mind your tempeh (stir fry with marinated tempeh recipe)

Sorry, I'm clearly struggling with clever puns on the word "tempeh" (i.e. the title of this post) - in fact, many of you may not even know what tempeh is, which would make any attempt at a pun ineffective anyway - but hey, at least I tried. ;-)  The important thing is that you're reading this now (or at least I hope you are), and you are about to find out what I'm talking about!

So, tempeh.  What is it?  Well, first and foremost, tempeh is a soy product, (made of fermented soy beans), which makes it a great alternative protein source for meatless meals.  However, it should not be confused with tofu -  although both are soy products, they are quite different - while tofu has very little flavour, is soft and mushy in texture, and is often packed in liquid, tempeh has a very firm texture, and comes packaged in compressed blocks which contain virtually no liquid.  Tempeh also has a mild flavour of its own, which is slightly nutty - and is often combined with other ingredients to enhance its natural flavour.  Personally, I like to use a brand by Henry's, which is made with organic soy beans (important - see below!), and is naturally dairy and gluten-free.  I usually purchase the tempeh made with crushed red peppers:

Depending on where you live, this brand may not be available - but tempeh can usually be found at health food stores, and is likely widely available at Whole Foods.  As the label indicates, it's a product made fairly locally to where I live in Ontario - if you live in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) I've purchased it before at Whole Foods (I don't think they need a plug!), the Organic Garage, Planet Organic, and Goodness Me.

If I am going to use a soy product, I actually prefer to use tempeh over tofu for several reasons:

• It's an excellent source of protein, offering the same quality protein as meat and poultry
• High in dietary fibre and calcium
• Easily digestible 
• High in fatty acids and Vitamin B

And to quote culinary nutritionista extraordinaire Meghan Telpner, it is important to seek out organic tempeh: 

"The main problem with soy is not really that is has phytoestrogens, or that it has enzyme inhibitors, the problem with soy is that most conventionally grown soy crops are genetically modified…. Organic Tempeh is a probiotic food, which means it helps the body to produce the healthful bacteria, while at the same time has antibiotic properties which help fight down the nasty guys. Tempeh is a complete protein and has soy isoflavones that strengthen bones, help to ease menopause symptoms, reduce risk of coronary hearth disease and some cancers." 

So there you have it folks!  Tempeh is ALL good.  But now that you know what it is, and why you should eat it, how should you prepare it?  Well, fear not, because I'm (finally!) about to tell you!! Tempeh can be used as an alternative to ground meat in chill or in veggie burgers, or, in the recipe I'm going to share today, it's also GREAT to use in a stir fry as a replacement for whatever animal protein you would normally use.  So enough already, I don't want to stir up your tempeh (heh heh) by prolonging this preamble any longer - let's get started! 

Marinated Tempeh
Marinate Time: 2-4 hours or overnight
gluten-free, nut free, refined sugar-free, dairy free

Ingredients
1 250g pkg. tempeh
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil or camelina oil (read about why I love camelina oil here)
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. raw honey
1-2 cloves minced garlic

Slice block of tempeh in half width-wise (to make two thinner blocks of tempeh), then chop each thin block into 1/4" pieces.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all the above ingredients;  add tempeh to the mixture, and gently toss to coat with the marinade.  Transfer coated tempeh into a large mason jar:

Seal jar tightly, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours, or overnight.

I find this to be a super easy way to marinate just about anything (as long as you can fit it through the lid of the mason jar, that is) - this way you can pick up the jar occasionally while the tempeh is marinating, and give it a little shake or roll it around to re-distribute the contents.  Easy peasy, and WAY better for you than marinating it in a plastic bag!











Vegetable Stir Fry with Marinated Tempeh
Vegetable Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
gluten-free, nut free, refined sugar-free, dairy free

Ingredients
2-4 tbsp. olive or camelina oil
Pre-marinated tempeh (recipe above)
1 cup carrots, peeled, and sliced thinly
1-1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets, (including stems)
1 cup red onion, chopped roughly
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped roughly (not pictured above)
1/3 c. snow peas, ends trimmed
1/3 c. sliced crimini mushrooms
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1-2 cloves of minced garlic
1-1/2 cups baby bok choy, chopped at stem to loosen leaves
2-3 tbsp. low sodium tamari
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Wash and prepare vegetables:

Add 1-2 tbsp. of oil to wok or large skillet.  Heat oil over medium-high heat for about 1 minute.

Add marinated tempeh to wok/skillet, and stir fry/toss until edges are browned and crispy (about 2-3 minutes).

Remove from wok/pan, and set aside:

Add another 1-2 tbsp. of oil to pan (or as necessary), and reheat over medium-high heat for 1 minute.

Add sliced carrots.  Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, just until carrots begin to soften.

Add all remaining vegetables except baby bok choi - broccoli, red onion, red bell pepper, snow peas, mushrooms, ginger, and garlic.

Drizzle 1-2 tbsp. tamari over vegetable mixture and stir to coat.

