Tempeh Fried-Rice

NOTE:
I TOTALLY ADMIT THIS IS A RE-POST FROM SEVERAL YEARS AGO. But it's one of the recipes people ask me for the most, so it must be hidden away down in the depths of my blog where it's hard to find... I am just not talented enough to make an alphabetical listing of my recipes, even though I would LOVE to have that eventually:

Simple and incredibly good. This is a great way to introduce yourself (or others) to tempeh. You must make this fried rice!

Tempeh Fried Rice

4 - 5 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 package tempeh, any type

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 tsp liquid smoke flavoring

1/4 cup white wine, water or apple juice

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. peanut oil

1/2 cup coarsely shredded carrots

1 cup frozen peas (or peas and carrots)

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 cup pineapple tidbits, VERY well drained (optional)

1 - 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. toasted almonds or sesame seeds

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Slice the tempeh thin and then cut into squares or strips. Mix maple syrup, wine (or water), liquid smoke and cider vinegar together in non-stick or lightly oiled skillet.

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Put tempeh into liquid and simmer, uncovered, turning gently from time to time, until liquid evaporates to a thick, sticky sauce - 10 - min. or so, depending on climates/temperatures/pans, etc...

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Heat peanut and sesame oil in large skillet or wok. Put rice in wok and stir to heat and seperate grains, and coat lightly with flavored oils.

Add carrots, or if using frozen, rinse frozen peas and carrots under hot water until thawed and add to hot rice.

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Add onions, pineapple (optional), brown sugar and continue to stir and heat, scraping pan gently until rice starts to "stick" a bit and get browned bits, add tempeh (and some of the reduced sauce - just not so much that it makes the rice "juicy") and heat until everything is hot...

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Season to taste with soy sauce, sprinkle with toasted almonds or sesame seeds and serve.

Did I Mention Our New Panini Grill?

Yes indeed.

Our kitchen is home to a shiny, new panini sandwich grill and we couldn't be more excited!

Loads of thanks to our friend, Shaun.

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I think we were actually his tester Guinea-pigs, because after sampling only 37363536 amazing and tasty things we'd grilled, he went and bought himself one too!

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The grill was actually a Christmas present specifically for my Middle Sprout. She'd had it on her wish list for over a year. No Ipod, no cell phone requests like most 15-yr-olds; this girl is truly the kitchen appliance queen and loves cooking, experimenting and playing with food as much as I do. We're fortunate that she's willing to share all the grilled goodness with the rest of us family members.
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Now everything on our plates has those delicious toasty stripes. Even slabs of pineapple. (Without a doubt my FAVORITE!!)

Mr. Panini gets used frequently for quesadillas.

I've been having a lot of luck with vegan Tofutti slices; super-yummy with some cilantro, onions and tomatoes!

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Avocado slices are good too, but my kids aren't fans of green goo oozing from their quesadillas. How sad. More for me.

Slices of potato turn out great! These had a little olive oil, pepper, sea salt and rosemary. I don't remember how long they took, but it was a while; do them on med-low so they cook through before browning to a crisp.

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I didn't get a picture of the some of the tempeh - it was Shaun's favorite. Turned out pretty amazing too!! I simmered it in apple cider, let it marinate over night and grilled with a little soy sauce.

Grilled peanut-butter and sliced strawberries on thick whole-grain bread. Better than it looks!!

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So decadent, but certain nine-year-olds like it better than junk food, that's always a plus.

And it actually makes AWESOME panini-type sandwiches too - who knew? Currently, I'm really liking grilled eggplant and portabello mushrooms on sourdough, or a tempeh-rueben.

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If you've been considering yet another counter-hogging appliance, it's definitely a great multi-tasker. Lots of fun, super easy, get's dinner done FAST, hardly any clean-up, you don't need any oil for grilling most things.

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Even vegans can get plenty of use out of these babies as our pictures show... Have a great week!!!!

Simple Tempeh Fried Rice

Simple and incredibly good. This is a great way to introduce yourself (or others) to tempeh. You must make this fried rice!

Tempeh Fried Rice

4 - 5 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 package tempeh, any type

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 tsp liquid smoke flavoring

1/4 cup white wine, water or apple juice

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. peanut oil

1/2 cup coarsely shredded carrots

1 cup frozen peas (or peas and carrots)

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 cup pineapple tidbits, VERY well drained (optional)

1 - 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. toasted almonds or sesame seeds

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Slice the tempeh thin and then cut into squares or strips. Mix maple syrup, wine (or water), liquid smoke and cider vinegar together in non-stick or lightly oiled skillet.

.

Put tempeh into liquid and simmer, uncovered, turning gently from time to time, until liquid evaporates to a thick, sticky sauce - 10 - min. or so, depending on climates/temperatures/pans, etc...

