Category: Tempeh

Creamy Tomato "Meat" Sauce

1/17/2017

The idea of a homemade tomato sauce may conjure up ideas of sauce slow cooking on the stove all day, letting the flavors marinate and blend. That is not was this recipe is all about. This recipe is for when you get home late from work and are looking for something quick and nourishing to heat up for dinner. If you're lucky, you'll have some of that slow simmer sauce canned and on hand to use in this recipe!

The prep work here is fairly minimal, chop up some garlic, onion, and peppers as a base to your sauce. If you have other fresh veggies on hand such as mushrooms or spinach feel free to add those as well! Adding the tempeh adds another element to the texture and some hearty protein.

I had some extra cashew sauce that I had made for the Loaded Baked Potato Pizza, which I added in to my sauce to make it creamy (and add more protein). If you want to keep it as just a basic tomato sauce then you can omit this.

Ingredients:
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Small Onion
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Loaf of Tempeh
1/2 Jar of Tomato Sauce
2 Tablespoons Cashew Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2

Instructions:

Dice garlic, onion, and red bell pepper. Add garlic and onion to a non-stick skillet and cook until the onions are translucent. Stir occasionally to prevent them from burning. Add the red bell pepper. Stir to combine.

Crumble the tempeh into the pan. Continue to break apart with a wooden spoon or spatula until it is the desired size and consistently. I like to break it down pretty far so that it is about the same size as the onions and bell pepper.

Once the tempeh has been broken down to the desired level, well mixed in with the other ingredients, and has a bit of crispiness, add in the sauces, stir and combine.

Serve over your favorite pasta, with a side of whole wheat bread and a nice salad. Enjoy!

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Peanut Butter Tempeh Panini

2/23/2015

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I've really been digging tempeh paninis recently. They're such a great go to staple for dinner (or any meal really) and you can mix them in so many different ways (see my Mexican Tempeh Panini and Scrambled Tofu and Tempeh Breakfast Sandwich). They come together so quickly and its easy to make them a balanced meal with whole grain bread and tons of fresh fruit and veggies (yes I said fruit - check out the crunchy apples on this sandwich)! Tempeh is a great source of protein and fiber, plus its typically made with fermented soybeans, so its a great source of the ever hip pro-biotic.

This sandwich really can be eaten for any meal. The tempeh and squash add a dinner-like quality, while the peanut butter and apple harken back to a classic PB&J lunch or slice of toast for breakfast. The textures on this sandwich are downright phenomenal. If you've got a good slice of bread (like Iggy's - thanks again Something GUD) you get a nice crunch from the crust but a soft, fluffy inside. The apples lend just the right amount of crispy crunch (with a hint of sweetness). And they're sandwiched between the tempeh and squash, which each have a crispy outside with a soft, moist center. The creaminess of the peanut butter brings it all together (and is a great dairy free substitute for cheese), and if you have crunchy peanut butter it's even better. Add some mixed greens for freshness and you're all set. Don't let the odd combos in the sandwich throw you off - this is sandwich is comfort food heaven and can be eaten morning, noon, and night!

Ingredients:
2 Slices Bread
5 Slices Tempeh
1/4 Apple
1/4 Delicata Squash
Handful of Greens
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 1

Instructions:
Slice your apples, squash, and tempeh. Heat a skillet over medium heat with a little oil. Place the squash, apples and oil on the skillet. Flip after 2 minutes or so or when crispy.

Slice two pieces of bread. Spread peanut butter over one of the slices.

Once the the squash has been softened a bit and the tempeh heated through place a slice of bread on the skillet. Make sure there is some oil on the skillet so that it does not burn. Add the tempeh, apples, squash, and some greens on top of the bread.

Once the bread has a nice toast to it add another slice on top and flip the sandwich over. I like to place my spatula on top of the sandwich and the flip the skillet so that the sandwich is sitting on my spatula and then place it back on the skillet. Heat until the other slice of bread is toasted. Serve and enjoy!

