Tempeh Temptations
I'll be honest: I used to be petrified of tempeh. I mean, let's face it; it's
not the prettiest looking food in the world, with its grayish color and its squashed
together look. And I had no idea what on earth to do with it. I tried to incorporate
it into casseroles and soups, which suits some people, but I hated it. Oh, I knew
that it was good for me and that I should be eating it, but that alone just didn't excite me. All this changed, however,
when I went to my friend Susie's house for breakfast. Susie happens to be a chef
and I loved that breakfast so much, it has now become my all-time favorite. I
make it regularly and I'm going to share it with you so you can too. Don't worry,
it's so easy, you certainly don't have to be a chef to throw it together.
Now that I am enjoying my tempeh, I have effortlessly boosted my nutritional
intake. Tempeh is one of the most nutritionally dense foods available today and
its benefits are many and varied. And I've learned that you don't have to use
it just for breakfast. I have enlisted the help of Melbourne chef, Adam Clements,
to adapt a traditional Indonesian recipe, tempeh and zucchini skewers with peanut
sauce, for easy cooking in western kitchens. Both recipes are listed below.
Tempeh was first produced on the Indonesian island of Java. The first documentation
of tempeh production is a book called
Serat Centhini, which was published in the Sixteenth Century. Popularity of tempeh spread throughout
the world in the Twentieth Century. The Dutch, who at one point invaded and colonized
Indonesia, introduced tempeh to Europe. It is said that tempeh was brought to
America by The Farm, a "spiritual and farming community of 'long hairs' living
in Summertown, Tennessee"
[i] . Of course, down here in Australia, with our close proximity to Indonesia, we
get the opportunity to enjoy many culinary and cultural delights from our close
neighbors.
The method of making tempeh has barely changed over the centuries. It is made
by the controlled fermentation of cooked soy beans with a Rhizopus mould (otherwise
known as tempeh starter). The mould binds the soybeans together into a compact
cake that can be white, gray or brown in color. The Rhizopus mould actually
changes the properties of the soybeans which makes them particularly high in fiber
- one serving of tempeh provides more fiber than most people consume in a day.
Tempeh is also easier to digest than other bean products because the process of
fermentation softens the beans. That means it is not a problem for those prone
to flatulence. Other benefits include an increase in the body's ability to absorb
zinc, iron and calcium, low sodium content and natural antibiotics (helping to
prevent some intestinal diseases).
Tempeh is a great food to incorporate into your regular diet because it is nutritionally
dense and extremely versatile. It is amazing how much goodness they can fit into
one little cake of squished up beans. If you're already a fan of tempeh, you know
what I'm talking about, but if you've never tried it, please try one of these
two recipes, or try it in one of your own favorite stir-frys, pastas or casseroles.
And if you don't like it the first time, you can always try it a different way
or even use a food processor to turn it into a nutritionally dense pate or sandwich
spread. The benefits and the great flavor are well worth the persistence.
Susie's breakfast
All amounts here are approximate because it really doesn't matter how much of
each ingredient you put in - adjust it yourself according to taste.
dash olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
half packet of tempeh
quarter punnet cherry tomatoes
handful mushrooms
handful baby spinach leaves
roughly chopped fresh basil
tiny dash soy sauce
cracked pepper to taste
Method: Fry garlic and tempeh in olive oil on a medium high heat, until the tempeh
goes crispy on the outside. Add tomatoes and mushrooms and cook until they begin
to soften slightly. Add spinach, basil and soy and cook for one more minute. Serve
with cracked pepper on top of thick grainy toast. Easy!
Adam's Indonesian style tempeh and zucchini skewers
with peanut sauce
This recipe has a longer list of ingredients, but is equally easy to prepare.
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 small red chilies
1 small tin coconut cream
juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
1 stem lemongrass left whole and gently crushed
3 kaffir lime leaves left whole and gently crushed
half bunch coriander
1 teaspoon palm sugar (use normal sugar if you don’t have palm sugar)
crushed roasted peanuts to garnish
Method: Sauté onion, garlic, turmeric, cumin and chilies in peanut oil until
fragrant. Add coconut cream, soy, juice, peanut butter, lemongrass, kaffir lime
leaves and palm sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes; remove lemongrass and kaffir lime
leaves. Add coriander and serve. Garnish with crushed roasted peanuts
Copyright 2003 Veggieheadonline.com