.

Heat peanut and sesame oil in large skillet or wok. Put rice in wok and stir to heat and seperate grains, and coat lightly with flavored oils.

Add carrots, or if using frozen, rinse frozen peas and carrots under hot water until thawed and add to hot rice.

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Add onions, pineapple (optional), brown sugar and continue to stir and heat, scraping pan gently until rice starts to "stick" a bit and get browned bits, add tempeh (and some of the reduced sauce - just not so much that it makes the rice "juicy") and heat until everything is hot...

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Season to taste with soy sauce, sprinkle with toasted almonds or sesame seeds and serve.

Tempeh-Vegetable Tacos

My "Sprouts" came home tonight wanting tacos in the worst way.

Unfortunately (and incredibly unusual at our house) I didn't have any beans or burger or 'cheeze' or lettuce or really much that was traditionally "taco-like", other than some nice organic corn tortillas...
AND I was way short on time... but tacos were what the natives were demanding, so tacos they got!

I coarsely grated some zucchini, tomato, carrot and onion and flash-sauteed it for less than a minute, just until the tomato got mushy.

Then I mashed an avocado with cilantro and lime, into a guacamole sort of thing, and crumbled some tempeh and smooshed it around in the pan and sauteed it with plain ol' canned tomato sauce and "mexican" spices until it almost looked like taco "meat"...

I browned the corn tortillas just a bit, folded them in half, and away we went...

The "tacos" turned out deeee-lish, and more importantly, my kids gobbled them without asking for (veggie) Taco Meat or 'cheeze' or olives or beans or salsa. All items I usually have on hand (except tonight). They aren't even tempeh fans but that didn't seem to matter either.

I thought they looked rather pretty, with all those colors, too.

Speaking of pretty, here's a Mother's Day picture of my Sprouts (which they hate!), complete with matching tee-shirts which I forced them to wear since it was MY day and I nostalgically wanted them to "match".

They never wear matching outfits any more - I miss those days... I realize they think they are MUCH too old to be dressed up in frilly, fussy matching "sister" outfits like I used to... and also, if they matched their sibling(s), even a little bit, you KNOW I would rush over with my camera and record the moment...
Good times!

Green and Red

OOooohhh "Cheezy" Chile Rellanos and Tempeh (not-Carne) Adovada.

I dared make these pretties for my good friend Shaun, red-blooded, lifetime New Mexico resident and extremely picky chile critic...
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He was impressed.
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Actually, I was too. Yum.
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Sometimes I worry needlessly that stuff won't turn out right...
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Now, dear blogger-readers, if you're thinking this looks familiar, you're right, this is a repeat. How un-original am I?
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Anyway, the recipes are here: Chile Rellanos and here: Tempeh-Not-Carne-Adovada. Only this time, I topped the chile rellanos with panko breadcrumbs and skipped the sauce over them, oh man... they were cheezy inside, crispy on top... perfect!
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Here the chiles are before I baked them; aren't they cute, all lined up in the pan, before they bubbled and ooozed everywhere?

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Enjoy. Hope everyone has a great week.

Gnocchi with Tempeh in Gravy

This gnocchi is so simple!
Basically, several years ago, I just took a regular recipe and omitted the eggs... and it still turned out fine! Which sort of surprised me.

It's now a standard "warm and cozy" comfort-food supper for us.
Here's all that's left in the serving bowl when I jumped up to go get my camera... (pout).

Gnocchi

(the best way to explain how it's pronounced is: "nyucky").

Peel, and then boil eight medium sized potatoes.
Drain and mash well.
Add 1.5 to 2 cups (12 to 16 oz) of flour, and mix gently until everything sticks together but does not stick to your hands.
(My Grandma says the more you knead, the more flour you'll end up needing, and the more flour you use, the more heavy the gnocchi become. You don't want heavy gnocchi)!
So take the dough and off hunks, and roll into 1/2" ropes.
Cut into half-inch pieces, and dust with flour. Roll each piece over the back of a fork to make ridges if you want them - I usually skip this, even if it is a traditional step...
(Besides, it's tricky. You smoosh the piece against the fork tines, then roll it down and off the fork).
Drop gnocchi into boiling salted water.
When they float to the surface (2-3 mins later) they're done.

Tempeh in Mushroom Gravy

Slice 15 med. size mushrooms and sautee in olive oil until cooked.

Take 1 package tempeh and cut into small cubes. Add to pan with mushrooms. Simmer in 1/2 cup white wine until liquid has absorbed and reduced. (About 10 min.).

Add 1 1/2 cups of "beef-style" brown vegetable broth (or vegan bullion powder mixed with 1 1/2 cup water) and bring to a simmer.

