Guaranteed Best Sweet & Sour Tempeh on Brown Rice
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
My daughter-in-law wants to start cooking vegan cuisine. So I pulled out this recipe and thought it was a foolproof dish for converting a meat-eater to a vegan lifestyle. It worked. She loved the dish so much that she wants to make it for her husband when he gets home from Japan next week. Even my two-year-old Granddaughter loved it and she is a picky eater.
Looking over the recipe it seems to be a little complicated, but once you begin the process it truly is a quick and easy meal to prepare. Tempeh needs to be steamed or poached before cooking - for most recipes. After poaching it is cooked just as you would cook chicken in another dish. that is why it is poached and then stir-fried in this recipe.
Tip: Tempeh is a result of whole soybeans going through the fermentation process which binds the beans into a cake form. The fermentation process give tempeh a higher content of protein, dietary fiber and vitamins compared to tofu. Tempeh becomes more digestible as a result of the fermentation process, eliminating the gas and discomfort associated with most bean consumption.
Sweet & Sour Tempeh on Brown Rice
1/2 lb package tempeh
1 cup vegetable broth
3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 can pineapple chunks (retain juice)
2/3 cup water
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 tablespoon raw sugar or pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar
cooked brown rice
Cut the tempeh into 1/2 inch cubes. Mix broth and tamari in a saucepan. Add the tempeh cubes and let them poach for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Don't stir too often or the cubes will break apart.
Scoop tempeh from broth mixture and set aside. Reserving broth mixture for sauce.
Heat oils in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add drained tempeh and stir-fry until lightly browned. Set aside.
In a saucepan combine the broth/tamari mixture, water, pineapple juice, sugar, bell pepper, onion, celery and carrot. Heat for about 3 minutes stirring often. Stir cornstarch into vinegar and pour it into the sauce, stirring constantly. Heat and stir until thick and bubbly.
Stir in pineapple chunks and tempeh. Serve over brown rice.
This recipe is great for next-day left overs, but it doesn't freeze very well. However, you are unlikely to have leftovers once everyone asks for seconds.
Labels: arrowroot, Asian, brown rice, sweet and sour, tamari, tempeh, Vegan, Vegetarian
