Tempt Me, Smoky Tempeh

Liquid smoke is the best-kept dirty little secret of vegetarian cooking.

No, vege-heads don't eat meat. And no, most of us don't even miss meat.

But if you flash that smoky, meat-hungry seasoning in front of my nostrils, my olfactory glands go wild. I start salivating. My eyes might even bug out. Let's just say that you'd better not be standing between me and that tiny bottle of liquid smoke.

Tonight, we indulged in the best-kept dirty little secret of vegetarian sammies: Smoked Tempeh Sandwiches with Sauerkraut and veggies. It's no secret that I'm a freak for vege-head sandwiches. Better yet, I'm darn close to passionate about tempeh (who would have thought a girl could be passionate about fermented soybeans?)

But when my daring husband added liquid smoke into the mix, it was obvious that I would enter a food coma within 8 minutes of taking my last bite.

Adam seeped our sliced tempeh in a smoky marinade all day. Then, we topped homemade bread with the tempeh, sauteed onions and peppers, sour kraut, and some chopped bread n' butter pickles. While tonight's dish was vegan-licious for sure, you could certainly add some Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese crumbles if your dairy-loving heart desires.

Let me tempt you with tempeh tonight...

Smoked Tempeh & Sauerkraut Sammies

(Marinade recipe from Veganomicon)

For best results, be sure to let you tempeh marinade for at least 90 minutes. As mentioned above, you can keep it vegan-licious, or add some cheese if you're craving the dairy :)

Marinade Ingredients:

• 8 oz. tempeh, sliced
• 3/4 cup veggie broth
• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 2 TBSP liquid smoke
• 2 tsp. maple syrup
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

Sandwich ingredients:

• Homemade bread or sandwich buns
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can of sauerkraut, drained
• optional: sweet pickles, finely chopped

Directions:

1) To prepare the marinade: Mix together marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place tempeh slices in a shallow dish and pour marinade over the top. Allow tempeh to soak in the marinade for 1 - 2 hours, turning tempeh occasionally to make sure both sides get soaked.

2) Heat a dash of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place tempeh in the skillet in a single layer and pour half the marinade over top; saute until the bottom of the tempeh is lightly browned. Flip the tempeh and pour the remaining marinade over top. Cook until the liquid has evaporated and tempeh appears done (about 6 minutes per side). Remove tempeh from the skillet and set aside.

3) Using the same skillet (with the tempeh removed!), heat a dash of olive oil over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onions, and garlic and cook until nicely browned, about 7 - 8 minutes.

4) To assemble sandwiches: Pile your bread or bun high with tempeh, sauteed onions and peppers, sauerkraut, and pickles. Revel in the smoky goodness.