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Mexican Tempeh Panini

2/10/2015

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Another sandwich! I have more coming too! I made a lot of sandwiches this week with the great Iggy's bread that I got in my Something GUD box. I didn't feel like cooking much, so sandwiches were a quick and easy way to eat something hearty and make sure my bread doesn't go bad!

I already had the Lalibela Black Bean Tempeh open from my Scrambled Tofu and Tempeh sandwich, but the black bean version went great with the Mexican theme of this sandwich! I poured some Alex's Ugly Sauce, Cayano flavor to give it a bit of a Mexican kick.

You can use whatever your favorite salsa is in this recipe - but make sure it is chunky and has some substance that will stay on the sandwich - you don't want to make your sandwich soggy! I used NoLa's Fire Roasted Corn and Black Bean salsa. The chunks of corn and beans were perfect for this situation. The salsa really had a great flavor and consistency. Combined with the hot sauce on the tempeh this sandwich had an awesome Mexican flavor. The thickness of the bread and the tempeh helped to temper the spiciness a bit so that it was just right.

I used the Field Roast Chao slices on this sandwich as well, along with Treeline Scallion soft cheese. Like I mentioned in a previous post, the Chao slices are pretty thin so even though I added two layers I wanted to add some more cheese to help hold the salsa onto the sandwich. The combination worked great. The Treeline soft cheese was similar to a cream cheese so it spread and melted really nicely.

The end result is a sandwich with a great balance on spice, creaminess, crunch, and meltiness - great texture and flavor all around! Plus it comes together so quickly!

Ingredients:
Two Slices of Bread
5 Slices of Tempeh (I use black bean tempeh, but you can use whatever kind you prefer
Vegan Cheese (I used Chao Coconut Herb and Treeline Scallion)
Handful of greens
1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce (I used Alex's Ugly Sauce - Cayano Flavor)
1/4 Cup Chunky Salsa (I used NoLas Fire Roasted Corn and Black Bean)

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 1

Instructions:

Slice tempeh. Place on a skillet with a little bit of oil or cooking spray. Pour the hot sauce over the tempeh. Cook for about two minutes and then flip over for another two minutes.

Slice two thick slices of bread. Place one slice down on your skillet. Top with tempeh. Add one layer of cheese, a handful of greens and a layer of salsa, topped by another layer of cheese. I wanted to sandwich the greens and salsa between cheese so that it would all stay together better. Make sure your salsa is chunky and not thin or else you'll just end up with a soggy sandwich.

Top with the second slice of bread and make sure the sandwich melts together. Carefully flip the sandwich over to toast it on the other side.

Slice and enjoy!

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Scrambled Tofu and Tempeh Breakfast Sandwich

2/3/2015

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Jay's go-to breakfast choice when we go to brunch is a breakfast sandwich - typically bacon, egg, and cheese - so I like to show him how easy it is to make them at home, and how delicious a vegan breakfast sandwich is! This sandwich has it all - great bread, crunchy tempeh, soft tofu eggs, and melty cheese, plus whatever else you like to add! I'm always a fan of a nice juicy tomato on my sandwich, but it's tough to find a good tomato in New England in January!

I use tempeh to act as my bacon-like item. Depending on how you like your bacon, you can slice your tempeh thinner or thicker. Thin tempeh will make for a nice crunchy, bacony texture. Since I'm not really a huge fan of bacon in the first place, I sliced mine a little thicker. Similarly, you can season your tempeh however you would like. Worcester sauce and soy sauce work great for a nice salty, meaty flavor. I've never purchased liquid smoke, but it's a popular choice for replicating the bacon flavor. Maple syrup works great too - especially if you're making a breakfast dish. I added some Montreal seasoning as well, since Jay likes it so much.

This sandwich comes together really quickly, as there isn't much to cook. You just need to toast your bread and heat up the tofu and tempeh. It all depends on how thick/crispy you want the tempeh to be. It's also a very hearty and filling meal. Just the tempeh and tofu alone are great sources of protein that will stick to your bones and keep you full all morning. Add some veggies on top and you've got a complete meal!

