SAVORY SWEET AND SOUR SOY TEMPEH
c. Jane Quincannon Stanchich
Tempeh, a highly nutritious soybean product that originated in Indonesia, is abundant in protein, and, when properly prepared contains Vitamin B-12 and several enzymes. It is full of estrogen enhancing nutrients and satisfying flavor! This recipe is one of the most delicious and digestible ways to make this nutrition soy product. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 package 8-ounce soy tempeh, sliced in eight equal pieces
- 1 Tablespoon untoasted sesame oil
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 2 Tablespoons shoyu
- 3 Tablespoons fresh ginger juice or to taste
- 3 Tablespoons brown rice syrup
- 1 Tablespoon brown rice vinegar
- 2 scallions, sliced thinly
- Fresh, organic edible flowers (optional)
Cooking Instructions:
In a large skillet, spread the oil and bring to medium-low heat. Set the tempeh on the oil and lightly brown both sides of each piece. Combine the 2 1/2 cups water, apple juice, shoyu, and 2 tablespoons of the ginger juice together and carefully pour over the tempeh. Bring to low boil, cover and reduce to simmer. Cook for 40 minutes. Open the skillet lid, check the cooking liquid and simmer with the lid removed until about one cup of the liquid remains. Remove the tempeh and place on a plate. Stir the brown rice syrup and vinegar into the cooking liquid. Add the additional ginger juice; stir. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Place tempeh back into the skillet and combine with the cooking liquid. When ready to serve, place on serving platter. Garnish with scallions and flowers. Serve warm.
Note: You may add a dash of prepared mustard and/or minced garlic to the tempeh as it cooks for a special zing, according to your condition and taste. Be creative!
Serve the cooked tempeh in a variety of ways such as:
a. stir-fry dishes b. nori/sushi rolls c. sandwiches with mustard, sauerkraut, and lettuce d. as an entree with whole grains and vegetables
To prepare Reuben Sandwiches:
2 slices fresh whole grain sour dough bread
whole grain mustard
soy mayonnaise
sauerkraut, rinsed
sliced red onion
lettuce leaves
cooked tempeh, cut into thin slices
Dill pickle
On the bread, assemble the sandwich by spreading a mixture of the mustard and mayo. Place a tempeh slice on the bread and cover with sauerkraut, onion and lettuce. You may grill under a broiler.
Optional: Soy cheddar cheese, melted on open-faced sandwich, then topped with second bread slice. Serve with dill pickle.
LUSCIOUS LENTIL PARTY PATE
This pate is a party favorite of the vegetarian crowd. The rich, hardy and delicious lentils are seasoned with flavorful ingredients which you can adjust to suit your taste. Have a great party and enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups brown lentils
- 4 cups water
- 1 two-inch strip kombu
- 1 carrot minced
- 1 onion, minced
- 3 clove garlic
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 4 sprigs parsley, minced
- 3 tbs. arrowroot or kuzu
- 4 tbs. water
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 2 tsp. shoyu
Cooking Instructions:
Sort through lentils, removing stones; wash and drain. Rinse kombu and place kombu on the bottom of a pot. Add the parsley, onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf and lentils. Slowly add the water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, then simmer for 30 minutes until tender. Very little liquid should remain. Remove the bay leaf.
Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the pan. Dissolve the arrowroot in water and pour into beans. Add the salt and shoyu/tamari; stir gently. Simmer for 15 minutes until the pate pulls away from the side of the pot.
The pate may then be poured into a lightly oiled decorative dish such as a circle or star shape mold or into a simple bowl. Let pate cool in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, turn pate out onto a large plate and decorate the plate with raw or blanched vegetables, steamed whole wheat bread or party crackers.
SEITAN WITH GRAVY
c. Jane Quincannon Stanchich, written for Susan Yarett
Seitan is delicious and satisfying. I recommend that you read these directions through carefully.
Ingredients and Cooking Instructions:
Seitan “Wheat Meat” can be made several ways. The original long version is in Aveline Kushi’s book The Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking. I have used that classic recipe countless times. The process of soaking and kneading the wheat is similar in time and effort to making homemade bread. The results are nice, but count on two-three hours cooking for a family size amount. You will also be at the sink for over an hour “washing” the wheat.
An acquaintance of mine, a world-class chef, Brother Ron Picarski, developed a product called Seitan Quick Mix. It is made by Harvest Direct of Knoxville, TN. Call 1-800-835-2867 if your local store needs to order it. Our local Earth Fare will special order it in quantity for me. Maybe you would want to buy a case of it sometime.
Seitan Quick Mix is basically gluten flour. One package makes more than enough for a family meal. The company says it will send more seitan recipes if you call them. You can make barbecued seitan, grilled seitan, seitan Stroganoff, basically anything you do with beef, you can do with seitan. Even meat balls, sandwiches, cutlets…… It is all in the flavoring and the vegetarian ingredients!
Read the entire package carefully. You have to follow the “Forming Seitan” directions. I follow the directions for Pressure Cooked Seitan. See the side panel under “Cooking Seitan.” The results are consistent, the texture is tender (more tender than the long version), and it takes all of 20 minutes to prep, then pressure cook for 30 minutes and it is done.
Seitan does not have flavor (same with tofu, chicken, and quite a lot of foods). It all depends on the flavor one adds to it. I love the shoyu plus ginger (I use fresh, grated ginger and do not add the ginger pulp.)
Basically you place the flour in a bowl and add water, mix, and knead it; form it into a roll and let it sit. Then you cut it (according to directions) and place in the Traditional Broth (see box directions).
The broth consists of water, shoyu, kombu, and fresh grated ginger juice. I also add 5 dried shiitake mushrooms that have been soaked and sliced with stem discarded. You may also add sliced garlic-2-3 cloves. Bring to a boil.
You place the slices of seitan in the broth and close the lid; then you bring to pressure, reduce heat and pressure cook for 30 minutes. Let pressure come down. You will then open the pressure cooker and you will see large chunks of tender, flavored seitan and mushrooms ready to eat. You may serve in large pieces like cuts of meat, or you may cut smaller as in beef stew. You can add chunked vegetables such as onions, carrots, celery, turnip as in a nice stew.
Thicken the broth into a gravy:
Remove seitan, mushrooms and kombu from the broth. Slice kombu into tiny pieces. Slice seitan if you wish and set aside. Measure the amount of broth you have left. (Approx. 2 cups should be in the pot.) Pour measured broth into the pot. Add water to make 4 cups of liquid. Bring to low boil.
In a small cup, place 3 Tablespoons kuzu or arrowroot. Add just enough room temp. water to dissolve it. Stir well. Reduce heat of the broth. Slowly stir in the dissolved kuzu or arrowroot. Stir until the gravy thickens. If gravy is too thick, add more water or vegetable broth to thin it out. If you want more gravy, add more liquid to 2 tsp. kuzu per cup liquid. Follow directions about kuzu. I like to place the seitan back into the hot gravy and keep warm until just before serving. I like to put the gravy on the grain.
Just one more word...YUMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!
Note: Seitan is more strengthening and contracting, so eat accordingly to your needs. Remember, variety is best. Make it once every two weeks or so for an active, healthy family.