Rhizopus
molds (tempeh starter). This fermentation binds the soybeans into a compact
white cake. Tempeh has been a favorite food and staple source of protein in
Indonesia for several hundred years. But it is now rapidly becoming popular all
over the world as people look for ways to increase their intake of soy, known
for its health benefits. They discover tempeh's versatility and delicious
taste. Especially vegetarians and vegans find the structure and protein content
interesting. Tempeh has a firm texture and a nutty mushroom flavor. It is very
versatile and can be used in recipes in different ways. Normally tempeh is
sliced or cut in cubes and fried until the surface is crisp and golden brown.
You can also grate it like cheese. Tempeh can be used as ingredient in soups,
spreads, salads and sandwiches. Tempeh is now commonly available in many
supermarkets (I buy mine at Sprouts next to the Tofu) and health food stores.
Using Tempeh in your recipes
Fresh
tempeh has a nice mushroom and nutty flavor, but in recipes it will readily
absorbs flavors of other ingredients. Often, tempeh is marinated before cooking
to give it a stronger and savory taste. You
can substitute all or part of meat in your favorite recipe with tempeh.
Cooking methods
You can cook Tempeh by: boiling, steaming, baking, microwaving,
stir-frying or grilling.