I used Chao vegan cheese from Field Roast on this sandwich. It was the first time I've tried this type of cheese. I've been hearing great things about it but it took me a while to find some in the store. It was really expensive and you don't get a whole lot in the package. I do have to say though, that the texture of it is great - looking at and tasting the melted cheese you couldn't tell that it wasn't vegan. I got the Coconut Herb varitey, which was very mild in flavor. I think this gives it an edge over other cheese that have a strong flavor that tastes fake.

Ingredients:
4 Slices of Toast
1/2 Block of Tofu
8 Slices of Tempeh
1 Tablespoon vegan Worcester sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon burger/steak seasoning (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
2 Tablespoon Vegg Vegan Egg Yolk

Optional Toppings:
Tomato
Avocado
Greens
Vegan Cheese

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 5-7 minutes

Servings: 2

Instructions:

You can make this dish either using two small saute pans or one large one. If you use one large pan (like I did) separate the tofu and tempeh to opposite sides of the pan.

Crumble the tofu and place in your pan over medium heat. Add the Vegg vegan egg yolk and mix it in well with the tofu. Adding a little water can help with the mixing process, if needed. If you are using only one pan, be careful not to add to much water that it bleeds over to the tempeh side. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the tempeh and add it to the pan with a little bit of water or oil. Sprinkle the vegan Worcester sauce over it. Let it sear for about 2 minutes and then flip it over. If you would like, add some more Worcester sauce or steak seasoning. Jay likes Montreal seasoning, so I used that.

Once the tofu is well mixed and the tempeh has a nice crunchiness to it, add both to your toast and top with whatever toppings you would like - tomato, avocado, greens, vegan cheese, etc. You can melt the cheese by leaving the sandwich on the pan with a lid on - just make sure you don't melt the bottom.

I topped mine with greens and Chao vegan cheese.

Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Vegan Lasagna

12/15/2014

3 Comments

What a winning recipe! I like making slow cooker recipes when I'm home on the weekend. I was looking through my cookbook Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Patalsky and was inspired to make a vegan lasagna. I used tofu to make the ricotta and added tempeh to tomato sauce to make it resemble a meat sauce. Jay loved it! Here are some of his quotes while finishing his plate:

"Definitely Jay Approved!"
"I can't tell that this is vegan at all!"
"The tempeh tastes exactly like ground beef!"
"One of your better ones!"

He kept on raving on the texture of the tempeh and how it worked perfectly for ground beef!

This lasagna has tofu and tempeh in it - so it's packed with protein! Definitely a hearty meal. It doesn't serve quite as easily from the slow cooker since your slices will be taller than from a lasagna dish, so not every piece will include every layer. You can also cook this in the oven if you prefer.

Ingredients:
1 small onion
1 package tempeh
1 teaspoon vegan Worcester sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 large bunch of fresh cooking greens (I used kale) or two packages frozen
2 jars tomato sauce
1/2 package no boil lasagna noodles

Tofu Ricotta:
1 package firm tofu
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Servings: 6 generous portions

Instructions:

To make the tempeh meat sauce: Dice onions and cook over medium heat until translucent. Crumble the tempeh and add to the pan. Add the soy sauce and Worcester sauce and stir to coat the tempeh. Combine with the tomato sauce.

To make the tofu ricotta: Press the tofu to remove excess water. Crumble it into a bowl and add the nutritional yeast, minced garlic, and onion powder.

If you're using fresh greens, chop them up and heat them in a pan with a little water just to wilt them a bit.

Oil the bottom of your crock pot and layer the ingredients inside. Start with the tomato sauce, then a layer of noodles, followed by the tofu ricotta and greens and then start over again with the sauce. After you've placed the top layer of noodles pour the rest of the sauce on top. Cook on high for 1.5 hours or on low for 3 hours. Serve and enjoy!

