Roasted Broccoli, Balsamic Mushrooms & Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh

Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh (from Veganomicon)

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Roasted Broccoli

This couldn't be easier.

1 head broccoli, cut into florets
olive oil spray
sea salt (smoked or regular)

Preheat your oven to 400.  Scatter the broccoli florets on a cookie sheet.  Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Stick in the oven for 25 minutes.

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Balsamic Mushrooms


1 Tbsp olive oil (I used the Wild Mushroom & Sage olive oil from AllSpice)
8 oz crimini mushrooms, halved
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and salt and stir until the mushrooms have darkened.  Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and cook for 1-2 more minutes.

Vegan Tempeh Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

1 package baby bella mushrooms, cleaned
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 smallish shallots
3 slices tempeh bacon
1/2 cup cooked pinto beans
1 head roasted garlic (optional)
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp Better than Bouillon vegetable base or miso
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Twist the stems gently out of the mushrooms. Mince them along with the shallots and tempeh bacon. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushroom stems, shallots and tempeh and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar and brush the mushroom caps with the mixture.

Mash the pinto beans and roasted garlic. Add the sage, bouillon/miso and nutritional yeast and mix well. Add the shallot/tempeh mixture to the beans and stir to combine.

Spoon a heaping spoonful into each mushroom cap. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cheezy Broccoli Tempeh Divan

1 batch Vegan Alfredo (recipe follows)
1 tsp curry powder
8 oz. frozen broccoli, thawed
2 cups baked winter squash cubes (optional)
1 block (8 oz.) tempeh, steamed and mashed
1/2 cup french fried onions OR slivered almonds

Combine broccoli, tempeh, vegan alfredo and curry powder in a casserole dish. Top with onions and/or almonds. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Vegan Alfredo
1/3 cup raw cashews, preferably soaked for an hour or so (if not, just blend longer)
2/3 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp white miso
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp stone ground mustard
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp hummus

Combine in a blender and blend for 3 minutes, or until completely smooth.

Tempeh Bacon/Arugula/Avocado Sammiches

This week has been a little insane, so we've been winging meals. This one is so simple, it barely qualifies as a recipe. But here we are anyhow.

1 English muffin, toasted (I used whole wheat)

chipotle remoulade (recipe follows)

2 strips tempeh bacon, pan-fried (I used Lightlife, but you can make your own)

1/4 avocado, sliced

a handful of arugula

1 thick slice of tomato (optional)

Chipotle remoulade:

1/2 cup vegan mayo (Trader Joe's reduced fat mayo is accidentally vegan)

1/2 chipotle pepper in adobo

1 Tbsp capers

Tempeh Hot Wing/Mac & Cheese Casserole

I've made this totally vegan, and I've cheated and used a box of Annie's Mac. Either way, it's delicious. Inspired by Vegan MoFo #16: Amy Supreme.

1. Make a batch of mac and cheese. (My favorite vegan recipe follows).

2. Cut a block of tempeh into chunks. Boil/steam the chunks with a little soy sauce and water for 10 minutes.

3. Mix 4 Tbsp melted margarine, 2-1/2 Tbsp hot sauce, 2 Tbsp agave nectar and 4 Tbsp ketchup. Stir until smooth. Toss with the cooked tempeh in the bottom of a casserole dish.

4. Spread the mac and cheese on top of the tempeh. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake at 425 for 10 minutes.

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Vegan Creamy Shells

8 oz. small pasta shells, cooked in salted water until tender

1/4 cup flour
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup water
1/2 veg. bouillon cube
1/2 Tbsp. miso
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
salt to taste
1 Tbsp margarine
1/2 tsp mustard
2-3 dashes Tobasco

Mix the flour, yeast, water and bouillon in a small saucepan and heat over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until thickened. Mix in miso, garlic powder, paprika and salt. Cook for 5 minutes or so. Stir in the margarine and mustard and Tobasco. Remove from heat, add pasta and stir to coat.

Curried Tempeh-Seaweed Salad Sandwiches

The inspiration for this comes from the Chickpea-Hijiki Salad Sammiches from Vegan with a Vengeance, but tweaked to fit the ingredients I had on hand. Delish.

1 package tempeh, steamed
1/2 cup shredded carrot
2-3 Tbsp minced onion
1 Tbsp dried hijiki
1 Tbsp dulse flakes (optional)
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp wasabi paste (optional, but tasty!)
2-3 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
3 Tbsp vegan mayo (recipe below)

Cover the hijiki in boiling water for 10 minutes to rehydrate. Using your fingers, crumble the tempeh. Mix everything together. Refrigerate for a bit if desired. Otherwise, smear on bread and nom!

Note: I steam the tempeh right in its package. You could also microwave for a few minutes it to achieve the same effect.

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Vegan Mayo
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1 cup silken tofu
1 clove garlic, grated or very finely minced
1/4 tsp black salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tsp stone-ground mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp capers (optional, but tasty!)

Blend together until very smooth.

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Ingredient notes: Dried hijiki is a black, slightly fishy-tasting seaweed. I forget where I got mine, but Campbell's and/or Double Dragon are pretty good bets. The dulse flakes also have a slight fishy flavor. I got mine in the bulk section at Campbell's. Black salt (which, confusingly, is pink) can be found at Namaste Indian grocery. It imparts an uncannilyre eggy taste to the mayo.