Mix 1 Tb. cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and pour into simmering broth/tempeh. Stir with wire whisk over med. heat until gravy thickens and bubbles. Taste and adjust seasonings if you want.

Pour over well-drained gnocchi. Garnish with chopped parsley if you want to be all fancy.

Tempeh Adovada

Another New Mexico favorite, "Carne Adovada" gets remade today... woo!

First, a disclaimer: If you're a green-and-red-blooded native New Mexican food purist who cannot stand the idea of your region's precious and traditional recipe being vegan-ized, read no further... (and I do understand and apologise - heh).

However, if you're vegan, yet still want to enjoy the rich, colorful, spicy flavors of the Southwest - or you're just curious what the heck I'm yammering about, read on.

Carne Adovada is traditionally made from chunks of pork, marinated and cooked in a sauce of ground New Mexican red chiles and other flavors... it's either cooked in the oven or slow cooker until the flavors absorb and the pork literally falls apart and the sauce is very thick.

Well, since my darling Albuquerque friend, Shaun, sent me home from my last visit with every imaginable New Mexican goody, I've been cooking up a storm of yummy, spicy, mouth (and eye)-watering VEGAN hotness. One of the items I wanted to experiment with was this envelope of Carne Adovada Seasoning. I'd heard so many people sing the praises of this dish, I just had to try a vegan version, regardless if it was "authentic" or not...

At first I thought this dry mix was a commercial short-cut "tourist" version of the seasonings, but then I saw (Food Network) Bobby Flay do an episode about carne adovada and he said the best and most 'authentic' thing to use was a mix very similar to what I had. So I was inspired...

For those who feel obligated to point out discrepancies in my methods or results, yes, I know, I KNOW it's "not even close" to real dead-animal Carne Adovada, so, call it 'Red Chile Tempeh' or something less offensive to you. I had fun experimenting and the end result, whatever you choose to call it, is amazing and delicious...

Tempeh Adovada

1 1-or-2 oz. package dry Carne Adovada spice mix
a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 red wine, (as much liquid as is called for on the spice package)
2 packages Tempeh (I used flax-seed tempeh because I love the texture)
2 Tb. oil

1.) Put spice mix into a plastic or non-reactive metal bowl. Add amount of liquid per package instructions. (As noted above, I use 1/2 water and 1/2 red wine but all water is good too).
Stir.
2.) Slice the tempeh into strips (a little less than 1/2 inch thick).
3.) Put strips into sauce and carefully stir.
4.) Marinate in fridge a couple hours. If it absorbs all the liquid, add more water. It shouldn't be "soupy" though.
5.) Heat oven to 300°. Put tempeh and sauce into glass baking dish. Drizzle with oil and stir.
6.) Bake tempeh until sauce is sticky and mostly evaporated or absorbed, stirring carefully every 1/2 hour or as needed to prevent it from totally sticking - It'll take at least an hour, probably longer; time will vary according to amount of liquid, how much tempeh absorbs, and type of tempeh.

If you stir the tempeh too hard, it'll crumble into mush. I use a wide, flat spatula and sorta lift it and move it around...

Serve with tortillas (or, sacrilege - my kids like it over rice!). Good stuff! Leftovers reheat wonderfully and make an awesome burrito filling!!

I think next time, I'd like to try it with TVP chunks in the crock pot though, to better imitate the "meat" texture. And of course, I need to let Shaun try it, since he's far more an "authority" on things New Mexican. Stay tuned.

Sweet and Sour "Chicken"

OK, this is one of those embarassing 'recipes' that people rave over, and yet I really don't do anything but throw a few things together...

Another of those "almost fools the omni's" sort of thing...

Quick and Easy, Sweet and Sour 'Chicken' and Veggies


1 Package "Health is Wealth" chicken-free "nuggets" (or vegan nugget type thing of your choice)
1 red bell pepper- cut in chunks
1 green bell pepper - cut in chunks
2 plum tomatoes- cut in chunks
1/2 sweet onion - cut in chunks
1 12 oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup Wing Yip Sweet and Sour Sauce (or your favorite bottled sweet-and-sour sauce)
Thaw the nuggets (leave package at room temperature a 1/2 hour or so. Cut the "nuggets" into quarters.

Brown the nugget pieces in oil until crispy. Set aside.

Stir fry peppers and onion until tender-crisp.
Add tomatoes, pineapple and Sweet and Sour sauce.
Simmer for 5 - 10 min until sauce is hot.
If there doesn't seem to be enough sauce, add a little of the pineapple juice you drained from the can.
Add "chicken" chunks, simmer another 2- 3 minutes.
Serve over hot rice.

This also works great with cubes of browned tofu or tempeh but they usually take a bit longer to brown.