Tempeh And Vegetable Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

Marinade:
1 tsp. ginger juice (I used minced ginger)
1 Tbsp. brown rice syrup (I used honey)
3 Tbsp. tamari
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste

8 oz. tempeh, cubed

Dressing:
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp. miso
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. tamari
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. warm water, or more (depending on how thin you prefer the dressing to be)

2 tsp. oil
1 ear corn, kernels removed (I used frozen corn kernels)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 cups baby spinach
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups sunflower sprouts, roughly chopped
2 green onions, minced

Whisk together marinade ingredients until well combined.

In a medium pot with a steamer basket, steam tempeh cubes for 20 minutes and cool slightly.  Marinate tempeh in marinade for two hours, or overnight in the refrigerator, and drain.

In a food processor, blender, or with a whisk, mix together all dressing ingredients until well combined.

Heat oil in medium skillet on medium-high heat.  Add tempeh and sauté first side until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes.  Flip to second side and repeat.  Transfer tempeh to a paper towel to drain and cool.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, dry roast corn kernels until light brown, about 5 minutes, and remove from heat to cool.  In the same skillet over medium-high heat, dry roast pumpkin seeds until they are golden and begin to puff and pop, about 2-4 minutes.  Combine tempeh, corn, pumpkin seeds, spinach, bell pepper, and sunflower sprouts in a large bowl.  Mix in miso tahini dressing.  Garnish with green onions and serve.

(This salad takes a lot of work, but is really delicious.  The dressing is nice, even to just make alone and use for other salads, etc.)

West Indian Pumpkin with Jerk-Spiced Tempeh

(recipe from The New Vegan Cookbook by Lorna Sass)

For the tempeh:
8 oz. tempeh
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus oil for preparing the pan
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 to 1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 medium vidalia or other sweet onion, peeled and cut into eighths
Hot sauce

For the pumpkin:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
One 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (with liquid)
1/2 to 1 cup unseasoned tomato juice, or water
3 to 4 Tbsp. marinade (reserved from the jerk-spiced tempeh)
1 to 2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 lbs. calabaza pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

With a fork, deeply prick the tempeh about 20 times on each side.  Cut into 1/2-inch dice.  Set aside.

In a blender, combine the soy sauce, oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, pepper, salt, and onion.  Puree until very smooth, about 1 minute.  Add hot sauce to taste.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade.

Pour half of the remaining marinade into a storage container.  Add the diced tempeh.  Pour the rest of the marinade on top.  Cover, then shake gently to coat the tempeh evenly.  Set aside for 15 minutes (or refrigerate overnight).

While the tempeh is marinating, prepare the curried pumpkin:  Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan.  Cook the onion and green pepper over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid, 1/2 cup tomato juice (or water), 3 Tbsp. of the reserved marinade, and the smaller amounts of curry, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.  Stir in the pumpkin.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.  During this time, adjust the seasoning by adding more marinade and spices if you wish.  Add more tomato juice or water if the sauce becomes too thick.

While the pumpkin is cooking, preheat the oven to 425F.  Brush a large nonstick baking sheet or roasting pan with oil (if nonstick, line with oiled foil).  Spread the marinated tempeh in the pan in one layer.  (It's okay if some of the unabsorbed marinade ends up in the pan.)  Bake until the color deepens and the top of each piece feels fairly dry and is no longer sticky to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes.  (Do not cook the tempeh longer than 12 minutes, as it will dry out.)

To serve, spoon the curried pumpkin onto dinner plates and set the jerk-spiced tempeh on top.

(I used butternut squash for this recipe.  The spice of this is incredible!  The marinade for the tempeh is amazing!  I actually added all of the remaining marinade to the pumpkin mixture.  The recipe is written out so well - it sounds involved but is incrediby easy to follow.)

Lemon-Dill Pollock

(recipe from Cooking Light magazine)

1/3 cup minced fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar (I used honey)
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 (6-oz.) pollock or other firm white fish fillets (I used haddock)


Combine all ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.  Remove fish from the bag; discard marinade.

Prepare grill or broiler.

Place fish on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray (or covered with parchment paper).  Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

(I used the broiler.  An effortless and delicious fish preparation!  I spooned some of the marinade over the fish before broiling, so my fish was moist and juicy.)

Roasted Portobellos with Kale

(recipe from marthastewart.com)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey
4 cloves garlic, divided
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 stemmed potobello mushrooms
1/2 thinly sliced red onion
pinch red pepper flakes
6 cups thinly sliced kale

Combine vinegar, honey, 2 chopped cloves garlic, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Arrange mushrooms in a baking dish.  Drizzle with vinaigrette, cover, and marinate, turning occasionally, at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (or overnight in the refrigerator).

Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, 2 thinly sliced cloves garlic, and a pinch red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add kale, season with salt, and cook, covered, until bright green and soft, about 4 minutes.

Heat oven to 400F.  Roast mushrooms, flipping once, until tender, about 30 minutes.  Serve topped with kale.  Serves 2.

(This was delicious, though time consuming.  I marinated the mushrooms overnight, and they were very tangy.  Garlicky and tangy and delightful!)

East-West Marinated Asparagus

(recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine)

Serves 6.

3 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp.)
1 Tbsp. agave nectar or honey
Pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 Thai bird chile, seeded and thinly sliced for garnish, optional

Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water for 5 minutes.  Drain, and plunge into ice-water filled bowl.

Whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, oil, ginger, garlic, agave, and cayenne.  Pour over asparagus in a large baking dish, submerging them (add some water, if necessary).  Cover and chill in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.

Drain off marinade, and arrange asparagus on plates.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chile slices, if using.

(Very delicious.  I added the chile pepper right into the marinade.  I ate the asparagus with some brown rice that I stir-fried along with a little bit of the marinade mixed in.)