Open-Faced BLTs w/ Chipotle Remoulade + Zucchini Patties with Corn Relish

The chipotle remoulade in this was divine. It also made a good dipping sauce for sweet potato fries, which we had alongside this dish.



several slices sourdough bread, toasted
leftover zucchini patties (optional, recipe below)
several slices tempeh bacon, cooked to a crisp
1 heirloom tomato, thickly sliced
chipotle remoulade (recipe below)

Assemble in listed order and serve while the bacon is still hot.

Chipotle Remoulade
2/3 cup vegan mayo
2 tablespoons capers, with brine
1/2 chipotle chili in adobo
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 tsp sweet chili sauce

Blend with a stick blender until smooth.

Zucchini Patties
1 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup refried beans (or hummus)
1/4 tsp cumin & chili powder
1/2 cup corn kernels
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup masa harina (corn flour), as needed
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil for frying

Mix the grated zucchini, beans, spices, corn & garlic together. Add the masa harina until the mixture can be formed into patties. Fry in the olive oil over medium heat, 3-4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Top with corn relish:

Corn Relish
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 Tbsp lime juice
4 Tbsp chipotle salsa
1 Tbsp garlic jelly (optional, but very tasty)

Heat all ingredients until hot and steamy.

Baked Mushrooms, Potatoes and Tempeh in Gravy

This is based on a recipe in Peter Berley's Fresh Food Fast, but it eliminates the standing over the stove part.

2 cups baby portobella mushrooms, quartered
2 pounds small potatoes, halved
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 8 oz. package tempeh, cut into small dice
2 Tbsp arrowroot powder OR flour
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water

Toss the tempeh with the arrowroot, garlic powder and yeast. Mix the mushrooms, potatoes, onion and garlic in a baking dish. Add the olive oil, soy sauce and water. Add the tempeh mixture and mix well to combine. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Crispy Tempeh Fries

I served these with chipotle dipping sauce (the cheeze sauce from the eggplant parmesan, plus a chipotle pepper in adobo) alongside butternut squash soup.

1 package tempeh, sliced lengthwise and then cut into 'fingers'
1 Tbsp veggie boullion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
canola oil
salt

Toss the tempeh fingers with the bouillon and garlic powder. If desired, let sit in the fridge for 20 minutes or so for the coating to bond to the tempeh.

Heat a thin layer of canola oil in a skillet. Add the tempeh and fry over medium heat for a few minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove to a plate lined with brown paper and salt immediately.

Cajun Black-Eyed Pea Tempeh Stir-Fry

Here's my thought process regarding dinner last night:

* Black eyed pea patties with chipotle remoulade sound tasty.
* Hm. Out of tofu. I could have them with salsa instead!
* Black eyed pea and tempeh patties sound even tastier.
* Damn. I'm really hungry. Patties are too much work. Let's throw it all in a pot instead.
* And add... tomatoes? And diced green chiles.
* Hm. No diced green chiles. Jalepenos!
* You know what would be tasty? Kale!

My boy declared this scrumptious. Funny how the tastiest recipes are borne out of desperation.

1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 block tempeh, thawed and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp bouillon powder
1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
5-6 tamed jalepeno rings, diced (optional)
3-4 shakes Tobasco
3 kale leaves, washed and torn into bits (stems discarded, optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion, tempeh and salt and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the tempeh is starting to brown. Add the bouillon powder, Cajun seasoning and garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add the tomatoes and juice and lower the heat to a simmer. Add the black eyed peas, jalepenos and Tobasco and stir well. Add the torn kale leaves on top, cover and cook for 7-10 more minutes, or until the greens are dark and wilted. Stir in the greens and serve!

Barbecue Tempeh Sammiches

1 block tempeh, cut into small cubes

1/4 cup water

1 cup barbecue sauce

1 Tbsp hot sauce of choice

pickles, sliced

whole wheat bread, toasted

Heat the water in a skillet over medium.  Add the tempeh and cook until all water has been absorbed.  Add the barbecue sauce and hot sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.  Toast the bread, slice the pickles.  Ladle the tempeh onto the bread, top with pickles and consume!

Lentil-Rice-Tempeh Casserole

This was the first dish that my boy ever made for me, and it remains a perennial favorite. I went through a phase a few years ago where I ate this over blue corn chips with cheese for nearly every meal. (It also makes for a good shepherd's pie base... I usually make a big batch in the 'basic' flavor, then add additional spices to portions of it as needed.)

3 cups vegetable broth OR water w/ soy sauce to taste
3/4 cup lentils, uncooked
1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
1 8-oz. package tempeh, crumbled
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder

Combine all the above ingredients in either a deep baking dish or a crock pot. Either cook in the oven 300 degrees for 1-1/2 hours or cook on low for 6-8 hours in the crock pot.

To replace ground beef in any Mexican recipe, add...

1/2 cup enchilada sauce
1/2 package chipotle taco seasoning

We made tostadas with this mixture by crisping corn tortillas in the oven and topping them with the lentil mixture, chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado and a liberal amount of chipotle-flavored Tobasco sauce.