TEMPEH!

Food of the day: Tempeh

Some people might say, "Ew! tempeh." But I say, "Dang, I haven't had that in a long time."

It's a fermented soybean cake-ish thing, originally from Indonesia. It was scrumptious when I was vegetarian and ate at the Banyan House (sigh... too bad it closed down). The texture and taste can be a little weird for the novice, but the nutritional value (e.g. iron and calcium) for vegans and vegetarians is superb. Well, except for the saturated fat part. Everything in moderation, I guess.



How about some Tempeh fajitas?!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (8 ounce) package tempeh, broken into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, drained (I'd use a mix of brown, crimini, and shitake)
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped green chile peppers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon dried minced onion

Directions
1. Marinate the tempeh for a few minutes in the soy sauce, lime juice, and a clove of minced garlic--enough for the it to soak up a little flavor.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute tempeh with a little more soy sauce and lime juice until tempeh browns.
3. Stir in bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, chile peppers, cilantro and dried onion.
4. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until fluids have reduced, stirring occasionally. Add water as needed to keep the tempeh from drying or burning.


Serve with corn tortillas or over white/brown rice. I'd also add a side of southwestern salad.

Hungry yet? I know I am.