Stir fry vegetable mixture until colours start to brighten and they begin to soften slightly (about 3-4 minutes). This process will happen quite quickly over the high heat - it is important to constantly be moving/tossing/stirring the vegetable mixture:

Add baby bok choy, and return tempeh to mixture to heat through.  Stir fry for about 1 more minute:

Add a pinch or two of sea salt and black pepper (to taste).

Serve over a bed of quinoa or brown rice - and enjoy all that colourful, flavourful, healthful goodness!!

If I do say so myself, this was delicious!  So whaddya say?? Is tempeh something new to you?  If so, I hope I've inspired you to give it a try - and if you are already familiar with tempeh, perhaps this will be a new way to prepare it for you.  Either way, be sure to let me know what you think, and have a happy meatless Monday!  :)

ain't no doubt - I love sprouts! (roasted brussels sprouts with carrots recipe)

It's true.  I know it may be hard to believe, but as long as I can remember, I've always LOVED brussels sprouts. From what I understand, however, they are definitely one of those foods in the "you either love 'em or hate 'em" category - and most people I know lean towards the latter.  If you are a sprout-hater :( , I'm not here to try to convert you, because believe me, I know first hand about extreme aversions to the taste of certain foods (hello, cilantro!).  However, if you already feel the love for these adorable little cabbage mini-mes, I'm here to share my favourite way to prepare them. And okay, maybe there's a teeny tiny part of me that hopes you haters out there might reconsider too - because besides being delicious, these little babies pack a BIG nutritional punch:

• They are exceptionally rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
• Sprouts belong to the same family as other nutrient-rich vegetables such as broccoli, collard greens, cabbage, and kale.
• If you combine brussels sprouts with a whole grain (such as quinoa), you create a "complete protein", which makes a great replacement for animal protein in a meal.  Yay, plant power! :) 

I know.  You're thinking, "great, not only do they taste horrible, they're good for me too" - and I'm pushing you even farther away.  But don't give up on me yet.  Because this recipe combines sprouts with something you might actually like - carrots - and together, it's a roasty, toasty, veggie marriage made in heaven - the sweetness of the carrots offsets the bitterness of the sprouts, and it's a virtual flavour explosion! So let's get started, shall we?  As always, choose organic produce whenver possible for optimum nutritional value:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Carrots 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  30 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

2 c. brussels sprouts

2 c. carrots

2-3 tbsp. olive oil (or camelina oil, see below)

1-2 garlic cloves, minced 

A generous pinch of sea salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Before I continue with the recipe, I MUST make mention of camelina oil.  While I LOVE olive oil, and continue to use it, when I started to dig deeper into the world of culinary nutrition, I came across this wonderful product, derived from an ancient grain - it is not only exceptionally nutritious, but it has a fantastic flavour that enhances anything you cook with it.  Like olive oil, it tolerates a high cooking temperature, and due to it's high Vitamin E content, has a long shelf-life; and as if that wasn't enough, it's high in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, is non-GMO, sustainable, and traceable (literally, right down to the field where the camelina grain was grown).  I use a brand manufactured in Saskatchewan, made by Three Farmers - and if you hadn't already guessed, I highly recommend it - not only for this recipe, but for anything you would normally use olive oil for.  (And they didn't pay me a cent to tell you that either - honestly, I just love the stuff).

Okay!  We now return to our regularly scheduled program...

Set oven to 400°

Rinse and clean the brussels sprouts, chop off the ends if necessary, and remove any loose leaves; you can either leave them whole, or cut in half lengthwise (or a combo of both, depending on the size of the sprout).

Peel and chop carrots into 1-inch chunks.

Finely mince/chop garlic.

Another handy hint - I use a tool I love called a mezzaluna to chop/mince garlic (named obviously for its half moon or crescent shape - yep, there I go with my awesome Italian language skills again!) ;-) You just rock it back and forth across the garlic, and it gets the job done quickly (mine is double-bladed, so it's extra quick), and you can chop the garlic as chunky or as fine as you like.  It's also a great tool for finely chopping fresh herbs such as parsley, rosemary, etc. - super quick and easy!

Place sprouts, carrots and garlic in a mixing bowl.  Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (a more healthful non-stick option, and easier for cleanup), and arrange vegetable mixture in a single layer.

Roast veggies in oven for 25-30 minutes (rearrange with a wooden spoon approximately every 10 minutes for even roasting):

Remove, and transfer to a serving bowl, or straight to your dinner plate. (But be careful, those little suckers retain their heat like no tomorrow!) 

Looks delicious right?  Can't you just taste that savoury, earthy, goodness from here?  You can prepare this recipe to serve as a side dish, or serve atop a bed of quinoa for a warming, nutritious, (and meatless) meal all on its own.  It's even great the next day for leftovers. (One of these days, I'll get around to writing a post about my favourite way to warm leftover food...) 

Hope you've enjoyed my little shout out to B-sprouts! :)  I'll leave you with a little tip - although it somewhat defeats the purpose of my attempt to get you to show brussels sprouts a little love, this is also an easy way to roast any number of vegetables - sub the sprouts for broccoli,  sweet potato, butternut squash...whatever medley tickles your fancy - and enjoy! :)