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.

Terrific Tempeh

Earlier this week I had a conversation with my dad about Reuben sandwiches (I kid you not). At some point, my dad asked me if there could really be a solid substitute for meat in a hearty sandwich--especially a sandwich such as the Reuben, which boasts the ultimate in salty lunch meats: corned beef.

My answer? Tempeh...the quintessential vegetarian meat substitute.

Tempeh is an Indonesian creation that, in it's purest form, is just fermented soybeans. Wait! Don't stop reading! I know it doesn't exactly sound palatable, but I promise you: Tempeh is truly the vegetarian equivalent to a meat-eater's pound of bacon. Or Filet Mignon. Or whatever it is that gets your taste buds going.

I frequently slice tempeh thin, marinade it, and brown it in a skillet coated lightly with olive oil. It adds an unbeatable "meaty" quality to sandwiches--it's packed with flavor, has a little crunch when browned, and rocks a ridiculous amount of protein (20 grams per serving!).

Vegetarian or meat-eater, give tempeh a try this week.

Our Saturday night dinner was a Tempeh "Cheese Steak" sandwich of sorts. Sauteed green peppers, onion, and garlic, sliced tempeh, swiss cheese, and veggie baked beans on the side. It was messy. It was huge. And it made me smile.

If nothing else, you can impress all your friends when you tell them you ate the vege-head equivalent to a pound of bacon.

Vegetarian Cheese "Steak" Sandwiches

You can definitely marinade the tempeh before browning it (we simply didn't have time when we made them yesterday!). Just use whatever favorite marinade you use for meat, let it soak for a few hours, and proceed as directed.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of tempeh, thinly sliced
• a little olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• Swiss cheese
• Hoagie buns (or, we just used our usual bread)
• Optional: Bread n' Butter pickles, and any other additional condiments you love on your sandwiches :)

Directions:

1) Heat a little olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Place tempeh slices in the skillet; heat until lightly browned on one side, then flip each slice and heat until lightly browned on the other side (approximately 3 minutes per side). Remove tempeh slices and set aside.

2) Using the same skillet, heat a little olive oil and add bell pepper and onion slices. Saute until softened and lightly browned (about 6 -8 minutes). Add garlic and cook 1 -2 more minutes.

3) Meanwhile, place swiss cheese slices on your bread or bun of choice. Toast in a toaster oven until cheese is melted and a little bubbly.

4) To assemble sandwich, place tempeh slices on bread. Mound bell pepper and onion mixture on top. (optional: add pickles or any other condiments you love to have on your big sandwich). Not optional: must eat with barbeque baked beans (I'll bring you a fun recipe for this one tomorrow).