I’m not a vegetarian nor is my husband.  We both love a good hunk of steak.  I cook my fair share of meat, but I also try to cook as much as I can without it.  Skipping the meat is definitely healthier plus I think it is easier — no marinating for hours, no worry about doneness, no hassle at all really.  When I can come up with a meal that is filling enough to omit the meat, I do it.  The key word there is “filling.”  A vegetarian meal isn’t always as hearty as I would want, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.  Don’t roll your eyes at me, meat eaters!

This is going to be tough but I’m going to sell you on this idea.  Not only that, but we’re going to get into some seriously advanced vegetarian stuff… tempeh.  Don’t leave!

Tempeh is made from fermented soy beans, but unlike its cousin tofu it uses the whole bean making it healthier for you.  Also like its cousin tofu, it has no flavor until you give it some.

For some reason, I found tempeh to be very intimidating. I’ve cooked tofu for years (only recently really getting it right, I’ll admit), but tempeh made me nervous.  I knew I liked the flavor, but I thought cooking it seemed difficult.  I could not have been more wrong.  Tofu is much more difficult to handle.

I’m going to share the recipe I used the first time I made tempeh.  After following this recipe once, I realized that no recipe is needed.  I now make a marinade of Asian sauces (maybe some soy, mirin, chili sauce, and a splash of rice wine vinegar — stuff I always have in my fridge) off the cuff.

Sweet and Savory Tempeh

• 2 (8-ounce) packages tempeh, each cut crosswise into 4 pieces
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (I used less just to keep it healthier)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) chili sauce or red pepper flakes (I recommend Sriracha) — optional

Mix the soy sauce, syrup, garlic, ginger, and chili sauce.  Cut the tempeh into cubes and toss in the sauce.  Allow to marinade for as long as you can up to 2 hours.  I put it in the marinade when I get home from work and cook it maybe 30 minutes to an hour later when I’m ready.  Toss the tempeh in the marinade from time to time so every cube gets some of that flavor.

Note: I bought tempeh from Trader Joe’s and tempeh from Whole Foods; they were different.  The Whole Foods tempeh sucked up all of the marinade in no time.  The Trader Joe’s tempeh didn’t but it still had ample flavor.  Just be aware that different tempeh may react differently.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. I wouldn’t use nonstick for this unless it is your only choice.  I used my cast iron and it worked great.  Put a little oil in the pan.  Once it is hot, add the tempeh cubes (not the remaining marinade yet!).  Once they brown on one side (it takes just a couple minutes if your pan is hot), turn them to brown on another side.  Keep doing this until they are fulling browned.

If you want to make other veggies for a stir fry, remove the tempeh from the pan and saute the other veggies.  (I used an onion from my CSA and some frozen shelled edamame last time and it was great.)  Once the veggies are cooked, return the tempeh to the pan and toss everything together in the remaining marinade.  As I mentioned earlier, the Whole Foods tempeh sucked up all of my marinade so I had to make more for the sauce.

Tempeh has this great nutty flavor and its texture is almost like a cube of brown rice.  It has some bite to it unlike tofu.  And unlike tofu you don’t have to press any water out of it or really prep it in any way before marinating.  It gets nice and browned very quickly giving it great flavor.

It is a quick, easy and healthy meal to make on a week night.  Plus it is delicious.  I’m a big fan and my husband is an even bigger fan!  Tempeh has quickly become a fridge staple in my house.