bbq tempeh & kale

O.M.G. I don't know if it's possible to accurately describe how full and incredibly content I am right now. I don't know if it was sheer genius, or dumb luck, but tonight's dinner was incredible. I'd like to make this introduction better, but let's skip it and get right to the food. BBQ tempeh and kale! *drool*

For the BBQ Tempeh

Stuff you need: 1. 1 block tempeh 2. 1 bell pepper 3. 1/2 onion 4. your favorite BBQ sauce

Start off by bringing approximately 3 cups of water to boil in a saucepan. When the water is boiling, put some salt, and the tempeh brick into the water, and let it simmer on medium for 20 minutes. While your tempeh is boiling, thinly slice your bell pepper and onion into strips and sauté them in in a little olive oil, until they're nice and tender. When the tempeh is done, drain it, and slice it into long thing strips, just like the onion and peppers. Combine the tempeh, veggies, and a healthy helping of BBQ sauce in the skillet or saucepan you already used, and let everything heat together.When you can stand it no longer, dish it up, and dig in!

For the Kale

Stuff you need: 1. 1 garlic clove 2. a bunch of kale 3. 1 can diced tomatoes 4. brown rice

For the kale dish, I was inspired by this recipe from Epicurious, but I altered it according to what I had on hand. I started by making a pot of rice- using leftover rice would be helpful, but it wasn't a problem to prepare everything else while the rice cooked. Meanwhile, mince the garlic, roughly chop the kale, and open and drain the can of diced tomatoes. Sautee the garlic in a little olive oil, and when it's just starting to turn golden, add the tomatoes, kale, and a good sprinkle of salt. Occasionally stir it every few minutes, and when the kale is tender, add the rice, toss everything together, and serve.

Holy shit that was a good meal. The tempeh is just like good ol' fashioned BBQ- a little sweet, and the texture is perfect. Substitute this into a Philly cheese-steak, and you'd never miss the meat! Also, the kale concoction was just the right side to serve with the tempeh. The slightly-sugary BBQ sauce was nicely complimented by the savory, tenderness of the tomatoes, rice, and kale. Omg I just can't say enough good things about this dinner. Tonight's meal = AMAZING!! :D

tempeh tuna wrap

June? Already? Yikes! With summer kicking into full gear, plans are being made, and time is starting to fly by. Since I last posted, I think I've made maybe 2 or 3 healthy meals at home. Bad Erin. Since I had the Memorial Day holiday off, I finally got the chance to kick back, relax, craft a little, and cook. I've been meaning to try this recipe for quite awhile now, but of course, just couldn't find the time- until today!

The recipe is mock tuna salad, which happens to be printed on the back of the Home-style Organic Five Grain Tempeh from Tofurky. I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter, except I replaced mayo with vegenaise♥, and Old Bay seasoning with Paula Dean's house blend, because of course I had Paula Dean in the cupboard, but no Old Bay. Also, at the very end, I added pickle relish, because what's tuna with no relish?

While the tempeh was simmering and I was mixing sauces, I must say I was seriously skeptical. Soy sauce in tuna? Hell no. The tempeh boiled, I stirred everything together, spread it out onto a whole wheat tortilla, and guess what. It was surprisingly delicious!

The texture is much thicker and chunkier than normal tuna, which isn't a problem, and the flavors are actually pretty dead on considering that there's absolutely no fish in there. I also like the fact that the recipe makes a ton of food, and is very filling. I made a hearty, over-stuffed wrap, and still had a bowl full of tuna for leftovers. This was one recipe I anticipated hating, but ended up really enjoying. Once again, impressed with tempeh! :)

b.l.t. & vegenaise

It's always such a nice treat to go home to my parents' house for a few nights. I get to see the folks, play with the pets, sleep in my old bed, and eat tons of delicious meals from a phenomenally stocked pantry. Mom is a huge Vitamin Cottage shopper, so she always has something new and tasty for me to try out when I come home. For lunch today, Mom whipped out a package of tempeh bacon, and we made some vegan BLTs. Normally, I don't like meatless bacon, but apparently I just haven't tried the right brand, cause this stuff is seriously delicious!

Stuff you need: 1. Bread 2. Vegenaise 3. Tempeh Bacon 4. Lettuce 5. Tomato

Start by heating up a little olive oil in a skillet. When the pan is warm, throw in your tempeh bacon- we found that 2 strips was perfect for each sandwich. While the fakin' bacon is browning, pop your bread into the toaster, and slice up your tomato and lettuce.

When the tempeh strips are slightly browned and warmed through, pull them off the heat and assemble your sandwiches! Take a piece of toast, slather it with Vegenaise, and top it with your bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Boom. Lunch is served.

Okay, it's not rocket science, but honestly, this sandwich blew me away. The bacon's texture is thick with just the right amount of bite, and the taste is like smoked hickory maple goodness. Add a dollop of Vegenaise and some fresh vegetables? That is a damn good sandwich. If you haven't tried tempeh bacon yet, I highly recommend it.

And speaking of amazing products, I can't believe I haven't mentioned Vegenaise before, cause I absolutely love it! It's perfect on sandwiches, in cole slaw, for egg salad, and just about any recipe that calls for mayo. I was never a huge mayo fan in the first place, but Vegenaise is lower in saturated fat than the regular stuff, I love the flavor, and no animals were harmed in the making of it. Sounds like a pretty good combo to me :)

So with my adoration for Vegenaise, and my newfound obsession with tempeh bacon, a BLT was the perfect lunch today. Thanks Mom and Pop! ♥

tempeh & sweet potato tacos

I hate tempeh. One time in college, I bought some, trying to be all healthy and creative, and it was hands down one of the grossest things I've ever made. I tried to heat it in a skillet with some olive oil and then eat it like a piece of toast and omg. Top 5 most epic kitchen fails of all time right there.

To my surprise, however, I have had a change of heart thanks to my friend Stephanie. Stephanie is my guru for all things healthy, fit, and amazing. She cooks, she runs, she thrifts, she's awesome. Last week we got together with some friends and she talked me into a second try with tempeh. Guess what. I'm sold.

Stuff you need: 1. Tempeh 2. A few sweet potatoes 3. Corn tortillas 4. 1 can black beans 5. 1 can corn 6. Other taco accoutrement- salsa, lettuce, cheese, avocado- whatever suits your fancy

Start by shredding your sweet potatoes in a food processor or by other means of your choice. Meanwhile, open up your box of tempeh and crumble it into a skillet with some butter. Maybe you could omit the butter, but maybe that's what it was so tasty? :) When the potatoes are shredded and the tempeh is heated through, set them aside in a dish while you prep everything else.

Combine the beans and corn in a saucepan, and warm them up while you chop up your lettuce, avocado, cheese, tomato, and anything else you've decided to throw into your tacos.

When all your filling ingredients are ready, throw the tempeh and sweet potatoes back into the skillet with some salt, pepper, maybe cumin, and warm the mixture through. Now zap your corn tortillas in the microwave for a hot minute, and assemble your dish!

The most time consuming part is all the prep work, but once you're done, the taco assembly takes only seconds. Take a gander at chef Stephanie convincing me that tempeh actually tastes good. Impressive.

This tempeh attempt was far better than my first. In fact, I bought a package of my own! The flavors are really great, and the addition of tempeh to the tacos is that extra boost of protein that I think my diet has been recently lacking. It would also be great in a tofu scramble or on a salad! Moral of the story, is that I'm pretty excited about my newfound like for tempeh, and I'm ready to try some new recipes on my own. Thanks Stephanie! ♥