Tempeh Recipes

Tempeh is a very handy ingredient for the vegetarian cook. I was first introduced to it when I was living in a housing co-op where we shared`vegetarian dinners. I learned it made a handy stir fry. A little later, I discovered it was a good thing to put into a sandwich.

Tempeh can also be used in place of meat in a number of recipes. I wouldn't say it is tastes like meat, but it's more savory than its cousin, tofu, and it has more texture. It doesn't necessarily need a marinade, but there are certainly options if you're a fan of soaking and letting the flavors mingle.

You don't need to follow a recipe when you cook with tempeh. The only thing thing you need to know is that it is probably safer if you do cook it a little. It's a traditional Indonesian food, but goes well in other Asian cuisine. These cuisines are probably the easiest to work with if you're not used to using it. If you're bold, you can add tempeh to recipes from around the world. If you're an aficionado of exotic recipes, or you're just not quite sure what to do with tempeh, I've included some recipes.

Here is a simple recipe for a tempeh pocket sandwich. Most of the ingredients are from Trader Joe's. An exception would be the sea vegetables which came from the refrigerator section of the food co-op. They are very salty and keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

You don't need to follow the recipe exactly. The important thing to keep in mind is that it can get too salty if you're not careful. You'll want to rinse the seaweed very well. The easiest thing to go with, seasoning-wise, is Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning. It has whole peppercorns, coriander seeds, and mustard seeds and can be ground directly onto your food. it does contain some salt, though. If you use it, you may want to omit the Bragg's. If you go with coriander and black pepper separately, the Bragg's is a nice touch.

Here is an excellent introduction to tempeh stir fry. This cook uses shitake mushrooms and asparagus, so it's not the cheapest stir fry on the block. He is a fan of coconut oil, which may be more of a traditional Indonesian accompaniment. I am used to using sesame oil, which gives a strong flavor. He uses a combination of water and Tamari sauce -- I generally use Bragg's.

As the cook notes, a bit of flaxseed flour can add some nutrition. Another minor difference -- I like to throw in some whole flax seeds. Once you've got the basic idea, you can vary things quite a bit.