Spicy Tempeh and Broccoli Rabe With Rotelle

So I have to admit that when I got the cookbook "Veganomicon" for Christmas last year I was thrilled to try out what my friends called the "Vegan Bible". Sadly, since the initial read-through, this cookbook has been relegated to the back of my bookshelf and has rarely seen the light of day. I pulled it out last night, desperate to find a good recipe for the tempeh sitting in my fridge. And promptly realized why I never use it. As a single professional, I usually only have a few staple ingredients on hand to cook with. The recipes in Veganomicon always call for more ingredients than I have in my pantry and more time than I have on hand. So I was surprised and pleased to realize I had everything to make one of the many tempeh recipes in there last night. Well, everything except the broccoli rabe....but I did have a bag of frozen broccoli in my freezer. The tempeh marinade was actually delicious and the perfect amount of spicy for me.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb whole wheat spiral pasta

Spicy Fennel Tempeh:

1 (15 ounce) package tempeh, cubed

1/2 cup vegetable broth, plus 2 tablespoons vegetable broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 tablespoon fennel seed 

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Broccoli rabe:
1/4 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 bunch broccoli rabe, tough stems trimmed, chopped coarsely (1/2-3/4 pound)  * I used a bag of frozen broccoli cut into small pieces
2 -3 tablespoons white wine or 2 -3 tablespoons water or 2 -3 tablespoons vegetable broth
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
salt & freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, usually about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, toss with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and keep covered either in a large covered serving bowl or the cooking pot. While your pasta is boiling, prepare the other ingredients.

 

2. Tempeh: Place the tempeh in a large, nonstick skillet. In a measuring cup, whisk together the vegetable broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Pour over the tempeh, stir to coat, and cook over medium heat until the liquid starts to simmer. Cover the pan and steam the tempeh for 8 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the tempeh is tender. Stir a few times while tempeh is steaming.

 

 

3. Transfer the tempeh to a bowl and crumble about half the cubes with the back of a spoon.

 

4. Wipe down the skillet to remove any leftover tempeh sauce, return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. To test the heat, drop a bit of tempeh into the oil- when it sizzles, the oil is hot enough. Add the tempeh and stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to brown. Remove from heat, add to the pasta, and keep covered.

 

5. Broccoli rabe: Pour the remaining olive oil into the pan and add the sliced garlic. When the garlic begins to sizzle, stir and cook it for about a minute. Add the broccoli rabe (or defrosted broccoli, in my case), stir to coat it with the oil, sprinkle with a little salt, and cover the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the white wine and steam for 8 to 10 minutes, until the broccoli rabe is bright green and its stems are tender (you may need to do this in 2 batches, just add the second batch of broccoli rabe when the first batch has wilted enough to leave room in your pan)

 

6. Remove the cover and continue to saute for an additional minute or two, until any excess liquid is evaporated. Pour the cooked broccoli rabe onto the tempeh and pasta, sprinkle with red wine vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and toss everything to mix.

 

Caramelized Tofu & Brussel Sprouts

Thanksgiving shopping has been all consuming for me this week - stocking up on non-perishables for the big day and preparing my list of what I need to get the day-of. I have not put much thought into any other dinner recipes for the week. I was thus pleasantly surprised when I realized that I had everything on hand to make this meal from Heidi's blog 101 Cookbooks. I have made this once before and loved it. A nice light meal to enjoy pre-thanksgiving feasting!

Ingredients:

7 - 8 ounces extra-firm tofu cut into thin 1-inch segments (see photo)
a couple pinches of fine-grain sea salt
a couple splashes of olive or peanut oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
3 tablespoons fine-grain natural cane sugar or brown sugar
1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, washed and cut into 1/8-inch wide ribbons

Directions:

Cook the tofu strips in large hot skillet (or pot) with a bit of salt and a splash of oil. Saute until slightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and pecans, and cook for another minute. Stir in sugar. Cook for another couple of minutes. Remove from heat. Scrape the tofu out onto a plate and set aside while you cook the brussels sprouts.

In the same pan (no need to wash), add a touch more oil, another pinch of salt, and dial the heat up to medium-high. When the pan is nice and hot stir in the shredded brussels sprouts. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring a couple times (but not too often) until you get some golden bits, and the rest of the sprouts are bright and delicious.

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Vegetables



 

Ever since I realized how easy it is to microwave spaghetti squash I have become obsessed with it.

 

Just make pierce the skin of the squash a few times to prevent the squash from exploding in the microwave and then nuke it for 12 minutes. It comes out steaming hot so be careful when you slice it open. Scoop out the seeds and then break up the strands of squash with a fork.

 

Last night I paired topped my spaghetti squash off with some roasted vegetables. I roasted eggplant, peppers, and zucchini coated with olive oil in the oven for 40 minutes at 375' but any vegetables would work.

 

 

Black Lentil & Tomato Soup

After a weekend on the beach in Miami, I was not very excited to come back to 40 degree rain in Boston this week. This lentil stew by Heidi Swanson made the cold, dark weather a bit more bearable. Plus, the ingredient list is short which made my trip to the grocery store very easy.


Ingredients:
2 cups black beluga lentils (or green French lentils), picked over and rinsed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 28-ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
2 cups water
3 cups of a big leafy green (chard, kale, etc), rinsed well, deveined, finely chopped

Directions:
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the lentils, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and salt and saute until tender, a couple minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, lentils, and water and continue cooking for a few more minutes, letting the soup come back up to a simmer. Stir in the chopped greens, and wait another minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be.