3 Comments

Brussel Sprout Casserole

12/12/2014

22 Comments

Ingredients:
Brussel Sprouts
1/2 Cup Dry Millet
1 8 oz Package Tempeh
1 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Orange Rind

Cranberry Sauce:
1 Pound Cranberries
Juice of 2 Oranges
5 Tablespoons Agave Nectar
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ginger
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
1/2 Cup Water (as needed)

I made this casserole for Thanksgiving this year. Since there's not much else at Thanksgiving that I can eat I wanted to make something that was substantial with vegetables and protein. A casserole seemed like the perfect way to combine everything together. I thought that brussel sprouts and cranberries would be a nice seasonal touch. I added millet and tempeh for some protein. My brother recently went gluten free so I decided to pick items that he could eat.

I hadn't had millet before, it's a gluten free grain from northern Africa, and it reminded me a lot of couscous. Tempeh is fermented soybeans so its a great source of probiotics. The fermentation process forms the soybeans into a loaf that then can be sliced or crumbled. When I used it sliced I like to slice it very thinly because I find it can sometimes be dry and ensure the rest of my recipe has enough moisture to make up for it - hence the cranberry sauce.

The cranberry sauce ended up being more involved than I thought. I wanted it to simply be cranberries and oranges so I didn't have too much sugar, etc. added in but cranberries are way more sour than I thought. I added the agave to temper the sourness and the coconut milk and water to thin it out (the coconut milk adds some sweetness as well). My original reasoning for adding the orange was because it was the featured ingredient in the Virtual Vegan Potluck, but it really adds a lot to the dish, especially the zest at the end. It's a finishing touch that often gets left off, but I urge you not to!

To go back to the previous post in the Virtual Vegan Potluck click here: A Journey with Tiffany
To move on to the next post click here: Coconut & Berries
To go to the beginning of the Virtual Vegan Potluck click here: Virtual Vegan Potluck

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 8 as a side

Instructions:

Prep your brussel sprouts by cutting the end off and slicing them in half. Steam them on top of the stove for about 5 minutes, so that they get soft but aren't cooked too much. If you don't have a steamer then put them in a pot with about half as much water as sprouts. Stir them a bit to even out the cooking, so the ones on the bottom are not super mushy. Coat the sprouts in balsamic vinegar.

Cook the millet according to package directions - bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add the millet and reduce to a simmer until the water is absorbed.

Combine the cranberry sauce ingredients in a sauce pan on the stove over medium heat. It will cook for about 10 minutes. You should hear the cranberries popping. Stir it throughout to prevent the sauce from burning. If the sauce is too tart add more agave or coconut milk - note that the agave will act as a thickener while the coconut milk will thin it out. If you want the sauce thinner but without adding more sweetener, then just add water. You want the sauce to be thin enough that it will drip down to coat all the ingredients in the casserole dish.

Slice the tempeh in thin strips. I find that tempeh can be dry, so I like to cut it thin in order to allow the sauce to soak into it as much as possible.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the sprouts and millet and add to the casserole dish (reserve some sprouts to put on top of the casserole). Cover with the strips of tempeh and pour the cranberry sauce on top. Cover and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Thinly slice the remaining sprouts. Remove the covering from the casserole and top with the thinly sliced sprouts. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the sprouts are browned. Top with orange zest and serve. Enjoy!

22 Comments

Creamy Tomato "Meat" Sauce

Peanut Butter Tempeh Panini

Mexican Tempeh Panini

Scrambled Tofu and Tempeh Breakfast Sandwich

Slow Cooker Vegan Lasagna

Brussel Sprout Casserole

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﻿Creamy Tomato "Meat" Sauce

Peanut Butter Tempeh Panini

Mexican Tempeh Panini

Scrambled Tofu and Tempeh Breakfast Sandwich

Slow Cooker Vegan Lasagna

Brussel Sprout Casserole

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Creamy Tomato "Meat" Sauce