Tempeh and Portabella Salad Sandwich

Hello- Super quick post today for a super quick but so delicious sandwich. This is my second post in a row on tempeh. Well, I had a half package leftover from a few days ago that I need to use. If you aren’t familiar with tempeh, you should really check it out. It’s high-protein, inexpensive and being a soy product, pretty much takes on the flavors that you add to it. Trader Joe’s has their own version of it that I highly recommend.

I had some nice local sourdough bread at home so a sandwich was calling my name. Though I’m not a big mayo fan, I used Vegenaise which is a vegan mayo substitute. This was used to bind the tempeh and mushroom mixture and doesn’t really enhance the taste much. If you don’t have it, you could puree some silken tofu with a bit of lemon juice and salt or even use mustard instead. You can change up the bread as you like.

Tempeh and Portabella Salad Sandwich

1/2 package tempeh (any kind)
1 large portabella mushroom, sliced thinly
1/2 medium size onion, sliced
2 tsp oil
1 tsp garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning or other seasoning of your choice
pinch of dried oregano
salt to taste
1 tbsp Vegenaise or other binder
4 lettuce leaves
2 slices of sourdough bread
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Chop the tempeh into small chunks or crumble it with your hands and set aside. Heat a pan over medium heat and add oil when it gets hot. Add the mushroom pieces and onions and stir occasionally, allowing them to cook until almost done. Then add the tempeh pieces, garlic, seasoning, oregano and salt and a bit more oil if necessary. Allow to cook until the mushroom and onions are starting to brown and cook through. The tempeh doesn’t have to “cook” but you want to get it starting to brown. When it’s done cooking, remove the mixture to a bowl to cool for a few minutes.

While waiting for the mixture to cool, toast your bread. When it comes out, slather with mustard and put on a plate. Tear some lettuce leaves and place on both pieces of bread. Now go back to the tempeh mix – add the vegenaise and mix well. Taste for seasoning and put on top of your lettuce/toast. Place the pieces together and enjoy!

 

Tempeh Potato Pepper Curry with Pickled Onions

Hello! It’s been a long time since my last post. I have been very busy with garden things and kid & school things. I have been tweeting a bit, in case you want to follow me there just look for thisspicylife… I usually re-tweet interesting nutrition articles, garden info and other inspiring stuff.

Yesterday I hosted a huge garden work day at our school garden as part of an Eagle Scout Project. We worked pretty much all day rebuilding raised beds and moving soil into the new beds. We had a lot of help from a local Boy Scout Troop #127 and our school parents and community volunteers. It was such a great day with beautiful weather and nice people. See the end of this post for some pics of our garden remodel.

I really worked up an appetite because today I was ready for a rather substantial (for me) breakfast. It turned into brunch by the time I got it made and ready to eat, though this is a pretty quick dish to make. We had some leftover pickled onions from the weekend, so added these to the plate along with some yummy grits seasoned with nutritional yeast. The leftovers will be made into burritos. It was the perfect addition to this non-spicy curry. If you want the onions, you should plan ahead. Or just make a batch and find ways to use them! They are a pretty pink color and delicious (if you like onions). Here is the tempeh recipe:

Tempeh Potato Pepper Curry with Pickled Onions (Serves 4)

1/2 package of tempeh, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 large baking potato, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 orange bell pepper (or other color), cut in bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped kale
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)
pinch of garam masala (optional)
salt to taste

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and allow to heat a bit before adding the cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds start to toast, add the potato pieces and a bit of salt, stirring the potatoes to coat with the oil. Cover with a lid and allow the potatoes to cook, stirring occasionally. When the potatoes are almost cooked through, sprinkle with the turmeric, coriander powder and cayenne pepper and stir well. Add the tempeh, pepper, kale and garlic. Continue cooking and stir frequently until the tempeh is heated and the pepper is cooked to your liking. This should take just 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the pinch of garam masala and additional salt to taste. Serve with pickled onions over grits, rice or with bread of your choice.

Pickled Onions

1 red onion
1/2 cup of vinegar (any kind you like)
1/2 cup of water
pinch of salt

Peel the onion and cut in rings. Loosen the rings and place the rings in a non-reactive bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the onion and add the vinegar (we used white vinegar) and water. Allow to sit for an hour or up to two days before using. These can be used in sandwiches, as part of an appetizer tray with other veggies, on pizza, or just on the side of any spicy curry. The longer they pickle, the better they taste. Just keep ’em in the fridge.

Here are some pics of our garden remodel:

Rebuilding the raised beds with cinder blocks…Boy Scouts in yellow shirts. The blocks will get painted later by the students.

 

Some artichokes growing in the garden… can’t wait to harvest!

 

One of our hard-working volunteers!